Last year, I ran a four-part QOTD called “Say One Nice Thing”. The challenge was for you to, as the name suggested, say one nice thing about some of the most maligned cars in the history of General Motors, Ford, Chrysler and American Motors. Now, the Japanese automakers have had some product misfires of their own, although their failures tend to be more Gremlin-ugly than Vega-unreliable. Toyota’s indomitable rise to being the world’s largest automaker has resulted in millions of happy, loyal owners, even if reliable, well-built vehicles like the Corolla and Camry stir little passion in enthusiasts. But there have been just a handful of vehicles along the way that have either missed the mark or received a lot of scorn. Your challenge is to say one nice thing about each of these but, just to make things a little more difficult, your “nice thing” cannot be simply that these cars are reliable or well-built. They’re Toyotas, after all – that would be too easy!
One of Lexus’ rare product misfires, the HS250h was a compact luxury hybrid sedan based on a Toyota platform. Although much of Lexus’ volume consists of humble Toyota-based offerings like the ES sedan and NX and RX crossovers, this Toyota-based model lasted just three years on the North American market due to poor sales. Blame bland styling and poorer fuel economy than the Prius but at a higher price. In its defense, it was unique in being a compact, hybrid offering from a luxury manufacturer; launching in 2010, it preceded the Audi A3 e-tron by 4 years. It was also very on-message for Lexus, a brand which had come to offer an increasingly large number of hybrid vehicles. The HS250h was comfortable, quiet and a very sensible purchase for eco-friendly lovers of luxury and economy. Alas, it sold only 20,880 units in the US over three years and was dropped in 2012. It was replaced by the more fashionable and far more successful CT200h.
On the other hand of the efficiency spectrum at Lexus was the SC430 luxury roadster. Replacing the ageing SC300/SC400 coupe, the 2001 SC430 took the nameplate in an entirely new direction. It was like The Beatles re-forming but with only Ringo returning and playing only disco music. The SC was no longer an elegant coupe with a choice of six- or eight-cylinder engines but rather a convertible with a retractable aluminium hardtop. The only engine was a buttery smooth 4.3 V8 also available in the GS and LS sedans, mated to a 5-speed (later 6-speed) automatic. These were cruisers with thoroughly unexciting handling and despite the presence of rear seats, the SC430 only comfortably sat two adults. For some buyers – most probably wealthy empty-nesters in Florida – this was exactly what they wanted. But for many fans of the first-generation SC, this was a bizarrely-styled follow-up to a successful name. It stuck around for a very long time, too, finally being in axed in 2010 after years of slow sales.
If lumpy, awkward styling, a soft ride and generally lackluster handling were traits you were happy with in a convertible but you couldn’t afford an SC430, the 2004 Camry Solara was just the ticket. Also available as a coupe, the 2004 model was the debut year of the second-generation Camry Solara and the third generation of a Camry coupe. Gone was the crisp and clean styling of the first-generation model, the new Solara wearing similarly ungainly and poorly-proportioned sheetmetal to the related 5th generation Camry. The Camry’s smooth powertrains were carried over and the convertible had a relatively spacious cabin. Both Solaras were comfortable to drive and were unabashed cruisers, no bad thing and certainly a point of distinction in an increasingly sport-focussed marketplace. In 2005, 50k Solaras were built but by 2008 sales were down to the 20k mark. The coupe was discontinued in 2008 and the convertible followed a few months later.
Both generations of the Toyota Paseo featured clean, curvaceous sheetmetal in typical 1990s Toyota style. Their appealing sheetmetal might have suggested these had some mild sporting ability, but the name gave it all away: in Spanish, “I stroll” is “Yo paseo”. And the standard engine, a 1.5 four-cylinder, certainly made the Paseo a stroller and not a sprinter. Perhaps to avoid strolling over the Celica’s toes, the Paseo was never given a more powerful engine option. It was simply a Tercel in a party frock, embarrassed at stop lights by turbocharged Hyundai S Coupes.
Mighty Toyota isn’t impervious and these four offerings have certainly had their detractors. But remember, you have to say one nice thing and it can’t simply be that they are reliable and well-built. We have come to expect nothing less from Toyota, no matter how bland or ungainly some of their cars may have been over the years.
When I met my wife she had one of those Solara convertibles, which had its top up 99% of the time. It wasn’t much less quiet inside than a comparable steel-roofed vehicle, and there wasn’t any noticeable cowl shake.
That’s any convertible which begs the question, what’s the point?
Not to nit pick, but your reference to the HS250h as based on the Prius:
From Wikipedia:
The HS 250h’s platform was based on the third-generation Toyota Avensis, itself related to the traditional gasoline engine Toyota Allion sold from 2001 to 2007, and was based on 2.4-litre-engined Corolla with electric motors. Other related models included the Toyota Premio, Toyota Vista (5th gen), Toyota Opa, Toyota Wish, and Toyota Caldina (3rd get).
However, We have a CT200h, which although also not directly related to the Prius, is better equipped, at a similar price to high line Prii. Love it!
Good catch. I fell into the trap that probably a few consumers did: presuming it was just a fancy Prius.
The Prius also use the Toyota MC platform, which the Avensis and 250h, the CT200h and the Corolla and a huge number of other Toyotas including the RAV4 used. All of these Toyotas are related. It’s a very widely used platform used for pretty much everything between the Yaris and the Camry. You’re both right. 🙂
I like the CT200h. I sat in one at a Long Beach GP, and the interior was a cut above almost anything in finish and attention to detail, if not space. I might have been tempted by a CT200h if only it shared the Camry hybrid’s drivetrain with the HS250h. A CT250h would have made other near-luxury hatchbacks like the previous A3 seem prehistoric and austere.
You are right, that’s a big reason we went to the Lexus. I was thinking I would lose economy in the translation as the averages recorded on fuelly are lower, but we average 4.2 litres/ 100 km. I think that’s pretty good!
Well all but one are 2 doors, so that’s a plus…(course these examples did nothing to head off the death of that bodystyle)
The HS250H has real daylight openings next to the side mirrors, not ugly black plastic triangles like the entirety of the rest of the current Lexus lineup(and most of the automotive world as a whole) is plagued with
Actually Id say the way Toyota wrung out their 2-doors is specifically why their popularity has fallen off. A better looking body doesn’t mean much if you don’t have the cajones to back up the looks. But that could be a good thing since while there are fewer coupes nowadays, at least most are focused performance cars. Most that are less hardcore are volume versions of the ‘good stuff’.
Say one nice thing:
They are generally quiet inside compared to their direct competitors.
Toyota and Lexus: “We’re not always ultra – conservative, and when we do different…..well, we do DIFFERENT”.
HS250h: looks like a cross between a Camry and Prius, but costs more than either one.
SC430: am I M-B roadster? or am I a wannabe Porsche roadster? I’m a very expensive car that’s been styled to be totally inoffensive.
Paseo: an engine away from near greatness, but we are Toyota….keep it bland.
Final (?) generation Solara: I actually kind of like this car even if it looks like a wax sculpture of a dolphin….that’s melted.
Regarding the SC430, I was pretty blasé about them until I saw one parked next to an early Porsche at an auto auction. Not to dare say the SC430 is comparable to the Porsche….but the styling intention suddenly made sense.
Now I want one – badly. If they weren’t so associated with retirees and dentist’s spouses, I’d be all over it. Especially a Pebble Beach Edition.
With a few pieces, you could jack down the numb driving experience and juice it up a little.
My wife loves the SC430. I can’t quite figure that one out–she’s 35 and generally a world away from the typical SC430 pilot. After I learned that, I casually looked to see what used ones were running, and then I learned that those things hold their value shockingly well. Yes, Toyotas/Lexii generally hold value, but prices for pre-owned SC430 models were something else entirely!
I could easily offer a compliment to each of these cars, but I’ll focus on the Solara.
Solara’s consistently, across all generations, had nicer interior designs than their Camry counterparts.
That Paseo isn’t silver. Or beige. I’d forgotten Toyotas used to come in colors.
🙂
William, Given your rules, a good thing about all of these cars, except the SC430, are that they are most likely to be seen driven by mature comely women, often working as librarians or pharmaceutical research laboratory technicians (*).
(*) Just guessing of course.
The SC430 would most probably belong to a librarian who looks like Helena Bonham Carter (**).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KvTDeHlIfI
(**) Just guessing.
Notice the title of the book that was upside down?
“Zen and the Art of Car Mechanics”
I once new a girl with ’77 Corolla, I thought it being a five speed was cool. Having limited personal experience with either Toyota or Lexus, This is the best I could do!
At least the 2007 Camry Solara was better looking than the “bathtub” Chrysler Sebring convertible.
As ill-proportioned as the 2007 Sebring sedan was, the convertible was a little more acceptable and I think it looks much better than the Solara. Then, the 2011 “200” redesign made it a perfectly handsome convertible.
I don’t agree about the relative merits of the styling, Camry Solara vs. Chrysler Sebring.
The Toyota Paseo isn’t terrible to look at. It’s a bit boring, but it’s at least nicely styled and I can at least see the appeal on an aesthetic level.
That’s what I was going to say. I eventually had a chance to sit in one and it was too small for me. :/
Well I don’t have anything relevant to say about the Lexus hybrid or the paseo, but the Lexus hardtop convertible has aged surprisingly well in terms of looks and my wife had a second generation solara SE when we met and she loved it for its torquey V6 and fairly competent higher speed handling!
Always thought the Solara had a great interior, unlike the boring Camry. Out of all the convertibles I have ever driven the Solara is one of the tightest and quietest of all. And extremely comfortable.
The Solara is probably cheap to insure and probably the best hang for your buck if you want a convertible.
Here goes:
Lexus HS250h: First car to offer Lexus quality dealer service for a hybrid.
Lexus SC430: Proof positive that a hardtop convertible didn’t need to be sporty or even interesting.
Toyota Camry Solara: Tried to keep the flame alive for midsize 2-doors.
Toyota Paseo: An example of style in a small package for buyers more interested in “show” than “go” before that market switched to cute utes.
Toyota gets a lot of flack for making boring appliance vehicles, and indeed the automaker does make many cars of this type. But for everyday people who need reliable, comfortable transportation and don’t care about having an “exciting” car (an sorry to say, but a large majority of drivers fall into this category), Toyota delivers. Their cars will go for hundreds of thousands of miles and many years with just basic maintenance and upkeep, and parts are easy and cheap to come by.
In light of this, they’ve really been putting out some exciting products under the Lexus badge lately, in the form of the latest IS, RC, and GS, particularly the performance F Sport versions. These cars are very competitive with BMW, Audi, and Mercedes, minus some of the emotional feel of their German competitors.
I have three Toyotas (where does that apostrophe go?) outside for a reason. I can’t afford anything else. The one with the least miles (95 Camry) is 114k. I know of what you type. You get in ’em and go. Every time. Well, almost, and some more than others. If I had to pick a single metric by which to value a car it would be resale value. Again, they’re high for a reason.
Our 2003 Matrix. Reliable, economical, reasonably fun to drive, cargo capacity, visibility, and after 13 years I’ve even become fond of its rather funky appearance. Cloth seats that are more comfortable than any other car seats I’ve ever experienced. I’ve never had a Toyota before this car, and I’m perplexed by some of their offerings, but this car works for me.
I’ll add that making cars that are highly reliable and economical is just as admirable as cars designed with acceleration and handling (or presence) as the top priorities.
After a long search winding through nearly every available vehicle for sale, I’ve settled on the Matrix’s spiritual successor, the Scion iM (soon to be Toyota [something]) as my next car. Not perfect, but efficient, low-cost, and jack-of-all-trades compliant.
It would be a Matrix/Vibe, but by the time I’m ready to buy they’ll all be over 120,000 miles.
I’ve driven a first-gen Matrix, and just could not get past the on/off switch quality of the gas pedal. Lightly touch it, and the car accelerates furiously (or as furiously as a Matrix is capable of anyway). Let up, and you slow down *immediately* as if the car has the world’s lightest flywheel. It was a very challenging car to drive smoothly, and after over an hour behind the wheel, I wasn’t very fond of it. Are they all like that?
It did handle reasonably well.
Three nice things I can think of, off the top of my head.
– A neighbor of ours replaced her 230 SLK with an SC430. She very considerately kept it in a closed garage when she wasn’t driving it so I didn’t have to look at it.
– A colleague drove a 2nd gen Solara convertible. He was a nice guy.
– I was riding home on my bicycle yesterday and got passed by an HS250 hybrid. The driver passed me courteously, obeying California’s “3 foot rule” requiring drivers to maintain that distance from bikes.
Oh, just to be clear, I recently bought a 2016 Tacoma, and have owned a Corolla, a Land Cruiser, a Prius and a T100. And before I knew her, my wife had a Starlet. I’m a big Toyota fan … I’d rather have one in the garage, and get my automotive fun from reading CC. But I do think that the SC430 and 2nd gen Solara are truly ugly cars.
They blend in with the other cars so well, but they are just a little bit nicer, providing understated luxury. And they look great in silver.
Sc300 never offered a V-6 and watch what you say about disco, I’d take it any day over the Beatles!
You’re talking to someone who has Sister Sledge, Creme d’Cocoa and Gloria Gaynor on his iPhone. Trust me, I would take disco over the Beatles as well!
I prefer Franz Liszt and others from that era.
Well William, I guess I can think about forgiving you while I drive my Lexus tomorrow and play this little tune:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RGfKqMW5WiQ
Well…. The Paseo is named after an unfashionable part of Kansas City, which is a nice gesture. Previous KC names have focused on the more fashionable parts , like the Rambler Country Club or the Plymouth Plaza or the 1930 Chevy Independence or the Jeep Liberty.
Isn’t the Paseo a major boulevard in KC? (Don’t remember enough about the neighborhood, though).
I thought the Plymouth Plaza was named for NYC’s famous Plaza Hotel (owned for a short time by Donald Trump)!
Yes, the Paseo is a major thoroughfare in KC and is also the name of the bridge on I-29/35 over the Missouri River.
Occam24 is right; all these car names are from KC. Since many automotive magazines are based in New York, they just assumed the names were from places there since most of them were not familiar with Kansas City. Or not.
Apart from less than elegant styling (but still, as pointed out above, nowhere near as bad as the Chrysler Sebring), there was nothing wrong with the Solara Coupe or Convertible.
I’ll pass on the rest of them.
I have always loved the wheels on the SC430. That is about all I can manage to say, in the “if you cannot say something nice…” sort of way.
I remember when the Lexus first premiered on the US market. I was so impressed with its styling, I thought “finally, Toyota is now offering a luxury model to go with its basic model. I loved the LS400 and the GS350 when they debuted. I preferred them over what’s being offered today. Today’s Lexus is hideous to look at from nearly every angle. The same, sadly is true with the Infiniti models.
A ginormous Infinity SUV passed me the other day and the only nice thing I can say about it’s appearance is that NOBODY around my home town drives them. Wait- was that a nice thing? I mean, it’s nice that I don’t have to look at them practically EVER. Oops- not even talking about the topic cars. Oh well.
Definition of good and bad is relative in many cases, and to me, Solara and Lexus SC are two of the only few models acceptable from entire Toyota Corporation in its history.
A nice thing I can say about a PASEO is how easily one was PASSED when encountering it on the highway!
The font on the letters on the back of that car made the O look like a D, and I just figured like Mash’s Hams, where by “The extra “S” stands for Salt, and we throw that away” as that company used to say in their advertising, in this case ‘the extra ‘S’ stands for ‘sport’ and we throw that away’…. But I am digressing (as usual, just ask my wife) and getting away from the rules of the game here. ;o)
I knew a guy who delivered pizzas in a Paseo, and it pretty much disintegrated. That being said, it looked sharp when new.
My SC400 was really fantastic car, perfect for road-tripping. And lately, I’ve found myself lusting after older GX SUVs.
I’d say these three cars stake out a place in the automotive landscape near the postwar pre-“Forward Look” Chrysler Corp. vehicles: they represent a triumph of substance over style
I like the Paseo–both generations. It might be because it reminds me of my youth, but I’ve got a soft spot for the first generations, especially with the wheels pictured above. I want one in either red, or silver.
One nice thing? Here are two:
1. Toyota cars generally have thinner pillars than domestics.
2. “Jan” on Toyota’s commercials is one fine-looking young lady!
All four are small, easy to park, urban friendly vehicles.
What, no xB2?
HS250h:- In it’s day, and probably still (wasn’t too long ago, after all) the best car in the world to sit stuck in urban gridlock in.
SC430 – uuunngghh…
Solara – Probably the best way to spend your money on an unsporty convertible, if you insisted on buying brand-new and didn’t want an ex-rental Sebring for half the new MSRP.
Paseo – Light and revvy, sort of a proto-86 that drove the wrong wheels.
Since I drew a blank on the SC430, and I mentioned it;
Scion xB (second generation) – Looked at independently of its’ namesake, it was a decent car. Roomy, powerful, practical, manual.
A former boss of mine had a mid-00s LS430. I used it to drive to Chicago on a few occasions for business purposes. It was silver, and he kept it very clean. It had a power sunshade in the backlight and nice wheels. Oh, and a really good stereo.
Seriously, it was eerily quiet and was quite good at squirting through Chicago freeway traffic.
They’re probably quieter than my Nissan when it comes to the roaring noise from the tire-chain savaged pavement on I-5 between Eugene and Portland. Any recommendations for tires that reduce road noise?
The quietest tires that I have had on my car are Toyo Versados. They even have less of a propensity to squeal than the previous OE Firestones and subsequent Continentals that I have had on the same car.
I, for one, am unable to complete this assignment. Guess I fail.
You can count on any of these to get you to your destination without fear of a breakdown, more or less quickly or stylishly depending on the model.
I have no problem defending the Toyota Paseo, which was a perfectly reasonable car for a specific market: viz., young, single buyers, many of them women, who wanted an inexpensive, reliable, economical commuter car with a new-car warranty and at least a modicum of style. I feel like most of the complaints about it are centered on its not being more like the assortment of pricier sporty cars that during this period were not only out of the price range of the Paseo’s intended buyers, but were also busily pricing themselves out of any kind of viable market in the U.S. Was something like a Mazda MX-6 LS or Honda Prelude VTEC a faster, sportier car? Sure, but in terms of MSRP, they cost nearly twice as much.
As for the Camry Solara — I don’t care for the styling, but convertibles with back seats built after about 1974 weren’t (and aren’t) too common, and it was pleasant enough to ride in.
The SC430 is a little tougher. I see exactly what they were going for and I think it was a logical marketing move — trying to offer a compromise between the Jaguar XK8 and Mercedes-Benz SL-Class. It’s just that they took aim and missed. I guess the best thing I can say about the result is that it looks as expensive as it was, which isn’t always an easy trick to pull off and for some buyers is two-thirds of the point. With normal rather than run-flat tires, it would probably be a decent luxury cruiser.
The H250h: The Avensis was perfectly inoffensive and the Lexus version wasn’t bad-looking, if a little anonymous. I think most of its principal dynamic flaws stemmed from the low-rolling-resistance tires. Trade those for some decent rubber and you’d have sort of a hybrid alternative to something like the Acura ILX or the old Infiniti G20. Stickier, softer tires would cost you some fuel economy, of course, but you could probably still beat an ILX by something like 20%. Considered like that, it’d be worth considering for an urban commuter who wants (and can afford) something a bit classier than other C-segment sedans, but is still concerned about gas mileage.
I think the big problem the H250h faced, beyond the tires, was that unlike the SC430, it was sort of a baffling choice from a product lineup standpoint. When it came out, I was wondering why on earth Toyota hadn’t either (a) just offered a Lexus ES hybrid based on the really-pretty-decent Camry Hybrid (which they later did) or (b) offered a restyled, better-trimmed second-gen Prius. The Prius sold to a lot of well-to-do customers and I think a reasonable number would have been willing to accept a somewhat higher price point for significantly upgrade interior materials, a Lexus badge, and Lexus service.
The H250h looked like it was a new entry-level model, but because it was only offered as a hybrid, it was priced about the same as an ES350, which was bigger, a lot more powerful, and more comfortable.
On Paseo buyers mainly being women, I owned a final-generation Tercel and would occasionally clonk my head on the top of the driver’s door frame being 5’9″. The Paseo, being even lower, would be worse. Most men would have to bend down just a little too much just to get in, and at that I wonder how many women who bought Paseos back in the day drive RAV4s now.
A friend purchased an ’03 Solara last September, and to its credit, it feels pepper that I would have expected with 4 cylinder power, and the interior (save one departed piece of fake wood trim) is nicer than and featuring far better materials than any post 2007 Toyota I have been in. I personally have no problem with the 1st Gen Solara styling, as I do with the 2nd gen.
The Lexus hybrid was an attractive sedan
The Lexus hard top coupe wasn’t my taste but, with Marge Helgenburger behind the wheel in an episode of CSI… Damn she made it look good.
The Camry solara isn’t my type of car… I do like a two door sedan but they only really had one generation with the Camry. The solara seemed like a sporty version of a lame duck version of the car. So kudos to Toyota for trying.
And the paseo. Well I just likes the looks when it came out. I still do.
They may not all be my taste. But they all made an effort So I’m glad they are here
All of them aside from the SC430 have inoffensive styling.
The SC430 has a pretty great engine that pulls the car around at a reasonable pace.
That’s about all I can come up with.
When anyone asks me what type of car should I buy it usually means the know next to nothing about cars, My standard answer is find a Toyota you like and buy that, its really hard to get a bad one, and a facebook friend last week did exactly that and loves her new ex JDM Toyota Wish.
Lovely cars for Toyota lovers.
You left us Europeans out, none of the above were sold here… Oh, sorry, the SC 430 did. Well, it was a cataloged model, and rumor has it one was actually sold, but nobody ever saw it.
T. Turtle:
THE ABSOLUTE FUNNIEST comment on here.
The British magazine CAR tests Toyota and Lexus cars on occasion, usually it’s a test that takes place in the U.S. with a U.S. based test driver. I’ve NEVER seen an ad for either brand….that I can remember, in the magazine. And the editorial staff are puzzled and amazed by how popular the Camry is in the U.S. while it’s a “No Sale” in Europe.
People here have tried to explain the Camry’s success but, like Quantum Theory, whereas I acknowledge it, I am not entirely convinced it really works as they say.
I remember at time, years ago, when Toyotas came in actual colors! Reds!, Blues! Yellows! Greens! Ahhh, memories! Good, reliable, non-offensive, dependable appliances….
Say one nice thing? Surely you can`t be serious.
It’s a Lexus/Toyota, it should be very reliable. and it blends in nicely with the other cars in the parking lot. That’s three things.
I kinda like the look of the Paseo, more so the second generation, but if an owner could either tune up the engine or swap in something small but more powerful, it could have been a fun little pocket rocket. Too bad Toyota couldn’t be bothered to try that formula (albeit with more power) with the Yaris today.
The folks responsible at Toyota for the Yaris should be whipped with wet yakisoba (?) noodles for building an “S”, but including nothing more in the package than “ground effects” and a tachometer.
There was a T-Sport version for a while in Europe, which as I recall didn’t make much impression on critics, ranking behind the sportier Fiesta and the usual French and German suspects.
I think the reason we didn’t get it here is again a matter of price. I’m honestly still surprised Ford offered the Fiesta ST here, for that matter.
You sometimes do get the right models we don’t (e.g., Mazda 3 with the big four)…
4Runner and Land Cruiser family.