Toyota's most influential/revolutionary?

[the_yellow_dart]

I realize this is kind of like asking which Yugo was highest quality, but seriously... there's got to be some.

What, in your opinion, was Toyota's most influential or revolutionary product? When did they NOT follow the crowd?

[Snate]

Drawing a blank here....uh...thats not really Toyota's "thing".

[Drew Dowdell]

Had you said Honda, I would have said the early Civic.

Can't think of anything from Toyota.

At least Datsun/Nissan Z proved that japanese sports cars could be cool.

[CSpec]

The Prius, obviously.

[Snate]

The Prius, obviously.

Honda beat Toyota to hybrids though...so not really.

[Flybrian]

Toyota made hybrids somewhat managable without the level of compromise the Insight required.

[regfootball]

my answer.

.................

[regfootball]

um,.......................................

[regfootball]

..............................................................?

[regfootball]

[regfootball]

landcruiser. maybe MR2.

that's really about it. otherwise Toyota is nothing more than a bunch of unimaginative copy cats

[Cory Wolfe]

Not MR2..... Fiero.

I agree with the Land Cruiser, though...

[andy82471]

Supra and the late 80s early 90s Celica and MR2

Edited February 12, 2006 by andy82471

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Nothing revolutionary at Toyota....

Besides the checks from the PR department....

Seriously though, all they do is improve on already introduced technology. Their real advantage is 'walking on water' in the eyes of the media.

But, if I HAD to pick a vehicle... The Camry, because of it's broad opportunity for exposure to the brand.

[Bimmer325]

Yeah, who needs hybrids anway?

[Flybrian]

Yeah, who needs hybrids anway? 

I do. I want to spend more up front for a doorstop-looking shopping-cart-handling hatchback so I can claim I earn back the money with my fuel savings. Makes me better than you and everyone you know.

[Bimmer325]

I do. I want to spend more up front for a doorstop-looking shopping-cart-handling hatchback so I can claim I earn back the money with my fuel savings. Makes me better than you and everyone you know.

I can't adress any issues people may have with feeling inferior to Prius owners, but until GM produces something better (or at all, for that matter), that doorstop-looking shopping-cart-handling hatchback is more or less your only choice. :AH-HA_wink:

In all honesty, if the Prius were a Chevy, the cool-aid bunch here on C&G would be all over it.

[Flybrian]

In all honestly, if Chevy made it and it looked like that and underwhelmed in the MPG department like that and dealers were charging $$$$ over MSRP like that, I'd still call it what I do.

Truth is, in the scope of simple rote fuel savings, there are far better choices than the Prius, even within Toyota itself.

[razoredge]

Probably the wrong answer to the question but Toyota gained alot of respect with the 22R as well as awsome little four wheel drive pickup trucks, thats when I remember the buzz getting louder and I was one of the bees.

[Drew Dowdell]

I can't adress any issues people may have with feeling inferior to Prius owners, but until GM produces something better (or at all, for that matter), that doorstop-looking shopping-cart-handling hatchback is more or less your only choice.  :AH-HA_wink:

In all honesty, if the Prius were a Chevy, the cool-aid bunch here on C&G would be all over it.

GM produces Hybrids where it matters most. ONE GM Hybrid bus equals the fuel savings of about 30* Toyota Priuses.

* number aproximate of course.

Edited February 13, 2006 by Oldsmoboi

[magneto112]

Man, I thought yall were car enthusiasts. They started the entry level cute utes with the Rav4. They also started the car-based SUV with the RX300. The Landcruiser was one of the first SUV's but I think the Range Rover and Jeeps where b4 it, not exactly sure though. But they basically started or jump started(the Range Roverwas out then, but not a must have back then) the luxury SUV craze with the first LX450. The Pruis is the first hybrid. Its been on the market in Japan for years before it came stateside. The Insight was the first hybrid introduced in the US.

Most influential....I guess that would have to be the Corolla and Camry. And the LS400.

Edited February 13, 2006 by magneto112

[regfootball]

toyota has copied everyone else but i cannot think of one of their automobiles that other mfrs have rushed to go out and emulate.

[toyoguy]

this thread deserves a sticky

[Flybrian]

this thread deserves a sticky

:rotflmao:

[the_yellow_dart]

Was the Blazer really that big back in the day that the RAV4 was something revolutionary?

Supra screamed pony car to me. It seemed like Toyota was just copying Firebird/Mustang's idea, even if I do *gasp* like the styling.

So... that leaves the Prius, Land Cruiser and MR2 for me to agree with. I'll give them those.

[CARBIZ]

Toyota invented the entry level cute utes?????????????????

Where was the Suzuki Samurai for, what 10 years before the Rav4? Hell, the Chev Tracker/Pontiac Sunrunner was around LONG before the Rav4.

More Toyota doublespeak.

[Sixty8panther]

Twin Turbo Supra. inline six, "semi-exotic" styling and no compromise performance oriented mechanicals. Sucks that manual trans. was nearly non-existant.

[enzl]

Toyota has never been a trend setter, just a company with the ability to identify trends and leverage their technology to maximize the results...

The RAV4, RX300, LS400 and MR2 are all good examples of the above...obviously there were cute-utes, car based 4x4's, luxury 4 doors and affordable mid-engine cars before...but rarely has any single company been able to take these ideas and convert them into segment defining products.

To criticise Toyota for being unoriginal is hypocritical for this site. GM hasn't been at the forefront of a trend in 30 years....A new car/truck is a multi million dollar gamble, thus those that are nimble and accurate trump those that are slow-witted and preoccupied...

[pow]

Toyota invented the entry level cute utes?????????????????

  Where was the Suzuki Samurai for, what 10 years before the Rav4?  Hell, the Chev Tracker/Pontiac Sunrunner was around LONG before the Rav4.

  More Toyota doublespeak.

The RAV4 was the first unibody cute-ute with the drive and the economy of a car.

[magneto112]

Toyota invented the entry level cute utes?????????????????

  Where was the Suzuki Samurai for, what 10 years before the Rav4?  Hell, the Chev Tracker/Pontiac Sunrunner was around LONG before the Rav4.

  More Toyota doublespeak.

and yet none of them you listed was based off of a car platform. It had a truck latter frame body that I think was derived from the Chevy S10. The Rav4 was based on a Corolla with suspension tuning from the Celica. And the same goes for the RX300. Now you have every luxo make with their interpretation of a luxury car based SUV.

[regfootball]

:rotflmao:

a hot

carl on the toyota logo would be more appropriate

[Flybrian]

To criticise Toyota for being unoriginal is hypocritical for this site.

The 'unoriginal' comments stem mainly from a design perspective. At best, Toyota designs are staid or derivative (2nd-gen LS).

[ToniCipriani]

:rotflmao:

You're mean

Edited February 16, 2006 by ToniCipriani