He was blue. He was rusty. He was old. And most importantly, he was free.

"Look," my dad said. "I'm only giving you the car because you can't afford one right now. If it was up to me, I'd sell it for $500 just to get rid of it." He crossed his arms and looked at the 1985 Tercel. "You'll be lucky to get another year out of it."

That was in 1996.

In 1999, I passed the car on to my sister. Six months after that, we sold it for $250. I still see that little blue car out on the road, puttering away. When we sold him, he had over 139,000 miles on him.

From speaking to other Tercel owners, I've learned that my story is not unique. Tercels have a long tradition of surpassing their life expectancies, still racking up the miles while their peers lie rusting in junkyards. The engines just go and go and go, even when badly neglected. (I'm almost ashamed to admit that my Tercel's oil was pitch black.) If they have a shortcoming, it's rust.

The rust on Ol' Blue, my Tercel, was so bad that there was a hole in the body under the clutch. The extra breeze was nice during the summer, but I had to stop the hole up with rags and newspaper during the winter to keep myself from freezing. Rust had also claimed the tailgate, the doors, parts of the roof, and various parts of the exhaust and fuel systems.

Aside from the rust, however, the car was excellent... That is, as excellent as a free car can be. He always started, no matter how cold it was. Extra speed for passing? No problem. With the manual transmission I was getting about 25 miles to the gallon.

During the three years I owned the car, I took him to the shop on several occasions. I had a hole in the fuel tank fixed (which required replacing the tank), had the front brakes rebuilt, and had the entire exhaust system replaced.

On the other hand, when we sold the car it still had the factory clutch! This is doubly remarkable when you realize that three people were taught how to drive a stick shift in that car. After 139,000 miles, the clutch was still good.

The car offered little in the way of amenities; it was strictly a no-nonsense car. The seats were comfortable for shorter people, although they were not meant for long-distance sitting. Leg room in the back seat was practically nil. Dash controls were straight forward and simple. Folding down the back seat gave you plenty of room to move large things. (I managed to move everything but my bed and my desk twice, using just this car. Ahh, the life of a college student.)

The car did develop many quirks and minor problems over the years, but I think a fifteen-year old car with 139,000 miles deserves to have quirks.

I would recommend this car for someone who needs reliable transportation around town. It isn't a car that you want to pack the family into for a trip to the Grand Canyon, nor is it a car that would be a show piece. It's designed for basic Point A to Point B stuff.

My friends have called me crazy, but I rather miss that old car. When I see him around town these days, I'm happy that he found a good home with an owner who cares for him.

Note: This review was for a 1985 Toyota Tercel Liftback Three-door. Engine: 4-Cyl. 1.5 Liter, Trans: 4 Speed Manual, Drive: Front Wheel Drive.