2005 TOYOTA CELICA NEW CAR BUYER'S GUIDE

What's New for the 2005 Toyota Celica?
Since Toyota is canceling production of the Celica after the 2005 model year, it is not surprising that changes to this venerable sport compact are few. Optitron gauge lighting is standard on the LE model, and the standard cassette player has been removed. Now, Celica owners must opt for the JBL 3-in-1 sound system if they insist on listening to mix tapes from old boyfriends.

Advantages of the 2005 Toyota Celica:

• Engines that love to rev
• Sharp steering and handling
• Hatchback utility

Objections to the 2005 Toyota Celica:

• GT-S a little rough for a daily driver, pummeling you on the way to work
• GT-S engine requires extremely high revs to make its power, and torque down low is hard to come by
• GT-S gearbox has tight gates; it’s easy to miss a shift
• Difficult entry and exit
• Inexpensive interior materials

Editor's Advice:
Youngsters sure love persnickety cars. The 2005 Toyota Celica is difficult to get in and out of, it’s a tight fit for big-boned types, and many find the styling a little over the top. Buyers of the Celica GT-S may discover their left leg aching from modulating the heavy clutch, and going over bumps in the sport-tuned model is a teeth-jarring experience; this is no commuter car. The tamer GT is powered by an inline four-cylinder engine making 140 horsepower and rides more softly, but the soul of the Celica resides in the GT-S with its 180 horses reached only at a shrieking 7,600 rpm. Get the Toyota Celica out onto a daunting canyon road and down a set of kinky switchbacks and hairpins, and you’ll find reflexive steering, impressive braking and a sweet-handling suspension. The incipient grin induced by the Toyota Celica is not for youngsters alone, but for the young at heart. But the new Scion tC is a better daily driver, which explains why the Celica is dead at the end of the 2005 model year.