Used car options: Toyota Chaser
SOME years back, I got behind the wheel of a 1998 Toyota Chaser with a 1G straight six cylinder engine for the first time. Every time I think about the time I smile not because it’s the best car but because it defiantly was better on my graph than a C class Mercedes.
Someone once said that a Chaser is a broke man’s Benz, if you ask me — they didn’t lie, they had picked something you will not pick by just looking at it. Its not so much about the looks, it’s the feeling you get when you jump into this baby’s cockpit. Perhaps it’s the frameless doors that give you a sense of class and have a sporty look or it’s the white fluorescent feel glow from the instrument cluster when you turn the key on or it’s the distinct swish the 2000cc straight six cylinder engine makes when it turns on . . . it’s pure bliss, luxury and sports functionality all in one package.
The Toyota Chaser is a front mounted engine sedan with power transmitted to the rear wheels via a 5 speed manual transmission which is rare and quite expensive or a four speed Automatic Transmission. Some limited models with the 2jz have the electronically controlled 5 speed automatic transmission (ECT). The majority of the chasers are rear wheel drive while a select few come with the Four G Package — it simply means they are four wheel drive. These are not as much fun I presume, not mainly because I haven’t had a chance to drive one but for reasons known to real car guys, I will opt for the rear wheel drive.
The Avante G Chaser came with the best engine that ever came out of Japan — The naturally aspirated 2jz Ge. Some models of the Avante G however, came with the baby supra engine — the 1 jz-ge in the Tourer S and 1jz-gte in the Tourer V. Avantes were more inclined to the luxury side of life with some of them coming with the digital speedometer just like some of the Toyota Cressidas that graced our fathers’ days. Toyota Cressidas, mark IIs, chasers, crestas all share the same x100 chassis. The Cressida was the African chaser — the king of the jungle. You can also get the chaser on Gx platform, which means it also comes with a 2-litre 1G straight six twenty valve engine. This one is a bit lenient on fuel. The smallest of all the engines and not as much fun as the 4s 1800cc. Its probably what Jeremy Clarkson would term “boring”.
The Tourers are the sportier Avante cousins. Entry level Tourers have the 1 G naturally aspirated engines and have a sportier look than the Avantes. Noticeable differences are there on the instrument cluster and different seats that are actually nicer than the ones you get on the avante. The gear selectors are different as well, they opted for a mercedes look on the Tourer. They also come with bigger 16-inch wheels. Whenever you hear about the Tourer V, then you should know that it is the chaser that gives all the Mercs and BMWs Headaches. It’s the 280HP 1Jz-gte driven beast. The 1jzgte is the baby Supra engine that’s turbo charged and delivers power that you cannot begin to imagine. The tourer V is the most powerful of them all. The TRD spec Tourer V tops all out at 280 and comes with a claimed 320km/ hr top speed. These are quite hard to get and quite pricey. But hey, a standard chaser still is a lot of fun.
If you are lucky you can get that Tourer V TRD version that’s tuned by the Toyota In house Tuners — Toyota Racing Development TRD. It comes with the TRD grill, spoilers and side skirting and complete with the TRD wing. Strut braces also come standard from the factory with other fancies like the limited slip differential (LSD), front mount intercooler and the TRD performance exhaust. Price more than anything will be a barrier in getting one.
The Tourer s is the model that comes with an N/A 1Jz-Ge engine. N/A is short for naturally aspirated meaning that it does not rely on forced induction from a turbo charger or a super charger. The interior is the same across all the Tourers and is more appealing to me than the avante as i mentioned earlier. However, both models do not disappoint on performance unless you get that 4s model that will bore Jeremy Clarkson out.
Toyotas are well known to endure the long haul. They are strong and reliable. They are easy on maintenance and not too bad for the pocket either. Ask that one person that owns a Chaser and they will tell you without any shadow of a doubt in their heads that indeed the Chaser is the broke man’s Benz. Happy Motoring Feedback Motoring WhatsApp: +263772339938 Email: lovert10@gmail.com Facebook: motoringwithlovert