The Toyota Avalon usually lands in the garages of those who want a large, comfortable luxury sedan, but could care less about a premium badge on the grille. The 2013 Avalon, bowing at the 2012 New York auto show, furthers that mission but with bolder styling and hints of sporty intentions.

For all the Toyota Camry's success -- it's been the bestselling car for the last nine years -- the Camry is also a frequent target of critics. The overarching theme is that the Camry is boring. With the new 2012 Camry, you get the impression that Toyota has taken some of that criticism to heart.

Toyota's Prius family is growing. The Prius V is bigger in every key dimension than the stock Prius, and the company just unveiled the smallest Prius ever, the Prius C, which will cost less than $20K and get more than 50 mpg. We haven't yet driven the Prius C, but I'm going go out on a limb and project that Toyota will have done a better job of shrinking its ultrasuccessful Prius formula than it has in enlarging it.

Geneva Motor Show stand has one more hybrid on it this week: it's called the FT-Bh concept, a petite hybrid that promises to take the efficiency of Hybrid Synergy Drive and tune it to a logical extreme with a lighter curb weight, a smaller engine, and other eco-minded tweaks.

The 2012 auto show season is well underway with the Detroit show this week, and Toyota is wasting no time preparing for the Geneva Motor Show in March. The automaker has released the first official photos and details of the Yaris Hybrid ahead of its Geneva debut.

Toyota's Prius family is growing. The Prius V is bigger in every key dimension than the stock Prius, and the company just unveiled the smallest Prius ever, the Prius C, which will cost less than $20K and get more than 50 mpg. We haven't yet driven the Prius C, but I'm going go out on a limb and project that Toyota will have done a better job of shrinking its ultrasuccessful Prius formula than it has in enlarging it.

Could anyone have forecast the success of the ugly little hybrid Toyota introduced back in 1997, when oil cost about $20 a barrel? "Yes," says a grinning Satoshi Ogiso. The Toyota chief engineer has been involved in Prius development since the beginning and has been gratified to see more than three million of his babies roll out of dealerships worldwide.

The Toyota Land Cruiser, which was first launched in Japan six decades ago, receives a raft of visual and equipment updates for the 2013 model year. As a result of the updates, almost every feature that was previously an option on the Land Cruiser will henceforth by standard.

I'm reluctant to parrot Toyota's advertising, but there's more than an ounce of truth in the "Yaris -- It's a car!" campaign. During my night with the Yaris, I verified that it does indeed have four wheels, a steering wheel, and a gasoline engine. It also has a steering column that doesn't telescope and a four-speed automatic transmission, which were two of the key factors preventing Toyota from pursuing the alternative tagline, "It's a competitive car!"

Toyota unveiled the NS4 plug-in hybrid at the 2012 North American Auto Show. Toyota is using the NS4 to demonstrate future safety features, connectivity technology, efficient drivetrain, and design ideas. Many members of the crowd were expecting to see another variation on the Prius theme and were surprised to see one of Toyota’s most interesting designs.

Today's version of the Toyota Land Cruiser may still be a capable off-roader like the original, but that and the name is about all they have in common. Over the years, the Land Cruiser has grown -- physically and philosophically -- into a luxo-barge with a wallet-busting price tag north of $69,000. For the 2013 model year, the Land Cruiser gets a few updates and yet another price bump -- to the tune of $9000 -- bringing the total to $78,765 including the $810 destination fee.

Our left-brain loves the Toyota Highlander. It squeezes three rows of seats into a relatively small package (although like so many other crossovers, it has grown over the years). It outflanks competitors with three powertrain offerings--a in-line four-cylinder, a V-6, and a V-6 hybrid that achieves 28 mpg combined. The six-cylinder likely would get better fuel economy if it, like the 2.7-liter four-cylinder, came with a six-speed rather than a five-speed automatic. The interior, largely unchanged after four years on the market, remains a strong point, with large, attractive controls and all the technology buyers in this segment expect. There are also some features that will please former minivan owners, like second-row captain's chairs that can slide together to become a bench seat. A power liftgate is standard on all but base models. The Highlander's problem is that it has been overprocessed and overengineered to the point that it hardly registers any emotion. The steering and handling fail to provide any information to the driver. Styling, revised last year, tries to borrow from Toyota's larger, tougher trucks, but the Highlander mostly looks awkward and bland at the same time. Offerings from GM and Mazda drive and look better. Of course, keep in mind that we are talking about the crossover segment, where the Highlander's technical prowess is much more important than how it appeals to the emotions.

Like the Sequoia and many of its full-size, body-on-frame competitors, the Land Cruiser has lost much of its mainstream appeal since gas prices started rising and the economy continued sputtering. But it is still one of the most comfortable ways of getting around, especially if getting around involves going off-road. The seventh-generation Land Cruiser, which debuted back in 2008, has pretty much everything you could ask for, starting with a 5.7-liter V-8 that produces a hefty 381 hp. Paired with a smooth six-speed automatic, it hurls this 5765-pound vehicle to 60 mph in about 6.5 seconds. Of course, you pay for this at the pump. For off-roading, computers control such features as multiterrain ABS for optimal application on any surface. Even though it's safe to say most Land Cruisers will stick to cruising on paved surfaces, the softly sprung suspension and live rear axle still betray an off-road bias that will surprise those accustomed to carlike large crossovers. Safety features include ten air bags, three-point seatbelts for all eight occupants, and active front-row head restraints. Fourteen stereo speakers ensure audibility of everything from piccolos to percussion instruments. Parking assistance is among the many convenience features. A long stretch separates the original, rustic Land Cruiser from this computer-controlled day spa, so if you desire relative purity and simplicity, see the FJ Cruiser.

If you were arguing that Toyota offers too many models, you might point to the Matrix. Essentially a Corolla hatchback, the Matrix is also uncomfortably similar to the Scion xB, which costs less and comes standard with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that is optional in the Matrix. To be fair, the Matrix's styling strikes a decent balance between the Corolla's blandness and the xB's potentially polarizing cubism. It also sets itself apart by offering all-wheel drive, which, combined with its command seating position, makes it a bargain alternative to a compact crossover. Be careful though, as a few options will quickly run the price toward $25,000. The view inside is inoffensive if also less appealing than that of newer compacts, with the sort of well-thought-out ergonomics we've come to expect from Toyota. The cabin betrays its age (the Matrix was last redesigned for 2009) in the quality of its plastics and in the lack of standard iPod connectivity. Round air-conditioning vents serve as a reminder that the Matrix was in fact developed back at a time when Pontiac was a going concern and sold the nearly identical Vibe. Toyota markets the Matrix as a somewhat sporty, youthful vehicle and offers a selection of TRD performance parts, including a limited-slip differential and performance brake pads, to increase the excitement. And yet the actual experience of driving a Matrix is more in line with that of the middle-of-the-road Corolla. The Matrix has ample power to keep up with traffic and reasonably accurate steering, but it doesn't offer much to get the driver excited.

The versatile Prius hatchback has proved that hybrids can appeal to a broad spectrum of buyers. Toyota wisely widens its scope even further with the Prius v variant. It's not much roomier--legroom has actually shrunk by 1.2 inches in front--but the v's tall rear hatch certifies it for Costco duty. It exhibits the same competent Prius driving dynamics, with good body control and decently weighted steering. A steep hill, though, will tax the 134-hp powertrain, which carries over unchanged from the hatchback. The v takes 10.4 seconds to accelerate to 60 mph, a good half-second longer than the regular Prius. Fuel economy also suffers in comparison, coming in at 42 mpg. We wouldn't think so much of that decrease if it weren't for the fact that the European version of this model, called the Prius+, gets mileage-improving lithium-ion batteries. Prius owners feeling outgreened by the Chevrolet Volt need not despair, however, because Toyota is rolling out a plug-in version of the Prius that does use lithium-ion batteries. Its promised fifteen miles of electric range isn't quite in the Volt's league, but it should return better mileage than the Chevy in hybrid mode. It'll be cheaper, too, starting at $32,760. We've yet to drive the Plug-in--Toyota is introducing the vehicle in only fourteen states this year--but expect it to drive almost identically to the hatchback with which it shares everything except batteries. That's a good thing, as the latest Prius, though hardly a sport sedan, has nicely weighted steering, a well-behaved powertrain, and a comfortable, confident ride.

The third-generation RAV4 is another Toyota product that pioneered its segment and has recently weathered an assault from competitors. However, the RAV4 has something of an ace up its sleeve in that it's large enough to accommodate optional third-row seats--something few of its direct competitors offer. Seating arrangements are flexible, and there's also an underfloor cargo area. With the rear seats folded down, the RAV4's cargo hold will easily swallow an adult-size bicycle. This mid-size crossover's utility doesn't come at the price of efficiency thanks to the fuel-sipping ways of its 166-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder. At the same time, the RAV4 can be had with Toyota's excellent 3.5-liter V-6, which makes 269 hp. That's enough to snap this crossover from 0 to 60 mph in less than seven seconds--something you won't experience in a Chevrolet Equinox. There are areas where the RAV4's age spots show--the all-business interior looks rather drab, for instance, and both engines could benefit from a six-speed automatic transmission (the four-cylinder employs a four-speed, the V-6 gets a five-speed). And like almost all Toyotas not named FJ Cruiser, it could use an injection of impassioned design.

The Toyota Sequoia, which is based on the Tundra full-size pickup, is a huge, heavy beast that dates back to that not-so-long-ago era when gas prices were low and housing values were high. This Texas-built and Texas-size machine was Toyota's answer to biggies such as the Ford Expedition and the Chevrolet Suburban. Third-row seats are standard fare, and the maximum towing capacity is 7400 pounds. The engine lineup consists of two brawny and thirsty V-8s. The base engine is a 4.6-liter that produces 310 hp, which is probably more than enough. The muscular 5.7-liter V-8 is still king, however (it also offers E85 capability in non-California-emissions states), and as a bonus its city fuel economy actually equals that of the smaller engine. Either way, no one is going to cross-shop the Sequoia with a Prius. Rather than economy, the Sequoia concentrates on luxury; iPod connectivity and Bluetooth are standard, and midlevel models get a backup camera as well as a power liftgate. Driving one is, well, nice. The big cozy driver's seat, the commanding view of the road, and a bottomless well of torque are pleasant reminders of the days when bigger really meant better. At the same time, the Sequoia's inescapable big-truck characteristics--poor body control, slow reflexes, and obscenely bad fuel economy--make clear that large crossovers are a much better option for large families.

Those who say Toyota doesn't offer any exciting products might want to look at the Sienna. That's right, a minivan. It has the distinction of being one of the most spirited vehicles in its segment, and it all starts with a swooping, modern design aimed at attracting young families who typically consider themselves too cool for minivans. The most sporting SE model goes so far as to feature a lowered suspension, smoked aluminum wheels, and an aggressive body kit. The SE backs up the styling with unique suspension tuning and sharper, heavier steering. With Toyota's venerable 3.5-liter V-6 under the hood, the Sienna is genuinely good to drive. Of course, practicality is still the paramount concern in this segment, and the Sienna offers plenty of it. Standard features include second-row seats that fold and slide all the way forward and a large cubbyhole between the front seats. The available rear-seat entertainment system can show two different programs at once on its wide screen, meaning less fighting from the kids over what to watch. The Sienna has more powertrain options than its competitors, from a price-leading 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine that nets 24 mpg on the highway to the aforementioned V-6, which can be paired with all-wheel drive. The four-cylinder manages well enough with 187 hp, but it doesn't offer enough of a mileage benefit (it actually does worse on the highway) or price advantage to make it worth sacrificing the smooth confidence of the six-cylinder.

The Tacoma is the best product left in a segment other automakers have chosen to either abandon or neglect. Although Toyota hasn't redesigned the Tacoma since 2005, it stays committed with timely tweaks. Last year, for instance, Toyota added some swagger with new T|X and T|X Pro packages. Based on a SEMA show concept and available only on V-6 models with the TRD off-road package, the T|X adds black bead-lock wheels wearing off-road tires, an aggressive new grille, and unique graphics. The Pro tops all that off with a performance exhaust. At the other end of the spectrum, the Tacoma offers a 159-hp four-cylinder engine. The 4.0-liter V-6 would likely be a better choice for most buyers, as it enables up to 6500 pounds of towing. Altogether, there are about two dozen body and trim combinations, but the basic lineup consists of the regular cab; the Access Cab, which boasts rear-hinged doors; and the Double Cab, which has full-size rear doors, flexible rear seatbacks, and a storage unit behind the second row. The coolest Tacoma is still the X-Runner, which has a lowered suspension and eighteen-inch wheels, as well as a standard six-speed manual transmission. The Tacoma has long faced competition from cheap full-size trucks, but its smaller size offers agility that those trucks can't match. Piloting a Tacoma around a crowded city is a refreshing reminder that not all pickups have to be monstrously oversized and difficult to park.

It seems like a very long time ago that Toyota introduced the Texas-made Tundra with the expectation that it would finally end American automakers' hegemony in the large-truck segment. Five years later, the Tundra struggles--and fails--to muster a sixth of the Ford F-series' sales volume. At the same time, Toyota has shifted much of its attention back to its cars, meaning the Tundra hasn't received as many updates as have its competitors. Still, the Tundra is a solid pickup truck. There are three engines, three body styles, two bed lengths, and a veritable laundry list of options. Things start off strong, with a base 4.0-liter V-6 that puts out 270 hp and a good midlevel option with the 310-hp, 4.6-liter V-8. Still, we'd say the 381-hp, 5.7-liter V-8 with variable valve timing best suits the Tundra's mission, especially if you'll be towing heavy loads; its maximum towing capacity is 10,400 pounds when properly equipped. Both V-8 engines team with a six-speed automatic transmission. The Tundra's only real shortcoming--aside from the fact that it's simply not exceptional enough to tear people from their Fords, Chevrolets, and Rams--is its ride quality. With an empty bed, it shudders and bounces more than its rivals. Its interior was truly exemplary when it debuted in 2007 and remains quite nice but, again, has fallen behind its American competition.

The Venza, like many new-age crossovers, makes a lot of sense on paper but leaves us scratching our heads trying to figure out its real-world advantages. Toyota says the Venza caters to drivers who want "the value and reliability of a Camry, the comfort and upscale refinement of an Avalon, and the utility and functionality of a Highlander" in one stylish, sporty package. To our eyes, the attempt to combine all these traits results in a rather awkwardly styled Camry wagon with high sills and a jacked-up ride height. Nevertheless, the Venza offers carlike agility and some SUV functionality. Its 268-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 performs the same way it does in Toyota's other vehicles, providing smooth, relatively economical motivation. There's a four-cylinder for about $2000 less, but we'd recommend saving money elsewhere, especially since the four offers only a marginal fuel economy advantage. A power-operated tilting-and-sliding panoramic sunroof is optional, as are a thirteen-speaker JBL sound system and a backup camera. The Venza also has the technological niceties families expect these days, including standard iPod connectivity and Bluetooth. V-6-powered Venzas sport standard twenty-inch wheels (a Toyota first), proving that you don't have to buy a sports car or a big SUV to roll like a late-'90s rapper.

The Yaris used to have little to recommend it beyond the fact that it was the most affordable way to own a new Toyota. This year it gets a shot in the arm that, at the very least, makes it worthy of consideration on other points. Styling, for instance. Its new sheetmetal has evolved from a too-cute jellybean into a more upscale hatchback. (Toyota has dropped the sedan, except as a fleet special.) The interior also leaves behind awkward attempts at cheap chic--no one ever liked that center speedometer--and instead adopts a traditional look and more standard features, including power windows and iPod connectivity. Although the only powertrain is the same 106-hp, 1.5-liter four-cylinder, a new SE trim complements it with a beefier suspension, quicker-ratio steering, and four-wheel disc brakes (rear drums are standard). Despite these changes, the Yaris remains behind the subcompact curve in some areas. It retains a four-speed automatic transmission at a time when many of its competitors offer six-speeds, and it fails to achieve the now almost obligatory 40 mpg on the highway. Even in SE guise, the Yaris suffers from disconnected, overboosted electric power steering (although that's hardly a unique offense in this segment). It's also no bargain. The two-door Yaris starts at about the same price as a four-door Mazda 2 or Ford Fiesta sedan. That said, the Yaris is worthy of consideration and, at the end of the day, is still the least expensive offering from an automaker that built its reputation on dependable small cars.

The 4Runner is in many respects a throwback and, like the related Tacoma, is one of the only remaining vehicles of its kind. Its body-on-frame construction and live rear axle appeal to those who still expect their mid-size SUV to do the things for which SUVs were actually invented: going off-road and towing. Those who spend most or all of their time traversing parking lots and highways may want to stick with the Highlander, as the 4Runner suffers from a bumpier ride and vague steering. That said, the 4Runner is a much more refined and efficient vehicle than the trucks that dominated the sales charts even ten years ago. For one, it comes with only a V-6 engine, the same 4.0-liter offered in the FJ Cruiser and the Tundra. Toyota initially offered a four-cylinder as well but killed it after less than a year when it became clear that not many people were interested in lugging around a 4400-pound vehicle with only 182 hp. The interior isn't luxurious (there needs to be a reason for the Lexus GX460 to exist, after all), but it is comfortable and nicely laid out, with fold-flat second- and (optional) third-row seats. It also incorporates a neat party trick, literally: at the push of a button, the stereo will send full power to the back speakers, creating a fun-hearted atmosphere for tailgate parties.

Most new cars claim--sometimes laughably--to appeal to the young and young at heart. The Avalon doesn't bother with such pretense. Witness its retro advertising: commercials feature the 1954 song "Mr. Sandman." Indeed, the Avalon, although redesigned just last year, is a traditional full-size car that doesn't pretend to be anything hip or trendy. As always, it rides on a stretched Camry wheelbase and seats five. Last year's update saw a few new creases and a smattering of chrome make it onto the exterior, but it's hard to imagine anyone aside from owners of old Avalons noticing. The interior distinguishes the car from lesser Toyotas with standard leather seating and upgraded materials. It also clearly panders to its audience with art deco influences and, more important, large fonts and big controls. There's also an impressive assortment of technology, including standard Bluetooth, USB, and satellite radio. The trunk, however, is actually slightly smaller than that of a Camry. Those inclined to floor the gas pedal will be in for a surprise: the silky smooth V-6 rockets the Avalon forward like a sport sedan. The pillow-soft suspension, though, makes it clear that performance is decidedly not the car's mission. Rather, the smooth ride and hushed cabin will please drivers who want to hear and feel as little of the road as possible.

For two decades, the Toyota Camry was virtually unchallenged for the title of America's favorite mid-size sedan, but that era is over. Barbarians are at the gate armed with better styling, newer technology, and superior fuel economy. The 2012 Camry intends to turn them back with an all-new design and thoroughly revised mechanicals. The transformation is most readily apparent inside, where the hard, tan plastics have given way to stitched leather and chrome accents. The new exterior design still plays to conservative tastes but is no longer bland. Unlike some of its newest competitors, the Camry still offers a V-6. The familiar 3.5-liter engine, despite mild fuel economy gains, gives up 4 mpg on the highway to the Hyundai Sonata's more powerful 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. The six is still worth considering, though, as it's perhaps the smoothest engine in the segment. The four-cylinder and hybrid powertrains both post gains as well, with the Hybrid likely to achieve an impressive 41 mpg combined. We're most surprised--and pleasantly so--by how the new Camry drives, particularly the Hybrid. The soupy handling, artificial steering, bouncy ride, grabby brakes, and clumsy throttle response we complained about have all vanished without a trace. The electric power steering (now fitted to all Camrys) is precise and almost natural, the brake pedal feels as good as any hybrid's, and the suspension tuning is nothing short of a revelation. The top-level SE serves up surprisingly balanced handling from its firmer suspension and heavier steering.