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17 Discontinued Toyota Cars (PHOTOS)

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Toyota has a rich history of discontinued car models.  Their reasons for discontinuing some of these models are numerous. The reasons range from being unappealing to poor sales and the inability to fit into the market.  Interestingly, some of these cars were favorites of many auto enthusiasts. In this article, we highlight 17 different discontinued Toyota Cars.

 

1. Toyota Solara

Discontinued Toyota Cars

The reason for Toyota to discontinue the Solara was understandable. The Solara was Toyota’s response to Honda Accord coupe, and it was also available in the convertible variant. The production of the Solara spanned 2 generations – 1999-2003 and 2003 – 2008. In 2008, it was discontinued. The reason for discontinued Toyota Car was because it did not feel sporty due to poor handling and significant body-shake. This affected sales badly.





 

2. Toyota Corona/Avensis

Discontinued Toyota Cars Discontinued Toyota Cars

The Corona has come a long way (since 1957) and it has grown from strength to strength. At some point, it was also called Carina in some markets across the globe. In 2003, the Corona nameplate was finally dropped when the 2nd generation Toyota Avensis was launched (the Avensis name debuted in 1998 and was also called Corona).  It was a fun car to drive and offered the most efficient engines Toyota could muster. Its discontinuation in 2018 was due to the fact that the Corolla has grown significantly in size and its almost as large as an Avensis, therefore it was sacrificed to let the Camry be the large sedan. Although, the 2017  Avensis is still being sold in some country including Nigeria it is still in the list of discontinued Toyota cars

 

3. Toyota Matrix

Discontinued Toyota Cars

Many considered it odd that the Matrix was among the discontinued Toyota cars. It was clearly a better-looking car than the Corolla in my personal opinion. It brought about the Sport-Wagon craze back then. A Sport-Wagon is like a station-wagon but has a different touch and feel. The Matrix was aimed at younger buyers with active lifestyles that required more space than the sedan provided. It spanned 2 generations from 2003 to 2008 and 2009 to 2014.  It has improved suspension and better acceleration and was much more fun to drive than the Corolla. The Matrix was replaced by the Corolla hatchback.

 





4. Toyota Venza

Discontinued Toyota Cars

The Camry-based Venza was an eye-popping crossover or SUV (one can’t really place where to categorize). That was an issue with the Venza, unclear classification. Despite its great looks and powerful engines, it was always let down by unknown classification and it affected buyers choices and its rivals were SUVs (Ford Edge and Nissan Murano).  This made Toyota to stop production in 2015.  Sales were so bad that as of 2016 less than 600 was sold in entire North America alone. It is still a fan favorite in Nigeria because it offers something different from the Camry.

 

5. Toyota Celica

Discontinued Toyota Cars

Its been a long time since Toyota was involved in Motorsport, and the Celica lived up to its name by winning numerous rally championships.  It was unique in its own way and people loved it. For many years, it won the heart of many but it eventually died out and was discontinued by 2005. Sales plummeted and the 2+2 coupe was just no longer en-vogue anymore.

 

6. Toyota MR2

Discontinued Toyota Cars

Another sports car from Toyota that went under the axe was the MR2. It was a 2-seat convertible which wow the youth and young-at-heart. A lot of people have forgotten about this model and a few are seen in Nigeria (if any).  Poor sales affected it, and just like the Celica, it was killed. Back in the ’90s, it was called a “poor mans Ferrari” because the ’90s models took styling cues from the Ferrari F355.

 

7. Toyota FJ Cruiser

Discontinued Toyota Cars

This was Toyota’s response to the Jeep Wrangler, and initially, it paid off. Bold, retro and had off-road capabilities. It was based on the Prado, and uses its 4.0-litre V6 engine. It came with suicide doors and was tough as nails. It was eventually discontinued in the American market due to petrol price increase and another reason was that it was cramped inside and not ideal for long drives. The awesome thing about this SUV was that its customization prowess. One can add and tweak it as you desire. That is why it is still being sold in some part of the Middle-East, as at August this year. Its quite a shame that this SUV is among list of discontinued Toyota cars

8. Toyota Tercel

Before the Yaris was running around the place, Toyota had the Tercel. The Tercel was quite popular back in the 90s, and the small sedan had the Corolla looks and feel. Its downfall was due to the fact that the Tercel was too similar in looks to the Corolla, and it was significantly under-powered and the small sedan wasn’t too bright as it is now.

 

9. Toyota Previa

The great minivan Previa was Toyota’s attempt into the minivan market and although it was successful, it was discontinued in North America. In 1997, it was replaced with the Sienna we all know. The Previa continued to be sold in Europe until 2006 when it was killed off due to the popularity of small SUVs over minivans.

 

10. Toyota Verso

Another minivan made its way to the list of discontinued Toyota cars was the Verso. It was a small minivan that made waves in the early 2000s. Although it was strictly a European model, it was discontinued like the Previa due to the growing popular acceptance of small SUVs. Before it was named the Verso only, there was the Corolla and Avensis Verso (minivan variants of the Corolla and Avensis).

 

11. Toyota Starlet

The Toyota Starlet was a popular small hatchback in the ’80s and ’90s. It was a success and lasted for more than 25 years before it was replaced by the more popular Yaris. The starlet was a car that every young person wanted to own back in the days.

 

12. Toyota Echo

The Toyota Echo was a small 4-door sedan known for its height, which was taller than most sub-compacts, allowing for more roominess inside. The interior of the Echo was kind of weird with the odometer placed at the centre instead of where the steering is. Rides in the Echo was kind of awkward and unbalanced. These reasons clearly informed the decision by Toyota to discontinue it ( the 3 and 5-door variant of the Echo was sold as the 1st-generation Yaris in Europe).

 

13 Toyota Venture

Toyota Venture was a large people carrier vehicle that could accommodate as many as 9 passengers. It was sturdy to an extent but had a poor design. The Venture was purpose-built for rugged terrains such as the African market, with its rugged suspension and high ground clearance for bad terrains (although it wasn’t a 4WD). The Venture was replaced by the Condor (next on the list).

 

14. Toyota Condor

The Condor was a massive upgrade to the Venture with modern looks and a new engine to power it. It still had the same seating configuration as the Venture, but unlike the Venture, it had a 4-WD model with better off-road ability. It was also successful among large families but it didn’t age well and it became under-powered and was discontinued for a smaller and agile Avanza.

 

15. Toyota Picnic

Before the advent of the Verso lineup, there was the Picnic, it was an average-sized minivan that seats 6 passengers. It debuted in 1995 and was sold across Europe. Some models came to Nigeria and some local transporters are still using it up till now.

 

16. Toyota Carina

The Carina was a very popular and one of the most recognizable cars in Nigeria back in the late ’90s and early 2000s. It was depicted as a 5-door lift-back and a station-wagon, although there was sedan to0 (also called Corona) and it spanned for many years until Toyota discontinued it and changed it to the Avensis moving forward.

 

17. Toyota Cressida

This Toyota model was quite popular amongst the elderly, back in the days (well, maybe its because I was very young then). The Cressida was the next best thing to get if one could not afford the Crown. It had a powerful V6 engine, a 4-speed automatic transmission and was fitted with luxury innovative features back then such as the CD player. It was finally replaced by the Camry-based Avalon in 1994.

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Autojosh.com is an authoritative car blog in Nigeria. Its objective is to get Nigerians and a wider audience to be more informed about automobiles, the automotive sector and transport infrastructure. Over the years, we have been instrumental in creating immeasurable public awareness about automobiles and their maintenance, safety and traffic laws, amongst others. ...Your mobility, our priority. EH

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3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. Gabriel Salifu

    September 16, 2019 at 15:17

    The Matrix need to be dropped considering the fact that the new Corolla also comes in hatchback configuration. And, on the new TNGA platform, it’ll be more active and engaging than the matrix.

    • Yemzy

      September 17, 2019 at 12:36

      Hmmmm…true

    • Autojosh

      September 17, 2019 at 13:11

      Or Toyota can just use the TGNA and make the Matrix back and still maintain its sports-wagon attributes and giving some models AWD?

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