Well ive now been driving the celica for a couple of weeks now & heres what I think so far:
Compared to my previous V reg Mondeo which is now being turned into a toaster the celica is noticeably rougher to drive, ie. clunky gear change, louder with more road noise etc.
I know that being an older sporty car then these things are probably normal.
I'm finding it much harder to drive than the larger mondeo as im still struggling with the gear changes, like shifting down from 6th to 3rd & very often put it into reverse instead of 1st. I think this must be me, having to get used to it with being so different than anything ive ever driven before... A calibra I had years ago was much easier drive, although that was more of a squashed cavalier than a sports car. I've driven all sorts of 'new' vans from a vito to a 7.5t cargo & the celica is the hardest with regards to working the transmission.
I read somewhere you should not put it into 1st gear whilst moving & to this end im struggling with it in slow moving traffic as there are still a few minor vibrations when engaging the clutch. The garage that fitted the clutch said it was ok & probably because the engine mountings were a bit soft but not torn.
At how many rpm is it best to change gear while the engine is warming up & for economy? After warming up I feel ok pushing it up to 8200rpm on the rare occasion. A friend who came for a ride with me said I was driving it wrong by shifting up at typically 3000rpm.
I've noticed a bit of a flat spot in the power band between eg 2000-4000rpm in the higher gears.
Suspension is a little soft when driven spiritedly round twisty B roads, although nice & nimble/assertive at slower speeds.
Better mpg than the mondeo's 23mpg as getting 26mpg from the same journey of short daily 7mile of town/carriageway. Ive only used super unleaded so far & getting similar miles as the mondeo £ for £ lol. I think this is good.
All in all im starting to like the celica after the initial hassle I had at first.
I'ts certainly a pretty car & the colour makes it stand out, better than the previous rusty green mondeo