Used Toyota Cressida review: 1988-1993

If you're a car buyer who lets your emotions run rampant, it's unlikely Toyota figures prominently on your shopping list.  But if you're someone who can shackle your emotions and rely on logic, the big Japanese car maker is probably going to be top of the list.

Toyota is often accused of building boring cars, but anyone who cares to delve beneath the bland skin of most Toyotas will find well engineered, well-built, reliable vehicles.  The Cressida is just such a car, with bland styling concealing a mechanical masterpiece.

MODEL WATCH

The Cressida was sold here between 1988 and 1993. If you closed your eyes and listened while someone read the Cressida specs you could be forgiven for thinking you were hearing the specs of a traditional Australian big car. A large family car with roomy accommodation for five adults, power from a straight-six-cylinder engine, and driving through the rear wheels. It could have been a Commodore or a Falcon, but open your eyes and you immediately knew it wasn't from Holden or Ford.

It was beneath the skin the Cressida shone. With the fuel-injected twin cam 3.0-litre straight-six belting out 142kW at 5600 revs, along with 254Nm at 4400 revs, the big Toyota had plenty of get-up-and-go.  When needed it would race to 100km/h in a little over 10 seconds, and cover the standing 400-metre sprint in about 17.5 seconds.

It was quick, but there was much more to the Cressida than speed across the ground. The engine never felt fussed at any time, it was superbly smooth, and returned quite good fuel consumption. Tests at the time had it returning around 10.5 L/100 km on the highway and some two litres more when driven around town.

The four-speed electronic auto transmission was an important part of the equation. A torque-control compensator cut torque while shifting and a lock-up converter aided the quest for fuel efficiency.

Larger front discs, bigger pads and a revised pedal ratio boosted braking performance. There was comfortable, supportive seating for five with plenty of room front and rear and a good-sized boot.

Standard equipment in the GL included power windows, central locking, power steering, and a decent sound system. Airconditioning was an option. Add to that alloy wheels, colour-coded bumpers and cruise and you had a GLX, while the Grande had ABS, limited-slip diff, leather trim, CD player, and climate control airconditioning.

IN THE SHOP

Shop carefully when buying a Cressida, but if you do take care you can find a good car that will provide good service for many years, even if it's already showing high mileage.

Check for a service record. It's important with a car of this age to find out how often it has been serviced, and the date and mileage of its last service. The Cressida's cam timing belt needs changing regularly. Toyota recommends every 90,000 km, so it's important to know when it was last changed.

Cylinder head gaskets can be a problem once the mileage climbs about 100,000 km. Oxygen sensors are also a problem, and expensive to replace.

The auto transmission can be a problem as the mileage climbs to the mid-100,000 kilometres. Cost to rebuild is about $2000. Parts for the Cressida can be expensive.

OWNER'S VIEW

Peter Hague switched from an elderly Commodore to his 1989 GLX a year ago. It has done nearly 260,000km and he says its terrific. In the time he's owned it he's replaced a starter motor, the bonnet struts need regassing, and the driver's power window no longer works. Geoff King has owned several Cressidas over the years, and currently drives a 1990 model, and rates them all good.

RATING

10/20 Great car in its time despite bland styling, but age now means it's hard to find a good one.