Car Decision: Celica vs Cavalier

impseth

Long time since I posted anything here.

Going car shopping soon with a small amount of money. After spending the past few weeks researching what I need vs what I want vs what I can buy it's come down to two choices.

This puppy(94 celica): http://www.autotrader.ca/used_cars_Car_details/LONDON_Ontario_1994_TOYOTA_CELICA_1342174.html?srcID=5&frnID=7558209&cofid=ON20080623103751485&prv=Ontario&r=40

OR

This puppy(01 cavalier): http://www.autotrader.ca/used_cars_Car_details/London_Ontario_2001_CHEVROLET_CAVALIER_1383490.html?srcID=5&frnID=7592844&cofid=20100419131015684&prv=Ontario&r=40

Unless I have to fight Thor in the form of my family(and it doesn't feel like shit on 4 poop wheels) it'll be the celica. But still, thoughts?

Djeet

I think you should get the celica, keep that car in good shape for another 10 years and you'll have a classic.

MushroomStick

If it came down to buying a cavalier, I would walk.

GungHo

Just watch out for rust. I don't know what they put on the roads in Kingston for the snow, but across the lake they put salt on the roads. It's hell on a car, especially if it's been up there for over 15 years. Have a body shop that knows what they're doing check it out so that you're not driving around like Fred Flintstone in a couple of weeks.

jedikuonji

I have a '99 Cav that I bought new. I've barely spent anything on maintenance in the 11 years I've owned it. Not sure how the '01's are, but I've driven Cavaliers since the early 90's and rarely had any issues with them.

MushroomStick

Maybe the Chicago metropolitan area is poisonous to cavaliers or something, but almost everyone I know has owned a cavalier at some point and had bad luck with it.

MoSiAc

I loved my celica. I got hit by a lady in it, she fixed it. Car ran perfect through it all. I had to sell it when I moved and a friend of mine bought it, wrecked it. Fixed it up, sold it to his sister and she wrecked and he's fixed it again. That car just won't die.

L Ron Howard

I don't know anyone who's ever been happy with a Cavalier.

Metalbourne

L Ron Howard wrote: »

I don't know anyone who's ever been happy with a Cavalier.

It's been pretty dependable, but I get better performance out of a statue of a man on horseback.

jedikuonji

Must be the Iowa air or something that keeps all the Cavaliers running. Though I did buy mine in California, but I got it out of there within a year. It's definitely not a powerhouse, but it keeps getting me from point A to point B so I'm satisfied.

Mmmm... Cocks...

My dad has had an '00 Cavalier and drives it pretty far almost every day.
For the last 10 years nearly.

The only thing that's gone wrong with it was the dash cracked up a bit.
But he works at a mall, so that's the sun for you.

They are pretty underpowered (my neighbor has one as well) but the 5 speed (which this one is) makes up for it quite a bit.

As far as myself personally, I'd rather the Celica.

Decius

Everyone owns a Cavalier, where as that Celica is pretty unique. If that's what you're going for...

Descendant X

Get the Celica. I've had two Cavaliers, and I guarantee that the Celica will be a lot more fun to drive.

emp123

Personally, between the two choices, Id go for the Celica. Firstly, that bodystyle is the tits. Mini-Supra? Yes please. Second, they let you see (some) of the interior of the Celica in the pictures and they dont show shit for the Cavalier so...

Descendant X

emp123 wrote: »

Personally, between the two choices, Id go for the Celica. Firstly, that bodystyle is the tits. Mini-Supra? Yes please. Second, they let you see (some) of the interior of the Celica in the pictures and they dont show shit for the Cavalier so...

The interior of that year (and pretty much any other year) of the Cavalier is pretty much bog standard.

Lewisham

Celica.

MushroomStick

Descendant X wrote: »

emp123 wrote: »

Personally, between the two choices, Id go for the Celica. Firstly, that bodystyle is the tits. Mini-Supra? Yes please. Second, they let you see (some) of the interior of the Celica in the pictures and they dont show shit for the Cavalier so...

The interior of that year (and pretty much any other year) of the Cavalier is pretty much bog standard.

If memory serves, they deteriorate pretty horribly. Which would be a pretty good guess as to why they don't show any pics of the interior.

DjCalvin

I'd point you in the direction of the Celica as well.. A Cavalier is just boring... My Wife had a 91 and it was a POS, my family owns a transmission shop and we would see those and the sunfire in there all the time. (same transmission) but that was the early and mid 90's

Dhalphir

At the end of the day you're (hopefully) not planning to buy it without an extensive test drive (don't just jump in it for 5-10 minutes, take it for a good 20-30 minute spin, you want to make sure you're very comfortable both in terms of actual physical comfort as well as with how it drives).

You want to think about a number of things
-Could I drive this every day, in heavy traffic if necessary?
-Can this car do everything I could reasonably need it to?
-Am I going to enjoy owning it?

The biggest thing is driving it every day. I know a couple of friends who had very highly modified R-34 Skylines, they loved the cars to death driving them early in the morning or late at night when the roads were empty, and I was incredibly jealous of their cars, but driving to work the huge turbos, turbo lag, and 90s plasticky interior really got to them. Eventually they sold them and bought a comfortable luxury V6 sedan each.

The Black Hunter

Dhalphir wrote: »

At the end of the day you're (hopefully) not planning to buy it without an extensive test drive (don't just jump in it for 5-10 minutes, take it for a good 20-30 minute spin, you want to make sure you're very comfortable both in terms of actual physical comfort as well as with how it drives).

You want to think about a number of things
-Could I drive this every day, in heavy traffic if necessary?
-Can this car do everything I could reasonably need it to?
-Am I going to enjoy owning it?

The biggest thing is driving it every day. I know a couple of friends who had very highly modified R-34 Skylines, they loved the cars to death driving them early in the morning or late at night when the roads were empty, and I was incredibly jealous of their cars, but driving to work the huge turbos, turbo lag, and 90s plasticky interior really got to them. Eventually they sold them and bought a comfortable luxury V6 sedan each.

Also the fact a rear tire on one of those skylines can be upwards of $500 each

The celica has a small no frills engine, no turbo etc. and should be fuel friendly.

I'd push for it, but insurance will fuck you up.

Otherwise there isn't much reason not to, EXCEPT, it seems very cheap, which could mean big fixins

take a mechanic friend, read up on used car checklists

Toefoo

Another vote for the Celica.

I've had my '95 Celica for almost 9 years, and it still drives just as great as it did in high school. I'm about to pass 160k miles, and it's showing no signs of stopping there. Lately I've been driving it to and from the Bay Area from LA, which is about 380 miles, and I can easily make it on one tank of gas no problem. I'd say do eet.

uean

Stay away from American cars if you can. Here in Africa, vehicles on the road are Toyotas. This is due to a lot of different reasons, but one of them is that they last. And last and last and last, and they're cheap. For a car to just get you around (doesn't sound like you want a chick-mobile, given your choices) I'd go Celica everytime.

My brother owned a 99 Cavalier. Biggest piece of garbage I've ever had the pleasure of being a passenger in. He hated it too.

Figgy

The cavalier has almost 200k on it, so it`s not long for this world as far as cavaliers go.

And the celica has almost 270k on it. Fuck man, I would not buy either.

impseth

Thanks all for the replies.
And let me tell you, yesterday was a bit of a roller coaster.
The celica looked like someone had taken a glass cutter, gouging tool, knife and hammer to it up close.
The windshield had a crack that looked like they tried to repair it but it kept growing, interior had fairly deep grooves in the upholestry, antennae was broken and battered and it had a flat tire.

The cavalier on the other hand didn't exist so they both tie for buyability.

So.....I guess this thread can be labelled as solved? or something

Dhalphir

buy a pushbike over either of those.