2013 Scion FR-S

Today I review one of the most highly anticipated cars of the year. I was lucky to have been given a proper drive in one of these to get a full sense of what it can do.

Introduction: The Scion FR-S also known as the Toyota GT-86, has a twin sister car called the Subaru BRZ. The reason being is that this is a joint project between Toyota and Subaru(which Toyota owns 16.7%). The project was initially proposed by now current Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda as a way for Toyota to rejuvenate its brand amongst younger drivers. While Toyota is successful selling cars to mainly middle aged to elderly drivers it has struggled significantly with younger drivers. Mr. Toyoda with a team of engineers led by Tatsuya Tada tasked them to build and make production ready an affordable sports car that emphasizes fun but is practical enough to use everyday. What Tada's team found was that in order to build the best car for this goal they needed the propulsion to be rear wheel drive and the best engine configuration was a flat engine. Since the flat engine was considered the best choice, Mr. Toyoda tasked Subaru to do much of the engineering of the car since Subaru specializes in building production flat engines.

Subaru was initially skeptical, and they knew that by having this car in their lineup they will no longer have AWD in every model they make. After Toyota convinced Subaru to engineer and build the car, Toyota was still able to contribute to engine design by adding their D4-S direct injection system. Toyota's marketing of the car showed they were very confident in the car's ability to sell after a hugely successful unveiling of their FT-86 concept. As the production car was nearly ready, Toyota invited as many auto journalists as it could to see if they could make any more improvements, asking specifically if there was anything they didn't like. The car was finally released to the general public to buy, first in Japan where it was so successful that all future orders were backlogged to next year to prevent any further delay in launching the cars in other markets.

Anyways, the introduction is long, but this car does have a special history. There is a lot of hype generated for this very car. Many car reviewers have claimed many things about this car and thus far the vast majority of them have been positive. Even though the car is available for sale here, finding one to test has been very difficult as even the demos have been sold rather easily. Thus I was lucky to have been given a chance at a Toyota dealer I know very well. For me this is also my most anticipated car to drive for quite some time. So I was really eager to see if it lives up to its hype.

Performance: The engine that was designed for this car is a 2.0L flat four engine, this design is also known as a boxer engine. The purpose for this engine over a traditional inline-four was quite simply how much lower this engine can be mounted, this lowers the center of gravity and as a result this reduces how much the car rolls in a corner. The power numbers for this engine are 200 hp and 151 lb.ft of torque, this doesn't sound like much but this car only weighs about 2700 lbs. You have a choice between a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic. For this test I only had access to the automatic, you're given paddle shifters to compensate for the lack of a manual. The acceleration time varies between manual and automatic as well, the manual is capable of 0-100 km/h in about 6.5 seconds, some managed 7 though. The automatic also seems to vary with 7.5-8.2 seconds. For driving on regular roads this car is more than quick enough, its got a lot of its torque early in the power band, but for full power you do need to hit the high end. The paddle shifters on the automatic are very good, very quick at shifting but for a car like this I highly recommend going with the manual unless you're unable to use your left leg. As an engine it may say 2.0L but it actually feels like a 2.5L, a word of caution though this engine does require premium fuel. The good news though is the fuel economy on this car is also surprisingly excellent, 30 mpg is possible with the manual.

My Score: 10/10 - It may not be outright powerful, but this engine is very good for what it sets out to do. Those who say its slow...they're lying.

Handling: This car comes with electric power steering and my first thoughts were "Uh, no its not going to be as good" but I was wrong. The steering tuning is so good that I couldn't tell it was an electric system over a hydraulic one. Even more brilliantly is the weight, not so heavy like a BMW but not too light to make it boring. This is one of the best steering system set ups I've ever come across. The actual handling is just superb. Given a limited slip differential your ability to take corners makes this car way easier to control a slide, and even if sliding isn't your thing the car has a lot of grip despite its stock tires being very regular tires. Body roll...seems non existent, honestly you can't feel it at all if there is any. Even the ride comfort is more than acceptable for a sports car of this type. With such comfortable seats and a surprising ride quality, its firm enough to handle well but not too firm that you get a headache over every little bump. This is one of the most communicative cars designed, in an era of cars which seems to have forgotten how to communicate to the driver. In such a light weight car like this, the rear wheel drive makes a huge difference in how balanced the car feels. This car doesn't boast a 50/50 weight distribution instead being apparently 55/45, don't let that fool you all this means is the car is easier to control in a slide.

My Score: 10/10 - I'd give it 11 or 12 but that's the limit of my scoring, absolutely zero flaws in how this car handles.

Interior: As an affordable sports car, luxuries are just not something you're going to find in these things. So instead of showering it with nice touches all over the place, Toyota seems to have focused on all the areas the driver will interact. The seats are amazingly comfortable and supportive. The driving position is one of the best I've encountered in a car. The steering wheel is very nicely done. The controls are in easy to reach places, not one button was placed in a weird difficult to reach area. The hand brake is in probably one of the best locations with the intention you're actually going to use it. Driving visibility is very good, the blind spots for instance are no larger than they are in an ordinary family car. The rear window is pretty large for a coupe. As for the downsides, most of the areas that aren't focused on the driver take the hit, the plastics are on the cheap side, the climate control knobs are very cheap, the trunk is small and the rear leg room is only suitable for people if everybody in the car is under 5'4. To compensate for the small trunk the rear seats fold flat and were purposely made to accommodate carrying all 4 tires or two big golf clubs. The build quality is the usual what you'd expect from Japan, very well done. This car is made in Subaru's Ota, Gunma factory in Japan.

My Score: 9/10 - Very driver focused to the degree you can ignore most of its faults. Although for most people this isn't a 2+2 coupe, rather a 2 seater with a roof and decent luggage space.

Styling: Many people think this car looks rather plain. I'm not one of them, yes its not as striking as the original concept's but for a modern car I think its well proportioned. Its aggressive at the front and its much the same story with the whole car. Much of the design was using previous Toyota sports cars as inspiration with the Toyota 2000GT as one of the big inspirations in the shape. While not the most beautiful cars, its still to me a very good looking one no matter where you look at it from.

My Score: 9/10 - For me, very good just not brilliant to match the way it drives, oh well.

Value for money: At $25,000 this car is affordable in the realm of sports cars, the realm of all cars this is slightly more expensive than most midsize cars. As far as RWD sports cars go this is a tad bit expensive than a regular V6 Mustang. If you wanted power, you know this isn't the car for you. If you wanted a lot of fun in a car but found the Mazda MX-5 either too expensive or too unpractical then this is the car for you. The amount of effort Toyota and Subaru focused on the driver with this car is beyond what every car in much of the segment does. The stats mean nothing for this car, all that matters is that smile on your face and this one definitely delivers that for very little. As I noted earlier if power was what you wanted, then this car will disappoint you but to be honest you were already better served with the Mustang, Camaro, Challenger and updated Hyundai Genesis coupe. Those of you like me who were waiting for that affordable, nimble, fun, RWD coupe then this is the very car you've been waiting for. The way I see it, cars like this you can enjoy even if you're making your way on the track slowly and because you can have so much fun driving so slow then it'll always be a blast even on busy streets. Powerful cars on the other hand are best when the roads are clear and there's a long enough straight to experience the power long enough. Do it in the wrong place and you either crash or make your local police department happy for filling their speeding quotas. Considering the equipment you get in this $25K package and how much fun this car is...each cent in that $25K is well worth the money. Don't get it into your head though that this is a competitor to a Porsche Cayman, its an excellent car but if Toyota/Subaru were allowed to increase the price there are improvements they would've made.

My Score: 10/10 - Almost nothing competes against it and its superb in every area that matters.

Overall: 48/50 - This is the best car I've driven. If you love driving, you'll love this car.

2012 Toyota Camry LE

I'm so sorry I haven't updated in several months. Not to worry I have driven many cars since those posts, just make this up to date I'll post some new ones.

Introduction: The Toyota Camry has been one of the most successful cars ever made. Over the years it sold so many examples all over the world, being the most successful in North America. It has had stumbles and wasn't a particularly good seller in Europe where it was replaced by the Avensis. The Camry had its humble beginnings in 1982 where it replaced the old Toyota Corona. This was one of Toyota's earliest front wheel drive models and was used to highlight how much interior space there is available in a compact car, its grown much larger since. The Camry actually started taking off in 1987 in the second generation model where it was a bit larger, had larger 4-cylinder engines and a V6 available. In 1992 the Camry was again reworked and once again was larger and this time due to Toyota discontinuing the Cressida, this Camry was now the flagship model until the introduction of the Avalon in 1995. Toyota has made a name for itself with the Camry by essentially prioritizing quality and reliability, as a result many Camrys from the past are still widely seen and in some cases still running as well as much younger cars. Toyota however has had a slip in their later models, the 2007 generation Camry was criticized for its lower quality and much higher number of recalls than before.

Here's the question, has Toyota made serious improvements so that the Camry is a serious contender once again? Before I drove this car, the most modern Toyota I drove before was the Corolla which was awful. The outgoing Camry which I've been in had a very cheap and awful interior. My hope with this new Camry is that Toyota finally understand that today's competition is not going to let them take this segment for granted. In order for the Camry to retain its #1 spot it has got to be deserved, it must feel like a proper Toyota. The sort of car where it does everything well, avoiding real criticism.

Performance: I only have access to the standard 4-cylinder models so I won't be commenting on how this car does with the V6. The 4-cylinder you're given in this Camry is a 2.5L that produces 179 hp and 171 lb.ft of torque, despite being the same engine as the outgoing car its up 10 hp and 4 lbs in torque. Naturally being a Toyota it was already fuel efficient in the old car, more surprisingly however this new car is even more efficient than the old car and actually beats the Sonata despite lacking direct injection. On the road this engine is actually very quiet and very refined. Its 0-100 km/h time is roughly 7.8 seconds, that's...actually pretty good consider its not even the strongest of the field. Toyota definitely shed some weight and its paying off in acceleration and fuel economy. The bad news, no more manual transmission Camry.

My Score: 8/10 - Good engine, does everything you'd expect for an economy minded engine. I always wish it were faster but hey, they did leave the option open for direct injection.

Handling: This category was where I was most worried, that the car would feel like an appliance. I hated the Corolla's handling so much that I wasn't looking forward to what this car offered. Well, whatever Toyota did surprised me. It still has electric power steering but this unit was way better tuned than the one found in the Corolla. Its still somewhat light but it was heavier than I was expecting, thus this car is pretty easy to maneuver. Even better was there was some inkling of feel when taking the turn so this wasn't actually boring. Where the car however did best was the ride comfort, the hard road surfaces of Ontario roads after winter still don't bother this car. Now as you'd expect from this class of car and with front wheel drive, when taking corners hard you'll understeer and you'll feel body roll. Its not hugely athletic but again its more than acceptable.

My Score: 7/10 - Rides well, suffers a bit dynamically but overall still pretty good.

 

Interior: A few changes have been made over the old car. First thing is the dash board, the dials all have a modern blue look and no longer have the green that even the outgoing Toyota had which felt 90s. The only silly thing is there's a gauge for average fuel economy...there are more important dials to have than this like oil pressure, voltage regulator and so on. The next thing is Toyota has attempted to place leather to soften much of the dash and avoid too many hard plastics. The leather is placed at the top of the dash, around the lower portion of the center console and a few other but less important places. The newest item however is Toyota's Entune system, this replaces the stereo in favor of a touch screen. Toyota has left a few knobs for the radio tuning, volume and HVAC controls. What Entune however does is allow you to connect you're phone if it has bluetooth to become hands free but also able to use your phone's music library. Connection is easy, have your phone's bluetooth on, tell Entune to connect and that's it, surprisingly user friendly. Entune is not as high tech as Ford MyTouch nor are the visuals as pleasant but consider the customer base of the Camry, this isn't important. The car's C-pillars are not too difficult to look out of, there's a lot of head room and its still very spacious inside including the trunk. Due to the price point its hard to complain about this new interior aside from the fact it could use even better materials.The car is even pretty well made, Camrys sold in North America are built in Georgetown, Kentucky, USA.

My Score: 9/10 - Way better than the outgoing car, Entune is easy to use, very spacious and the materials are way better than before, all I can say is they probably could go just that bit further.

Styling: Much of my initial worries of this car came down to the styling. It just hasn't changed all that much from the gone 6th gen, the shape is generally the same and a lot of the exterior features still had some the old car's cues. The good news is the fat butt look of the old one is gone. The bad news is at the rear, the tail lamp styling is awkward at best, it just doesn't fit the car that much. On the front, that grille isn't all that attractive either, the fog lamp covers are a bit gaudy. The only solution to that front is getting the SE version of this car which looks much better with its paint coloured grille, due to SE's being the best selling trim level it seems many Camry buyers agree. Not much can be done to the rear though.

My Score: 5/10 - Mostly boring, Toyota tried to liven the back but this didn't really work.

Value for money: After all is said and done, the Camry has definitely returned to the car that deserves its spot as one of the best selling cars out there. For a practical family sedan, there's not much against it. The handling is acceptable, there's enough power even in the 4-cylinder, its more fuel efficient than its competition and unlike before you're getting much more for your money this time. The only real reason not to consider the Camry is going to be down to this, if you're American the Hyundai warranty is better, you may hate the way it looks and want the new 2013 Ford Fusion, your local Toyota dealers are awful or you just want something that stands out.

My Score: 10/10 - If you're in the market for a midsize sedan, its really hard to argue against at least considering the Camry.

Overall: 39/50 - A very good choice of car, it may be a bit conservative and common but this one is attempt to cement its reputation in spite of setbacks.

2009-2010 Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe

In this review I'll be taking on a car that carries two very different badges but in essence are exactly the same.



Introduction: The Toyota Matrix was born as a result of Toyota wanting to return to the hatchback market in North America since the Corolla wagon was discontinued in the mid 90s. The Pontiac Vibe was the result of the partnership between GM and Toyota at the NUMMI plant. Both models are based off the current 10th generation Toyota Corolla platform. Both were introduced in 2003 and the two were made in different factories. Aside from the body styling the two vehicles were essentially identical. Today the Matrix continues to be sold in North America while the Vibe was discontinued after General Motors announced Pontiac would be defunct.

I wasn't expecting a whole lot of difference between the Vibe/Matrix over its Corolla base. I just more surprised GM didn't actually try to make the Vibe seem different.



Performance: Due to most of the development work being done by Toyota, the engine is the same 1.8L engine found in the 10th gen Corolla. One could have a more expensive Matrix/Vibe to get the 2.4L engine found in the Camry but for this review I'll only be looking at the 1.8L. The engine produces the same 132 hp and 128 lb.ft of torque. The acceleration time takes roughly 10.2 seconds to reach 0-100 km/h, not very good as its slower than the Corolla but it could be worse. Given AWD these cars would be even slower as the added weight will further decrease performance. The only nice thing about this engine is its refined and its pretty good on the fuel economy level.

My Score: 6/10 - Slower than the Corolla, overall not all that exciting and not very different from older Matrix and Vibes.

Handling: It would be wishful thinking if Toyota would do something different with the Vibe or Matrix when it comes to handling but neither differ from the Corolla in any way. You still get the extremely light steering wheel. You still get the total lack of feel and have very little confidence in the corners. Due to how uninvolved the driver will feel, to drive these cars is probably more effective than sleeping pills at putting you to sleep. Despite being a bit heavier than the Corolla, its still a dog when it comes to winter driving. Remaining in a straight line is still a task in this car when it shouldn't be, you should be notified by the wheel when you're not exactly straight. I absolutely hated this system in the Corolla, its no different with these cars.

My Score: 0/10 - Same problem as the Corolla, no score changes to report.



Interior: The Matrix/Vibe don't really differ a lot with interior with the Corolla as much I wished either. What the heck was wrong with Toyota in making a proper looking interior not full of cheap plastic? I normally blast Mitsubishi with interiors, but even they have provided with a carpet tailgate area over the nasty plastic tailgate found in the Matrix/Vibe. To make things worse is the center console, it looks nasty before you even touch it where you feel that it wasn't even made of good material. Lots of low quality materials are to be found which is absolutely disappointing in a vehicle that isn't the cheapest. Visibility is not very good with the small rear windscreen and bigger C-pillars. Build quality however seems to be good where it really didn't matter which factory it came from. If you got the Vibe it comes from the now closed NUMMI plant at Fremont, California in the United States. The Matrix comes from Toyota's factory in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada.

My Score: 2/10 - Once again terrible materials, terrible center console, worse visibility than before all in despite if pretty good build quality.

Styling: The Matrix was styled a lot more differently than the predecessor. While the Vibe was more conservatively styled over its predecessor. A very different picture from the first generation of both cars where the Toyota was the conservative one while the Vibe was rather different. I can see Toyota tried to make the Matrix a bit different, although the very car that comes into mind that it resembles is the early Honda Insight. The Vibe because it barely changed from last time doesn't really look that different when put beside a bunch of Pontiacs.

My Score: 6/10 - A bit more effort went into the styling, neither however look at that fantastic.

Value for money: Competition is getting fierce in the hatchback market, as these two are newer cars they have to compete against the likes of the Mazda3 hatch, the VW Golf, the Dodge Caliber, the Hyundai Elantra Touring, and the Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback. There is something to like in all those cars over the Matrix/Vibe apart from the terrible Caliber. The Matrix does not position itself well as it doesn't offer very much other than badge, Mazda takes driving dynamics, the Golf especially in GTI form is considered the best hot hatch, Mitsubishi has the best warranty, and the Elantra Touring is a great value for money. Between the two badges, the Pontiac badge has the better warranty and that would be the best one to buy between the two. The giant recall of early 2010 has hurt the resale value for both, add injury to insult as Pontiac is a defunct brand and GM has to deal with bailout backlash.

My Score: 2/10 - Too much competition and doesn't stand out strongly in any area.

Overall: 16/50 - A poor effort by Toyota, I really didn't even take into account the recall that has tarnished the company's reputation. As one who's driven the cars before the recall the quality issues were present and the cost cutting for me was difficult to stomach.

This said I've never experienced sudden acceleration in these cars and in worst case scenario I would have put the vehicle in neutral to prevent the car from continuing to accelerate. Proper education on something as expensive and something that can be lethal like driving a car would have saved some lives. Possibly this could advocate the return of a manual transmission, as a driver of a manual car has to understand the importance of neutral gear to even operate their vehicles. Also in vehicles with manuals should a rare case of sudden acceleration just depressing the clutch effectively disconnects the engine from the transmission meaning it wont' transmit any power to the drive wheels thus ending acceleration.

2007-2008 Toyota Yaris CE, LE

This is the next car on the retirement slot, while there are a few sedans in our fleet we lost all of the hatchbacks. Both hatchback and sedans drive pretty much identical so I'll be doing both and occasionally split the scores.



Introduction: Toyota has always been a player in the subcompact segment of cars. At one point they were the only credible name plate with a credible enough vehicle that Honda and Nissan never really directly competed with. Toyota's original car for this slot was the Toyota Tercel, a nameplate known for its reliability and very low MSRP, a very attractive vehicle for budget conscious car buyers. With increasing gas prices, Toyota no longer has the market to itself and now has increased competition from Nissan, Honda, Hyundai and Kia. Ford and Mazda are introducing their vehicles for the 2011 model year. In 2006 Toyota decided to replace the failing Echo with the Yaris which has sold reasonably well in Europe and Japan. In 2007 Toyota of North America had the Yaris replace the Echo completely following Canada's lead. Unlike other Toyota markets, Toyota used both Vitz(hatchback) and Belta(sedan) and named them both Yaris for the different bodystyles. Both vehicles do use very similar components and do not differ all that much overall.

I was actually surprised by the Yaris, it did catch my attention unlike the failed Echo and the uninteresting Corolla. I wanted to see if this vehicle's European success was a result of good engineering or just a very good marketing campaign. So I was pretty eager to try this car.


Performance: The Toyota Yaris has the smallest and lowest powered engine of all North American car entries. A small 1.5L 4-cylinder engine producing 106 hp and 103 lb.ft of torque. This is by far the lowest powered car I've ever driven so it really comes down to the weight of the Yaris to affect its performance. The bad news is this is the same engine powering the Echo which was a lighter vehicle. Both Yaris manage to go from 0-100 km/h in about 10.7 seconds, they get much better numbers with manual transmissions. This is not the slowest vehicle but its not too far from that. For city speeds the Yaris is more than enough, its the highway speeds the small engine begins to struggle moving the vehicle quickly enough along with the louder noise. Where the Yaris does shine is fuel economy numbers, the hatchback particularly has the best fuel economy numbers of any conventional gasoline powered car currently.

My Score(hatch): 7/10 - Its an economical engine, despite its low power numbers its not the slowest vehicle out there and provides excellent fuel economy.

My Score(sedan): 6/10 - The same as the hatch but its fuel economy numbers are worse due to weight.

Handling: As with all smaller cars they should handle better than their larger counterparts. The Yaris is no different here, thanks to its light weight the handling in the Yaris is pretty good. It can take corners with a bit of roll mostly down to its soft suspension although I get the feeling that it could be better. The steering feel is surprisingly accurate for a new Toyota but its also on the light side and again this could have been done better. I'm a bit surprised Toyota didn't make a trim level to take advantage of the Yaris' handling potential but they didn't leaving me to wonder how much better could this be?

My Score(both): 7/10 - Pretty decent handling and steering feel, but gives you the sense you didn't hit the car's true limits.



Interior: The Yaris being Toyota's least expensive vehicle no doubt has the least luxurious interior. When it comes down to function the Yaris has a pretty acceptable interior, while the plastics are kind of cheap it does have a lot of cubbyholes and cup holders. The 3-door Yaris hatch actually made the process of entering the rear seats of a 2/3-door more efficient with the seat sliding forward as you hold the seat lever. What your equipped with however depends on whether you got a CE or LE. The 3-door CE is very poorly equipped you don't get things like adjustable mirrors for instance. Both CE bodystyles don't have roll up windows or power locks. The LEs give you the basic conveniences you'd expect from decently equipped new cars. The hatchbacks don't have much trunk space and you'll need to fold down the seats, the sedan is about the size as a 1998-2002 Corolla and has a decent trunk. One item that grabs the most attention is the center mounted dash...I personally didn't care that it was there and to me it was practically the same as standard dash placements. As for the build quality, the Yaris is actually superbly put together, I've only encountered one Yaris center console with gaps...because someone attempted to break the thing.

My Score(hatchback): 6/10 - The CEs are very badly equipped, cheap materials and trunk space is poor but efficient cabin design and put together very well.

My Score(sedan): 7/10 - Similar to the hatch but better trunk space.

Styling: The Yaris is one of the first few Toyotas to show some sort of a personality. Many previous Toyotas rarely showed any sort of personality. With the Yaris you instantly can tell its supposed to be a more cheerful car especially with the Yaris sedan with its smiling grille. I actually don't mind the styling of either and think they look pretty good unlike many other boring cars.

My Score(both): - 9/10 - Both cars show some form of emotion and the general style of the car reflects this emotion.

Value for money: The Yaris is not one of the most expensive of the subcompacts, that actually goes to the Honda Fit. This is the only subcompact aside from the Fit that is built very well. In terms of size the Yaris sedan unfortunately is stuck between most subcompact hatches and the next level of compact cars. For its price the Yaris sedan is a tad bit more expensive than the hatchback. You lose the fuel economy and are more likely to buy the LE due to how inconvenient it is to lock/unlock 4 doors. The Yaris hatch doesn't quite have those problems, the 3-door is poorly equipped but the 5-door has no CE option and thus is always well equipped. If you prioritize fuel economy, price and build quality the Yaris hatch is the best choice. If you need a decent sized trunk the sedan also fits the bill. Both cars have been pretty reliable and are good choices for budget minded customers.

My Score(hatch): 8/10 - As a hatch its relatively inexpensive but also very efficient.

My Score(sedan): 7/10 - A good choice if you want 90% of the hatch's efficiency but need a trunk.

Overall(hatch): 37/50 - The most efficient vehicle available, clearly the best car out there when your most concerned about costs.

Overall(sedan): 36/50 - A pretty efficient vehicle with a usable trunk.

2009 Toyota Corolla update

Well I mentioned about how dangerous driving the Corolla was in the winter. Guess what I've been proven entirely correct by Toyota USA and that it wasn't just the vehicles I was driving. Read the handling section to see what I wrote about the Corolla's scary winter handling. This is why I rave on about how the car feels, without it means you lost that connection between the car and the road. You'll have less information as a driver about what's going on with your car and what your next actions should be. I'm still disappointed that Toyota has even got to this point.

The sad thing is, Toyota in 2008 was a company flush with cash and they make such a weak product. I know Chrysler makes some horrible cars but they're bleeding cash on a daily basis unlike Toyota who back then was raking in the dough. It seems being the #1 automaker does bad things to the company that reaches it, GM will never be the same again and I doubt will return to that position again. Toyota the current leader on the sales board has lost the quality that was instrumental from making it a small car company into a auto giant.

2008 Toyota Prius

Our branch's only Toyota Prius which we got from Brampton is scheduled to be sold off. We're unlikely to get another one so I'll review it while its still fresh in my mind. I will not inject politics into this review.


Introduction: The Toyota Prius is the first production gasoline/electric hybrid vehicle. The idea of hybrid powertrain is not a new one since many locomotives use a diesel/electric hybrid system before the development of the Prius. The Prius was first introduced in 1997 specifically for the Japanese market. It would be updated and later released to markets outside of Japan in 2001. Using a 1.5L 4-cylinder engine paired with a Ni-MH battery the idea is to use the electric motor to operate the vehicle while the gasoline engine and kinetic braking recharge the battery. The Prius had a competitor by the name of the Honda Insight, a 2-door hybrid coupe that did produce better fuel economy numbers. The problem however was the Prius was a more practical vehicle and had less controversial styling. The Insight would be retired. The Prius would undergo a redesign in 2004, a much larger vehicle than the older model but it was only available as a hatchback. In 2009 once again the newly redesigned Prius this time to once again combat the newly designed 2010 Honda Insight. Regardless of what your beliefs about the Prius, it proved that green car marketing is a profitable business.

When I saw this car myself and the fact we were going to acquire one, I was eager to see if the hybrids are much more different to drive than a regular car. The Prius we got had an unattractive brown colour and was rather aged but its a Toyota so it shouldn't matter.


Performance: Well this was a certainly more different experience than any car I've driven. The electric motor shows its ability to accelerate the car rather quickly for city type driving. Unlike a regular car, the electric motors make no noise at all so while you know your moving...you just don't feel it. Keep in mind the gasoline motor starts to kick in once you start going faster so all the sudden you will hear noise once you approach highway speeds. The gasoline motor is not very impressive and the smooth quickness from the electric motor starts to slow down quickly. The Prius gets an acceleration time of 0-100 km/h in 10.5 seconds. You sort of expect this for a vehicle that produces a net horsepower of 110hp.

My Score: 4/10 - The electric motor moves the car well, the gasoline engine unfortunately shows the lack of power however.

Handling: While the aerodynamics on the Prius are excellent, the handling of the Prius falls short in a few areas. First things first, the tires. Normally I don't bother with tires but the Prius in order to get the maximum fuel economy out of the car you have to stick with the tires given. The problem is in order to get the best fuel economy they lack grip and without grip the handling will be poor. The electronic power steering is very numb while not nearly as numb as a 2009 Corolla's there just isn't any feel to it. Lastly the electronic overlords like the traction control interfere frequently when you take corners a bit more aggressively. If you attempt to push the Prius you'll see a car trying to turn with screaming tires but still going mostly straight due to major understeer.

My Score: 2/10 - Bad tires, lack of steering feel and aggressive electronic overlords.


Interior: The Prius' interior is once again another different experience. The materials are of decent quality except the gear lever which is really small and flimsy. The dashboard is actually in the center with digital read outs instead of traditional analog gauges. What strikes me as odd is the digital readouts are the same colour as my Cressida's digital dash a design 24 years ago while failing to take notice of the Toyota Soarer's(Lexus SC300/400) cleaner modern dash. Regardless I like that part since I do believe we live in the 21st century and cars should reflect that. The car also has a push button start and also a push button park. The one item that gets most people's attention is the video screen in the center...I didn't like it very much. Some people love to see how good their fuel economy is or whether the battery is charging, etc. I just hope they don't do this while driving because you really have to take your eye off the road to do so. A few other traditional functions are taken away because of the screen. Your climate control buttons are on the steering wheel...but for exact adjustments you'll have to go back to that screen which annoyed me. The rear spoiler...is a bit of a spoiler since it decreases your rear visibility more so than regular spoilers, the view is split with the spoiler in the median of your rear windscreen. The Prius is made in Japan, as I've seen with all Japanese cars made in Japan I haven't seen build quality faults.

My Score: 6/10 - A modern dash, spacious, but a gimmicky screen and a dumb spoiler.

Styling: The Prius' styling is mostly done by engineers. Without this smooth shape the car is less likely to achieve its impressive aerodynamics. The problem is, its not a thing of beauty. I don't really understand the gimmicky tail lights and the front doesn't have very much expression. The Prius is however unique in the way it looks so I can't really fault it badly here.

My Score: 5/10 - Strange but unique

Value of Money: This is a very very tricky one. The Prius has a very high MSRP for a vehicle in the same class as a Corolla. Those cars can be had with less than $20,000 while the Prius will often strike $30,000 all things included. The government rebates do not lessen this burden enough, they're actually better used for the subcompacts like the Toyota Yaris. The high initial cost is really the big factor, will you drive the car enough to make enough return through savings from the pump? The prices at the pump determine some of this, if they are lower it will take much longer to recoup the costs if they're very high it will be much sooner. There are alternatives, subcompacts get great fuel economy have low initial costs and low maintenance costs. Newer diesels provide better fuel economy and have excellent reliability(engine-wise) so long as your near stations that provide diesel fuel. As I mentioned in the performance section, the Prius is not great for the highway and since it needs the gasoline motor for those speeds you'll achieve much poorer fuel economy results while powerful V6 vehicles get significantly better mileage for that sort of driving.

My Score: 6/10 - The only choice if you drive in the city a lot and often idle a lot with no diesel station nearby.

Overall: 23/50 - This car is tailored to specific needs, it most likely won't fit most people's needs.

2009 Toyota Corolla CE

What a ridiculously busy few weeks this has been. 6 straight days of working including today, no doubt I haven't updated for such a long time as a result. Today is a new car for once, a 2009 Toyota Corolla.


Introduction: This is the 10th generation of Toyota Corolla which has 5 trim levels. The CE being the least expensive, the LE being modestly equipped, the S having sport oriented seats and pedals, the XLE being fully loaded with good grain trim and lastly the XRS equipped with a Camry 4-cylinder and a body kit.


Performance: The new Corolla uses a newer 1.8L engine, however the difference in power is rather minimal over the previous one since this newer car is a bit heavier. With 132 hp and 128 lb.ft of torque its not nearly enough to be that different. The only thing this engine really does differently is save fuel a bit better. As a performance engine, this engine is not what you really want.

My Score: 7/10 - No real changes from last time despite the different engine. Slightly better fuel economy however.

Handling: This is the biggest change in the Corolla over the previous 9 generations. This car uses an electronic power steering system partially helping reduce fuel consumption. This is the biggest gripe I have with this new Corolla, there is a complete absence of feel. Steering straight is more difficult because you really have no feedback of how the car is moving. This is by far the dullest and worst feeling steering in the world. The Corolla doesn't change in the handling department other than being a bit worse than before, it still rolls and with the dull steering you'll have no confidence in the corners. This is absolutely terrible that Toyota has done this, removing items that make driving involving. Driving this car in the winter is surprisingly dangerous, it has a tendency to slide from the front, with the weak feedback you feel you have no control while the useless ABS light flashes.

My Score: 0/10 - I have no confidence in its ability with no feedback.


Interior: The last Corolla had a pretty generic interior but the materials were pretty decent along with good build quality. This one didn't follow that idea, instead you get a nicely presentable interior but once you actually see beneath the surface its pretty awful. The materials this time are very very cheap, I expect this from Chrysler but apparently Toyota wanted to make extra dough and used low quality plastic so they scratch ridiculously easy. The gauges are so generic with no imagination put into it, even Kia has better looking gauges. The days of roll up windows I thought would be gone...but surely Toyota felt these relics are still needed, even Nissan dropped this from its Sentra. These Corollas are built in Cambridge Ontario, the build quality is still pretty good. That said build quality doesn't really sustain an unacceptable interior especially with a badge like Toyota's.

My Score: 2/10 - Very poor materials, more generic than before, still has roll up windows and the Corolla isn't the cheapest car in the segment. Preventing a 0 score is due to the good build quality.

Styling: The Corolla has attempted to change its styling away from the admittedly generic 2003-2008 version. The problem however is the styling just doesn't match the way the car actually drives. The new style while borrowed from the Camry shows its more dynamic and seems more exciting...it couldn't be further from the truth of how this Corolla is. The rear end was not really changed so it still retains some generic styling. Not a great effort, actually this car's styling should have been applied to the previous generation while the previous car's body should be used for this one. The last car at least had some excitement in it, this one didn't.

My Score: 5/10 - Attempting to fool people into thinking the car something it isn't. Mostly generic styling borrowed from the Camry.

Value for money: The Corolla usually does well with value for money due to its name and reputation. This one I'm afraid doesn't offer the best value especially considering this car is outdated compared to many of its rivals. The Honda Civic is much more advanced and uses better materials, just pay a bit more and you'll have a better car. The Mazda 3 is superior to this Corolla when it comes down to the driving, significantly better handling and amazing steering feel. Even the generic Cobalt has something against this car...that car uses less cheap material and costs less.

My Score: 3/10 - Its down to that badge and whether you still trust it.

Overall: 17/50 - An extremely dull and horribly boring car, hurt badly by the low quality materials and not so cheap price.

This will be my harshest review of a Toyota. This car is so disappointing in several ways that it in my mind is an embarassment to what the Toyota badge means. Quality is certainly missing with the shockingly cheap plastic used. Toyota used to have "feel" in their "oh what a feeling" slogan, this car just has none of that. What's left is reliability, if it fails here then the car will be the worst car the company's ever made, no joke. Clearly in this segment there are far better choices out there, I would never pay Toyota money for this clearly rubbish product. If you want the reliability go with either the Mazda 3 or Honda Civic, the 3 for the excellent driving experience and the Civic for its fuel economy. This car has shaken my faith in the company, its been that bad.

What happened Toyota? This is the sort of car I expect from a soul less, greedy company. You're not like this...are you?

2006-2008 Toyota Corolla CE

The last one for today since I skipped Friday and Saturday.


Introduction: The Toyota Corolla is one of Toyota's oldest and most successful vehicles in the company's history. So successful that the total amount of cars with the Corolla badge is now the world's top selling car of all time. The car that this review will focus on is the 9th generation Corolla that spans from 2003 to 2008. This version of the Corolla offers a whole range of options from the basic CE to the sports oriented XRS that has the Celica's high revving engine.

We all know how successful the Corolla has been, we can see it everyday. Everywhere you go you can find a Toyota Corolla somewhere in the world, often ranging from very old to very new. The early Corollas allowed Toyota to gain its reputation for reliable cars since these cars while not being all too exciting appear to last so much longer than their owners wanted. I was expecting an average car when I first got into one of these.


Performance: The main Toyota Corolla, not the XRS, uses a normal 1.8L 4-cylinder engine that produces 128 hp and 125 lb.ft of torque. This is an adequate amount of power, due to Toyota putting a lot of sound proofing in their cars the noise is not all that noticeable. This is not the most powerful car in the world but it wasn't meant to be, just adequate for daily driving and it does do this well.

My Score: 8/10 - A decent engine that is quite fitting for the car. Not too impressive but focuses on economics instead like fuel economy, maintenance, etc.

Handling: I never hear good things about Corollas and their handling ability. I was actually rather surprised with this version of the Corolla. The wheel is actually reasonably well weighted and does produce some feel which by this point was lacking in the whole Toyota car lineup. When going around corners the body roll is a bit of a problem making it not nearly as stable as the Celica. Still, with a proper suspension this Corolla chassis is actually in better shape than expected and seems to show in the XRS version.

My Score: 6/10 - Not a great car in terms of handling, but much better than was expected. The car has potential and has a wheel that feels connected to the steering, all things that make the driving experience seem better.


Interior: The interior of this version of the Corolla is pretty average. Like before you don't expect all too much, I still don't understand why Toyota still uses roll up windows for the Corolla since I didn't even think there was a demand for them anymore. Nothing in this interior is all that special but the quality of the materials were at least decent. The car is built in two locations from Cambridge, Ontario, Canada and Fremont, California, USA. The examples I have driven are built from Canada and appear to be built very well.

My Score: 6/10 - An average interior that is built very well.

Styling: The Corolla has rarely ever attempted to use styling that isn't conservative to the times. This generation of Corolla doesn't attempt to change this, its a standard car. Nothing about the way it looks is attractive nor ugly. Its a very neutral looking car but doesn't attempt to be anything more than that.

My Score: 5/10 - Toyota didn't really try to style this car.

Value for money: Much of the time with the Corolla it comes all down to economics. The Corolla CE is actually not very expensive all things considered and is cheaper to buy than the Honda Civic. You hope the car will be reliable and you already know its not going to ruin your wallet when it comes to gas(American cars getting heat here) or insurance(where the Civic is hurt badly). Your buying a pretty safe choice of car with this Corolla, one that really comes down to costs.

My Score: 9/10 - Assuming the car is reliable, there wasn't anything other than the Civic to challenge the Corolla in being affordable to own. It loses the point only because cars like the Mazda3 excels at being a affordable car that excites the young driver, the Corolla doesn't excite this group.

Overall: 34/50 - A solid and reasonable car. If you don't mind the generic interior, the generic styling or the ho hum handling the 9th generation Corolla is a decent worthwhile choice.

2004 Toyota Avalon XLS

This Toyota actually belongs to my dad. Let my just say he knows exactly how I feel about his car.


Introduction: The Toyota Avalon began in 1995 after Toyota discontinued the Cressida in 1992. Unlike the Cressida which was a totally different vehicle from much of Toyota's lineup the Avalon was instead a Camry platform that was stretched to hold the bigger body. As a result much of the components were Camry components unlike the Cressida which had more Supra components. Despite being longer and wider than the Cressida the Avalon has not yet grown to the size of America's full size entries it has only reached this status in 2005.

The Avalon is not exactly a car that I liked, primarily because it replaced the Cressida when that car was exactly what Toyota needed to prove it wasn't for old people. Still I was willing to give it a chance to see whether it at least can fulfill being Toyota's flagship car.


Performance: The 2004 Avalon uses a 3.0 L V6, one of Toyota's earliest efforts to use a aluminum block instead of an iron block to reduce weight. This particular V6 was used in the first Avalon back then producing 190 hp. In this car, the V6 received variable valve timing to not only increase efficiency but also increased the power to 210 hp and 222 lb.ft of torque. This allowed the Avalon to reach 0-100 in about 8.3 seconds, not necessary good in the 21st century but better than other attempts. In the Avalon this V6 is very smooth and quiet, its not exactly one that likes to play though and when pushed it quietly roars but doesn't bring an explosion of power. Its rather reserved and seems to fit the manner Toyota wanted the car to have.

My Score: 8/10 - Quiet, calm power. Not exactly an exciting engine however.

Handling: This is the big difference between a Cressida and the Avalon. One is capable of cornering the other one just flat out isn't. The Avalon is a pretty terrible car to go around corners. Much of the comfortable ride it produces has ruined its ability to take corners without understeering badly and the body roll is pretty downright poor too. The Camry components just weren't meant to take any corner well, a complete difference to the Supra designed ones on a Cressida. The steering wheel is also another matter, the Avalon has a very light wheel one that feels disconnected from the actual steering. Old people like this, but anybody young or middle aged wouldn't. This is actually very American of a car...good in a straight line...terrified of corners.

My Score: 2/10 - Downright poor at handling. The soft suspension produces such a bad experience in the corners, its embarrassing that its predecessor is superior while providing most of the comfort.


Interior: This is where the Avalon should excel, an interior that is luxurious and comfortable. Its got one thing correct the other one wrong, the Avalon is very comfortable being spacious and having a cloud-like ride. Luxuries however are missing, you get your standard power options but...there's nothing high tech or neat about the car. The materials are a mix in terms of quality, the seats are good the dash trim is not. The Avalon is built in the United States...this is not the best built Toyota having seen a few panels that don't fit or were misaligned. A pretty conventional interior, but nothing that makes me think luxurious, heck its actually pretty low tech.

My Score: 6/10 - A average interior that is comfortable but belongs to the 20th century.

Styling: This version of the Avalon tried to be something different from other Toyotas. My only problem is...its trying to look American during a time when looking American isn't exactly a great thing. Looking like 60s American cars is a great thing since they mostly all looked great with lots of expression. Looking like 90s American cars...is not, they rather boring and lost much of their sense of style. The styling actually goes right with Buick's lineup with the big grille and conservative styling, unfortunately that means it will only attract these people as customers.

My Score: 6/10 - Old people will love the look, others will look at it and think its too old looking for them.

Value for money: This it the big problem with the Avalon and why its sales are slow. Its fighting against 2 of its brothers. The Camry V6 XLE and the ES300, the Camry being the less expensive but medium sized of the bunch while the ES is the luxurious one but the smallest of the bunch. The Avalon is just the big one...its actually close in price to an ES leaving you with this decision. Do you want the best value or the bunch, the most luxurious or the biggest? If you want the best value the Camry wins, if you want the more luxurious one the ES wins and if you want the biggest one the Avalon wins. If you truly need the space you have to choose the Avalon, but if you don't...it doesn't offer that much. The competition is also much cheaper from GM and Ford, for a conventional flagship...its value is pretty high considering its not an engineering marvel.

My Score: 3/10 - Having a Toyota badge but not offering much more than a Camry and being nearly as expensive as a Lexus ES hurts the Avalon. GM and Ford also offer much less expensive full size cars and in the case of GM offers more space. Its a bit hard to justify the price of the Avalon knowing full well the Camry gets everything it gets.

Overall: 25/50 - Funny how the score is a barely pass, but then again the Avalon as a flagship does a pretty terrible job. Toyota could be doing so much more with its flagship car, this is merely just a fill in the gap car and it shows after you drive older Toyotas like the Cressida. This is not the best car Toyota could make, that's really all there is to it. The top of the line Toyota of 2004 should not be lower tech or even equal to the ones dating from 1977-1992.

2003 Toyota Celica GT

This will be one of the few "sports" vehicles I will be reviewing. Today will have 3 reviews...I decided to put 3 Toyotas for today since these were the 3 that come to mind and the ones I haven't driven that recently.


Introduction: The Celica is one of Toyota's oldest names in their entire lineup since inception, almost as old as the Corolla name. Initially the Celica was designed as Japan's answer to cars like the Ford Mustang, eventually the car would produce its own identity as a inexpensive but reasonably fun and somewhat practical coupe rather than be a full out sports car that sacrifices practicality. In 1986 the Celica eventually lost its RWD layout since its original A chassis was instead continued with the Supra while the Celica adpoted the FWD T chassis. Toyota was a participant in the World Rally Championship thus allowing for the design and eventual sale of the Celica GT-Four(All-trac) giving the Celica AWD and a powerful turbo engine. Toyota eventually dropped the Celica as its entry for the WRC and eventually dropped out of the WRC all together leading to the loss of the Celica GT-Four. The final generation the 7th was part of Toyota's Project Genesis which included the Toyota Echo and MR2 which focused on younger drivers, of the Genesis cars only the Celica ended having any success in sales. Sadly Toyota announced the Celica would be dropped from its world lineup with no successor car to take its place other than the Scion tC which is for the United States only. The Celica is also the final car from Toyota to be even considered sporty.

When this version of the Celica came out, I instantly wanted to drive it. The styling was so attractive that I wanted it for a significant portion of my teenager years. Eventually I would drive one, just to make sure its a car that I should work forward to getting. If it drove badly then I can dispel any thoughts of wanting one...if it drove well...it makes me sad I could not buy one new. I was also unsure of whether FWD would affect its handling since I disapprove of understeer.


Performance: The Celica had two options for engines both 1.8L engines. The GT came with the mildy stronger Corolla's 1ZZ engine making 140 hp and 126 lb.ft of torque. The GT-S came with the high revving screamer 2ZZ that made 180 hp and 130 lb.ft of torque. I've only driven the GT and I must say...its a decent engine. Obviously the GT-S is a different experience since its an engine that must be revved to be enjoyed, while the GT does not. If you wanted an automatic transmission, the GT is the choice to have due to the high revving nature of the 2ZZ and it only has a 4-speed automatic meaning its unable to make much use of the power in its peak making it the slowest despite the engine. You choose the GT engine particularly if you don't want to rev the engine nor want to pay premium fuel and for daily driving the regular engine is good enough. It doesn't have the personality you'd expect but it moves the Celica reasonably well.

My Score: 7/10 - A reasonable engine and fairly economical but you can't help but wonder whether the GT-S engine is so much more appropriate for this car.

Handling: This is the big test for this car in my mind, being the last of Toyota's long sports car line it needs to pass this test well. Lately Toyota cars have been considered soft and unathletic and this is actually quite true. First things first, the wheel in the Celica is actually quite heavy, probably the heaviest wheel I've encountered almost beaten by the 1st Ford Focus. The car actually feels great in the corners, it actually wants to go around corners fast and the wheel is perfectly matched for this. This is the most stable Toyota I've driven so far when it comes to approaching corners and taking them without much body roll. Clearly this car was very well engineered and its a shame all of this will be lost since Toyota does not make anything like this anymore. I did not notice the understeer that normally comes from a FWD Toyota, this car's handling is sharp and precise just the way it should be. It would be nice if it came with AWD or even better RWD to make the handling that much more exciting but oh well.

My Score: 10/10 - Clearly the best handling car I've driven that has FWD.


Interior: I'm not expecting too much from the interior since many cars of this type often put most of the money in performance. That said when I got in the Celica the materials were of reasonably quality and having some digital gauges makes it more advanced than most of the Toyota lineup. The layout is not much different from a Toyota Corolla which makes it a simple interior, but the stereo is pretty average however. One thing that is neat is how much lower you sit in the car, most people love the high driving position of SUVs and minivans...I like the low driving position, you feel so much closer to the ground. For a 2-door hatchback there's some space for people in the rear seats, not a whole lot but enough to fit short people or children, a large adult is not advised however. The hatch itself gives the Celica pretty good cargo capacity for something more fun oriented. The rear window has poor visibility however thanks to the probably pointless spoiler. The car is very well built, its another car that is built in Japan. The rather practical interior makes it a step above other similar cars.

My Score: 7/10 - Not the nicest interior but rather modest and due to design it makes a 2-door coupe surprisingly practical. The spoiler however is more annoying than useful.

Styling: The styling is the biggest appeal this version of the Celica has. Its sharp and aggressive, and due to how at least the handling matches the looks the car actually seems better than before. Its not too often Toyota hits a winner on the styling and this is probably one of Toyota's best styled cars in its history. Every angle the car looks good...its good enough that I had to drive one.

My Score: 10/10 - Looks great, sharp and aggressive, just as you want every car to be.

Value for money: The Celica has never been the most affordable of the entire Toyota lineup. The GT version needed an optional package to gain some of the electric toys like the sunroof, key less entry, etc. The amount of money spent on a GT-S is even higher in order to gain the high revving engine. Up against the Hyundai Tiburon and the Acura RSX, the Celica was rather expensive but due to its high revving engine and much better styling could persuade someone to join Toyota.

My Score: 7/10 - A tad expensive, fortunately its quite competitive with some attractive qualities.

Overall: 41/50 - A very good car, one that Toyota should have continued. I do not understand why Toyota abandoned its enthusiasts, this is one of the few cars people would hope to buy just for a few simple qualities that Toyota now has abandoned. Things like styling, handling and most importantly fun. Toyota has now positioned itself to be the Buick of auto companies.

Welcome to "The poor car reviewer". First review: The 1986 Toyota Cressida

Hello everybody and welcome to the first blog post of "The poor car reviewer". In my current job I have the rare opportunity to actually drive several mostly new cars, unlike people test driving I actually take these over sometimes long distances. The longest so far was going from Brampton in a Pontiac G5 back to Richmond Hill. My reviews I hope are more in depth and show some of the passion I have about driving cars in general. Plus I'm not paid to do this. I'm going to start the review with my own car as a template for all other cars to follow. I'm going to start with most of the older 2006 cars before I actually forget them since its been a year since I've driven some of these.


The first car up my own car a 1986 Toyota Cressida. I will admit this one will be more biased than any other review I do. Keep in mind I don't think Toyota has made great cars in some time, you will see my displeasure with the company in my up and coming review of the 2009 Toyota Corolla. On to the review.

Introduction: The 1986 Toyota Cressida is the first car I've ever seen since it was the car I grew up since...1986 sadly, my car is older than I am. I must admit this was not the best looking car you could buy in 1986 for roughly the same money. Back then many cars were square bricks like the Pontiac Bonneville or Ford LTD Crown Victoria. The Cressida was very square in style, the difference was unlike the previous 1981-1984 Cressida it had a more distinct Japanese presence. The giant tail lights and the massive amount of chrome characterizes this car. Unknown to many people is Toyota actually made the 1985-1988 Cressidas use the same power train as the 1982-1985 Supra, the suspension design is also practically the same as well. In the case of the suspension, its all down to the coils where the Cressida needed to be softer while the Supra harder. To anybody who wanted a Supra but didn't want to attract cops, the Cressida was practically the same other than offering more comfort, more practicality and happened to be slightly less expensive. The only downside to the sporting enthusiast is most Cressidas were never offered with a 5-speed manual transmission. Soon after 1988, Toyota established Lexus and decided the Cressida was not selling well enough for compete with the BMW 5-series and Mercedes 300 series due to the badge. Sadly the Cressida was dropped after 1992 and was the last Toyota sedan with RWD in Toyota's world wide market. Toyota North America believed the Cressida could be replaced by the FWD Camry based Avalon, in truth the real Cressida replacement resides in Japan called the Toyota Mark X.

Performance: The 3rd generation Toyota Cressidas were all powered by the same engine found on the Mk II Supra. This engine was an electronic fuel injected, dual overhead cam, straight 6 engine. The Cressida was given the last generation of this engine which gave the Cressida 156 hp and 168 lb.ft of torque, back then it was pretty competitive with similar engines provided by Mercedes and BMW. In terms of acceleration the Cressida today does not look very attractive, with the automatic transmission it can probably reach 0-100km/h at best 10 seconds, many claim the 5-speed manual allow the car to reach 9. While nothing significant today, its still reasonably powerful enough for the year 2009 and back in 1985 was pretty competitive considering many consider Toyota to be not very prestigious. Still for a luxury cruiser the engine despite coming from a Supra was relatively quiet, but very lively once you need the power. Driving with this engine today is still a joy since you can enjoy a leisurely drive while when your in the mood enjoy the spirited noise of this engine during more intense speeds. Being a straight six engine, it much more smoother than a V6 back then giving the feel a luxury car should.


My Score: 8/10 - Its a good engine back then, its slightly outdated today. Regardless it does exactly what an engine is supposed to do in a luxury cruiser, provide enough power, make it quiet during city driving and make it lively when the car needs to go quickly.

Handling: The Cressida is helped greatly by its sport car like handling. The Supra suspension allows the car to out handle many cars today, while its power is truly 1980s the handling is still better than year 2009 cars. The car only weighs about 3100-3200 lbs which is much lighter than many mid-sized cars which are closer to 3300-3500 lbs. The steering wheel Toyota fitted to this Cressida is very well weighted, heavy during lower speeds while fairly light at higher speeds. This is one of the few Toyotas where feel is very important, I love taking this car around corners since it does them so well and due to the feel of the wheel I know how much control I have. The brakes work very well which is very much needed for handling. This is one of Toyota's best chassis, its such a shame it isn't continued. Its not too often you can find a luxury car that satisfies a young person's crave for cornering performance. If there was any weakness here it came down to the poor choice of tires Toyota made with mediocre Dunlops and the OEM shocks Toyota gave the Cressida were too soft. Replacing the shocks with more stiffer ones and having good tires fixes the only flaws the car had here in very stock form.

My Score: 10/10 - Toyota can make a mainstream car feel great and handle great, they just chose not to do it on their current lineup. The Cressida's handling is so good that you feel FWD is inferior. Cars are rarely balanced this well with luxury and performance.


Interior: The biggest difference between Cressida and Supra comes down here. The Cressida was Toyota's luxury flagship and was offered with the latest Toyota had to offer. The Cressida was power operated in several areas except the seats which I actually prefer(power operated seats are too slow moving and add ridiculous amounts of weight), and air conditioning is standard in all Cressidas. This car came with an automatic climate control unit, most of the time it serves its purpose well particularly during colder days, its just a tad slow during hotter days. The plastics inside are of high quality and are capable of lasting until the car's lifetime. Several 3rd generation Cressidas were offered the digital dashboard, this meant your speedometer was easy to read(due to time delay) and every gauge was more accurate than a needle constantly in motion. The radio is a Technics unit which only has a cassette player, but the stock system provides good sound. If you don't mind the cassette, then you have no need to rid of the stock system. The cloth seat material used sofa material making it very soft and comfortable. In terms of visibility, its excellent since only the C-pillar is medium in size(being smaller than any new car), the rest are very thin. The only option Toyota offered was the ability to have a sun roof. The Cressida is also one of the few Toyotas in the 1980s capable of seating taller people with comfort. As for build quality, each Cressida was made in Japan and in 23 years only 1 squeak and 1 somewhat loose panel(beaten from wind). Everthing else is solid.

My Score: 10/10 - There is no nonsense with this interior, everything you'll ever need for a car interior.

Styling: As I mentioned before the car's styling is probably the low point of this car. Its very boxy and among other Japanese cars is not easy to distinguish leading many to believe its a Camry. The upsides however are the chrome trim that is placed literally everywhere Toyota could put on without painting the whole car with chrome. Nothing today has nearly as much chrome trim as this particularly Cressida. The car's design seemed to emphisize function over form.

My Score: 6/10 - A basic 1980s boxy Japanese car with some nice jewerly.

Value for money: The Cressida is not a cheap car to begin with. All the Supra items and the high quality of the interior do come at a price. Thankfully due to its Toyota badge it was never allowed to be expensive to the levels of the German competition. If you needed a 4-door Supra, the Cressida was cheaper than a Supra. Toyota also never bothered to give trim levels to Cressidas in North America you only had three options, wagon or sedan, sun roof for your sedan, or roof rack for your wagon. A lot of the high quality also goes into the car's excellent reputation for reliability. All you sacrifice in this car is on style, everything else is probably better value than the competition.

My Score: 10/10 - In the 1980s nothing was as good of a value as a Cressida. It takes all the good points of driving cars while stuffing this into a luxury package. BMW and Mercedes offered this but they were much more expensive, and the US cars while larger never were luxurious enough nor offered the handling qualities.

Overall: 44/50 - One of Toyota's finest cars, one of Toyota's best definitions of what a flagship should be.