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There is a conversation I have been scared of having with you because it involves a lot of unpopular opinions. However, I sat back to think about it for days and built up my confidence with enough points. I want to give you 6 reasons why Toyota is overrated in Nigeria and even beyond.

So what does "Overrated" mean? Yes, the stuff is good but it isn't as awesome as how majority talk about it and hype it every day. For instance, your friends have been telling you about how delicious a particular Jollof Rice from a popular restaurant tastes. You go there with high hopes to buy some only to find out the Jollof Rice is not so delicious, then that Jollof Rice has been overrated by your friends. You should get it now?

Toyota is among the best no doubt

Toyota is a brand I love so much because its cars are among few cars that fit the Nigerian conditions almost perfectly. Nevertheless, it has been overrated over the years as the best car brand anyone could purchase in Nigeria. 

6 reasons why Toyota Overrated in Nigeria

1. They copy other manufacturer's technology

Toyota rarely innovates anything new when it comes to automobile production. A classic example is when Honda created the Vtec technology on their cars in 1983 to make their engines consume less fuel and perform better. Toyota reversed engineered this and created the VVT-I in 1996 and still use it to date.

You must have seen these engines before?

Toyota innovates as much as you think they do. They are focused on just selling a lot of cars to many people and most new Toyota cars lack the technologies a new car should have. The reverse camera on the 2018 Honda Accord for example has 3 views. These 3 views almost imitate the 360 reverse camera on Benz cars. 2018 Toyota Camry's reverse camera has a bad display and you get only one view in 2020. Guess what? The Accord and Camry sell at the same price.

The BMW Z4 is a 2 door sports car that the Toyota Supra photocopied

This happens normally in the automobile world but coming from Toyota that you all talk about in very high esteem. It is just somehow.

2. Interior is always below par

Toyota is making the most unappealing interior in 2020, which is pissing a lot of you off but you are scared to talk about it because it is a Toyota. The interior of the 2020 Camry is yet another classic example. The buttons are cluttered and make the infotainment looks like a calculator. The stitching on the seats looks too low budget for a flagship Toyota sedan.

Compare the interiors yourself; Honda (UP) Toyota (DOWN)

I am not talking about the size of the interior or functions, I am just talking about the quality of the interior in general. 

Peeling roof upholstery in a Camry

Toyota is the one brand that is always having the cracking dashboard problem with their cars. The problem even got extended into the popular Lexus ES and IS models which are also owned by Toyota.

3. They just recycle cars 

Toyota has been recycling the Land Cruiser and Land Cruiser Prado for over 10 years now. This would not be been a bad thing if they weren't just selling us facelifted cars as new model cars. Thankfully, a lot of you now know how to upgrade cars in Nigeria.

Imagine the Land Cruiser after all these years looking the same 

Imagine the facelift of the Toyota Corolla in 2011, the only difference was the presence of a revised taillight. Toyota does this thing every time. They publicly announce a new model car but nothing even changed. Not even visually! What an overrated brand.

4. Very lazy based on engine 

There is no top automobile company in this world that repeats engine in cars more than Toyota. Toyota has been using the same engine on the Land Cruiser and Land Cruiser Prado for over 15 years. Toyota will use the same engine across all its sedan and you would keep wondering why the Camry and Corolla drive the same way.

>>> Read also: Toyota Camry 2011 review & prices in Nigeria

Toyota is very lazy and they don't want to evolve with its engine production technique. Every other car manufacturer is trying out ways to reduce engine size and optimize performance by using turbocharging technology and the likes but Toyota hasn't tried this out yet. They are probably waiting to copy out their rivals.

5. Poor Styling

When it comes to vehicle styling, Toyota is not a big fan of mouth-watering designs. Generally, their cars are not beautiful on appearance and this is the first basis I argue on when people talk about how awesome the Toyota brand is.

See how awkward a 2020 car looks?

You might not care about the looks of a car but people like me care so much about that. Other car manufacturers in the league of Toyota strive to make better-looking designs for their cars while Toyota just keeps giving us the same sauce. 

Thankfully in 2018, Toyota woke up to take design cues from Lexus and this is helping the brand climb back up on the ladder of good looking everyday car brands.

6. Trim level is a thing of the past 

For a car brand that is meant to be for everyone, I do not like the idea of Toyota's extensive trim levels. A Toyota Camry would have L, LE, XLE, SE, XSE and TRD. The variation between these trims are just a few things and it confuses people on which to go for. 

Too many trims piss customers off; true or false?

The prices of these trims vary by just a few thousands of dollars so why can't the trims be minimal? I don't get the idea.

Conclusion 

With these very few points of mine, I hope I have been able to convince and not confuse you on 5 reasons why Toyota is Overrated in Nigeria?. If yes or no, please make sure you remember that at NAIJAUTO.COM, we care about your knowledge and safety as a driver in Nigeria. You should see details on how to maintain every car brand in Nigeria from the common Toyota, Honda, Mazda to BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and others.

>>> Get brand new, foreign used, and locally used cars on our car for sale section. Do check them out!