Fun Cheap Cars: Toyota Startlet / Tercel Review

Toyota Starlet / Tercel
Years: 1974-1999
Bling Rating: 0.5/5
Zing Rating: 4.5/5
Price Rating: 3.3/5
FunCheapFactor: 7.43

While not the same car, Toyota's Tercel and Starlet did share many of the same platform components, so while technically perhaps not siblings, they're certainly kissin' cousins at least. But even though both cars may have been identical under the hood at times, that's often where the similarities ended.

The Tercel was, and probably still is, your mother's car. Or your sister's (mine used to drive a yellow '81 2 door). Cheap, reliable, great fuel economy, easy to drive, and even kinda cute, the economical Tercel was a popular choice for the fairer sex. It was also quite possibly the most boring vehicle ever assembled in Toyota City, Japan.

The Starlet on the other hand evolved into a little fire breather. Slightly more upscale than the Tercel (positioned between that and the Corolla) the Starlet soon developed a performance-oriented persona in many markets, and became something of a rally racing phenomenon.

And unlike the anaemic Tercel, a car so clearly targeted at the geriatric set, the Starlet packed a punch and could be purchased with a turbo charged engine, all-wheel drive, sports suspension, and full ground (and other) effects (depending on where one lived of course). North American markets received the Tercel from 1980 to it's final year of production in 1999, but the Starlet only landed on these shores from 1981 to 1984.

While the Tercel isn't really a fun car to drive unless you enjoy banality, the Starlet (even sans turbo or all-wheel drive) is. If you've drive both, you know what I mean: the Starlet has presence, it hold the road and corners, and likes to be revved. The Tercel? Well...did I mention it's cheap?

While used Tercels are bountiful and inexpensive, Starlets are hard to find in North America. But why look only there? If you live in Canada at least, you can import a right-hand drive JDM Starlet Glanza turbo, one of the funnest (most fun?) little pocket-rockets ever produced. They're not cheap compared to a domestic Tercel, but bang for the buck is hard to beat.