I rock a Toyota Corolla as my daily commuter — we’re at about 150K so it’s still a baby. I mention this to say that I have a lot of hands-on experience with one of Toyota’s most popular commuter four-door sedans. Pretty cool flex, huh? The thing is, Toyota is not just about reliable dailies anymore.
If you actually bother to look past their base-model, soul-crushing daily drivers, you’ll uncover a secret. Toyota, the same company that makes your grandma’s grocery-getter, has quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) built some seriously exciting, smile-inducing, and occasionally utterly bonkers cars over the years. They’ve got more layers than a perfectly tuned carburetor.
The 13 Toyota models here are far from boring, proving that the carmaker is more than its safe picks. Since their conception, they have been putting legitimate smiles on our faces — and we want to show some love to their growth and changes throughout each generation. We’re talking mid-engined sports cars, rally homologation specials that would make a WRC driver blush, excellent grand tourers that eat miles for breakfast, and heavy-duty off-roaders that laugh in the face of impassable terrain. Get ready to have your preconceived notions about Toyota utterly shattered.
How We Went Beyond the Basic
Toyota’s history is full of surprising gems. While they built their empire on bomb-proof sedans and SUVs, they’ve consistently thrown wrenches into the “boring car” stereotype by unleashing machines that begged to be driven hard. To celebrate these cars, we weren’t really looking at specific numbers, we just wanted vehicles that are purely fun to drive.
Forums, comment sections, friend groups, we’re taking everyone’s opinion into account here. But let’s be real, we all have different ideas of “fun” and “joy.” I’m going to share my own definition with these 13 examples — some I’ve driven and some I dream of driving. Let me know if you agree or if there are other Toyotas that have made you smile nonstop.
Toyota 86 / Scion FR-S
If you’ve ever dreamt of perfecting your drift skills without immediately wrapping your car around a lamppost, the Toyota GT86 (and its siblings, the Scion FR-S and even the Subaru BRZ) is your spiritual guide. These are the modern-day successors to the legendary AE86 Corolla, the car that basically invented drifting for the masses.
Toyota introduced the first-gen in 2012 as an entry-level sports car, a blank canvas for sideways shenanigans. Sure, its 2.0-liter boxer engine only had 200 horsepower, which some internet trolls would roast for being “slow.” But guess what? It was tons of fun to drive because it was light, balanced, and perfectly willing to wag its tail. Horsepower isn’t everything when you’re busy counter-steering.
Then, in 2021, the second generation rolled out, the Scion was gone, so Toyota now sold it exclusively as the GR86. The engine grew to 2.4 liters and 230 hp, finally giving it that extra kick. Plus, they started shedding weight with aluminum hoods, roofs, and front fenders to lower the center of gravity. It’s still not a drag racer, but it’s a sublime handling machine that begs you to find the limits of adhesion.
If you can’t have fun in one of these, you might need to check your pulse.
Toyota Supra
The name Supra alone makes certain car guys’ eyes glaze over and start reciting 2JZ facts. Originally, it was just a fancy trim level of the Celica. But in the 1980s, the Supra became a standalone model, and the automotive world is undeniably a better, louder, and more mod-friendly place because of it. The boxy Mk3 Supra from the ’80s is where Toyota introduced the now legendary turbocharged lineage.
Then came the Mk4 Supra. Forget just “desirable”; it’s an icon, a tuner’s naughty dream, a car that needs no introduction thanks to pop culture and the sheer brute force of its 2JZ-GTE engine (famously underrated from the factory 320 hp). While the latest Mk5 might technically be based on a BMW platform (don’t even get us started on that argument), it’s still a fantastic sports car in its own right, offering modern performance and handling that would shame many full-on exotics.
Love it or hate its origins, the Supra name still means business.
Toyota GR Yaris
Toyota has built some fun hatchbacks and some legendary rally homologation specials. In the case of the GR Yaris, they didn’t just combine the two; they basically took a Yaris, gave it a gym membership, a steroid regimen, and taught it how to swear in multiple languages. This thing is a total riot.
Exterior-wise, the GR version is ridiculously wider than a base Yaris and, crucially, has only three doors, not five — because race car, obviously. Under the hood, we find a turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine that produces a mind-bending 270 hp. And every single one of those ponies is sent to all four wheels via a proper 6-speed manual transmission. This isn’t just a hot hatch; it’s a homologation special for the road, a rally car in disguise.
If you don’t instantly want one after watching it hoon around a track, you’re either lying or you drive a minivan. Shame it’s not available in the US, but don’t worry, we’ll get to our version… Until then, we can watch rally races and just imagine.
Toyota MR2
In the 1980s, Toyota did something genuinely revolutionary: they created the MR2, a fun, affordable, and surprisingly frugal mid-engined sports car. It was like they decided to give everyone a chance to feel like a Formula 1 driver, without the million-dollar budget or the crash helmet made of unobtanium. First-generation cars were powered by either a naturally aspirated or supercharged 1.6-liter engine, producing between 112 and 145 hp. These were razor-sharp, go-kart-like machines.
When the second generation (often called the “Ferrari-killer” by its owners, much to Ferrari owners’ amusement) rolled off the assembly line, it had a rounder, more exotic body, and the engine was now a 2.0-liter unit, with top-spec versions fitted with a turbocharger (hello, 200+ hp and snap oversteer!). The third generation was only available as a convertible and had a smaller 1.8-liter engine, but it’s practically a poor man’s Lotus Elise — light, nimble, and pure driving joy.
It doesn’t matter which MR2 you buy; they’re all great fun in their own unique, sometimes terrifying, way. Just remember, mid-engine means don’t lift off in the corners unless you like facing the wrong way.
Toyota Celica
The Toyota Celica has more lives than a cat on a hot tin roof, lasting for seven generations from 1970 until its discontinuation in 2006. Early models looked like scaled-down American muscle cars, offering that classic long-hood, short-deck profile. Their excellent handling and surprisingly frugal engines more than made up for their relative “lack of power” compared to their V8-breathing cousins across the pond.
But the Celica’s true calling came in the mid-1980s when Toyota introduced the Celica GT-Four (or All-Trac Turbo in the States). This was a series of rally homologation specials featuring turbocharged engines and glorious AWD. These were the cars that took Toyota to multiple World Rally Championship titles, proving that a little Japanese coupe could absolutely humble the European elite.
Forget your bland Celica; the GT-Four was a mud-slinging, gravel-spitting beast that earned its stripes.
Toyota Hilux
Alright, Top Gear fans, you already know the deal. The Toyota Hilux is a global icon of indestructibility. Jeremy Clarkson literally did everything he could to kill one — dropped it from a crane, set it on fire, sank it in the ocean, put it on top of a demolishing building — and with only some basic repairs, it always fired up. No wonder they decided to use the Hilux for their expeditions to the North Pole and even an active volcano. It’s basically a post-apocalyptic escape pod.
Besides being one of the most reliable vehicles ever made, the Hilux is also utterly up for any off-road adventure you can throw at it. Unfortunately, it’s about as available in the States as an honest politician, but in the rest of the world, it’s the popular choice for overlanding, UN convoys, and probably whatever shadowy organizations need to traverse the most inhospitable terrains.
If you can’t kill it, you might as well drive it.
Toyota Yaris GRMN
Before the GR Yaris blew everyone’s minds, Toyota’s racing division, Gazoo Racing (GR), quietly cooked up the limited-edition Yaris GRMN. This was their first true performance Toyota built and sold in Europe under the GRMN badge, and only a mere 400 units were made. If you saw one, you probably thought it was just a regular Yaris with some fancy stickers. You’d be very wrong.
Under the hood, this tiny hatchback had a supercharged 1.8-liter Dual VVT-i engine that produced around 210 hp. Think about that: a supercharged Yaris! It was a genuine sleeper, ready to surprise unsuspecting hot hatch owners. It proved that Toyota was serious about performance, even if they started small and kept it a bit of a secret. It’s the kind of car that’s so rare, most people wouldn’t even know what just smoked them at the light.
Toyota Corolla AE86
Of course, we had to include the legendary AE86 Toyota Corolla. Commonly referred to as the “Hachi Roku” (Japanese for “eight-six”), it’s not just a car; it’s one of the 1980s machines that utterly define JDM culture. Thanks to its starring role in the anime Initial D, its endless appearances in Gran Turismo, and being Drift King Keiichi Tsuchiya’s weapon of choice for perfecting the art of sideways driving, AE86 prices have skyrocketed faster than a turbo spooling up.
The Hachi Roku boasts a lightweight construction, a classic front-engine, rear-drive layout, and a perfect 50/50 weight distribution. Its 4A-GE 1.6-liter twin-cam engine was never powerful in stock form (around 112-130 hp), but it still made it a true momentum car for driving enthusiasts. It taught you how to drive, how to carry speed, and how to slide with precision.
If you can handle an AE86, you can handle anything. It’s not about brute force; it’s about finesse, and a whole lot of tire smoke.
Toyota GR Corolla
Toyota heard our cries, our pleas, our angry tweets regarding the US’s lack of a GR Yaris and the company, forever reliable, delivered: the GR Corolla. And let me tell you, it’s almost as good as its smaller, forbidden fruit sibling, and arguably even more practical. Except for the vaguely similar exterior, the GR model is nothing like the standard Corolla, which typically gets roasted for being a bland appliance. I love my Corolla but of course I’d switch to one of these in a moment’s notice.
Under the hood, it has the same ridiculously potent three-cylinder 1.6-liter engine as the GR Yaris, but tuned up to a glorious 300 hp! And yes, the GR Corolla sends every single one of those horses to all four wheels via a proper, engaging manual transmission. It really is a car that can do it all. The GR Corolla is comfortable enough to handle all your daily driving needs (like picking up Chinese takeout) yet capable of lightning-fast lap times straight from the showroom floor. It’s a riot on wheels.
Toyota Tacoma X-Runner
Back in 2005, Toyota did something unexpected: they made a high-performance, street-focused version of the second-gen Tacoma, known as the X-Runner. This wasn’t your lifted, mud-slinging off-roader; this was a sport truck built to carve corners and surprise muscle cars at the light.
Its 4.6-liter V6 engine produced a respectable 236 horsepower in stock form, but with the available TRD supercharger kit, it churned out a whopping 300 horses! That power was sent to the road through a six-speed short-throw manual transmission and a proper limited-slip differential. It also received various other enhancements to improve handling, such as upgraded suspension, a stiffer chassis, and grippy 18-inch wheels.
The X-Runner was a truly unique truck, a pavement pounder that proved Toyota could build something fast and fun even with a bed. It’s the truck equivalent of a well-behaved pit bull that secretly knows Krav Maga.
Tacoma TRD Pro
While the X-Runner was for the street, the Tacoma TRD Pro is for those who believe the best roads are no roads at all. Toyota has given its latest Tacoma a serious, high-performance overhaul without sacrificing its everyday usability. It’s built to go up against off-road-focused trucks like the Chevy Colorado ZR2 and is available with a 278 hp 3.5-liter V6 engine (and now a new hybrid powertrain in the latest generation!).
It comes loaded with serious off-road goodies: fat, gnarly tires wrapped around 16-inch TRD Pro wheels, a beefy TRD skid plate to protect its underbelly, Fox suspension (now with more travel), and plenty of other features that’ll keep you moving when venturing far off the beaten path. This isn’t just a truck with a lift kit; it’s a meticulously engineered off-road beast, ready to tackle anything you can throw at it.
Your buddy’s lifted F-150 might look tough, but the TRD Pro can actually do things.
4Runner TRD Pro
Those who love the rugged capabilities of the Tacoma TRD Pro but need an SUV, not a pickup truck, will be happy to know that the Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro is exactly what they’re looking for. This is the SUV that says, “Yes, we can bring the whole family, and yes, we will climb that mountain safely.”
The 4Runner has earned its reputation as an old-school, analog off-road SUV, largely because it’s been built on an aging, but incredibly durable, platform for what feels like forever. But it’s also been updated with all the modern tech you need, offering the best of both worlds: unkillable reliability and modern creature comforts. It’s basically a tank that comes with cup holders.
Toyota FJ Cruiser
When Toyota stopped making the legendary FJ40 Land Cruiser in 1984, a little piece of our off-roading souls died. But then, in 2006, they brought back the spirit with the retro-styled FJ Cruiser, which was heavily inspired by its iconic ancestor. It has many awesome throwback design cues, including the bold “TOYOTA” spelled out across the grille, the quirky grille-headlight arrangement, and that near-vertical windshield with triple wipers (which are still super cool).
But there’s more to the Toyota FJ Cruiser than just fancy retro styling. Underneath, it uses the 1GR-FE V6, one of the most reliable Toyota engines ever to grace a chassis. And it’s not just a pretty face; this thing can genuinely tackle steep approach and departure angles, and wade through 30 inches of water without breaking a sweat (or a gasket). It’s a proper off-roader wrapped in a unique, head-turning package.
It’s proof that sometimes, looking backward is the best way to move forward.
When Toyota Gets It Right
Toyota’s got a deep bench of vehicles that prove they’re not just about boring commuting. From tire-shredding sports cars to mountain-climbing beasts, they’ve repeatedly built machines that stir something in the soul of any true car enthusiast. These are the Toyotas that deliver an experience, a lifestyle, and a genuine promise of good times just around the next corner. They prove that “reliable” doesn’t have to mean “repressed.”
So, whether you’re a lifelong Toyota loyalist or just now admitting that a beige Camry isn’t your only option, there’s a Toyota on this list that’ll call your name. Which of these vehicles would give you the adventure you’re craving?