Your OCD senses might tingle a bit by looking at the Toyota Porte’s features. It’s not as messed up as the Nissan Cube, but if you like symmetry and organized things, this isn’t your vehicle.
In fact, you can’t really go to a Toyota dealership and say you’ll have a Porte because they will look at you with a strange stupid look on their faces, because the model is available only in... Japan of course.
As we were saying, if you like a chaotic design, the Toyota Porte might appeal you especially now that it received the F A La Mode special edition which adds a couple bright exterior finishes, ‘matched’ by trimming pieces inside and some other tech stuff.
But why this cute little car will make your OCD pop out and go nuts? Well, the name "Porte" (which basically means 'door') will warn you that this car is about one certain door. Go to the passenger side and discover that there is one single sliding door placed almost in the middle, as opposed to the driver’s side where there are normal doors for the driver and rear passenger.
Sliding that ‘misfitted’ door you’ll see that the front passenger seat differs from the driver’s and can be folded and pushed way upfront to allow access to the rear seats. It also acts as a little table when folded due to a tray shaped back end if you want.
And if this is not enough for you, check out the dashboard that makes no sense and everything is offset from everything - the upper central console starts dead center with the touchscreen display, but the lower part then decides to veer off towards the driver while having some random bumps. Luckily enough, the three main dials placed on it are aligned.
Not even the gauge cluster occupied a standard position - the main round analog speedo gauge sits right up top the central right air vent and an excrescence comes out from its left side to form a multi-information display.
You like a comfy armrest? If you do, don’t sit on the front passenger seat, because you won’t find one on the door. Instead, you’ll get a vertical monkey-handle on the extra pillar and a door handle that looks totally opposite to the one on the driver’s door.
Are you still with us? To top them all, the trimming panels don't follow a certain color coding, while the left side rearview mirror is mounted further that the one on the right because of the sliding door. You can have a glance at it from time to time through an extra side window created by the two pillars on the left side.
We admit, it’s a funky looking car for small Japanese families and it looks more than practical in its form, but imagine all MPVs being as wacky as this.
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