6G Celicas Forums

OK, I am in the market for a celica, and need help deciding between 6th and 7th gen. Now I understand people will be biased and more for the 6th gen, but nevertheless trying to check out my options. I don't want to go much higher than 13-15k right now (money for upgrades possible later) which is about the selling price of a fairly nice 7th gen GTS. It looks as if a 6th gen GT with 3sgte swap would be affordable, but considering my knowledge about under the hood repair is very limited, and i'm also working through college right now, would it be less a hassle to just stick with the newer car, or could I feasibly get the other to use as a daily driver with my previous statements taken into account. Thanks for any info

well it will be biased here.. but..

in my opinion, the 6th gens look nicer than the 7ths.. but as far as mechnically i'm not sure..

but I do know of someone who sold their 6th to get a 7th.. didn't like it sold it for an eclipse, sold that and is now searching for a 6th..

that tells me something

why not just buy mine. best bang for teh buck. better looking and faster than the 7th gen imo

MY TAKE:




7th gen:

Exterior is straight, sharp, on-road speedster looking monster.
Interior is cheap, grey plastic... air vents in the middle looks like frog eyes, automatic shift nob literally looks like a penis, seats are bulky and ugly.
Steering wheel is hot.
Headlights look super hot, but the headlight glass fogs up over time. Always scrube it with PlasX.
Super extreme heavy hatch, will kill your hatch dampers in no-time (if you always use it).
Water drips from side mirrors after car wash, no way to dry it, will leave a trail of water mark down the door.
Orange guage lights, green clock/radio/etc. lights.... weird...
The 7th gen hasn't achieved any major racing highlights...

6th gen:

Exterior is slick rounded, air-borne off-road rally monster.
Interior is more "luxury" with the leather wraps around every corner of the interior (except ceiling).
Steering wheel is fugly.
Not everyone can take the extreme 4-eye front of the 6th gen.
Everyone knows the 6th is an almightly rally car.


I drive slow, so I don't think I know anything about the engine differences....

Look at this person pushing down the head of the penis to shift...

cant really go wrong with either one, i see more riced out 7th gen though. If you're gonna get the 7th gen, get the GT-S MANUAL TRANSMISSION, if you cant afford it, then get a 6gc, thats my opinion.

This post has been edited by pure_dx: Jan 3, 2007 - 10:18 PM

The major differences are styling and price. 6th gen is older=cheaper. 6th gen looks better to me, however everyone's taste is different so it is ultimately your decision. However, if you think both look equally hot, then you should find a 6th gen with low miles. It will be just as reliable as a newer 7th gen, only you will save a lot of money.

i like both of them, the nice thing about the 7th gens are there is alot of aftermaket parts avavible, not so much on the 6th gens thought, id really consider a 7th gen fro my next car, or a wrx sti those are unreal

7th gen outperforms the 6th in pretty much everything. it's really up to you what you want to do. Personally I think the 7th gen is a great ride when you put some tasteful exterior mods on it. Carbon fiber hood, gunmetal rims with a polished lip, etc..

If you get a GT-S, get a 2000-2002 if possible, and a 6 speed. You want a 00-'02 because the 03 & beyond use whats called a 'drive by wire' system which is just an annoynace when you start throwing mods at the car, and the 03+ have a lower redline. Have a mechanic or someone at Toyota take a look at the 'lift bolts' to make sure they're intact, and replace them if necessary, they're pretty cheap.

If you want a 6th gen, get a GT, and not a vert. Plan on a turbo or a swap if you want any amount of decent performance out of it.

I'd say now due to the fact that our cars are (in most cases) around 10 years old, you'll really have to search hard to find one with low mileage.

If I were you, go with the 7th Gen GT-S. Either way, if you are after the 3SGTE, you are still going to be doing custom engine mounts, wiring, and different tranny, etc. A little bit harder to swap in, but not too far off.

6th gen hatch looks way better than 7th gens imo. I would not even consider buying a 7th gen for looks alone. I'd say buy a nice 6th gen GT hatch and do some suspension upgrades as well as power upgrades.

As far as I´m concerned, the design of the 7th gen. is something well worth while looking at...to me, the car is simply awesomly designed and built! Some Celica trademarks were indeed left untouched (4 ex; no frame around upper parts of the doors, THE clock, and rarely seen low driving position), whilst some other things were changed (like the complete feel of the interior including materials, which are far more cheaper and not looking so good, top engine left without a Turbo or at least 4WD)...for worse, I must say...

Anyway, the verdict on the 7th gen. isn´t all that bad...except I was passed (pushing the 3rd gear to the limit) by a measely looking Renault Clio Sport 172...needless to say that it could NEVER happen if I was driving a real 6th gen. GT-FOUR!
...and I think that with this I´ve said enough about engine power of the 7th gen. and "going fast" kind of stuff...

Plus, I own my 1994. 6th gen. 1,8 ST (OK, now bored to 2 litres, but still mostly stock), and even today it leaves the impression of a car well worth buying! Looks modern and attractive, whilst it has that "old school" quality which is seen at a fitst glance...that´s one of the strongest points of the car itself.

It bothers me that 7th gen. Celicas look like they are not made to last (visually speaking), but rather like just another coupé based car, which will anyway soon be replaced...kinda reminds me of the Golf or some car like that...so I ask myself; Is this really worth all the money asked?
...and the answer is; errrr...NO! 7th gen. is far from a dream car, whilst the 6th gen. isn´t (especially if we´re talking about a GT4), and if the opportunity presents itself, my next car will definately not be a Celica (at least not the 7th gen.), but (I´m seriously considering) Lexus IS 200!

thanks for all of the quick replies, these forums really are full of support. I'm going towards getting the 7th gen as I am basically new to doing any mods and would probably find less headaches associated with a newer car..it's just hard to pass up the 6gc.

get a GT-FOUR many hp, kickass looking car, 4wd, and u still dont need to know anything under the hood and you will pass many 7 th gen, ifnot gt-four u may wanna stick to 7th gen

If you like how the 7th gen looks, go with it. More hp for the money and easier. Make sure to test drive them first though. My grandmas got a 7th gen, and I don't like the visability quite as much as the 6th gen. The post behind the driver limits a little. Get a gt-s though if you're going to go 7th gen.

if you are going to compare them power wise their isnt much of a difference past the numbers.

The 7th Gen GTS isnt that much faster then a 6th gen GT.... the 7th gen doesnt look or feel as solid as the 6th gen

This post has been edited by wind: Jan 4, 2007 - 2:40 PM

the 7gc gts has 185 hp with vvtli. much faster than a 135 hp 6gc gt. now the 7gc gt isn't much faster than a 6gc gt with only 140 hp. i'd say get a 6gc cuz its rarer, sexier, cheaper, and has more potential. now if u dnt care about any of that and just want a newer car... get the 7gc. just my 2 cents, which is somewhat biased.

you an pick up a used 04-05 scion tc for around 12k ... just another option for you .. but if your set on a 6th or 7th gen.. i might be one of the very few on this site that will tell you to got for a 7th gen gts 6spd... that car is more fun to drive then the celi..