May 1999. Tempe, AZ. After almost three years living in the United States, I decided to get a car. Since I didn't have much money, I went for the cheapest I could find. From the classifieds section in the Arizona Republic, I found a 1989 Toyota Tercel that was advertised for $2,699, called the owner Aaron F., and made an appointment to meet. The car was a pale metallic blue, 5-door liftback that bore a lot of similarity to the photos below.