The 1920s and the 1930s were quite the time. The world was still recovering from, or still in the middle of, some terrible events. But, over in Japan, something special was about to happen in 1937. That was the year when something called the Toyota Motor Company was founded and incorporated. Kiichiro Toyoda made good use of his father's production line innovations to start what would become one of the most successful and popular car companies in all of history.
Although it got off to a slow start, Toyota immediately showed that they were here to stay because they offered something that seemingly no one else at the time could; unbeatable reliability. Today, Toyota is one of the largest automotive manufacturers in the world, and they're dabbling in other intriguing industries too. We all know Toyota for the Supra, the Celica, the Highlander, the Corolla, the Camry and all the others. But, in all the nine decades that they've been around, they have built plenty of other awesome cars that seemingly slipped under the radar.
10 Paseo
Launched in the early 1990s, the Paseo found itself at the bottom of the Toyota sports car food chain. Below the Corolla Sprinter, below the Celica and the Supra. It technically wasn't a sports car, but rather a sports compact with a coupe-like body and tons of personality.
Even the most powerful versions of the Paseo couldn't set the world on fire. But, it was fun to drive, cheap, reliable and decently equipped. It's also incredibly rare, but if you do find one, it's a fantastic used buy. If you operate on the Scotty Kilmer principle, this little sports coupe is definitely worth a look.
9 Corolla T-Sport
North America has never really gotten any particularly cool or exciting versions of the Corolla, with even the latest Corolla Apex failing to impress. But, over in Europe and other markets, Toyota did try to throw their hat into the hot hatchback ring a couple of times. In the 2000s, the hat thrower was the Corolla T-Sport.
On the outside, not much was different from the European-spec Corolla hatchback. There was the subtle ground effects kit, a couple of badges and the wheels, but that was it. That's because Toyota spent the budget in the most important area; the engine and drivetrain. The 1.8-liter four-cylinder didn't rely on turbocharging, but still developed 189 hp. Thanks to variable valve timing, it could rev its way to 8,000 RPM.
8 MR2 Spyder/MR-S
On its own, the Toyota MR2 is definitely not underrated. Everyone has heard of or wanted one at some point, with good reason. But, the final generation MR2, also known as the MR2 Spyder and the MR-S in other markets, is the one that everyone seems to have forgotten about.
It's true that the previous two were a lot easier on the eye, although that's not to say the Spyder is ugly. Remember, this is still an MR2 in every conceivable way; a characterful four-cylinder engine in the middle, RWD and a manual transmission, though a semi-automatic was also offered. It was great fun to drive, with some even saying that it's better than a Miata. That's high praise.
7 Tacoma X-Runner
We all know that the Toyota Tacoma has always been a fantastic choice in the mid-size pickup market. Though it was recently spruced up with the TRD Pro package and a facelift, the reliability and capability are the main reasons why the Tacoma is still doing so well today. But, back in the early 2000s, Toyota tried something different with the Tacoma.
Going straight into battle with the Chevy Silverado SS and Ford F-150 Lightning, the Tacoma X-Runner was a very unique street truck. Under the hood was the familiar and totally indestructible 4.0-liter V6, putting out 236 hp. The X-Runner was RWD only, and came with a limited slip differential as standard. Yes, really.
6 Century
Truth be told, over the past few years, the Toyota Century has received quite the cult following. Still, when compared to the likes of the Supra and a couple of others, the Century still remains underrated. That's a shame, because this is a fantastic limo.
The Century is Toyota's flagship luxury car, sold exclusively in Japan, though it would be awesome if it was available in the US. The second generation of the Century remains, to this day, the only production Japanese car to use a V12 engine. It also featured stuff like a plush wool interior with lace curtains, and the middle of the front passenger seat could be folded down, allowing the rear passenger to stretch out. There was even a television, and a built-in tape recorder.
5 Crown
For the Japanese buyer who wants something smaller and simpler than the full-fat Century, Toyota offers the Crown. Although this executive sedan is only available in parts of Asia, it's essentially a Lexus GS underneath the skin.
The Crown is the longest-running Toyota nameplate in history, and although it didn't use the name, it was the first Toyota model to be exported to the United States. The modern day Crown is full of some incredible tech features, and it's a great overall luxury sedan.
4 Sequoia
Surely, you might be thinking, it's impossible to get any bigger than the Toyota Land Cruiser. But, it is, because it's been done before. The big Sequoia was built exclusively for the US market. Whereas the Land Cruiser uses its own dedicated body-on-frame platform, the Sequoia is built upon the Tundra full-size pickup's platform. In other words, similar to the Ford Expedition or Excursion.
In terms of capability, durability and practicality, few things can come close to the Sequoia. Despite that, it's always been in the shadows of the far more successful Land Cruiser. That's a shame, because the Sequoia, though it may not be for everyone, is a great SUV that deserves more attention.
3 Starlet Glanza V
Usually, Toyotas are seen are pretty boring cars. They don't really put the "fun" in "function". But, as well as countless sports cars over the years, Toyota has proven on multiple occasions that they can put together a sound hot hatchback. Before the fabulous GR Yaris and aforementioned Corolla T-Sport, there was the Starlet Glanza.
The Starlet, for context, was the precursor to the ever-so-popular Yaris. While the regular Glanza was a warmed up version, the Glanza V got the whole hot hatchback shebang. As well as a retuned chassis and visual upgrades, the turbocharged 4-cylinder produced 140 hp, propelling this pocket rocket from 0 to 60 in just 8.2 seconds.
2 Sports 800
You know those Toyota sports cars that we keep mentioning? The Supra, the Celica, the AE86 and so on? They all owe their existence to this miniscule automobile. Built from 1965 to 1969, the little Sports 800 was the first sports car that Toyota ever made.
The Sports 800 is immediately recognizable thanks to its unique canopy styling. As the name might suggest, it's powered by an 800cc (or more accurately, 790cc) flat-twin engine that makes around 44 hp. Even though that's not a lot, the Sports 800 was also a featherweight, and it wasn't really about the speed either. As a driver's car, it was one of the best of its day.
1 Chaser
There's just one area where the Toyota Chaser isn't all that underrated; the drift community. But, even then, not many people have heard of this Japan-only full-size sedan. On paper, it sounds like the greatest idea ever.
The Chaser was to Japan what the Camry is to North America. However, there are two very juicy differences; it was available with the JZ series I6 engines, and it was RWD by default. A few minor upgrades and an angle kit turn this thing into a serious drift car. It's just a serious drift car that happens to have five seats and a big trunk.