Celica Forums General Discussion General Lots Of Auto Tranny Questions

Hey guys,

I am really considering buying a 7th gen Celica GTS, and just have a few questions about the ones with the automatic transmission. I haven't been able to find one to test drive yet, so I figured you guys would be the ones to ask.

1. I live in the country with lots of winding roads which results in the need to shift a lot. Can you use the buttons on the steering wheel to be constantly shifting up and down? Or is it more for shift a few times to get on the highway, and then don't touch it?

2. Can you downshift twice.. One right after another?

3. What happens if you downshift and your RPM's are high? Will it let you downshift, and just bounce off the rev limiter? Is this bad for the car?

4. How does coming to a stop work? Do you have to downshift to 1st to start off again?

5. Can you upshift fine while pressing the gas, or do you have to let off like a manual?

6. If you have an auto, do you normally drive using the buttons, or do you let the car decide when to shift?

I've never owned a Celica, let alone a Toyota, so I don't know how well they are built and what they can take. I've heard good things, but wanted to ask those who have first hand expirence. I plan on taking very good care of it, but nonetheless, I'll still have to do a lot of shifting. Call me a little weird, but right now I have an Eagle Talon, and just looking at it causes stuff to break down, lol.

Thanks for your time,

Matthew

1. yes you can shift,but it wont be as percise

2. one after another

3. i believe the ecu will not let rev that high on downshifts n-e-way, so just one at a tme.

4. i believe the ecu and trnany resets itself and shifts back to low gear

5. you can upsift while pressing gas... i believe...

6. get six speed

Haha, yeah. I am considering getting the manual, but I wanted to see if an auto would work for me. I drive to college in more of a city setting, and there is a lot of stop and go traffic, so a manual gets pretty tiring after a while. That's why I'm trying to see if an auto will be a good mix of fun and sufficient.

Test drive both the auto and the 6 speed...you'll see it's a whole lot faster.

You can still take the auto quick around the curves, but anything in a straight line...no way.

You can pretty much do whatever you want with the manual shift buttons, but it won't let you downshift if you'd be within 1k of redline. Most of the time you don't even bother with it and just leave it in auto mode.

Be sure to test drive both an auto and manual... push both off the line a couple of times. You'll get the manual for sure. Our cars have NO torque, the auto is a dog.

Ok. Thanks for the comments. I guess I'm used to the Talon with plenty of torque, but now that you mention it, I think a manual would be better for the Celica. I'll try to test drive both, but there aren't too many around here for sale right now. A local Toyota dealership said they could find one for me as soon as I am ready.

yea definately try and get the 6spd, i wanted a 6spd but i got such a good deal on my car that i had to settle with an auto GTS. they are fun and all and do have their upsides. for instance think of how easy it is to run a road course and be able to shift without fumbling with a clutch

i used to drive around in M-mode all the time when i first got my car but, you will find that driving in drive is ALOT faster than in M-mode. so i would just get the 6spd, and if you eventually want some F/I down the line, which for most is inevitible whether they wanted it from the start or not, try and get an older model such as 00-02. anything over 02 will have the electric throttle and you need a throttle cable for the Apexi PFC which is really popular for F/I. trust me on this, you wont be kicking urself in a year that you got an auto. hope this helps

Yes, that helps a lot. I appreciate your advice. I'm pretty sure now that I won't be getting an auto, unless that's what they can only get their hands on.

As for FI, I doubt I'll be going that route. My Talon is turbo, and (although it is pretty fast), it's not worth it to me right now with all the miles I'm putting on. That's just that many more parts that can go bad. LOL. I'm going for dependability more than anything. Thanks for the note on this though. Maybe I'll be thinking a little different after I don't have a turbo anymore..