5 best and 5 worst SUVs ever produced by Toyota
ToyotaCars have always had a reputation for being reliable, safe, durable and fuel efficient. From their sedans, pickups, vans to even their SUVs, seeing the three rings on the hood of the car instills a sense of confidence in a buyer. In the SUV department, the Japanese giant has always battled its European and American counterparts, often cruising ahead with more reliable builds and less grumpy machinery.
However, like any good car brand that has been in the auto industry for as long as Toyota, the automaker also made some bad decisions and produced cars that just weren’t close to the brand, not to mention to be up to it. to her. While Toyota SUVs are almost always at the top of a new buyer’s shortlist, there are instances where Toyota has simply dropped the ball. Here are five of the best and worst SUVs to ever wear the Three Rings.
ten Best: 2021 4Runner
The Toyota 4Runner is one of Toyota’s most famous SUVs, and also one of their bestsellers. It has always been a well-tested SUV that has proven to be strong and tough over the years no matter what. Built with the family unit in mind, the 4Runner is as capable of everyday riding as it is to get off the grid and tackle any terrain possible.
JD Power gives the 2021 4Runner 81 out of 100 reliability, which is very impressive. While being a capable off-roader, it’s also fun to drive and easy to handle, which many SUVs fail to be. Still, you’d be wrong to think the 4Runner skimps on tech, as it comes packed with plenty of tech and features to keep everyone engaged and comfortable. Truly, this is one of the best generations of Toyota’s iconic SUV.
9 Best: Venza 2021
The 2021 Toyota Venza is a crossover SUV that hits all the right notes. It was a big improvement over its previous models, and Toyota made sure to address all the issues and problems the car faced, leading to its temporary retirement in the mid-2010s.
The Venza is sold only as a hybrid crossover SUV, which puts it on every shortlist for fuel-conscious buyers. With an economy of 40 MPG on city streets and 37 MPH on the highwaythe crossover housed a 2.5L 4-cylinder engine that comes with electronic motors delivering a combined 219 horsepower, which is significantly more than some other crossovers in the segment.
8 Best: Sequoia 2023
As the Land Cruiser bids farewell to American shores, the 2023 Sequoia has now come to take its crown. While the previous generation Sequoia was a more than decent SUV that got the job done competently, customers still had issues with rough and inadequate cabins, namely interiors that never quite lived up to the task. .
Rise in power on interior comfort and technology, the new Sequoia is completely redesigned from the ground up, and will no doubt be able to lock heads with models like the Chevy Tahoe and Ford Explorer. Based on the same architecture as the global Land Cruiser, the new Sequoia is sure to be one of the best Toyota cars of all time, a car as capable of going off-road as it is going to the mall in absolute luxury.
seven Best: RAV4 2016
The 2016 Toyota RAV4 is by far the most impressive and reliable RAV4 model ever made, which also makes it one of the best Toyota crossover SUVs to date. Half a decade later, time has shown just how remarkable the 2016 model year RAV4 was. With an excellent score of 86/100 for quality and reliability on JD Power, the 2016 Toyota RAV4 is an example where Toyota simply has not failed.
On RepairPal, the crossover SUV has a solid 4.0 out of 5 reliability rating, and even has an impressive annual repair cost of just $429, which is still as easy on the wallet as possible. To make things even better, he wears the crown of a five out of five safety rating.
6 Best: Land Cruiser 2020
How could the Land Cruiser not be on this list? The epitome of luxury, power and outright all-terrain capability, the Land Cruiser has always defined what it means to be an SUV – a true purebred sport utility vehicle. Toyota’s flagship SUV for decades, the Land Cruiser has never skimped on luxury, sparing no effort in the pursuit of power inside and out.
The 2020 model of the Toyota Land Cruiser came as the culmination of a long history of Land Cruiser evolution, with the mistakes and flaws of the past being ironed out. It came with a very extensive feature list as standard, and the Heritage trim upped the ante yet again. With a powerful 5.7L V8 engine developing 381 horsepower and 401 lb-ft of torque, the 2020 Toyota LC was the pinnacle of Toyota SUV engineering.
5 Worst: 2007 RAV4
Despite its strong credentials, not all models of Toyota RAV4 have been a success or a good car. The 2007 RAV4 is an example of this, which consumers complained about left and right, be it the engine problems or problems with the transmission change.
Otherwise, the car seemed to be inextinguishable when it came to oil, and it was also plagued with minor and major technical failures. To add to a 2007 Toyota RAV4 owner’s problems, it also had faulty pistons that made even daily driving questionable.
4 Worst: Highlander 2003
2003 was a bad year for the Toyota Highlander, which we can tell was an intermittent problem car for Toyota. Technical issues plagued this SUV during this model year, and buyers have reported issues with faulty ignition coil and oxygen sensors.
Also, sludge buildup was another issue, as well as the car’s habit of idling. Even the airbag sensors were faulty! To top it off, it also had very expensive repairs, and just after the 100,000 mark on the odometer, buyers also reported a coolant leak. The engine block bolts also gave way around this time, and some customers even reported problems with the brakes, having to replace them without using them roughly. Overall, the 2003 Highlander was easily one of the worst cars roll off the Toyota assembly line.
3 Worst: 2007 FJ Cruiser
The 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser, at first glance, might look like a capable off-roader worthy of taking on the competition. That’s what the original buyers also thought. However, for all its attractive features and a V6 mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, it had such flaws that left a bad taste in its mouth.
The fuel efficiency of the FJ Cruiser has never been impressive, to begin with, at 15 and 18 MPG city and highway respectively. More worrying, however, were the huge design flaws that Toyota seemed to have been oblivious to. The SUV had terrible blind spots, it had a pretty cramped interior despite being an SUV, and it never responded to regular customers, to begin with.
2 Worst: Sequoia 2002
The 2002 Toyota Sequoia holds the honor of receiving the most complaints from owners of all model years of the car. CarComplaints even ranks it as the SUV’s worst model year series. These complaints included transmission failure, an engine that died in neutral, and brake issues.
Also had a pretty bad rear tailgate handle breakage issue that always needed to be replaced, and the engine used to die when the car came to a stop, which was classed as a “really awful” problem with regards to gravity.
1 Worst: Highlander 2008
The Highlander, as mentioned, has been a problem car for Toyota on several occasions, 2008 being one of them. The SUV housed a V6 engine that produced 270 horsepower, but it had a host of issues that just couldn’t be ignored. To start, fuel economy on the 2008 Highlander was only 19 MPG combined.
Along with a faulty ignition coil and sludge buildup being a problem, the 2008 Highlander was also plagued with issues that were also present in the 2003 model before it. Plus, owners even reported faults like major oil leaks, making it an even worse experience than the 2003 model year. So 2008 was one of the the worst model years not only for the Highlander but Toyota in general.