2023 Toyota Corolla
2023 Toyota Corolla
When is the best time to buy a Toyota?
With so many different models launched at varying times, figuring out the optimum time to make a move is important if you want to maximise your investment. Nobody wants something that’s soon going to be old and outdated. Especially as that can really impact resale values. It also gives buyers a stronger position to haggle prices down.
Here, then, is a brief summary of every Toyota ute and passenger car available in Australia, and what’s in store for each.
Most have waiting times of up to a year or more, with some – like the GR Yaris, Supra and Granvia – currently so in demand that they’re pretty much unavailable for the foreseeable future. Check with your Toyota dealer first.
There’s also a link above outlining Toyota SUVs, as there are too many of them to have in just one article!
Toyota Yaris
Launched: 2020, 4th-gen, all-new.
Pluses: Big jump in safety, refinement and style; now with unique hybrid option.
Minuses: Rocketing prices to match, long waiting list, especially for popular hybrids.
Updated due… A minor facelift expected sometime later this year or in 2024.
Verdict: Pricey but enjoyable supermini that’s taken Europe by storm. A smart choice.
Our advice: BUY NOW
Toyota GR Yaris
Launched: 2020, 1st-gen (but based on 4th-gen Yaris), all-new.
Pluses: A thrilling firecracker turbo AWD manual hot-hatch with a unique three-door body.
Minuses: Currently unavailable due to demand, no auto option, prices have certainly jumped .
Updated due… Maybe sometime in 2024?
Verdict: Nothing like it on the planet – a true old-school hot-hatch experience and living legend.
Our advice: BUY NOW – when Toyota re-opens the order books
2023 Toyota Corolla
2023 Toyota Corolla
Toyota Corolla
Launched: 2018, 12th-gen, all-new.
Pluses: Advancements in safety, refinement, style and fun; expanded hybrid availability.
Minuses: Tiny boot in pretty hatch, prices creeping up, big wait lists for hybrids.
Updated due… A minor facelift came in 2021; a redesign expected next year.
Verdict: Best Corolla in decades if you can overlook hatchback’s laughably small boot.
Our advice: BUY – but redesign not too far away
Toyota Camry
Launched: 2017, 8th-gen, all-new.
Pluses: Affordable, spacious, reliable, dependable, with hybrid option – and drives well too!
Minuses: Old-fashioned concept but it’s a Camry so you know that, right?
Updated due… Tiny updates in 2020 but the redesign is expected next year.
Verdict: Easily the best-value old-school family sedan on the market – you cannot go wrong.
Our advice: BUY – but redesign not too far away
Toyota GR86
Launched: 2022, 2nd-gen, redesign.
Pluses: One of the few true affordable sports cars left, alongside Subaru BRZ and Mazda MX-5.
Minuses: Not as cheap as it used to be, some spec shortfalls in base version.
Updated due… 2030 maybe? Who knows; probably the last of its kind with petrol power.
Verdict: Still such unbridled joy.
BUY NOW
Toyota GR Supra
Launched: 2019, 5th-gen, all-new.
Pluses: Toyota-designed coupe version of BMW Z4, co-developed by both brands.
Minuses: A wonderful grand tourer/sports car but expensive and too BMW-like in feel.
Updated due… Later in the decade, but at least the manual’s finally here (from late 2022).
Verdict: A likeable Ford Mustang and Nissan Z alternative; wild yet sophisticated.
BUY NOW
Toyota HiLux
Launched: 2015, 8th-gen, rebody of 2004 version.
Pluses: An original, great reputation for toughness, strong resale value.
Minuses: Diesel particulate filter issues tarnishing image, dated, jittery ride, tight cabin, expensive.
Updated due… All-new next-gen HiLux due in 2024, can’t come soon enough.
Verdict: DPF fallout notwithstanding, a sound choice for resale, but far from class-best.
Our advice: WAIT
Toyota Granvia
Launched: 2019, 1st-gen (in Australia), all-new.
Pluses: So big, so roomy, easy to drive and see out of, based on HiAce van.
Minuses: Expensive, short service intervals, feels/sounds/drive like a van, DPF concerns (see HiLux).
Updated due… Not likely before the end of this decade.
Verdict: Nothing like a Tarago, sadly, but a big, solid and dependable business-like 6/8-seater van.
BUY NOW
Toyota HiAce
Launched: 2019, 6th-gen, all-new.
Pluses: So much better than before in every way – spacious, practical, safe, pleasant, easy.
Minuses: Boxy styling, short service intervals, limited towing capacity, DPF concerns (see HiLux).
Updated due… Who knows… the tired old HiAce lasted decades.
Verdict: The go-to van for serious work, and probably the best for long-term ownership.
BUY NOW
Keyword: Should you buy a Toyota HiLux, van, hatchback, sedan or sports car now or wait for the redesign or facelift? Life cycles for Australia's best-seller, as well as Camry, Corolla, Yaris and more detailed