James, for some reason which I can’t fathom, I have a Carina II original sales brochure! Facts and figures for you: 1587 cc. 94 bhp at 6000 rpm. 99 lb ft at 3600 rpm. Max speed (manual) 113 mph. 0-60 in 11.1 secs. Urban cycle 32.5 mpg. Constant 56 mph 53.3 mpg (!) Constant 75 mph 40.9 mpg. Hope that helps. Resident anorak signing off!
Honestly I prefer seeing regular or forgotten cars like these get their moment of fame over the exotics or more common sports cars. You just don't see these 90s commuter cars anymore and they rarely get the attention of anyone, so having a review like this up for all to see is probably the most fame they'll get in this day and age. I love how you gave this car an honest chance and enjoyed it for what it is! This sort of stuff makes me consider crossing the Channel and letting Jay have a go at my Justy some day :P
Considering that the first Toyota I was introduced to was the Prado, and then the Camry, this is probably the last car that comes to mind when I think of Toyota. I see the Carina E and Avensis more often than this.
@@damilolaakanni I am talking in a more general way. It could be a Tercel, a Corolla, a Camry of this era I don't care. What I care is how it was built, its general shape, the way the interior is done, the general engineering.
Oh man, memories... My first car was a Carina II. My parents bought a red one in 1990, and gave it to me in 2003. It was an Xli, with the 4A-FE engine, the fuel injected version with about 105 hp. At about 10 kilos per hp this car was actually quite quick for its time, and when pushed it had a certain growl that was atractive. Mine was a liftback, which made it capable of transporting large objects too. I loved the car, it was really comfortable, quick enough (It beat the BMW 316i of that era), fuel efficient, quiet, and if maintained properly, nothing ever broke. It also had neat storage compartments all over the car. To answer the question about the power: The 4A-F version is rated at 95 hp, so the owner's estimate was closer. The 4A engine is a member of the legendary "indestructible" Toyota engine series of the late 80's and the 90's: the 4A, the 3S, the 2JZ and the 1UZ.
I currently own a Liftback 2.0 GLi version, she still runs like a beaut but there's issues with her frames and other bottom parts rusting other than the oil leak and missing coolant, she drives like a dream and has amazing power considering it's age and size.
I LOVE that you review cars like this man. This is so good. Tired of the constant “BMW M3” type reviews like those are the only cars that matter. Japanese cars are my jam
More of this please - everyday cars from that era. My first cars were used mid-/late-90s ones (Corsa, Golf, Passat) and they had a mechanical and aesthetic simplicity that felt far more direct and intuitive than modern equivalents. Even a mk5 Golf I had until recently - I was getting loads of different hire cars for work when I had that and every time is was nicer to get back in to, away from daft shiny plastics, vague controls, and crappy touchscreens.
We had one. a 1990 1.6 GL auto. We got it for my wife who drove from Colchester to Chelmsford and all around East Anglia for her work. We had it for around eleven years and nothing, I repeat, nothing went wrong, broke, or fell off. It had done 190,000 when we sold it to be replaced by our much loved LS400. It was perfect for the job for which it was purchased. I remember it being quoted as 90HP too. We travelled to many parts of the UK in that car and it was very good at getting to where you wnated to go and back again with zero drama. Not much excitement either of course.
@@grayfool I guess you wouldn't. When you've done the test drive, you're not going to let go of the LS400. So I guess I was lucky to run into the Camry first, it gave me time to save up some more money... :)
As a fellow owner of a Windsor it's great to see these eminently usable humble modern classics being featured by yourself! I bought mine for the princely some of £700 as my first car in 2010 and never thought I'd still have it over a decade and 60,000+ trouble free miles later. Despite being so humble, the incredible durability of these cars wins them many fans and I'm amazed how many positive comments mine draws (especially amongst taxi drivers who were around in period) and I was even invited to exhibit it at the 2019 Festival of the Unexceptional. They have a big following in Ireland and the best examples (2.0 GLi executive, Anniversary edition etc) are £5k+ all day long. Putting my anorak on, a few points: - The Windsor was a 1000 run UK only special edition based on an 'XL' spec to commemorate Toyota's sponsorship of the Royal Windsor Horse show . - Windsor specifics: - Typhoon grey metallic paint - Red trim on bumpers and side mouldings - Rear spoiler - Exclusive wheel trims on wider (!) 185/70R13 (the remaining trims on the car you featured are not correct) - Available as a saloon or liftback in 1.6 form only. Other stuff: - They were raced in the BTCC (remember the infamous Hoy & Rouse crash?) - The obsession with 16 valves was part of a marketing push in the late 80s/early 90s based on the whole Toyota range ("from 1.0 Starlet to 3.0 Supra") going to 4 valves per cylinder. - There were dozens of weird special editions in Japan with 4WD, digi-dash and if the Toyota EPC is to be believed, also the 4AGE engine. - Perhaps the weirdest was the "Corona Super-roomy" (google it) which added 12 inches to the middle of the floorpan to give limo-like leg room... - Unlike the successor (Carina E), Carina II's have fully independent rear suspension. It's great to see you give it a fair review rather than being surprised it doesn't drive like a brand new RS4 as some reviewers of old cars tend to be... Only things I'd disagree with is the lack of suspension travel - mine had 37k on the clock when I got it and it rode beautifully, but by now even mint examples will have dead dampers and this combined with soft springs can result in the crashiness over large bumps you describe. Also, while a
I love seeing 70s 80s 90s cars, since the scrapage scheme there's hardly anything like them on the road, it used to be something we would overlook for the 'sportier' models but now its a joy to just see a car of this era. Good stuff 😁
My father owned one of these from when I was born to until around my 5th birthday. I only have some pretty vague memories of the car. Toyotas were super popular in Finland back then and these were absolutely everywhere. I guess they'd still be around if our roads were salted just a bit more sparingly.
Friend's Dad had one from new, late 80's early 90's. Always reliable, doors shut with a solid 'thunk'. Quiet & comfy. Only needed a back exhaust box & battery in about 15 years & 80k miles. He was an ex engineer, & said Toyota quality was just so much better than Ford/Vauxhall/Rover alternatives, which seemed to be made out of thin steel & things about to break. Cars like these gave Toyota their good reputation. Thanks J!
Just a note (off topic of course): I just like it very much that seem to be a very sensible driver!!! The way you react to cyclists in your videos is really respectful and responsible!!! That's so great to see!!! Thank you very much for that!!!
Man, this brings back some memories. My mum had a red one before we swapped it for a silver 1991 Escort GLX. This is one of those cars that was totally forgotten to time.
My dad had 92 corona for 15 years, and we made so much memory with it! I also learned to drive with the car and it's a really good beginner car, everything feels direct, clutch feels light yet not as light as a modern car, and car is slow so it's easy to control too ;) definitely considering to buy it once i have some money for "hobby car" just because it's a good car to drive on in.
What a great vid! I own a 1984 Carina II with the non-cat 84BHP engine. 60,000 miles and still drives like a true Toyota at age 38. Thanks for the upload.
I absolutely love this. I can even smell of the interior of a late 80’s/early 90’s Toyota. Years ago I drove the earlier Carina II (1987 I think) and that was nice to drive too
My father bought the carina e brand new in 1993, it had 115 hp and it was a really great car. I still remember that before we choose it we test drove the Audi 80 and the passat and the carina e was much much better in all aspects. We kept the car for 14 years and 420000 kilometres without any issue.
Wow, when I read your comment I thought "this guy sounds like a Greek toyotakias", then I saw your username and confirmed it! It seems we like a Toyota in Greece. There are not many nationalities who would prefer one of these over an Audi 80 or Passat!
@@energymc22 actually it's not a matter of preference it's a fact with 70 hp the Audi was dangerous..as simply as that and so boring..of course Honda had the incredible vti with 160 hp
I bought one of those. It had 865.000 miles on it. I gave it a new power steering pump. The best car I ever had. It was so quiet, I couldn't hear it ticking over when stopped. It went around the clock, and I took a photo of the speedometer milage, and emailed it to Toyota. They were gobsmacked and had a celebration 🍾
I love cars like this. Super cars, hyper cars and performance cars are a snooze fest. Ironically these Carinas are more exotic than most Ferraris these days. I've seen 4 Ferraris this week but I haven't seen a Carina for over a decade. Cars like the Carina are real cars - cars that create memories. They are far more soulful than any pampered millionaire money pose mobile.
We had one in the family. The 2.0 GLI Executive was the sweetspot with a good level of kit and around 126bhp. XL was missing some creature comforts! The 4-A engine was a smooth engine with a smooth gear shift! The full electric pack in the GLI was very desirable electric everything including the ariel.
Thanks so much for doing this video, brings back so many memories! My dad had a 1.6GL Liftback and then traded it in for a Windsor saloon just like the one you drove. The normal XL was pretty basic spec, but the Windsor added most of the stuff you got on the GL (E/W, Sunroof etc) except the velour seats and body colour bumpers. I needed a reliable car and bought a Matchplay a couple of years later. IT was basically the same spec and apparently came with a set of golf clubs when new. I kept mine from 1994 to 2005 and never had any problems with it. In the end I just stopped servicing it as a kind of experiment and it just went on an on. Got 200quid for it on eBay.. I saw a Matchplay up on AT the other day for 2k...amazing! If you ever do another video on this car, please show the drivers side one touch electric window switch working. Its a masterpiece of Toyota engineering!
I own a 1989 Carina II estate in a nice shade of red, it's my every day driver, van and camper. And quite frankly my favourite car I've ever owned to date! Likewise to this one mine also has the 4a-f and I've had nearly no issues with it in the time I've owned it. For anyone interested in one I would definitely recommend, a surprisingly fun car to drive considering its light weight and always gets a warm reception at shows and meets for being the most humble of everyday classics!
I sold mine last year after 7 years of happy ownership. On a run it would give 44mpg, was great on a long journey with plenty of space and the suspension is actually fully independent and will grip on well beyond your nerves. The only thing that lets it down is the hopeless lack of damping. But that gives the comfy ride
I have a '90 1.6 as a runaround. It's been in the family 24 yrs. I have towed a BMW E36 on a car transporter with it for over 70 miles (it was the 90s), one of my relatives was clocked by the fuzz at 108mph (he says he saw 120mph) in it and it has never ever broken down. It did 20000 miles last year and its running like a swiss watch. I've had Cosworths, GT4s, GTiRs etc but the Carina is probably my favourite!
I miss mine to much, such a beautiful car. This was my daily, the the weekend warrior in the shed. I found myself giving this car so much more love though..
My father in law had the Carina E which succeeded this model. Always impressed me that car. Quick in its day, ultra reliable and well equipped. Peak Toyota reliability in the early 90s.
I bought a 93 Corolla 1.3 to buy & sell about 6 years ago. What a great car, the engine was so sweet you knew it was right within seconds! All pedals worked in harmony together with the steering & gear change too. A golden era of cars & reliability! Also what gets me how many newer cars have poor pedals, gear change etc compared to the Corolla, it almost like manufactures don't car about getting it right & would rather concentrate on fancy lights & sat navs. P.S both people I knew who owned it loved it too, lol
There's an old boy up the road from me with an H-reg Cavalier auto I'm pretty sure he's owned from new 😆 Kind of impressive how immune from fashion insecurity some people are
I own a '92 Hi life version! starting in 91, they were generally 'pushed out the door' as the British built Carina E was going to be introduced with injection, crash safety and a lot of features as standard from may 92. my one was actually owned by an old boy from March 1992 to december 2021 and was looked after incredibly well. not sure if it's just because of the age or sample size buy I also have rust issues in the boot
The hatchback version was so much better. The rear seats folded backwards enabling a double bed set up. I paid £50 for one. I had it for 4 years. Travelled everywhere Uk and Europe, never let me down. It was so cheap that I was prepared to walk away if it ever broke down and therefore never even did an oil change. After 4 years I gave it to my brother, he did one oil change and then kept it for another 4 years. I’ve got quite fancy cars now but that one holds a special place in my heart! I drove it slow and could get over 50mpg. Miss you baby!!!
I drove a company beater Corolla with the same drivetrain as this that was sold with just shy of 400k km and it didn't have a single failure in 2 years of my extremely low care use. Toyota made some legendary toasters back then.
My neighbour have a metallic brown own when I was a kid. I appreciate seeing the mundane and rare rather than any super car. Thanks for bringing this to us!
When I saw the 4A engine, I instantly thought how could would this be with a 4A-GE. So I'm glad the owners are putting one in :D the 4A-GE 20v which had ITBs from factory too. Very cool engine on paper, I've not driven one but I can imagine they're great!
We had this car's ancestor, a 1967 Corona RT-40. A terrific little car! Not fast, but utterly dependable. Later we had a 1989 Corolla which had the 4A-FE engine, another reliable workhorse. We didn't get the Carina in Australia, the Corona was replaced by the Camry.
My dad had two Carina II's here in Finnland. 1988 and 1991 models. Sadly both only the 1.6 16 Valve engine not the 2.0. But: boyyyy was the engine quiet. You hardly heard it. And yes it was really really reliable. Both were driven each 120tkm without any issues what so ever.
Wow this brings back memories. My parents had one in a champagne colour. It was the first car I drove when I had my drivers license. That 1.6 with 75 bhp was really something
On top of a solid engine. The gears looked like they came out of a watch. Then there was all the little bits that used to fail on cars of the time. Switch gear, Electric windows, Hoses, Lighting circuit continuity and earth faults. Just a few extra pence and a little more thought on each item. This changed the whole car market, that took years to catch up.
I sold these Brand new back in 1991 when I worked at a Toyota dealership ! The 4A-F is the single overhead cam version of the famous 4A-GE found in the MR2 and Corolla GTi. The 4A-F had 95 BHP and the 4AGE had 122 BHP. The Corolla Executive 1.6 had the same engine. The Carina Executive of the same year had the 2.0 version of this engine. Both cars were rather slow but smooth to drive
The 4A F was a basic de tuned version of the 4A-GE that was in the celica or the MR2 The Windsor and its sister car the Wentworth were done as Run out models before the Carina E came out. There was also a Matchday Carina 2 in a similar trim and colours. The trims were coloured Trims with red inserts and the main colours of the cars were green. The spoiler was only available on the saloon but there was a 5dr lift back as well. They were basic XL Carinas rather than the GL and they had black bumpers as opposed to the GL which had coloured bumpers. These were available for about 6months in 1991-1992 as I remember. They had check trim seats and a sun roof as std...Air con wasn't available. I was a parts manager for a Toyota dealer for 12 years and had Carina 2 in every guise as company cars. Great cars and very very comfortable and spacious. The Carina E was a great car but it was not as good in my opinion as a decent 2.
My grandad's carina 2 2.0 hatchback is still in the family. As a kid, electric windows etc were just magic. This car has a switch very similar to the mystery switch shown. His was a kill switch for the alarm.
Mum had a 1991 carina 2 1.6 16v estate until I was 16. It was brilliant and never went wrong. Ever. Fun engine in a very dull body. I think it would be fun to knock about in now
This is memory lane! I drove a 1992 Carina XLi auto as a taxi from 1993 to 1994. It was extremely boring and extremely reliable. It was traded in 1994 with almost 300 000 km.
My granda owned a red one of these for decades, and the only reason he stopped was because he got rear ended. I have so many memories of this car and I can still hear the 8 track he listened to all the time. Those songs used to annoy me so much as a kid now I look back at them fondly. I learned to drive in it after it had been hit, by driving it around my grandas field. (The accident happened after the scrappage scheme. The car couldve been repaired and put back on the road, but it would've been cheaper to buy another one because parts were no longer cheap)
Being a sales rep, I bought one in 1994, 3 years old. Cost me about € 5000 then. The 105 hp 1.6XLi Impact version. Not slow at all. Often had days of more than 1000 km with it. It was quiet, very comfortable and representative. My boss said: I hate Japanese cars but this is a great ride.
My Dad had a hatchback 2.0 GLi Executive Carina II for a while. It was a nice car to be honest. Pokey enough, and had electric everything. Also had the 3S-FE engine which was shared with the early SW20 MR2.
Suspension needs a refresh. When I got married nine years ago, my wife had a really beat up 89 Corolla. It actually drove incredibly well and was still very reliable. Easy clutch, nice gear change, very easy to drive, and economical. However, Toyotas of this age really do like to rust.
The Carina II was very popular in the UK for a couple of years 1990 to 1992 largely because Which? magazine recommended it as it’s “best family car” in those years. I know this because my then Father In Law bought one in 1992 precisely for that reason.
Memories come back but not with the 90’s carina,mine was my first car a 1986 c reg carina 1.6gl mk II hatchback (lift back) and it had the most amazing manual shift box along also it’s reliability i could only describe as ‘indestructible’ what a car 👌
I remember when these used to be everywhere. Like Peugeot 405s, Mondeos, Omegas ect. You very rarely saw Audis, BMWs and Mercs unless the Mercs were older still
The Corona and the Cressida were absolutely beautiful cars. Both were viewed as Camry upgrades in Australia. Lovely, lovely cars. Their values (Corona and Cressida) in Australia are on the rise and rightfully so.
For a time here in Ireland every Garda whether marked traffic cars or plain clothes detective car was a Carina !! It was a taxi favourite as well ! Hold on this country was absolutely full of them - All of a sudden a car comes along and it starts drives is practical and easy on fuel The Montego Sierra and Vectra A were just a poor second!This car was the benchmark by which all others were judged - no car since quite matched these !! The Windsor was a UK only model along with the Match Play - from memory ! The jazzing up happened at the dealerships
Hi, i've had 3 x 1.6 Carina estates, 2 x 1.6 liftbacks (the red one i had did 40'000 miles without an oil change, as an experiment) and one 1.6 saloon, total mileage of 130'000 miles and every one i sold paid for the next one, and with some change on top...they never really cost me anything and *insert usual comment, never went wrong. But the best one was the 2.0 Carina E executive, which had LPG fitted....this was 2007, a full tank in the donut tank cost £13 and it did 220 miles. Oh my goodness how i wish i still had that car now.
I was surprised to see that a 1991 model still has the old Toyota grill, my mother had back in the day a MY 1990 Starlet and it had already the double ellips grill if I'm not mistaken. Successor of this Carina II was the Carina E which featured a GTI engine with 160 HP.
We assembled the Corona here in New Zealand and got the 3SFE and 3SGE (wider valve included angle and higher power output) 2 litre engines. If those guys want to be completely mental, perhaps the Celica GT4 drivetrain of 3SGTE turbo 2 litre! They would have done 4wd versions, but maybe not for Europe. That was peak mechanical reliability I believe. As you say, it's all still working and the engines were unstressed, that's what made them so reliable. Simple, bland but will outlast so many cars sold today if you can stop it rusting!
My first car was a Carina II my old boss gave me. Never drove it as I couldn’t drive at the time so gave it to a mate to replace his rusting Volvo. He got about 4 years out it though.
Had no idea this car ever existed. Looks very generic commuter car something that has disappeared these days. Hopefully you can cover more cars like this. Keep up the good work.
Back in November last year I very nearly went to check out a '91 1.6 GL Carina II, but ultimately passed it up in favour of a '97 Paseo since that particular Carina was an automatic. A part of me does wish I'd bitten the bullet on that Carina - it was a lovely example. Also loving the old Toyota and Lexus content of late :)
A great video to watch thank you. I know a few things about the Carina E, as I owned and modified one for 3 years which featured on my YT channel, but I don't know much about the Carina II, other than the ones raced in the BTCC.
That's a blast from the pasted, owned a New Zealand built 1991 Corona. The same car with a hatch back, drove around NZ during the late 90s in it. Mine was the closest to a Hot version with Twin Cam written all over the body. It did have a good engine, 2lt 16 valve with around 130bhp. The rest of the car however wasn't up to the task, so it was good motorway or A road car. But could get you into trouble very quickly if you tried to make use of the great engine down a twisty road.
My first car was 95 Carina E, successor to this car. Reliable car, a bit too soft suspension as i my car bottomed out couple times with a couple of passengers in the back.
On a long sidenote he also says that this car started a running joke with his friends as one time they were arguing about cars and he dicided to defend his purchase by saying "well I've got a 16 valve how many valves does your car have" and from that point his mates would greet him with "how many valves does your car have" he eventually traded it in for a 92 3 door range rover classic which ended being my childhood car
James, for some reason which I can’t fathom, I have a Carina II original sales brochure! Facts and figures for you: 1587 cc. 94 bhp at 6000 rpm. 99 lb ft at 3600 rpm. Max speed (manual) 113 mph. 0-60 in 11.1 secs. Urban cycle 32.5 mpg. Constant 56 mph 53.3 mpg (!) Constant 75 mph 40.9 mpg. Hope that helps. Resident anorak signing off!
That helps so much you get a pin
Maybe those mpg figures were accurate when new but I reckon I never really got more than 40 from mine 🤷🏻♂️
Honestly I prefer seeing regular or forgotten cars like these get their moment of fame over the exotics or more common sports cars. You just don't see these 90s commuter cars anymore and they rarely get the attention of anyone, so having a review like this up for all to see is probably the most fame they'll get in this day and age. I love how you gave this car an honest chance and enjoyed it for what it is! This sort of stuff makes me consider crossing the Channel and letting Jay have a go at my Justy some day :P
Agreed.
It's so sad as normal cars from the 80s/90s used to be everywhere.
I've offered my 2007 gen2 Mazda6 2.5Petrol sport up for review because I agree, it's somehow really nice to see regular cars reviewed.
Agreed, saved me saying the same.
Same, find my self watching all of these type of reviews he does and completely bypassing most of the new cars and supercars
This is one of the most Toyota-looking Toyota ever made. When I think of a Toyota, this is what I think about.
I think Supra or land cruiser
Well put.
Considering that the first Toyota I was introduced to was the Prado, and then the Camry, this is probably the last car that comes to mind when I think of Toyota. I see the Carina E and Avensis more often than this.
great point....americans might see it twisted as it is expected....
@@damilolaakanni I am talking in a more general way. It could be a Tercel, a Corolla, a Camry of this era I don't care. What I care is how it was built, its general shape, the way the interior is done, the general engineering.
Oh man, memories... My first car was a Carina II. My parents bought a red one in 1990, and gave it to me in 2003. It was an Xli, with the 4A-FE engine, the fuel injected version with about 105 hp. At about 10 kilos per hp this car was actually quite quick for its time, and when pushed it had a certain growl that was atractive. Mine was a liftback, which made it capable of transporting large objects too. I loved the car, it was really comfortable, quick enough (It beat the BMW 316i of that era), fuel efficient, quiet, and if maintained properly, nothing ever broke. It also had neat storage compartments all over the car. To answer the question about the power: The 4A-F version is rated at 95 hp, so the owner's estimate was closer. The 4A engine is a member of the legendary "indestructible" Toyota engine series of the late 80's and the 90's: the 4A, the 3S, the 2JZ and the 1UZ.
Had 2 Toyota,s with the 125/130bhp 4A-GE. All 4A variants were v reliable.
I currently own a Liftback 2.0 GLi version, she still runs like a beaut but there's issues with her frames and other bottom parts rusting
other than the oil leak and missing coolant, she drives like a dream and has amazing power considering it's age and size.
Good for you mate. I loved my old shitheap. Not as much as my gf of course but the car brilliant.
I LOVE that you review cars like this man. This is so good.
Tired of the constant “BMW M3” type reviews like those are the only cars that matter. Japanese cars are my jam
More of this please - everyday cars from that era.
My first cars were used mid-/late-90s ones (Corsa, Golf, Passat) and they had a mechanical and aesthetic simplicity that felt far more direct and intuitive than modern equivalents.
Even a mk5 Golf I had until recently - I was getting loads of different hire cars for work when I had that and every time is was nicer to get back in to, away from daft shiny plastics, vague controls, and crappy touchscreens.
I own Carina 1983 till now and i love driving this beast🤩
We had one. a 1990 1.6 GL auto. We got it for my wife who drove from Colchester to Chelmsford and all around East Anglia for her work. We had it for around eleven years and nothing, I repeat, nothing went wrong, broke, or fell off. It had done 190,000 when we sold it to be replaced by our much loved LS400. It was perfect for the job for which it was purchased. I remember it being quoted as 90HP too. We travelled to many parts of the UK in that car and it was very good at getting to where you wnated to go and back again with zero drama. Not much excitement either of course.
Oof, replacing the Carina II with a LS400, that's some upgrade! I owned them both too, but in my case there was a 1997 Camry in between.
@@Proefkonijntje We were looking for a Camry when we found the LS. Well, why would you say no?
@@grayfool I guess you wouldn't. When you've done the test drive, you're not going to let go of the LS400. So I guess I was lucky to run into the Camry first, it gave me time to save up some more money... :)
As a fellow owner of a Windsor it's great to see these eminently usable humble modern classics being featured by yourself! I bought mine for the princely some of £700 as my first car in 2010 and never thought I'd still have it over a decade and 60,000+ trouble free miles later. Despite being so humble, the incredible durability of these cars wins them many fans and I'm amazed how many positive comments mine draws (especially amongst taxi drivers who were around in period) and I was even invited to exhibit it at the 2019 Festival of the Unexceptional. They have a big following in Ireland and the best examples (2.0 GLi executive, Anniversary edition etc) are £5k+ all day long.
Putting my anorak on, a few points:
- The Windsor was a 1000 run UK only special edition based on an 'XL' spec to commemorate Toyota's sponsorship of the Royal Windsor Horse show .
- Windsor specifics:
- Typhoon grey metallic paint
- Red trim on bumpers and side mouldings
- Rear spoiler
- Exclusive wheel trims on wider (!) 185/70R13 (the remaining trims on the car you featured are not correct)
- Available as a saloon or liftback in 1.6 form only.
Other stuff:
- They were raced in the BTCC (remember the infamous Hoy & Rouse crash?)
- The obsession with 16 valves was part of a marketing push in the late 80s/early 90s based on the whole Toyota range ("from 1.0 Starlet to 3.0 Supra") going to 4 valves per cylinder.
- There were dozens of weird special editions in Japan with 4WD, digi-dash and if the Toyota EPC is to be believed, also the 4AGE engine.
- Perhaps the weirdest was the "Corona Super-roomy" (google it) which added 12 inches to the middle of the floorpan to give limo-like leg room...
- Unlike the successor (Carina E), Carina II's have fully independent rear suspension.
It's great to see you give it a fair review rather than being surprised it doesn't drive like a brand new RS4 as some reviewers of old cars tend to be... Only things I'd disagree with is the lack of suspension travel - mine had 37k on the clock when I got it and it rode beautifully, but by now even mint examples will have dead dampers and this combined with soft springs can result in the crashiness over large bumps you describe.
Also, while a
I'm a fan of cars like this. 9
Thanks for the info about this car! I’ll share it with the other co owner! 😊
I love seeing 70s 80s 90s cars, since the scrapage scheme there's hardly anything like them on the road, it used to be something we would overlook for the 'sportier' models but now its a joy to just see a car of this era. Good stuff 😁
My father owned one of these from when I was born to until around my 5th birthday. I only have some pretty vague memories of the car. Toyotas were super popular in Finland back then and these were absolutely everywhere. I guess they'd still be around if our roads were salted just a bit more sparingly.
Friend's Dad had one from new, late 80's early 90's. Always reliable, doors shut with a solid 'thunk'. Quiet & comfy. Only needed a back exhaust box & battery in about 15 years & 80k miles. He was an ex engineer, & said Toyota quality was just so much better than Ford/Vauxhall/Rover alternatives, which seemed to be made out of thin steel & things about to break.
Cars like these gave Toyota their good reputation.
Thanks J!
Just a note (off topic of course): I just like it very much that seem to be a very sensible driver!!! The way you react to cyclists in your videos is really respectful and responsible!!! That's so great to see!!!
Thank you very much for that!!!
I have had various Toyotas here including 3 Celica's ....wonderful
Man, this brings back some memories. My mum had a red one before we swapped it for a silver 1991 Escort GLX.
This is one of those cars that was totally forgotten to time.
Just guessing, but I imagine moving from this to a 91 Escort did not provide the hoped-for new car upgrade?
I would love to see this back once the transformation has taken place 🙂
My dad had 92 corona for 15 years, and we made so much memory with it! I also learned to drive with the car and it's a really good beginner car, everything feels direct, clutch feels light yet not as light as a modern car, and car is slow so it's easy to control too ;) definitely considering to buy it once i have some money for "hobby car" just because it's a good car to drive on in.
What a great vid! I own a 1984 Carina II with the non-cat 84BHP engine. 60,000 miles and still drives like a true Toyota at age 38. Thanks for the upload.
Bloody brilliant 🙌 I do rather enjoy seeing cars of this era, do more of these pleaseeeeeeeeee
I absolutely love this. I can even smell of the interior of a late 80’s/early 90’s Toyota.
Years ago I drove the earlier Carina II (1987 I think) and that was nice to drive too
I love theses kind of vids more than the fast and expenivse stuff you do. would be great to see you doing more old cars.
My father bought the carina e brand new in 1993, it had 115 hp and it was a really great car. I still remember that before we choose it we test drove the Audi 80 and the passat and the carina e was much much better in all aspects. We kept the car for 14 years and 420000 kilometres without any issue.
Wow, when I read your comment I thought "this guy sounds like a Greek toyotakias", then I saw your username and confirmed it! It seems we like a Toyota in Greece. There are not many nationalities who would prefer one of these over an Audi 80 or Passat!
@@energymc22 actually it's not a matter of preference it's a fact with 70 hp the Audi was dangerous..as simply as that and so boring..of course Honda had the incredible vti with 160 hp
@@Μανος13 indeed, the VAG group engines at the time were gutless.
I bought one of those. It had 865.000 miles on it. I gave it a new power steering pump. The best car I ever had. It was so quiet, I couldn't hear it ticking over when stopped. It went around the clock, and I took a photo of the speedometer milage, and emailed it to Toyota. They were gobsmacked and had a celebration 🍾
I love cars like this. Super cars, hyper cars and performance cars are a snooze fest. Ironically these Carinas are more exotic than most Ferraris these days. I've seen 4 Ferraris this week but I haven't seen a Carina for over a decade.
Cars like the Carina are real cars - cars that create memories. They are far more soulful than any pampered millionaire money pose mobile.
We had one in the family. The 2.0 GLI Executive was the sweetspot with a good level of kit and around 126bhp. XL was missing some creature comforts! The 4-A engine was a smooth engine with a smooth gear shift! The full electric pack in the GLI was very desirable electric everything including the ariel.
Thanks so much for doing this video, brings back so many memories! My dad had a 1.6GL Liftback and then traded it in for a Windsor saloon just like the one you drove. The normal XL was pretty basic spec, but the Windsor added most of the stuff you got on the GL (E/W, Sunroof etc) except the velour seats and body colour bumpers. I needed a reliable car and bought a Matchplay a couple of years later. IT was basically the same spec and apparently came with a set of golf clubs when new. I kept mine from 1994 to 2005 and never had any problems with it. In the end I just stopped servicing it as a kind of experiment and it just went on an on. Got 200quid for it on eBay.. I saw a Matchplay up on AT the other day for 2k...amazing!
If you ever do another video on this car, please show the drivers side one touch electric window switch working. Its a masterpiece of Toyota engineering!
I own a 1989 Carina II estate in a nice shade of red, it's my every day driver, van and camper. And quite frankly my favourite car I've ever owned to date! Likewise to this one mine also has the 4a-f and I've had nearly no issues with it in the time I've owned it.
For anyone interested in one I would definitely recommend, a surprisingly fun car to drive considering its light weight and always gets a warm reception at shows and meets for being the most humble of everyday classics!
I sold mine last year after 7 years of happy ownership. On a run it would give 44mpg, was great on a long journey with plenty of space and the suspension is actually fully independent and will grip on well beyond your nerves. The only thing that lets it down is the hopeless lack of damping. But that gives the comfy ride
I have a '90 1.6 as a runaround. It's been in the family 24 yrs. I have towed a BMW E36 on a car transporter with it for over 70 miles (it was the 90s), one of my relatives was clocked by the fuzz at 108mph (he says he saw 120mph) in it and it has never ever broken down. It did 20000 miles last year and its running like a swiss watch. I've had Cosworths, GT4s, GTiRs etc but the Carina is probably my favourite!
I miss mine to much, such a beautiful car. This was my daily, the the weekend warrior in the shed. I found myself giving this car so much more love though..
My father in law had the Carina E which succeeded this model. Always impressed me that car. Quick in its day, ultra reliable and well equipped. Peak Toyota reliability in the early 90s.
I bought a 93 Corolla 1.3 to buy & sell about 6 years ago. What a great car, the engine was so sweet you knew it was right within seconds! All pedals worked in harmony together with the steering & gear change too. A golden era of cars & reliability! Also what gets me how many newer cars have poor pedals, gear change etc compared to the Corolla, it almost like manufactures don't car about getting it right & would rather concentrate on fancy lights & sat navs. P.S both people I knew who owned it loved it too, lol
There's an old boy up the road from me with an H-reg Cavalier auto I'm pretty sure he's owned from new 😆 Kind of impressive how immune from fashion insecurity some people are
I own a '92 Hi life version! starting in 91, they were generally 'pushed out the door' as the British built Carina E was going to be introduced with injection, crash safety and a lot of features as standard from may 92. my one was actually owned by an old boy from March 1992 to december 2021 and was looked after incredibly well. not sure if it's just because of the age or sample size buy I also have rust issues in the boot
The hatchback version was so much better. The rear seats folded backwards enabling a double bed set up. I paid £50 for one. I had it for 4 years. Travelled everywhere Uk and Europe, never let me down. It was so cheap that I was prepared to walk away if it ever broke down and therefore never even did an oil change. After 4 years I gave it to my brother, he did one oil change and then kept it for another 4 years. I’ve got quite fancy cars now but that one holds a special place in my heart! I drove it slow and could get over 50mpg. Miss you baby!!!
8:07 wow, déjà vu 😎
Glitch in the Matrix!!
I drove a company beater Corolla with the same drivetrain as this that was sold with just shy of 400k km and it didn't have a single failure in 2 years of my extremely low care use. Toyota made some legendary toasters back then.
My neighbour have a metallic brown own when I was a kid. I appreciate seeing the mundane and rare rather than any super car. Thanks for bringing this to us!
Reminded me of Will Hoy and Andy Rouse taking each other out at Brands in the BTCC.
Matt from furious driving would like his Ytube format back😃
Great... Forgotten cars, not just unaffordable collectable & super cars...! 👍
When I saw the 4A engine, I instantly thought how could would this be with a 4A-GE. So I'm glad the owners are putting one in :D the 4A-GE 20v which had ITBs from factory too. Very cool engine on paper, I've not driven one but I can imagine they're great!
We had this car's ancestor, a 1967 Corona RT-40. A terrific little car! Not fast, but utterly dependable. Later we had a 1989 Corolla which had the 4A-FE engine, another reliable workhorse. We didn't get the Carina in Australia, the Corona was replaced by the Camry.
Much more interesting to see these types of cars as opposed to the constant Ferrari/Porsche/McLaren videos that are posted
I just love old econoboxes. They felt so mechanical; you could get the thrill of being connected to a car without paying exorbitant prices.
Yep, this is all about that
This is why I love my late-90s Nissan Pulsar (aka Almera, I think). It's a slow shitbox, but it never fails to put me in a good mood.
Most beautiful car in existence. Wish id find one in good condition and lowbprice
Good condition = high Price. Amen.
My dad had two Carina II's here in Finnland. 1988 and 1991 models. Sadly both only the 1.6 16 Valve engine not the 2.0. But: boyyyy was the engine quiet. You hardly heard it. And yes it was really really reliable. Both were driven each 120tkm without any issues what so ever.
Wow this brings back memories. My parents had one in a champagne colour. It was the first car I drove when I had my drivers license. That 1.6 with 75 bhp was really something
Funny enough my Grandad had one! I remember it had a 275,000 miles on it! It was still ticking over lovely.
My dad had one of these, lovely car. Lets not forget andy rouse campaigned the carina in the BTCC, and won fhe title few times with it.
On top of a solid engine. The gears looked like they came out of a watch.
Then there was all the little bits that used to fail on cars of the time. Switch gear, Electric windows, Hoses, Lighting circuit continuity and earth faults.
Just a few extra pence and a little more thought on each item. This changed the whole car market, that took years to catch up.
I had totally forgotten about travel sweets. God, that takes me back.
Used to own a 2.0 gli model, loved it, reliable and quite quick, 0-60 in 9 sec😁
I sold these Brand new back in 1991 when I worked at a Toyota dealership ! The 4A-F is the single overhead cam version of the famous 4A-GE found in the MR2 and Corolla GTi. The 4A-F had 95 BHP and the 4AGE had 122 BHP. The Corolla Executive 1.6 had the same engine. The Carina Executive of the same year had the 2.0 version of this engine. Both cars were rather slow but smooth to drive
The 4A F was a basic de tuned version of the 4A-GE that was in the celica or the MR2
The Windsor and its sister car the Wentworth were done as Run out models before the Carina E came out. There was also a Matchday Carina 2 in a similar trim and colours. The trims were coloured Trims with red inserts and the main colours of the cars were green. The spoiler was only available on the saloon but there was a 5dr lift back as well. They were basic XL Carinas rather than the GL and they had black bumpers as opposed to the GL which had coloured bumpers. These were available for about 6months in 1991-1992 as I remember. They had check trim seats and a sun roof as std...Air con wasn't available. I was a parts manager for a Toyota dealer for 12 years and had Carina 2 in every guise as company cars. Great cars and very very comfortable and spacious. The Carina E was a great car but it was not as good in my opinion as a decent 2.
My grandad's carina 2 2.0 hatchback is still in the family. As a kid, electric windows etc were just magic.
This car has a switch very similar to the mystery switch shown. His was a kill switch for the alarm.
This would look great with boxy yellow driving lamps/fog lights, and some tasteful small 5/6 spoke alloy wheels.
Nooooooooo!
Mum had a 1991 carina 2 1.6 16v estate until I was 16. It was brilliant and never went wrong. Ever. Fun engine in a very dull body. I think it would be fun to knock about in now
James, its great that as you're talking about e.g the interior theres footages of the interior edited in. Brings these reviews up a notch :)
This is memory lane! I drove a 1992 Carina XLi auto as a taxi from 1993 to 1994. It was extremely boring and extremely reliable. It was traded in 1994 with almost 300 000 km.
My granda owned a red one of these for decades, and the only reason he stopped was because he got rear ended.
I have so many memories of this car and I can still hear the 8 track he listened to all the time. Those songs used to annoy me so much as a kid now I look back at them fondly.
I learned to drive in it after it had been hit, by driving it around my grandas field. (The accident happened after the scrappage scheme. The car couldve been repaired and put back on the road, but it would've been cheaper to buy another one because parts were no longer cheap)
Being a sales rep, I bought one in 1994, 3 years old. Cost me about € 5000 then. The 105 hp 1.6XLi Impact version. Not slow at all. Often had days of more than 1000 km with it. It was quiet, very comfortable and representative. My boss said: I hate Japanese cars but this is a great ride.
My Dad had a hatchback 2.0 GLi Executive Carina II for a while. It was a nice car to be honest. Pokey enough, and had electric everything. Also had the 3S-FE engine which was shared with the early SW20 MR2.
This car is an amazing testament to the previous owner(s) and Japanese reliability!
This is one of my favorite cars. They are called Coronas in Mauritius.
Suspension needs a refresh. When I got married nine years ago, my wife had a really beat up 89 Corolla. It actually drove incredibly well and was still very reliable. Easy clutch, nice gear change, very easy to drive, and economical. However, Toyotas of this age really do like to rust.
The Carina II was very popular in the UK for a couple of years 1990 to 1992 largely because Which? magazine recommended it as it’s “best family car” in those years. I know this because my then Father In Law bought one in 1992 precisely for that reason.
I had the diesel liftback & absolutely loved it.
A super reliable tough car & comfortable.
Front end didn't at all like wet roundabouts though..
The 2.0gli manual was the one to have.
0 to 60 was 8.7 secs and onto over 125 mph.
Had 3, 2 petrols and a diesel. 14” BMW 3 series steel wheels of the day fitted and transformed it. They did a 2.0 GTI lift back.
Memories come back but not with the 90’s carina,mine was my first car a 1986 c reg carina 1.6gl mk II hatchback (lift back) and it had the most amazing manual shift box along also it’s reliability i could only describe as ‘indestructible’ what a car 👌
They were popular in Ireland as was all things Toyota back in the day.
My first ever car here in the US was a 1972 Toyota Carina. Only sold for 2 years here in the states.
You can still see a good amount of these knocking about here in Portugal together with the more popular EE90 Corolla.
Honda accord and Mazda 626 of this age where also Great machine.
Thank you for this review. 😉👍
I remember when these used to be everywhere. Like Peugeot 405s, Mondeos, Omegas ect. You very rarely saw Audis, BMWs and Mercs unless the Mercs were older still
One car you could drive and drive knowing it would never let you down.
The Corona and the Cressida were absolutely beautiful cars. Both were viewed as Camry upgrades in Australia. Lovely, lovely cars. Their values (Corona and Cressida) in Australia are on the rise and rightfully so.
Love seeing you review these type of, shall we say, modest cars.
For a time here in Ireland every Garda whether marked traffic cars or plain clothes detective car was a Carina !! It was a taxi favourite as well ! Hold on this country was absolutely full of them -
All of a sudden a car comes along and it starts drives is practical and easy on fuel The Montego Sierra and Vectra A were just a poor second!This car was the benchmark by which all others were judged - no car since quite matched these !!
The Windsor was a UK only model along with the Match Play - from memory ! The jazzing up happened at the dealerships
There was a shed load of Garda Corollas around back then too...
Hi, i've had 3 x 1.6 Carina estates, 2 x 1.6 liftbacks (the red one i had did 40'000 miles without an oil change, as an experiment) and one 1.6 saloon, total mileage of 130'000 miles and every one i sold paid for the next one, and with some change on top...they never really cost me anything and *insert usual comment, never went wrong. But the best one was the 2.0 Carina E executive, which had LPG fitted....this was 2007, a full tank in the donut tank cost £13 and it did 220 miles. Oh my goodness how i wish i still had that car now.
Love the diversity of your channel James. Very Hub Nub today 👍🏻😎
I was surprised to see that a 1991 model still has the old Toyota grill, my mother had back in the day a MY 1990 Starlet and it had already the double ellips grill if I'm not mistaken.
Successor of this Carina II was the Carina E which featured a GTI engine with 160 HP.
As a previous Toyota car mechanic I’d say that the 4A-F engine is pretty quick. Worked on loads of these back in the mid/late 90’s
Finally! Been waiting ages for the carina II review to come out
We assembled the Corona here in New Zealand and got the 3SFE and 3SGE (wider valve included angle and higher power output) 2 litre engines. If those guys want to be completely mental, perhaps the Celica GT4 drivetrain of 3SGTE turbo 2 litre! They would have done 4wd versions, but maybe not for Europe. That was peak mechanical reliability I believe. As you say, it's all still working and the engines were unstressed, that's what made them so reliable. Simple, bland but will outlast so many cars sold today if you can stop it rusting!
My first car was a Carina II my old boss gave me. Never drove it as I couldn’t drive at the time so gave it to a mate to replace his rusting Volvo. He got about 4 years out it though.
Had no idea this car ever existed. Looks very generic commuter car something that has disappeared these days. Hopefully you can cover more cars like this. Keep up the good work.
Back in November last year I very nearly went to check out a '91 1.6 GL Carina II, but ultimately passed it up in favour of a '97 Paseo since that particular Carina was an automatic. A part of me does wish I'd bitten the bullet on that Carina - it was a lovely example. Also loving the old Toyota and Lexus content of late :)
Paseo is definitely just as cool :D maybe even cooler imo
A great video to watch thank you. I know a few things about the Carina E, as I owned and modified one for 3 years which featured on my YT channel, but I don't know much about the Carina II, other than the ones raced in the BTCC.
I love it when you revieuw cars that I'd have to bend down to aspire to ;)
Old Toyota's never die!
That's a blast from the pasted, owned a New Zealand built 1991 Corona. The same car with a hatch back, drove around NZ during the late 90s in it. Mine was the closest to a Hot version with Twin Cam written all over the body. It did have a good engine, 2lt 16 valve with around 130bhp. The rest of the car however wasn't up to the task, so it was good motorway or A road car. But could get you into trouble very quickly if you tried to make use of the great engine down a twisty road.
I've had 3 of these and all have had knocking front suspension 🤣
I love these, I need another one
Probably front swaybar linkage :-)
@@kefkeuh I think they have weak front shocks as you could get it to bottom out and it always knocked
My first car was 95 Carina E, successor to this car. Reliable car, a bit too soft suspension as i my car bottomed out couple times with a couple of passengers in the back.
Would be nice to se this car again once it's built
love this show this channel features cars for the common man ,not all of us have money to blow on porsche
All cars are welcome here!
My dad bought one of these new he seems to also remember 90hp as the power figure he also optioned his AC which costed 1/3 of the cars price
On a long sidenote he also says that this car started a running joke with his friends as one time they were arguing about cars and he dicided to defend his purchase by saying "well I've got a 16 valve how many valves does your car have" and from that point his mates would greet him with "how many valves does your car have" he eventually traded it in for a 92 3 door range rover classic which ended being my childhood car
Love these affordable practical classics 😊
If you research the corona and carina, in around the mid 1990s they built some in the UK.