Used Toyota Celica (Mk7, 1999-2006) buyer’s guide: a great modern classic

Verdict

Next year will mark two decades since Toyota built its last Celica, and in that time the world has generally moved on from coupés such as these. But if you fancy harking back to the early noughties, the Celica makes a great modern classic buy, because these are cars that are eminently practical as two-seaters, or as a family runabout if you have small kids. Although these days most of the Celica’s contemporaries are extremely rare, the Toyota’s durability means there are more to choose from. And while prices aren’t high, they’re not as low as you might expect, which shows just how highly regarded the Celica is.

The original Toyota Celica burst onto the scene in Japan in 1970, and within a year it was on sale in the UK. It would prove hugely popular with enthusiasts around the world for seven generations over a 36-year lifespan. Along the way it switched from rear to front-wheel drive and it got ever more hi-tech, but what didn’t change was the usability, economy and reliability.

The Celica was never an out-and-out sports car, but it offered a certain panache with a decent – if ultimately rather unexciting – driving experience. It’s more than a quarter of a century since the final iteration of the Celica appeared, by which point Toyota had sold 81,000 Celicas in the UK.

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Now, the Celica Mk7 is a modern classic and while many are owned as second cars, there are still quite a few that are daily drivers, which just goes to show how usable these eye-catching coupés are.

History

Shown at the January 1999 Detroit motor show as a concept, it was later that year, in November, that the final iteration of the Celica reached the market. It came with a 1.8-litre petrol engine rated at 140bhp, but a year later a 189bhp edition was added to the range, badged Celica 190. The Celica 1.8T Sport arrived in August 2001, with a sportier design inside and out; mechanically it was a Celica 190.

Updates at the end of 2002 brought minor adjustments for the interior and exterior, as well as the brakes and suspension.

The 190 was discontinued and the range now consisted of the Celica, Premium, Style and T Sport; all featured the 140bhp engine except for the 189bhp T Sport. The Red and Blue special editions of April and July 2004 respectively were based on the Celica 140, while the limited-run GT of July 2005 used the T Sport as its starting point.

On the road

The Celica is sure-footed with crisp steering and sharp handling, helped by a kerbweight of just 1,185kg. When it was launched, it featured an all-new 16-valve 1.8-litre engine that powered the front wheels, but in 140bhp form it’s short of torque and suffers from high gearing.

The 189bhp edition addresses this with more power and shorter gear ratios, but these make it noisier on the motorway, and thirsty. But if you want some fun, it’s definitely the Celica 190 that you should be seeking out.

Which one should I buy?

Facelifted cars from late 2002 have a higher-quality interior and bigger front brakes, while the T Sport also came with ESP, brake assist and traction control. The 189bhp engine doesn’t feel all that torquey, but we’d always opt for one of these over the 140bhp alternative, which doesn’t seem worthy of such a sharp-looking coupé. All Celicas came with a six-speed manual gearbox; any automatic is a grey import.

By modern standards the Celica is spartan, but all versions came with a six-speaker hi-fi, anti-lock brakes, remote central locking, twin front airbags, air-con and 16-inch alloy wheels, plus a full-size spare wheel. Buy a Celica Premium and you’ll also have an electric sunroof, leather trim and climate control.

Alternatives to the Toyota Celica

In the nineties and early noughties there were quite a few coupés on the market. The Ford Cougar (1998-2000) was one, but few survive so you’ll struggle to find anything to buy.

There are more Honda Preludes about (1991-1996) and the same goes for the Hyundai Coupé (2002-2009), while the Peugeot 406 coupé (1997-2003) is also now a rarity. You could also seek out a Fiat Coupé (1993-2000), Mitsubishi 3000GT (1992-2000), a Vauxhall Calibra (1989-1998), Nissan 350Z (2003-2009) or Audi TT (1999-2006). We’d also put the Volkswagen Corrado (1988-1995) on our shortlist, but all of these are now rarer than the Toyota.

What to look for

Grey import?

If the car is a grey (unofficial) import, it won’t be to correct UK specification, and it may be poorly rustproofed. Also be wary of any modified Celicas; some are quite ropey.

Body parts

Corrosion doesn’t tend to be a problem unless there have been poor crash repairs. Some panels are available new and you can find pretty much everything on a used basis, but the bodykits of late cars are not easy to find.

Oil use

Heavy oil consumption is normal. A litre every 1,000 miles is par for the course, with early 140bhp engines prone to burning a lot of oil. Unusually for a Japanese engine, oil leaks are also pretty common.

Wear and tear

All Celicas are at that age where any mechanical part might need to be replaced through general wear. But everything is available used, and most of it is on offer new from Toyota dealers.

Interior

Even when it was a new car, the Celica’s cabin seemed a bit cheap, but the driving position is superb, and it’s hard to fault ergonomically, because the controls are well placed. What isn’t so good is the rear-seat space, because head and leg room are compromised. But boot capacity is good at 323 litres and practicality is boosted by the hatchback configuration and the ability to drop the back seats.

Prices

Celicas are valued largely on their condition and mileage, rather than their age or trim level. However, buyers will pay a bit extra for a Celica Premium, while the T Sport is the most sought after of the bunch, thanks to its extra performance as well as higher equipment levels.

Check the price of a Toyota Celica with our free car valuation tool...

Running costs

One of the star attractions of running a Celica is the low running costs. Depreciation is virtually non-existent, but road tax is quite costly; buy any Celica registered before 1 March 2001 and the VED will cost £360 per year. Go for a 140bhp example registered after this date and the tax is £345 because it’s rated at 185g/km of CO2; 189bhp cars are pegged at 200g/km, which means a £395 annual bill.

Maintenance is cheap if you use an independent garage or you can do basic tasks yourself. An oil and filter change (mineral oil is fine) is required every 12 months or 10,000 miles, while the spark plugs need to be renewed only every 40,000 miles.

The engine is chain-driven, so there’s no cambelt to replace. Combined fuel consumption is pegged at 36mpg for 140bhp cars, and 33mpg for 189bhp editions.

Recalls

The Celica Mk7 is known as the T230, and Toyota has issued three recalls for it. The first was in March 2003 and it affected 2,553 cars made between March and November 2002. These left the factory with an incorrectly fitted valve in the petrol tank, which could lead to fuel leaks.

In April 2005, 6,936 Celicas built between September 1999 and September 2000 were recalled because some left the factory with faulty master cylinders which could lead to brake fluid leaks, and ultimately a lack of stopping power.

The third recall came as recently as October 2020. Some of the earliest Celicas were fitted with faulty Takata airbags. This was part of a huge global campaign that affected millions of cars made by numerous manufacturers.

Driver Power owner satisfaction

The last Celicas were built almost two decades ago, so they fall outside the remit of our Driver Power surveys. Even when new they were bought generally by enthusiasts who wanted the balance of usability and driving enjoyment, accepting that the car didn’t excel in either of these areas. Now that most Celicas are bought for occasional use, those shortcomings are accepted even more readily. Which is easy to do when the Celica looks so good, but costs so little to buy and run.

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