I snapped the above picture yesterday during a little road trip where I saw 5 examples each of 2 notable vehicles:
1) 5 Tesla Model S sedans (notable because it's the most I've seen in a day)
2) 5 Toyota Tercels
The Tercel is notable because the last new ones were sold in 1999, so that means every one I see is at least 19 years old.
It's also notable because, aside from possibly the Honda Civic (which is really a step above), it has seriously outlasted its contemporarly competitors.
There are about half a dozen Tercel daily drivers still running around my little city. But I rarely or never see...
- Metros/Fireflies (there are none left, excluding mine)
- Any 20 year-old Mazda 323/Proteges (rust!)
- Ford Festiva/Aspire
- Any 20 year-old Hyundais/Kias
- (What else am I forgetting?)
This tells me a few things:
1) They're reliable (duh)
2) They're cheap to maintain/repair
3) Critically, for around here, they don't have a rust-related Achille's Heel which would otherwise send them to an early grave. (Like the Metro front control arm mounts, or the rear axle mount of Toyota Echos.)
You can tell the owner of the Tercel I photographed has done a bit of rust repair/touch up (the tell-tale black paint job on the lower doors/rockers). But the wheels are still attached, unlike most 20 year old Metros. And they're still driving it through the salty mess of an eastern Ontario winter.
All hail the trusty -- and not too rusty -- Tercel!