Toyota Reviews2003 Toyota Corolla Review
A baby Lexus for the rest of us. 2003 Toyota Corolla Base Price (MSRP) $13,370 As Tested (MSRP) $16,530 Toyota says the Corolla has been the world's best-selling car when measured over the past 35 years. Apparently, that wasn't good enough. Toyota engineers and executives have not felt the old Corolla was the best sub-compact car in terms of image or value. What's more the company is concerned that the average age of Corolla buyers in the US is 44 years while buyers of the Honda Civic are an average five years younger than that. Rather than try to design one new Corolla that would appeal to older and younger buyers, Toyota has introduced two new cars radically different from each other in looks. Yet both are essentially identical under the skin. For younger buyers the Toyota Matrix (see separate nctd.com review) is a stylish five-door hatchback/wagon type vehicle that stands out in the crowded roads. For the rest of us, this new ninth-generation Corolla is an evolutionary model that carries on Toyota's tradition of producing a robust small car that acts as a great introductory model to the Toyota family. It's totally appropriate to describe this new Corolla as a baby Camry, which, in turn, is in a baby Lexus. That's not a bad pedigree for any car. 2003 Toyota Matrix Review
Rad street performance utility. 2003 Toyota Matrix Base Price (MSRP) $14,670 As Tested (MSRP) $17,465 "It's cool. It's hip." Or as the Brits would say: "It's got street cred." (That's street credibility: popularity and acceptance among fashionable urban people, especially the young.) These are not the sort of words normally used to describe Toyotas. Until now that is. Toyota is hoping that its new Matrix, a Street Performance Utility, as it's being called, will be a hit with younger buyers. Part car, part wagon, part minivan, part SUV, the Matrix occupies a new niche. Although it looks radically different from the Corolla, it is based on the same platform, which means that it will prove to be a solid reliable car just like the plain Jane sedan. Toyota quite rightly says it is a car that combines the style and performance of a sports car, the functionality of an SUV, and the affordability of a compact sedan. It's for young buyers who want a vehicle with a sporty image and high functionality. 2002 Toyota 4Runner Review
Off-road capability and comfort. 2002 Toyota 4Runner Base Price (MSRP) $26,335 As Tested (MSRP) $36,707 Toyota 4Runner is enjoyable to drive. Its independent suspension gives it surprisingly good handling. Its V6 engine and four-speed automatic transmission deliver good acceleration performance. Comfortable and convenient, it comes with lots of storage room and can be fitted with leather upholstery, automatic climate control, and other luxury features. Head off the highway and the 4Runner really comes into its own. This is one of the tougher trucks in Toyota's lineup and one of the tougher trucks available from anyone. 4Runner is built on a truck chassis and it's set up to venture away from civilized roads with lots of suspension travel. Four-wheel-drive models are equipped with a low-range set of gears. 2002 Toyota Camry Review
 America's most popular car gets a major makeover. 2002 Toyota Camry Base Price (MSRP) $18,970 As Tested (MSRP) $21,370 The Toyota Camry has been America's best-selling car for past few years. That's an important title for auto manufacturers, so Toyota is quite pleased that the Camry has outsold the Honda Accord and Ford Taurus, its arch-rivals among mid-size sedans. Now comes a completely redesigned Camry for 2002, making this the fifth generation. This year's Camry is a slightly larger car. Yet performance and fuel economy have been maintained. Styling is all new, designed to add sensuality to what has been a bland design. Better yet, prices have dropped slightly over last year's models. Given Toyota's reputation for quality, durability and reliability, the new Camry will once again prove to be the ideal car for about 400,000 new-car buyers a year who don't want to worry or even think about their car. 2002 Toyota Highlander Review
 High marks for yet another SUV from Toyota. 2002 Toyota Highlander Base Price (MSRP) $23,995 As Tested (MSRP) $30,470 Toyota is determined to have the best-outfitted SUV stores on the planet with an array of both truck and car-based models ranging from cute-ute size to Suburban fighters. Five different sport-utilities are now available from Toyota, and that's not even counting the two from Lexus. Toyota's goal: meeting every need, want, taste and whim of the SUV shopper. The new mid-size Highlander slots in as a car-based (uni-body) SUV slightly larger in capacity than the truck-based 4Runner. Like its kissing cousin, the Lexus RX300, the Toyota Highlander offers lots of flexibility when it comes to carrying people and cargo. It totes four people comfortably, five less so. Alternatively, the seats can be folded down for cargo carrying. The Highlander performs decorously on street and highway pretending to be a car. Yet it can swallow with ease impromptu buys at flea markets and get them home despite sudden worsening of the weather. Women went gaga over the Lexus RX 300 and will be equally at home in this variation from Toyota. Men of a practical bent will like the more utilitarian attitude of the Highlander. Everyone will cheer the obvious value: for all its shared components the Highlander is some $8,000 to $10,000 less than the RX 300. 2002 Toyota Land Cruiser Review
The unstoppable Land Crusher is tough and luxurious. 2002 Toyota Land Cruiser Base Price (MSRP) $52,895 As Tested (MSRP) $56,036 Toyota now sells five different SUVs, but Land Cruiser remains at the top of the heap when it comes to luxury and off-road capability, and not necessarily in that order. This is one of only a few truly elite off-road vehicles. Few vehicles offer the off-road capability of the Land Cruiser, and fewer still combine this with its level of luxury. If this doesn't do it for you, then you'll have to step up to the Lexus LX 470 or the new Range Rover. The Toyota Land Cruiser can transport up to eight passengers over the toughest terrain, but it's also a comfortable long-distance cruiser. Inside, you'll find all of the features normally associated with top-level luxury sedans, including heated leather seats, power sunroof, automatic climate control, and every power accessory under the sun. It comes with Toyota's impressive level of quality control, ensuring excellent durability and reliability. While the price is high, the Land Cruiser maintains its value over the long haul with minimal depreciation. 2002 Toyota MR2 Spyder Review
Sequential gearbox works pretty darn well. 2002 Toyota MR2 Spyder Base Price (MSRP) $23,735 As Tested (MSRP) $25,726 Toyota's two-seat MR2 Spyder is a modern sports car with back-to-the-roots feel. Like some Ferraris, its engine is mounted just behind the passenger compartment and ahead of the rear wheels, providing great balance and handling. Redesigned for the 2000 model year, the big story for 2002 is the SMT model, with its new five-speed sequential manual transmission, which uses no clutch. 2002 Toyota RAV4 Review
Stylish and nimble. 2002 Toyota RAV4 Base Price (MSRP) $16,365 As Tested (MSRP) $26,565 Toyota's RAV4 is a sporty-looking small utility. It handles well and offers a decent amount of power. It's comfortable and convenient for running around town, it's easy to park, and it feels stable out on the open road. Toyota completely redesigned and re-engineered its RAV4 a year ago. The all new Toyota RAV4 is more refined than the previous-generation model and it's much better looking. 2002 Toyota Sequoia Review
Class-leading quality, durability, reliability. 2002 Toyota Sequoia Base Price (MSRP) $31,265 As Tested (MSRP) $45,932 The Toyota Sequoia is among the best of the full-size SUVs. It's about the same size as a Ford Expedition, slightly larger than a Chevy Tahoe. Like most Toyotas, it's very well engineered and offers the highest levels of quality, durability, and reliability. It's quiet and comfortable. The Sequoia is a great family vehicle, a modern replacement for the traditional American station wagon, with three rows of seats capable of carrying eight passengers. 2002 Toyota Tacoma Review
A truck for all reasons. 2002 Toyota Tacoma Base Price (MSRP) $11,900 As Tested (MSRP) $26,804 Toyota knows what compact truck buyers want, and its Tacoma pickup delivers the goods. Toyota Tacoma boasts a heritage of solid service as a work truck along with a hard-earned reputation as a winning off-road race truck. Toyota makes a Tacoma to fit almost any work-related or recreational pursuit. The Tacoma line starts with a simple two-wheel-drive work truck loaded with nothing but quality, durability and reliability. The line tops out with fancy four-wheel-drive models. 2002 Toyota Tundra Review
Bigger isn't always better. 2002 Toyota Tundra Base Price (MSRP) $15,605 As Tested (MSRP) $25,929 Sometimes you want more than muscle. You want style, sophistication. You want power, handling. You want peace and quiet. If these are things you want in a pickup, then you might consider Toyota's full-size Tundra. The Tundra may not be as big and brawny as the Ford F-150, Dodge Ram, Chevrolet Silverado, or GMC Sierra, but it's easier to drive, lighter on its feet, and brilliantly quick and responsive. It's also built to Toyota's high quality standards. So you get unsurpassed quality, durability, and reliability. The Tundra is the one of smoothest, quietest, and most refined pickups we've ever driven. Its 4.7-liter V8 engine is truly exceptional, with more than enough power to run with the big dogs. The V8 Tundra can tow a 7,200-pound trailer or haul nearly 2000 pounds in its eight-foot bed. For 2002, an optional limited-slip differential is available for better traction in slippery conditions. Launched in model-year 2000, Tundra is still a relatively new model. Changes for 2001 and 2002 have been minor. Toyota Reviews
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