Just picked up an '02 Celica with the 1.8L. Thought it was 4WD at first, but looks like I was wrong. What do y’all think – still a cool car or not?
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4WD? Haha, unless you swapped the whole drivetrain, that thing is FWD. Only the GT-Four and All-Trac models came with AWD from the factory.
Franklin said:
4WD? Haha, unless you swapped the whole drivetrain, that thing is FWD. Only the GT-Four and All-Trac models came with AWD from the factory.
That’s exactly what I thought. Pretty sure these only ever came in FWD.
@Roux
Yeah, you’re right! I didn’t even realize I made that typo, lol.
Gotta be honest, that gen was never really cool, no matter how much I wanted it to be.
Teo said:
Gotta be honest, that gen was never really cool, no matter how much I wanted it to be.
I dunno, the GT-S had a bit of cool factor. It was light, only around 2600 lbs, which is something.
@Berlin
True, but those extra 40 hp only kicked in at like 6,000 RPM or something, and I’m not about to drive at that RPM all the time.
Depends on the engine. The 140 hp version has some reliability issues and lacks power. The 190 hp one is more solid and gives decent performance. Also, the lower one tends to burn oil a lot.
Tracy said:
Depends on the engine. The 140 hp version has some reliability issues and lacks power. The 190 hp one is more solid and gives decent performance. Also, the lower one tends to burn oil a lot.
And just a reminder, this gen is only FWD, not AWD. FWD isn’t bad though and might even be better for everyday driving.
Tracy said:
Depends on the engine. The 140 hp version has some reliability issues and lacks power. The 190 hp one is more solid and gives decent performance. Also, the lower one tends to burn oil a lot.
Yep, I had an ‘02 GT, and in the last couple of years, it was burning oil like crazy and messed up the catalytic converter. The piston rings warped over time. I think they fixed that issue in the ‘03 or ‘04 models.
My mom had a 2002 Celica and got over 400,000 km on it without a single spot of rust. It only retired because she hit a bear and had to use my 2014 tC. Loved that car!
Honestly, the design was pretty forward-thinking for its time. Too bad it wasn’t more powerful. Maybe Toyota will give us a surprise with a new sports car in the next few years.
That’s one of the rougher years for the Celica. I think 2001 to 2003 were the worst, and the 2004-2006 models were way better in terms of engine reliability.
Is it a GT-S? I used to have a Vibe GT with the 2ZZ-GE engine – fun car! Still miss it sometimes.
Finnley said:
Is it a GT-S? I used to have a Vibe GT with the 2ZZ-GE engine – fun car! Still miss it sometimes.
Yep, it’s a GT-S! I just took the badge off the back.
Finnley said:
Is it a GT-S? I used to have a Vibe GT with the 2ZZ-GE engine – fun car! Still miss it sometimes.
Yep, it’s a GT-S! I just took the badge off the back.
It has the regular GT wheels, though, not the GT-S ones. Plus, you said it was 4WD at first… kinda makes me wonder if it’s really a GT-S.
That car gives me Miami vibes!
RoadWarriorX said:
That car gives me Miami vibes!
305 represent 
Absolute classic! Gotta love it.