Hello to all the people out there. I am a guy out to do some shopping but there is a question about these two cars.

First, I test drove them first and found the celica to win the subject on Interior.

The RS looked phat on the outside so did the GTS. The RS is about 2-3 thousand below the GTS.

The thing that i Hated about the subaru is the inside...can we say CHEAP as HELL?? The center console was lose, when i closed the doors with windows down it rattle like hell. The steering wheel is not that pretty. The radio is cheap...only 80 watts?? 4SPEAKERS?? and when i turned the engine on...seemed to take a 2second to switch on. The so called carbon fiber was like totally fake to my eyes. Even the salesman laughed at that.

I have to say that the ride was pretty nice...specially that AWD that i am so curious on what it can do that a FWD can't do.

I was so excited to find the 2.5RS to be nice inside and out...but it almost totally put me down. Now I think I should go for the Celica GTS...unless you guys name some things that the RS has ... potential and all.

I want a car to be fun...maybe race some dudes on the road...not everyday. I want a car with nice interior and power...like 0-60 time.

ps the RS i drove was stick and so was the GTS. peace

just depends on what you're after. just bought my MY00 RS about a month ago. i also test drove the celica. they're nice cars...but Toyota seems to be catching Honda Syndrome with the price of their cars. IMO the RS has more low-end grunt which to me is more usable in street-driving than rev-power that the celica seems to have. also, this may not be common, but a co-worker of mine bought a Celica GTS and Toyota bought it back (lemon) in 8 days, because of "unrepairable electrical problems."

The GTS is a very nice car. Better than the RS, I'd say. My 99 RS rattles and squeaks like crazy, the drivers door has rust(warranty) and the AWD doesn't give you an advantage in normal everyday driving. At auto-x the extra weight is a big handicap, too.
If you fit in there, take the GTS.
Still like my RS, don't fit in the GTS(6'4")
=^)

yes yes, Celica muy mucho bad for tall guys(6-6)...my RS has more headroom than any other car i've had...

The steering wheel and shifter are Momo peices, and some of the best I've used.

Granted, the interior is shaky, and the silless doors make a ruckus when shut with the windows down. It does get the job done.

You can opt for better speakers, I have the 7pc system in my car. I also have a leather interior which is very nice. The CF is fake, and you should just take it off. Subaru was VERY smart about aftermarket stereo's when they built the car. When running wires to the back, it isn't neccisary to drill any holes. It took me less than 30mins to run all the wires and everything for a sub. The sub isn't hooked up, so I'm still running stock. The stock system is great for what it is.

The interior get's the job done perfectly for me. The guages are nice (I love the whitefaces) and easy to read. The shifter and controlls are right where they need to be, and the seating position is nice so I can see the road really well. The pedals are also perfectly placed for advanced shifting tecnique.

Driving wise, the torque curve of the RS is excellent. Very easy to drive, and it pulls hard in all gears.

The AWD is great. Drive it in the rain, or snow. After owning an AWD car, I will NEVER go back to FWD, ever.

The car is quick, you will beat 90% of the cars on the road in stoplight drags, but over long races, you're thru. The RS runs out of steam in the top end. It also responds VERY well to mods, I think Shiv from SCC (who posts here) got around ~20hp from intake/exhaust.

I can't find any REAL negatives about my car, except I drive it too damn much, and I spend all my money on it.

Well, the Subaru's interior is kinda cheap. I don't think you'll find anyone on this board that will deny that.

Impreza's +'s
engine
handling
AWD
handling
getting around in the snow
size of interior
looks
handling
less expensive...for the extra 3K you can probably get 90% of the interior replaced
quicker 0-30 time
higher ground clearance

Celica
better interior
better radio
better gas mileage
higher insurance [in PA]
slightly quicker 0-60 time

Think of it this way:
-Chances are, you're going to replace the radio anyway
-you'll save the gas money in insurance
-it would take a LOT of mods to get the celica to handle like the Impreza
-quality is good either way
-80% of Subaru owners either own more than one Subaru, or will buy another Subaru...with only 4 models to choose from. --- Why do you think that is?

awd kickass fwd's ass bro

but the gts has a better 0 to 60 stock at 7.3 seconds. scc rated the 99 RS 0-60 at 7.7 seconds. but it is beleived that the 2000 RS actually has about 10 more hp than the 99 because of a better intake system (even though SOA never changed the spec ratings for MYOO) and ive seen lower 0 to 60 times for the 2000 than the 99, like 7.4 and 7.5.
but 0 to 100 on the RS sux. but u can fix that with mods. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/wink.gif

oh yea, GTSs have a nasty habit of blowing tranny's and motors because of the 6-speed box. Toyota may have fixed that problem now.

Don't buy into the statements about AWD not doing anything in the dry. It works all the time. Also, for an AWD car, it weighs a meager ~2800lbs. Find another AWD car with power everything, cruise, ABS, sunroof, and 4 doors, that is that light.

As for the AWD, whoever said that it doesn't make a difference for all driving, they couldn't be more wrong. In a drag-racing standpoint, no wheelspin. Goind around turns, you won't understeer like a bastard (as you would in a FWD), and there's always rain, and if you live in snow country, as i do, then it's even better. But i have driven FWD, RWD, and AWD, in all situations, and i would never go back to FWD, even if you paid me. RWD, probably, but now after driving AWD, i'm hooked. Good luck man

i know the impreza has the best and the lighest awd drive system.

also awd does kickass in dry conditions, impreza handles like no other. and u can get just beautiful lauches in races (so ive heard, dont own one yet).

If you're pretty young and/or are looking for a much more of a sports car, get the GT-S. I hear it's damn impressive from everyone who drove one. I personally chose RS sedan over it for the added safety (and fun) that AWD provides, and for the much more added room, so I can fit 4 of my friends (2 of which are quite large/tall) in there at once (plus me). I highly recommend you to read the SCC's reviews of both RS and GTS in the April issue and in the current one. Here's the links I got: Impreza (http://www.gr8ride.com/cgi-bin/pm/common/prodReview.jsp?channel=International&community=Asian&oid=15590) and Celica (http://www.gr8ride.com/cgi-bin/pm/common/prodReview.jsp?channel=International&community=Asian&oid=15592)

Don't forget that the Celica has no low end torque. I have test driven a GTS 6-speed, and felt like a criminal taking a new engine and winding it up to 8000 rpm. There's nothing there until the second cam kicks in.

The Sube has that wonderful low end SOHC torque, with a great exhaust note.

As for low speed handling, though, the Celica was TIGHT. Didn't get to slalom it due to the sales guy sitting to the left of me. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smile.gif

JD

I just realize that GS-R's and SE200R's kick our butt most of the time , the Nissan has only 140hp, but a limited slip in the front.
Of course the AWD works all the time, I just think that it is overrated. The RS is still an awesome car (doh, I'll keep mine), the GTS is a good, if different, car to have fun with. And being loyal to a carcompany means squat, just look at all the loyal GM owners (flamesuit on) ;-)
If you want performance in a stock vehicle, get the Type-R Integra, best overall performer. Even without AWD.
You might start now to brag me down...
LOL

Ok, so you guys say all this good stuff on the RS 2.5...I am going to purchase a 2001 car. I did some numbers with the dealer for the subaru...the car with leather seats came to be 21 even without tax and tags, 22,830 with tax and tags.

The Celica GTS came to be 22 even and 24,300 with TAT. Not very much of a differnce.

Now 0-60 timing on both cars: 2.5RS = 7.4
Celica GTS = 6.9 not 7.3 SCC, i heard is not accurate, Road&Track rated it in 6.9secs and typeR integra 6.4

I live in NEW JERSEY where the weather is everything. I also don't want to hook up my car that that that much but just much. I figure, if i get the RS i'm going to have to put much money into it to make it look and function good.

Also, I don't know the reputation on the Subaru's in total than as the Toyotas. Toyotas have been out since day one...I asked the DEALER in subaru on whether the Subaru is a good car that will run me 200,000 miles like toyota would, he just laughed with nervousness. i just dont know.

Just drive both and have fun..as simple as that.

you will also learn that magazine times mean about dick...

matt

a big plus for me was the potential of AWD. i hate FWD and you can only do so much to it until you reach the limits of adhesion. the GTS interior is very nice (although i don't fit at 6'2") but i love the steering wheel, stick, and pedals on the RS. they are really nice. i don't know about the new one, but i used to drive a 93 Celica GT and in anything but the nicest weather and road conditions, its handling and performance were pretty poor (see earlier comment about FWD). anyway, what you want out of a car is very personal, and either is an excellent choice in cars. have fun with either one you get and be sure and drive it fast and furious like these cars were meant to be.

scc actually had a had 0 to 60 on the gts of 7.1 not 7.3 seconds. and when they dynoed there stock car against others it turned theirs had 10hp for some reason than the average gts. and i heard that the 6.9 was bs. but who knows, each individual car drives differently and each driver drives differently. i was just trying to represent an average. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smile.gif its all good.

oh by the way subaru's are reliable. i hav a 1995 L coupe. six yrs old and still going strong. no probs whatsoever! and has survived 3 bad accidents. (81,000 miles)

my mom has a 1992 Legacy and all that has ever needed fixin was the air conditioner. (well over 100,000 miles)

friend had 1992 SVX. no probs untill he totallied it. oops. what a dumbass still pissed at him for that. that car was tight. (would rape a celica gts any day http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smile.gif)

I notice my AWD all the time. I start quicker, my wheels haven't spun when I thought they would, and I can corner like I was on rails. Whenever I go to the dealership they I always get a salesman asking me what car I have, and I say the 2.5 RS and someone invariably says something like 'Oh, you got the rocket' heh...People LOOK at my car, walk around it, all sorts of stuff. The interior may be cheap, but oh well http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smile.gif Even without mods my car is nice, and I haven't regretted getting it for a second!

Personaly I like the Celica GT over the GT-S, sure its slower but the motor and gearbox are a world better for turbo, and guess what the price difference will buy said turbo. Also with the cheaper car you can buy a used POS, for daily driving, and SAVE money on insuarance, and you pimp ride will not get trashed as quick.

Personaly I would go with the 2.5RS as AWD RULES!!! When my POS beaten to hell subie wagon out runs a vette in a corner, think what a 2.5RS with REAL tires would do.

i was in your situation during spring this year, i was car shopping and narrowed down to 2000 RS, GT-S, and VW 1.8 GTi. what little time i testdrove, i noticed that RS was better in turns but celica and VW suspensions seemed tighter. RS bounces around alot over bumps/railroads, which made me believe factory shocks are softer than others (go agx). anyway, an agonizing decision for me because I knew WRX was coming in spring 2001 (as 2002), and i'm sure it would fix this generation of RS's frequent probs: clutch, hesitation, sunroof rattle.. (be sure to research GT-S and GTI as well). now, if you don't need to buy immediately, i would definitely see how the WRX comes along next year, but price would put it over celica. if you need to buy soon (as I did in spring, but wish i could have waited) the RS is still better choice despite the quirks. -g

The GTS is over priced.. and ugly.

if you are thinking of a GTS, why not a Type R then? it's a better car for similar money..

but either way, I was going to suggest the RS over them anyways..

I love my RS, I don't think there is a car out there in this price range that could fit my personallity better..

hell, I am looking forward to the winter and bad weather... want to get back to working on my drifting..
gotta love AWD..

clutch was solved with the second batch of MY00 ... I thought with the rest of us...and I guess WRC666 seems we are all wrong ...that the RS out handled the GTS ...those were my two choices, and by the end of the day ...the GTS may look nice and get to 100mph fast ...but I stoplight race, and no GTS beats a RS off the line. Get the RS and take the on the "Twisties" ---that was for Mike YOX

Whoa! EuGeNiLeGTS hasn't responded. Well he has a GTS n also tested my car. I think both sound systems on both cars sound about the same. Thats why you buy aftermarket goodies for the car. You can find a lot of stuff to buy for the RS in this board. Well the GTS does seem faster than the RS http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/rolleyes.gif on the 0-60 (according to EuGeNiLe). Its all up to you. Why not wait until the WRX comes out? Just think of it.. t-u-r-b-o. Then get a kit to make it look good.

-Daios
MY00 BRP SeDan

just buy the damn GTS, all ur doing is making it harder on urself. and maybe dissing isnt the word, but seems like ur doing just that, u dont like it, period, buy the gts and make urself happy...sounds like u just want to spend money on something, then buy the GTS and join the other 78384903840394 GTS's on the road. said my 2 cents

PS: dont really see why people keep dissing anything then still make it look like there very much interested. oh well

Its worth to note that the 0-50 times of the RS are faster than the GTS. That extra shift kills the 0-60 time. Someone covered all the 0-50 times of the popular sport coupes awhile ago.
Personally, I ended up with the RS because I wanted AWD. It was this or an Audi Quattro. (probably the TT) but the price was no comparison.
Spend the 2k you save over the gts on nice seats, and cams and you'll get over the "cheapness" and fix any power problems.

yea. wasnt the RS's 0 to 50 second only to the ITR? and what a coincidence that u have to shift into 3rd right around 50...hmmmmm...

well here I am folks.. the only 2000 Celica GTS owner who is a regular on this board.. first off its always good to see waht both sides have to say.. so after you see wat people say on the impreza board.. come and see wat the people at the celica board say.. http://celicafiles.8m.com or http://www.newcelica.org
okay.. lets see.. where to start off.. well they are both good cars.. not many on the road.. but now ive been seeing more and more celicas now.. mostly GT's .. i occasionly see imprezas now but thats only occasionly.. both are good performers.. u gotta love that AWD.. but if u do get the impreza dont think ur invincible on the turns.. u might hit some gravel on an onramp or something and perhaps lose control.. (u know who u are hehe).. now depending on how far each light is.. 0-30 the impreza will win all the time.. but 30-60 when that vvtL-i kicks in on the gts.. then yea.. check out SCC like veryone says.. im too lazy to get my issue.. but when u test drove it did the sales guys let u gun it in both cars? if not then u really didnt get a feel of wat the celica can do.. yea therse not much torque on the car.. though it has more then the si and the gsr.. but the vvtL-i makes up for it.. yea i really dig the interior of my car.. but if ur pretty tall then watch out haha.. yea i hear the 2001 imprezas have some sort of carbon fiber dash.. i think its cool.. but thats all on a persons taste.. just like the design..

Fishguy - "The GTS is over priced.. and ugly."

there u go.. i bet he dont like the new design of the upcoming impreza wrx.. its good to see that a lot of the other people like the design of the celi.. its either a love it or hate it thing.. if ur more OLDSKOOL then u prob. dont..

and why not a type r u say? well the type r WAS MEANT for racing.. its limited too and u have to order it i think.. the celicas arent.. why dont u say that to the people who paid so much for their preludes.. the type SH at msrp 25k or was it 26k??!!? but no one ever says it.. why i dont know.. i guess its just because they cant face that a car that can hang with the r is finally here and its not a honda.. in my opinion.. and we're talking stock.. yea i know about the whole aftermarket crap on the hondas.. so u dont have to remind me if ur about to..

well with the blown trannys.. yes im a regular on the celica boards and hear people misshifting and blowing their trannys.. well first off.. people misshift because of the springs in the shifter.. but toyota has fixed this and all new celicas now should have the stiffer springs.. but still that doesnt make it 100% gurantee that u wont misshift.. its human error as well.. if ur gonna race this thing and ur not use to the gearbox.. yea u might misshift.. but thats all on you.. i drive my car hard occasionly and never misshifted.. so it all depends on the driver.. get use to the car and nothing bad should happen..

either car u chose its gonna be a good choice.. but with the wrx coming in a year or 2.. u might consider that.. the celica design is gonna be around for a while.. but i always think it sucks if u buy a new car now.. and they redesign it the next year.. in my opinion.. unless its a great looking design.. i mean dang look how long they ahd the integra design..

and one more thing just from wat people told u.. dont decide on wat people say.. like wat Swivel1000 (matt) said *just drive both and have fun*.. its all on u.. its always helpful to have second opinions but ur the one whos buying.. so just pick the one that YOU LIKE.. well good luck on ur choice...

EuGeNiLe..
2000 Celica GTS 6 Speed Absolutely Red
http://www.zing.com/picture/p4b52219d1bf146166de08479348c1842/ff6852c8.jpg

I knew you would chime in sooner or later http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smile.gif

i totally agree tho..love/hate just like the new impreza look will be..

im actually pretty impressed with the speed of the GTS..its pretty damn fun if i may say so...

regardless go find the youngest guy in the dealership and have at it!

matt

Get the celica. The Impreza is a cool car but the GTS has a 6 speed, looks better in my opinion and has a better overall fit and finish. However AWD is nice to have and is fun in the snow. But the Celica is just a better overall car espically with the WRX coming.

First off, the RS intereior is no cheaper than the gts. Cheesey plastic panels-need i say more. Performance-wise they are, obviously, 2 very different cars; if not opposites in every aspect. FWD vs. AWD : no contest, it's a no-brainer. FWD is not an ideal drivetrain for any sports car and nothing is better in adverse conditions that AWD. GTS's cost a good sum more. The RS' ergonomics are great and i', very happy with the shifter and steering wheel. GTS can't compare with passenger head and foot room. I found the GTS seat configuration very uncomfortable, in fact. If you're looking for the Honda-type "sports car" then definitely opt for the GTS. They are good looking cars and they handle very well. Top end is awesome but it lacks low-end power. If you dig high speed runs the RS is not the way to go , given its aerodynamics. One big factor is that you can't rally a GTS. The beauty of production rally cars!
justin

Doh, knew somone would take it too personally..

anyways. I don't go and make my opinions from nothing..

A friend has one (a GT).. and I've driven it alot and rode shotgun..

complaints..
the body, not my thing...

the interior is cheap..
once you get past the psuedo space age console design.. you are stuck with crappy materials.. the celing looks and feels like tyvek with fuzz loosely adhered to it..

the back seat.. non existant. I got trapped back there once and kept hitting my head.

I wasn't too crazy about the driving of it after being the the RS so long.. I'll admit.. it's peppy (the gt) but not enough.

and the FWD is not my thing anymore. took a hard turn and tried to accelerate throught it.. all I managed to do was spin up the inside tire.

got blind spots? sure do.. what's with the mail slot sized rear window.. did they expect you to use that thing?

anyways.. these are just the opnions I got from being around the car..

if you want me to rip into the impreza to be fair.. I've got a list of small things about it too.. slowly I am correcting them though..

ill will,

The doors do rattle a lot, but many cars do.
Few cars have a lot of sound deadening in the doors. It's an added production cost that most carmakers don't pay much attention to. I'm guessing a Dynamat door kit will fix that right up. I'm going to do that soon.

As for the rest of the interior, some of it is kind of cheap, but it's a nice layout. Ever been in an Acura Integra ('94-present)?
Those were worse. Especially the heat/vent control(s). Sliders, rather than knobs.
And they were hard to slide. Serious pain.
The Subaru is a lot nicer, if you ask me.
The seats have better lumbar support and better side support, though the Acura's hip support was better. The Subaru sits kind of high, which bugs me a bit, but it's not bad.

As for the GTS... lovely interior, I agree.
But very cramped. The car would be great if it were wider. It's just too narrow. Looking at it from the outside, it looks very strange, to me. So narrow that it looks like some kind of anomaly. The 6-speed is cool, but I hate that shifter.
The Subaru's isn't great at all, but it's better than the Toyota's. You want a great shifter, now try the Acura Integra! Even better, the Type-R version. Only a Mazda Miata felt better.

I think that the GTS is going to be the better car for racing or redline thrills, but the Impreza is a much better overall car.
As for the engine taking so "long" to start... Just a different engine type. It's not a bad thing.

Speaking of engine type... The boxer 4 in the Subaru has a very low center of gravity.
None of the inlines will be like that! Plus, if you ever drive in foul weather... the Subaru is the obvious choice.

-S2-

I'd get the Celica...there's to many of those Impreza's on the road as it is! http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/wink.gif

I went and test drove a celica gts last night 6speed. I found out that the celica is really low when i sat down on it.

Now, I don't really want to hook my next car to the max, by the way i had a 00 civic si ebp and was stolen 2 and a half months ago in a mall.

anyways, are subarus meant to last over 200,000 miles with proper maitanance? If so, tell me about it.

Another thing is that the price the Subaru dealer gave me for the 2001 impreza 2.5RS was 22,600 out the door with Leather seats.
That is 1 thousand dollars less than the Celica. Can I modify a impreza so it can look like a descent street fighter (speed) or just looking like a rally car? In other words, I can make a celica look slick by lowering it and putting 18inch rims with no probs. Can i do that with the impreza as well??

I must admit that I do like both cars and I won't mind driving them. Don't take this in offense but i see alot of whiteboys driving more imprezas than i do in celicas.

Replies please!

if there's one thing subaru's have.. it's a bullet proof long life engine..

it may not be a high tech engine that uses 3-4 acronym systems to rev high..

but it's a really solid engine that doens't have to rev high to make power.. there's tons of torque comparativly down low.. and the sound.. even dead stock the RS has a very pleasant not..
silent at idle.. but as soon as you get going you know it's there..

I would be suprised if I don't get my RS to hit 200K miles with little problem..

You certainly can setup your Impreza for street! I had mine lowered about 30mm with a set of adjustable TEIN HA's. When you add stiffer suspension, better tires, and cap it off with an excellent alignment, there are very few cars that can hang with you in the corners. My '99 RS had the best turn-in of any car I've ever driven, it's a shame the car is totalled now http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/frown.gif (Have a '00 now though!)

I think overall you'll enjoy the Subaru more - it's built to last, and the AWD is simply amazing! Yes, it does make a huge difference on dry ground (more grip in corner keeps you in control), but drifting in the snow is a blast! I know someone mentioned the AWD hurting your Autocross times, but I'm sorry to tell dude that he's wrong. The additional weight isn't nearly as much as he thinks, plus you get AWD launches!

Oh, about the reliability, there is a pretty large 250,000 mile Subaru club out there on the web somewhere (sorry forgot the link!). They will last forever with proper maintenance! No worries!

fishguy.. aww no man.. i just had to have my say since im the only celica guy on this board.. so i figured i had to give em my point from a celica owners' perspective.. so its cool man.. we al have our opnions.. yea i love the way the impreza looks in the front.. but the back *not my thing...* heh.. but if u add that 22b wing or wrx wing watever.. u guys know wat im talking about haha.. now tahts the s***.. =)
haha *the back seat.. non existant* exactly i love it haha no one can bug me for a ride.. haha i managed to fit 2 guys in the back though and one person sitting in the passenger seat.. damn the car felt hella heavy.. felt like a 3000+ lb prelude..
fishguy.. if u lived around the bay area man.. ill let u drive my gts 6 speed.. i still want to drive a 5 speed impreza but still never had the chance.. i mean ill be glad to trade off one time for a little *test drive* haha (arch) if ur reading this.. *hint* *hint*

oh yeah the blind spots.. that was the thing i worrried about when i was looking into gettin my gts.. i asked about it in the celica boards before i got it.. yes the blind spots are hard to see.. and with the spoiler.. u cant really see much through the rear view.. but u can still see.. the blind spots on the other hand.. just do some mirror adjustments.. i was scared about that.. but after just driving and driving.. im so use to it now.. its nothing..

siper2.. when u say the shifter? u talking about how it feels when u shift? or just the shift knob itself? wat exactly? hmm the integra huh.. SCC did an 8000rpm showdown.. 4 cars.. type r, gts, prelude sh, and gsr.. thats exactly wat order they came in.. check out the issue its very informative..

Opie.. haha wat was that all about *i'd get the celica.. there's too many of those impreza's on the road as it is!* hahaah

i hate it man.. i got the celica cause i figured not a lot of people would get it and stick to the honda stuff.. but NoOoOo i see them regularly now grrr..

ILL WILL - so u test drove it huh? did they let u drive it past 6000? or better yet hit redline MuwaHaHa.. im tellin u though man.. cehck out the celica sites.. u from NJ? i think a few guys would gladly let u sit in their celica while they redline that sucka haha..
yea the seats are low man.. i had to get use to it.. but now its nothing.. at first i had the seat raised up the highest.. but my head would be so close to the ceiling heh.. so i lowered it all the way down.. so its all good.. the seat wraps around your body..
yea i got my celica for about 23k fully loaded everything WITH TAXES..

later people..

EuGeNe..
2000 Toyota Celica GTS 6 Speed Absolutely Red
..IMG SRC=... (imprezer) hahah almost did it again man.. haha

[This message has been edited by EuGeNiLe GTS (edited September 26, 2000).]

ill will,

Wow! Quite a response. I didn't read that whole thread, but I will give you my $0.02. I apologize if it is a repeat of something already said.

Personally, I like the looks of the Celica and I've heard it's a good car. I drove a base model on a small "autocross" course. A friend told me he was impressed with the handling, but I had just gotten straight out of a 'vette into the Celica and proceeded to snow-plow it through a corner. (Got a standing ovation from the rest of the test-drive crowd and and a warning from the marshel.) It just reinforced my distaste with FWD sports cars.

If you don't mind the high-revving engines and you don't mind FWD sports cars this is a pretty good one. I can't stand either. I like big torque down low. The RS just feels like it has a V8 in it. You can't beat AWD and I think Subaru makes a better car the Toyota (I've owned two new Toyotas now, both leaked oil at about 60,000 mi). Buy the RS and spend the extra $2,000-$3,000 to add leather interior, a good aftermarket stereo, and an 18mm rear sway bar. You won't be sorry you did.

-Red

Ill Will ...how from do you live from allentown or philly? cause I can get you a MY01 RS w/leather for under 20g out the DOOR ...I promise ....I got under invoice for my car, and got invoice for two of my friends ....that might help in the choice ....and white boys drivin' the 'preza? Compared to ALL the white women drive the celica ...I'll take that ....Hey Jewbaru show him a pic of a non-white boy drivin the RS or check my website ...see another one....Its mainly becuase rallies on TV on watched by white people...and This isn't a phat ghetto ride so it won't catch on in inner cities...and the RS is limited to less than 20,000 are ever going to be made for the total of 4 years ....the MY02 WRX low end which will be the RS is going to rebadged and called TS....
....Not a full production car thats going to be as common as a civic...don't forget you can make a Rice GT into a GTS ...but not a L into a RS ....well its REALLY hard

haha not this again.. yea the previous gen. celica i see lotta women driving it.. this year not as much.. but wats wrong with women driving the new ones.. shoot she'll prob beat u.. and me if she was hell of a driver.. haha ..i think its cool wen girls drive sports cars though.. i just wanna race em.. haha if i lose its all good.. a lot of em are nice looking.. well the ones i come upon.. gotta love them girl racers..

you can make any car into a race car.. just take off the emblems and badges and get some from a car that u dont got but look likes it and waa laa. there u have it heh =)

All good when it comes to the Impreza.
Don't get the GTS. My Toyota mechanic says the pistons are so thin that a misfire or anything like it will crush the piston like an aluminum can. Get the GT if you want a Celica.

Opie,
How did you ascertain that there are "too many" RS' on the road? 2.2l imprezas : perhaps. Even still, I see just as many celicas now as i do civics. I see maybe 1 RS every few weeks-maybe.
justin

Opie was joking. http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/smile.gif

BTW I don't think most people would consider the RS or the GTS "sports cars".

That said I still love my RS http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/biggrin.gif

Aaron

Celica versus RS... well, they are identical in a lot of ways.

The 2 main factors that made me get an RS:

1) I test drove them both in the rain and while dry, and I had to be very gentle with the Celica's throttle in the rain, or the thing just sat there, doing nothing but spinning the tires. On dry pavement the Celica took forever to get up to speed. Bummer. The Impreza had quite a kick on dry pavement and in the rain, really got up to speed quickly either way.

Advantage: Impreza RS

2) The Celica does 40+ mph in first gear?! On an engine of this size, how could it possibly have any power? You have to slowly get up to the point in the engine when there is any power at all, and there's nothing you can do to make the car really pick up under 30 mph, so the majority of city driving leaves most of the engine unused. The RS redlines around 32mph, and the engine is more oriented to low-end, so you get a lot more pickup before you hit 30mph. And the downside of this should be that the tires spin more, especially in the rain, but thanks to the all-wheel drive, they actually spin less, and that is the irony.

Advantage: Impreza RS

3) The Impreza RS has a faster engine from the get-go than the Impreza L. You feel the difference immediately. The Celica GT-S is the exact same speed as the GT until you get above... 5000rpm?(I think, but I know it's somewhere around there), so even if you get the 180hp version, you still don't go any faster until you get above 30 mph. You probably won't notice a lot of difference most of the time, especially during city driving. I didn't. The Impreza's extra power is clear through, so the engine really does feel faster even though it is not. I don't have any fondness in the timing and cam tricks used to get Toyotas and Hondas to rev higher to go faster because these tricks don't really affect the lower 70% of the powerband.

Advantage: Impreza RS

4) Interior space in the Celica was unusable. At least, with the sun roof. Without the sun roof I barely fit(I am 6'4).
But I fit better in the RS with the sun roof than I do in the GT/GT-S without the sun roof.

Advantage: Impreza RS

The cars are both equally reliable from everything I've read. Subarus are about level with Hondas and Toyotas in Consumer Reports. And my friend had a Subaru for 11 years, and still has it, and has only replaced a clutch and the tires. That's about it. (over 180K miles)

About the only reason I'd ever buy a Celica would be if I really had to have something for 17K(I'd get the base model) or, if I hardly ever drove city driving, and/or didn't care about low speed acceleration, and drove mostly on the highways. Then I might get a Celica. But that ability holds no appeal to me, the RS is plenty fast on the highway, at least it's certainly faster than I need it to be.

Bottom Line:

The Celica GT-S is no faster than the GT until you hit high RPM, and the only reason I'd get a Celica GT instead of the RS would be if I couldn't afford the base RS or if I really needed that top end on the highway, which I don't.

And I can't stand front wheel drive.

hey I went to the other celica boards and ALL i heard was you wine about us ...Look you're not on a celica board get over the fact that people here don't love your car like you do...and reading the posts that involve the RS no-one makes the comments you do ...they all say the RS is better 0-40 but GTS will win 40+ ...half the posts talk about beating a RS at 100+ ...man that's dumb racing that fast in my mind...so other than hearing yourself agian what was the reason you told me and other people to check with the celica boards?

haha wat u talking bout faraz? duh i know im not in the celica board.. wat i meant was suggesting ill will to get opinions from both sides.. if he constantly asks over on this board then duh of course hes gona get biased answer since duh its a subaru board.. and if ur wondering why im here its cause i think the impreza is a great car.. i was always interested in it.. i dont want to start any trouble esp that i got friend who owns an impreza 2.5rs.. and i met a few of the guys during the bay area meet 9.9.00 when there was a 00 celica meet that same time and place.. we were parked right next to the whole impreza crew.. so dont think im trying to put ur car down.. and yea of course i love my car.. and thats why i try to put my 2 cents each time.. i mean if someone is gonna go on doing crap like... ADVANTAGE.. ADVANTAGE.. ADVANTAGE.. blah.. and u know not look at the disadvantages.. then i think thats when i have to have my say.. i mean all the other people who posted before Maxxum.. seemed to at least try to look at both sides.. i mean the first reply on this post i even agreed with some of the negative comments you guys had on the celi.. and which celica board did u go to anyways.. we have no post on anything at least i havnt seen on celicafiles.. but on newcelica.org there is one.. on the racing section.. i think thats wat ur talking about.. i dont know i always thought racing meant going fast.. so if u dont consider 100+ racing then i dont know..i guess we all have our diferent opinions on everything..

eugene..

dont you just love hearing me.. =)

by the way.. im ready to get flamed.. i know its coming.. haha

Ready? ok ..for one I have to thank you for not using a picture for a sig ...I hate sigs in the first place, and on the celica boards EVERYONE has some dumb sig. pic ....but that's off topic

1) any board run by "the mot" is wrong and evil ...he and I go back on ClubSi

2)http://www.newcelica.org/ubb/Forum4/HTML/002109.html

3)"... i already argued my point up in impreza-rs.com as a regular over there.. i wont bother to do it again..." http://www.newcelica.org/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000458.html
hell that whole thread seems to be more toward the RS than GTS and its on YOUR own board ......
so my man Ill Will .... to sum up:
RS ADVANTAGE!
maybe its for whitey ...but at least not for his girlfriend
Limited: less than 20,000 RS' made EVER the 02 is going to be rebadged as a TS
AWD!
you don't need to rev your car past 6000rpm ...for the car to go...and shifting drops you out of the power band...Even SCC which EuGeNiLe GTS brought up a couple times. The mag. has major problems with the high revs and dropping out of the power band so don't tell me you don't when you shift EuGeNiLe.
what % of your racing do you 100+?
what % of you racing fo you go light to light?
a back seat and a trunk
ability to make the hood scoop active
you won't die in a car crash ...the GTS is a death trap like a del sol
Subaru MUCH better reliabilty ...the NEW celica ...first couple years still getting the kinks out

GTS ADVANTAGE (and yes I am yelling bossman)
of you go over 100+ more than 30% of your daily driving
and you like the interior
stock stereo ...which I'm changing anyways, but when I was testing them both which was 4 months ago.they sounded the same to me .......
now its time to go watch that great REDline movie http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/biggrin.gif

Wow - you guys are really passionate! Kudos for keeping it above the belt.

Having owned a Honda before, I can say that it is challenging (read - FUN!) to keep a high strung car in the red zone. And it can be very rewarding.

Owning a VR6 now -- how quickly the torque spoils you. Just cause I lower the pedal a bit, I automatically expect a surge of power. The 2.5 is VERY similar in this respect.

Two very different cars. It's hard to compare them without far more than just a 10 minute test drive.

JD

Sorry to say but I don't like the Celica one bit even with the new look. The only version I like of the Celica is the 1996 version the one with 4 round lights in the round 2 bigger ones on the outter side and 2 smalling ones towards the end. Other than that I would take RS 2.5 just based on look and the money you save buying the RS you can replace pratically the stero system and interior only thing lefted is the interior.

Aaron,
How many other production cars can you rally? Rallying and autoxing = sport. Cruising around town 'hunting' for counterpart riceboys and 'pimpin' your ride by a crowd of kids with eminem blasting in front of a movie theater does not = sport. I don't see how an RS is not a sports car contrary to "popular opinion" or what most people think. Not too many average joes know what a rally car is to begin with and popular opinion consists of these same average joes. I'm not saying celicas aren't sports cars; I just said that fwd isn't usually an ideal drivetrain for a sports car.
justin

Justin - Amen brother.

Well both suck! Get a Dodge Durango! http://www.i-club.com/ubb-files/biggrin.gif

haha.. now list the disadvantages and the advantages the gts has over ur car.. man im tellin yall.. someone come over to the celica boards.. i dont wanna type a whole bunch of stuff so ill just leave it to be.. but shoot i speed everywhere.. so its all good.. ill respond to this later..

eugene..