Advice

February 11, 2007

At the moment i have a Yaris T-Sport, but later on in the year i'm planning on changing it.. i had 2 ideas in mind.. either an MX5 (04/05 Plate) or a Celica (02/03 Plate)... what u think?

what i'd like to know is..

1. are they cheap to insure/run?

2. as i'm used to small hatches (yaris/saxo/corsa etc) are they easy to park.. i'm worried i'd jump from a yaris to a celica and be totally lost in it, as its is a bigger car..

3. also one more.. do they have a timing chain or belt?? are the mechanicals good quality (silly question really).. but so far my yaris is going great, no problems..

cheers all... if u have any other advice for me that would be great.. i really can't make my mind up at all...

February 13, 2007

I had a mazda and the build quality was poor. Body panels didn't meet up etc. I have a Celica now and it's easy to drive, comfy, it's old and has lasted very well. I sold a newer car to buy it and I love it. It is very reliable.Seems a lot better built than the Xedos was. I don't think the parts are that expensive for a foreign car, probably about the same as the mazda. The toy is going to be much more expensive for you to insure and run. The mx5 might be cheaper in that respect. I think insurance is going to be your main cost. I've always seen the mx5 as a bit of a womans car (sorry, any burly blokes who have one!). Put it this way - if you like the Toy you've got-stick with them.

I have the old style one, I don't actually like the styling of the new one, looks like a wedge of cheese. As for driving mine, it goes fast, steers like a dream,is effortless to reverse. I think visibility is fine, and I am very short. I am assuming the newer shape is of as good quality but don't quote me on that. My friend has one of the new ones and for some reason it seems a lot cheaper made despite refinements. The engine is a bit piddly too and doesn't pick up like my old one despite all this VVTi mullarkey.I don't even know how big a yaris is inside. There is no room for anyone over kiddie size in the back of the celica old or new. especially if the driver is tall. It is a different driving position, sort of laying down rather than sitting up. The drivers seat adjusts from 7 foot tall person to 4 foot tall!

Why don't you go and look at a couple for sale and have a sit in? There are plenty on forecourts to look at.

Good luck.

February 13, 2007

I had a mazda and the build quality was poor. Body panels didn't meet up etc.

Sounds to me like your mazda was crashed in a previous life mate. mazda build quality is excellent - but then again so is toyotas.

with regard to the cars they are very different the MX five is a two seater with a small booth and a very stiff ride - can you live with it - if so it will be a more fun car - but it is not practical.

with regard to the celica parking etc will not be a problem you be fine after a couple of days the 1.8 vvti is a tad unexciting however if you went for the vvtl-i its quite a different story. If i was you i'd look into it a lot more the two cars you are considering aren't even in the same class a coupe versus a roadster. my advice see if you can live with the roadster practicality wise and security wise (nothing worse than thinking your car could be robbed at any time) then way up what celica you want the vvti or the vvtli

February 14, 2007

As already said, the build qua;lity on Jap cars is generally excellent.

I know of a few small problems with mainly the early Gen 7 celicas, 1 lift bolts on early cars had problems and snapped. The paint is also supposed to scrach easily on the celica's too, other than that i'd say get the celica (but i'm biased!)

The Gen 7's have timing chains btw ;)

As for insurance, it'll depend on your circumstances, find a reg number on autotrader, then have a play on confused.com. that's what i do!

February 17, 2007

I've just changed from a Celica (Gen 7) to a MX-5.

The MX-5 is more economical, usually faster (depending on the model of course), cheaper to insure and more fun to drive. It is far less practical however. The build quality of the Mazda is good and that is not necessarily the case for some recent Toyotas. The things on the Celica to watch out for are the tail gate struts, the alloys (which corrode after a couple of years) and the lift bolts on the earlier VVTLi

engines. Celicas are prone to stone chips also. Reports of the reliability of the VVTLi models have been patchy. It is too early for me to comment on potential MX-5 problems, but none so far.

Both cars are enjoyable and easy to drive. Some people have found the rear wheel drive MX-5 to be skittish in the wet. But I haven't noticed it. Your decision should be made on practicality and whether a roadster has enough room for you. Security might be an issue for you depending where you live and park. It's obviously easier to break into a soft top than a coupe, but the car should have an alarm and an immobiliser. It is probably likely that any damage you would suffer would be down to vanadalism. But then again sombody can scratch your car no matter what make it is.