Celica's seats are comfortable and grippy, and the pedals, in both placement and operation, work well. Enthusiast drivers will appreciate the perfectly placed dead pedal because it allows them to brace themselves with their left leg during energetic drives.
One of the best things about the Celica GT-S is that it corners nicely, and relatively flat, without a harsh, small-coupe ride. The upgrade 16-inch tires are sticky. Steering is quick and accurate, and the feel through the wheel gives a good idea how much grip is left in the front tires. The Celica GT-S tightens its path through a curve when its driver lifts from the gas, and it takes the harshest, most abrupt maneuvers to unsettle its rear end. Overall, it gets high marks for chassis tuning.
Celica also gets high marks for build quality; there were no creaks or rattles in the unitbody or trim panels. In all, the 2001 Celica makes a well-balanced, sporting coupe. With the exception of the peaky GT-S engine, no particular component stands out, yet it all blends together very nicely.
The same thought applies to the base GT, which we've sampled as well. Its tires aren't as grippy as the upgrades, and its 1.8 four is not as smooth. Yet there's just as much torque through three quarters of the engine's rev range, and unless you're constantly pushing the tach needle into the red zone, you might never notice the difference. Next Page