We continue our countdown of 12 econoboxes inspired by this 1992 vintage Car and Driver comparison article. The twelve sub $10k (when new) cars were ranked by an assortment of college kids, and this next one is number 4. It is the venerable Toyota Tercel, which was one of the cars that Toyota sold in […]
The last time I posted a Tercel, I made the mistake of calling it a Corolla…which CFlo caught and pointed it out. So this time I’m calling it a Turdcel, because even though this next car might have some wicked SR5 stripes on the side and louvers to die for…it’s got a seriously scuzzy headliner and a case of paint psoriasis that’ll take more than the potentially deadly ointment they are always trying to sell me in commercials (you know the one where the lady is running around in shorts and playing tennis and the calm doctorish voice warns you about fungal infections and travel from certain third world countries — are they reading my browser history, how do they target these ads on the TV so well??) Anyway…I wish this car was more of a survivor and less of an active patient. Find this 1982 Toyota Tercel SR5 offered for $2999 in Suwanee, GA.
I responded to the sight of this car with a visceral utterance that was something between an “uggg” and a “whoa”. What happened to the boxy lines of the 80s Corolla? Was it really necessary to turn it into a giant 4-wheeled suppository? Oh. This is a Tercel, which Toyota occasionally badged as the Corolla II and Windy. Find this 1992 Toyota Corolla Windy II offered for $4750 in Seattle, WA via craigslist. Tip from JB1025.
This next car comes as a tip from ME who writes; perhaps you can use this one on a slow day. Full stop. If this is what DT shows on a slow day…then I can’t imagine what we’d share on a fast day. This has everything you’d need in an analog world — manual brakes, manual steering, manual transmission, manual windows, manual headlights, manual ignition timing advance (okay, I made that last one up). All this thing needs is a set of stock wheels and a wingectomy to be perfect for your daily drive or your kid’s first car. Find this 1993 Toyota Tercel DX offered for $2900 in Staten Island, NY via craigslist.
“Cool” car guys aren’t supposed to admit that they like basic economy cars from yesteryear, but I’m not cool, so I guess I’ll just go out and admit that I do a double take when a clean Toyota Tercel rolls by and I’m a sucker for the hatchback version that hasn’t been hacked up by […]
What could be better than driving a high mile version of a classic Japanese coupe with a manual gearbox and some sweet 80s style? Yeah…getting that same car with low miles and in mint condition for peanuts. Find this 1989 Toyota Tercel offered for $5700 in South San Francisco, CA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck. From […]
This next car comes from tipper Matt C who writes: I don’t know how or why somebody managed to keep a 1982 Toyota Tercel in such good condition; most Japanese cars from that era would at least be showing some interior wear beyond the steering wheel, or faded or dinged paint. Plus, this one is an […]
This next car comes from DT regular Safety Fast who writes: Behold the 1984 Toyota Tercel ‘Malaise Edition’ in beautiful, vibrant beige. This car was not included in the “Oh what a feeling!” advertising campaign of the time because the feeling it gave owners was sadness. With long-term ownership, this feeling eventually morphed into serious […]
How often do you run into classic 80s Japanese cars with all-wheel-drive that aren’t total wrecks or complete piles of rust? Not very often…well…actually we try and post those all the time around here, but I’m still regularly surprised. Find this 1983 Toyota Tercel 4wd offered for $3,200 near Boise, ID via craigslist. Tip from Fuel […]
This next feature comes with a few words from tipper Matt C…take it away: I hopped on Craigslist today looking for a cool station wagon, and found several that are quite DT-ish: First is an AMC Concord wagon, amazingly clean at a great price. 1982 American Concorde offered for $1995 near Atlanta, GA via craigslist. […]