Battle Wagon: 1987 Toyota Cressida

Cressida was a common character in Renaissance era stories about the Trojan war -- specifically she was the daughter of a Greek seer who falls in love with Trollius (a Trojan prince) and is later in love with the Greek soldier Diomedes...but the various stories have one common theme -- that  Cressida is the paradigm of a faithless lover.  Even Shakespeare (oh...right, the guy who actually wrote his plays, the Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere) wrote about Cressida being a tease and unfaithful...so it is interesting that Toyota named their up-model version of the Camry for this Greek temptress.  I wonder if this Cressida would leave you the minute the road gets rough? Find this 1987 Toyota Cressida offered for $4,000 in Tacoma, WA via craigslist. Tip from FuelTruck.

Slushbox: 1984 Toyota Cressida

Depending on how you feel about 80s Japanese sedans this next car is either the spider's ankles or a festering pile of gorilla dung just one head gasket failure away from the scrap heap...and I'd like to think that the truth is somewhere in the middle.  Find this 1984 Toyota Cressida offered for $3,500 in Shoreline, WA via craigslist.  Tip from FuelTruck.

SFBay FTW: 1991 Toyota Cressida 1UZ V8

DT's logo guru and resident craigslistologist Kaibeezy has frequently made that assertion that the SF Bay area craigslist is the best place to get a used car (classic or otherwise).  I had originally written this nonsense off as some kind of localist tendencies (mine is better than yours) but when the Beez moved from his SF Bay area home (think one part Yoda's camp on Degobah and one part Mother Goose little old lady in the shoe house) I started searching the SF Bay craigslist for the goods myself...and by golly...it delivers.   Like this 1991 Toyota Cressida with 1UZ V8 and 5-speed manual offered for $8,000 in SF Bay Area, CA via craigslist.  Tip from Kaibeezy.

So Beige It's Almost Cool: 1983 Toyota Cressida

The second generation Toyota Cressida (MX63) was produced from 1980 through 1984 as an executive pre-Lexus flagship sedan.  It was notable for being a well constructed car, and one of the first cars equipped with those detestable neck-chopping automatic seat belts.  If you don't mind the occasional death by accidental strangulation, you just might find life in an MX63 Cressida to be interesting.  Find this 1983 Toyota Cressida offered for $2900 in Culver City, CA via craigslist.

1UZFE V8 Swap: 1980 Toyota Cressida Woody Wagon

The third generation Toyota Cressida (1976-1980) was part of Toyota's Mark II family of sedans, and featured a Jaguar/Mercedes style front end unabashedly plastered onto a plain vanilla Japanese econobox body.  It looked like the 70s equivalent of what comes out of the Chinese automakers these days, and the woody version looks like a 7/8ths scale Ford Fairmont wagon...not that there is anything wrong with that.  Find this 1980 Toyota Cressida Woody Wagon offered for $8,000 in North Bend, WA via craigslist.  Tip from Karl.

10k: Right Wheel Drive: 1990 Toyota Cressida

The MX83 generation Cressida was released in 1989 and ended up being the last rear-drive sedan offering with a Toyota badge ever sold in North America.  It might not be on most performance oriented bargain hunter's top ten list, but it actually offers a surprising amount of go for the buck and powered by a big inline-6, it could be considered an alternative to a contemporary BMW 5-series.  Find this 1990 Toyota Cressida offered for $9,100 buy-it-now here on eBay from Roverclassic, located in Staten Island, NY.

5k: Repeat Offender: 1985 Toyota Cressida, Lexus V8

 Eighteen months after our first feature of this Lexus V8 Powered Cressida, it is still for sale, possibly from the same seller and for the same price.  It features the same hella-flush stance but is now adorned with a few more flatbrimmer stickers. Huzzah!  Find this 1985 Toyota Cressida with Lexus V8 offered for $5,000 in Hayward, CA via craigslist.  Tip from Kaibeezy.

2k: Woody: 1978 Toyota Cressida Wagon

The Toyota Cressida was the US Market equivalent of the Toyota Mark II and combined classic Japanese driving experience with a Jaguar/Mercedes-esq front end.  If you think a long roof Cressida will attract hipsters, checkout this woody version --it's like a fishook covered with vintage hats, great for snagging a bearded dude in skinny jeans.  A stock Cressida/Corona Mark II won't be the fastest car around, but for the price of admission it offers a level of cool that is unmatched by much from Japan from the era. Find this 1978 Toyota Cressida Wagon offered for $2,600 in Happy Valley, OR via craigslist. Tip from Mike.

10k: JDM Cressida: 1979 Toyota Corona Mark II Wagon

The Toyota Cressida was the US Market equivalent of the Toyota Mark II and combined classic Japanese driving experience with a Jaguaresq front end.  A stock Cressida/Corona Mark II won't be the fastest car around, but for the price of admission it offers a level of cool that is unmatched by much from Japan.  Find this 1979 Toyota Corona Mark II Wagon offered for $8,900 in Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.

2k: Wanna Be 5-er: 1985 Toyota Cressida

The Toyota Cressida was the mid-sized flagship at the top of Toyota's US market lineup from 1976-1993.  The third generation known internally as X70 was built from 1984 to 1988 and featured such innovative features as electronic shock absorber control, but was powered by large, low output, inline-6 engines driving the rear wheels.  Find this 1985 Toyota Cressida with 5-spd gearbox offered for $2,000 in SF Bay Area, CA via craigslist.  Tip from Kaibeezy.

5k: JDM Style: 1980 Toyota Cressida Sedan X32 5-spd

The Toyota Cressida was the US Market equivalent of the Toyota Mark II and is usually seen in original grandma or abused grand-kid condition; as a counterpoint, it is interesting to find one that looks loved and customized.  It won't be the fastest car around, but for the price of admission it could be a fun show.  Find this 1980 Toyota Cressida Sedan X32 for sale in Mission Viejo, CA for $3,900 via craigslist.  Tip from Ryan McK.