My Favorite Toyota

摘要

I suspect Toyota's U.S. management team would be happy if Motor Trend-and the other members of what it calls "the enthusiast media"-would just quietly go away. Of course, they are way too PR sawy to say so out loud, but the distinct vibe you get these days at Toyota's U.S. headquarters in Torrance, California, is that automotive media brands such as Motor Trend are a pain in the ass that never give Toyota an even break, because Toyota doesn't build "enthusiasts' cars." It's a curious perception, especially as in the past decade alone two Toyotas-the 2004 Prius and 2007 Camry-have been named Motor Trend's Car of the Year. Other COTY winners in the same period have included the Chrysler 300, Honda Civic, Ford Fusion, and VW Passat. Enthusiasts' cars? Hardly. But all of them are cars with a spark of passion and personality, a spark that's missing from too many Toyotas. Not all, however: A recent trip back to Australia gave me the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a big-hearted Toyota I love, in the landscape that made it a leqend.