Overview & Reviews

Toyota is a Japanese brand whose refined, well-designed vehicles have earned it a great deal of popularity. Toyotas also have a superb record for reliability and durability, which goes a long way toward justifying their typically high purchase prices. For buyers who plan on owning their new vehicles for a long time, the Toyota marque is a very compelling choice.

The automaker's name is a variation of the surname of its founder, Kiichiro Toyoda. After years of research, Toyoda unveiled his first prototype, the A1, in 1935, marking the birth of the Toyota Motor Corporation. The '40s witnessed the launch of additional passenger cars and even a pickup. By the end of the decade, the automaker had produced more than 100,000 vehicles.

Toyota grew bigger in the '50s and expanded its roster with a slew of new small cars. The company also unveiled the utilitarian BJ truck; this vehicle was the precursor to the Land Cruiser. By the end of the decade, Toyota had commenced exports to the U.S. with the establishment of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. The first Toyota to be sold on American shores was the Crown; it held the distinction of being the first Japanese car to be sold Stateside.

The '60s witnessed even more growth for the emerging juggernaut. Toyota introduced the Corolla, an immensely popular model that is still in production today. Vehicles like the home-market Publica, the 2000GT, Hiace and Miniace were also launched. The decade closed with Toyota reporting annual domestic sales of 1 million units; cumulative exports also reached 1 million.

Japanese-market cars like the Carina, Light Ace and Publica Starlet were launched during the 1970s. In the States, the Corolla grew in popularity and the Corona and Mk II models debuted as well. The successful Celica sports coupe was also rolled out and would remain in production for more than 30 years. Toyota's shadow had spread far beyond Japan by this point. The decade's oil crisis had made the manufacturer's compact, fuel-efficient models more popular than ever in the United States. By the time the '70s drew to a close, the automaker had exported more than 10 million vehicles.

Toyota expanded its presence in the U.S. market during the '80s, with the introduction of popular models like the 4Runner SUV and the MR2 sports car. The true high point of these years, though, was the birth of the Toyota Camry sedan. Originally known as the Celica Camry in Japan, the car went on to be a hit of phenomenal proportions, earning kudos as America's best-selling car of the year time and time again.

During the '90s, Toyota rolled out the Avalon full-size sedan and expanded its selection of SUVs with the compact RAV4. By the end of the decade, more than 100 million Toyota vehicles had been produced in Japan. The company also proved itself on the cutting edge of new technology with the rollout of the Prius, the world's first mass-produced hybrid. The car debuted in Japan in 1997; by 2001, the fuel-sipping sedan had made its way to American highways. Despite the presence of a growing number of competitors in its segment, the Prius continues to boast class-leading sales.

Toyota's current lineup is relatively extensive, including minivans, cars, trucks and SUVs. The brand remains extremely popular among savvy consumers who place a high value on quality and dependability.

User Reviews:

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  A VERY solid SUV to purchase - 2008 Toyota RAV4
  By mkjyoung22 - April 5 - 6:30 am

  A very good value for your money. This SUV has a ton of power (269 horsepower), and handles exceptionally. The fun factor CANNOT be matched by any vehicle in its class, and probably not by many out of its class. The mileage is very good too, as mine gets 24mpg over all. The interior is comfortable for five people (I am 6ft 3in) and the third row people can sit reasonably comfortable, depending on how you adjust the second row of seats... but is fantastic if you have a few kids. The quality is very solid, the doors seem heavy when you shut them, and the items that are plastic do not have that cheap feel to them. The controls are well placed and very helpful. I am very satisfied overall.

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  Odd things - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By HelpingU - April 5 - 6:00 am

  So far the car is super nice riding, fun to drive and quiet???? but there is a rattle in my dash, a vibration in my front end like the other guy described and I smell the Hot catalytic sulphur smell BAD!!! The gas mileage is so poor, but as Americans I guess we sacrifice comfort and looks for the little things that Honda has mastered.. Such as decent mileage, power off the line, not at 5000rpm etc.

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  A fun little car - 2006 Toyota Corolla
  By peterm - April 5 - 3:43 am

  We love just about everything about the 06. Its sporty looking, comfortable, and quiet. It has more pickup than I expected. I agree with others that a telescoping steering wheel should be available and ABS should be standard. We bought ABS & the side airbags. The rear seat has enough legroom (not roomy but not cramped). The upgraded sound package (VV) wasnt very impressive. We easily added fog lights to the LE (which is already wired for them) and wish it was an option.

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  Mixed Feelings - 2009 Toyota Matrix
  By Kathleen - April 5 - 12:30 am

  I bought my 09 in July and already have over 9000 miles on it. Gas mileage, the main reason I bought it, is GREAT. It drives well too. I am upset with the Dealer market $ add-on and having to add all the extras, too. I added cruise control, leather, tinted windows, tow hitch, up graded rear view mirror, up graded radio. I wanted power seats, but they werent available. I think Toyota needs to improve the quality and comfort.

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  The reliable, lovable 2007 Yaris - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By nargrakhan - April 4 - 11:07 pm

  This was the first car Ive personally owned, bought for a flat 13k from the local Toyota dealer. Its been in my possession for exactly seven years, and currently just under 59k miles. I always got an oil change every 5000 miles. Changed tires and engine tune up at 50k. Let me state she NEVER fails me. Be it flooding downpours, heavy snowfalls or gusting hurricanes: the car always pulled through like a champion. Been hit twice at low speeds (once in the front and once in the rear), but after a quick trip to the bodyshop she runs perfect. Both incidents only caused cosmetic bumper damage, as the car itself is far more rugged than she looks. She has spunk. She has spirit. I love her!

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  Does not deliver on the looks it promises - 2016 Toyota Corolla
  By NK - April 4 - 9:43 pm

  I thought long and hard so far of my month+ of driving the 2016 Corolla S. Am I really driving a Toyota? What willed me into the vehicle was its overall design- very well done on the exterior and interior. Reminds me of several higher-end vehicles of the last decade. I do enjoy the HID lights and nice wheels; the vehicle has a nice presence. However, this vehicle overall has been a major letdown. I expected buying a brand new Toyota not to have to worry about petty little issues like squeaks and rattles. I did not look over the car in that regard; I expected, "its a Toyota"... & that is where it has let me down. I have NEVER owned a vehicle (coming from years of driving old Hondas) that RATTLES so much. This vehicle has a rattle in the drivers door, one by the a/c vent by the drivers window, the steering column itself, one in the passenger seat, one in the plastic trim over the passenger-side airbag, and last but not least, the light/Bluetooth microphone fixture on the roof rattles as well. I would imagine it is not unreasonable that this drives me crazy- it has 1200 miles on it!! This vehicle is also somewhat noisier then anticipated. Blame this on the short test-drive, I suppose. The LE did not seem as noisy. Additionally, the MPGs are marginal at best. In identical conditions, my old Honda got 33 MPG... it was a class-size above... The Corolla is getting about the same. However, the EPA is 25~30% better on the Corolla, go figure. Again, something that this car has not been able to deliver. The steering on this vehicle is light. I realize during a highway maneuver how lacking in feel and control this car is. Lane changes are an ordeal- the car just floats around and one cannot control its direction due to lack of feedback. Imagine using a computer tiller, but attached to an actual car. The one last pet-peeve I have of this vehicle is how uncomfortable it is. It did not seem so during the test drive- it didnt raise an objection. However, the telescopic steering wheel does not come out far enough, causing me to sit closer to the wheel, which in turn bends my knees so that it is not resting against the cushion. The left footrest is too close to the brake pedal- I cant rest my foot on this footrest without contorting my legs, and thus they look to stretch beside it. However, the proximity of the protruding footrest and brake pedal is so close that if I were to move my foot, it also touches the brake pedal- not great when actually depressing the brake pedal. Again, my responsibility for not scrutinizing this during the test drive, but an ergonomic downfall galore nonetheless. I suppose the consumer in this situation is the one that needs to take responsibility- or the salesman hustled me too good. However, the Corolla is the worst car Ive ever had- and Ive had old cars stranding me every now and then. This was the whole point- I wanted to avoid this headache in that regard. What I got was a warrantied car, but an absolute irritant to drive. This vehicle was bought on past reputation- parents, company cars, etc. It even looks great. After a month of driving it, it has disappointingly not delivered. I urge others to scrutinize their Toyota purchase; my experience says the current Toyota product is a hollowed out facade built upon past glory.

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  Bullet Proof - 1999 Toyota Corolla
  By MtnRoad - April 4 - 2:19 pm

  I purchased a used 1999 Toyota Corolla LE with a 1.8L 4spd automatic trans w/ OD in 2014 with approx 150,000 miles on it. It had been well taken care of by the previous owner, and I continued the same maintenance with regular oil changes, etc. I took it to Riverview Toyota in Mesa, AZ for my regular maintenance and they never fleeced me or recommended anything other than the oil changes and other regular maintenance. The brake pads were kind of making a slow grind and I took it into Riverview and they were honest and told me the previous owner didnt install ceramic brake pads (at a non Toyota shop) and the grind was nothing, dont worry about it they said keep driving it and ignore the non-ceramic brake pad sound (they could have lied and charged me for new brakes but they didnt). I only mention the dealership because the honest service I got from the manufacturer was half the experience of owning this car. THIS MODEL IS BULLET PROOF!!! It ran perfectly, was quick in city and highway driving, and had a smooth ride, and the seats were pretty comfortable and like new. The engine uses a timing chain so no need to worry about timing belts coming apart and causing damage. As you know, timing chains typically outlast the life of a car. I never had any problems with a/c, power windows, locks, or other stuff either. The trunk is pretty spacious and the rear seats fold down to extend the cargo capacity with a opening to the trunk. This is the little car that keeps going and going. I just sold it to a neighbor with 180k on it and he loves it too. If there was anything I could complain about it would be the low profile and it is hard to get in and out for larger / taller people. Rock chips on the front were pretty bad and it appears the paint doesnt hold up well over the years but my car was white so it didnt look bad at all. I put a cheap $30 "pleather" bra on the front and it looked pretty good. If you want a reliable car that will start every time, this is the car. I would drive this car to Alaska and back, no problem. Gas mileage in this car is awesome too. I would buy another one, and recommend this car to anyone.

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  May be the best sedan for the price . . - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By brown3 - April 4 - 9:40 am

  Though other automakers may offer a model that beats the Avalon in one or two areas, taken as a whole, factoring in power, ergonomics, features, build quality, reputation for reliability, and fuel economy, this may well be the BEST 4-door sedan under $35,000 on the market. (A Lexus 430 is better, but though it’s pushing twice the price it’s not nearly twice the car.) As to my actual experience, there was a little “jerkiness” in the shifting initially, but by 1500 miles it had smoothed out to near CVT levels. I’m getting 25+ mpg on regular gas in what I’d term “hill country suburban” driving, excellent for a sedan with performance rivaling what passed for a “muscle car” in the late ‘70s.

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  Great car - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By D Biggs - April 4 - 7:10 am

  This vehicle drives like a dream. I found it to be a superior ride to the Lexus ES 330. Features abound for the money. Just wish the cooled leather seats had come with this model as the weather here is extremely humid. Though the Limited model had this feature, it was a little too expensive as outfitted and had a number of features I personally did not require.

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  tundra - 2003 Toyota Tundra
  By kevin - April 4 - 5:43 am

  absolutely excellent vehicle, this is my second tundra, they are unbreakable and extremely reliable. I highly recommend all toyota products, I just wish that they would come out with a diesel in the U.S.