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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  What a let down! - 2014 Toyota Avalon
  By Zayne Austin - August 26 - 1:41 pm

  I went from a 2008 Solara sport to this 2014 Avalon, What a let down! The good, Lots of snap/HP. Nice materials used. Nicer styling. For the bad... the list is long!! Poor headlight illumination Blind spot mont.system over agressive during passing. you can not wash the car with the keys in your pocket, the car constantly locks and unlocks. There is poor storage area, and push button start makes it worse with more stuff Keys)to set somewhere! the certer armrest storage is horrible, no where to have a pen handy, Ok seats, super hard!!! no comfortable at all. Im always trying to readjust to relax my butt. the tilt wheel does not tilt down far enough, and does not telescope far enough. plus both are controlled by only one lever. so the tilt up upon exit usually retracts the telescope as well, so constant adjusting. I had to put the seat much closer to the dash than I like do to steering position issues. the window controls are wrong. when the arm is on the panel, my fingers are on top of the mirror controls, kinda not where then need to be! I dislike the radio controls. as you change presets your actually going down on the wheel, yet your preset stations are going up in sequence. very confusing. I guess setting up the presets backward will help. The materials on the radio controls are cheap. also, the HD is constantly going in and out, making radio loud, then quiet. Ill turn it off, but as soon as you change the station, its active again. The screen on the radio and climate are slanted at a poor angle, the sun hits them and you cant see anything!! they need to perhaps be tiltable so as to avoid sun glare. OK the car is automatic, always wandering for a gear, and has sport shift option and!!! paddle shifter! really? why waste that much mony on 3 shifting options in an AVALON? The a/c vents are horrible!!! you can cool the body from the chest up, or from knees down, but there are NO vents to cool your mid section. the "auto" to cool the car, does not work well, it activates vents only, not the floor vents, and it doesnt turn on high, you have to adjust it. some of the controls are just touch and some are PUSH, so wierd trying to remember what ones you have to push hard. The review camera has not helped me at all. I do like that the mirrors tilt down upon reverse though. the brakes kinda suck, it feels like they are going to warp if I push hard. I am a single guy 35, drive the car in eco all the time trying to be gentle. This car is neither luxury as I thought, or sport as they are trying. its simply a glorified Maxima, that is a let down on all fronts. Update as of 7-13-2016 I still dislike the car with 4200 miles. I would NOT buy it again.

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  Worst Purchase Ever - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By John - August 26 - 7:23 am

  I purchased this car used at the time it had around 60,000 miles. The reason for this purchase is because the great talk about them, I found out different. At about 85,000 miles the dealer put in a new transmission, because I was having slipping problems. Round 95,000 the dealer put a new lower end in my motor. The check engine light comes on and off at random, the suspension is rough, gets around terrible in any wet (rain, snow) conditions, it has terrible fuel economy (hwy miles) I am lucky to get anything over 25 miles to the gallon. All I can say is thank goodness the transmission and engine were covered since it was a Toyota Certified purchase.

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  Very very very dissapointed - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By dissapointment - August 20 - 8:10 am

  This is my 3rd camry since 99 and probably my last. Ive owned basically only Totyotas for the last 25 years, Land Cruisers, Corollas and Camrys and Ive never been so dissapointed. The transmission, doesnt work properly, as well as the cruise control, the car shakes after 60 miles, the radio and CD player had to be excchanged, overall I am the proud owner of a NIGHT MARE!!!

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  Save Yourself the Pain - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By Kim - August 18 - 12:33 pm

  I bought this car new and when I drove it off of the lot it had a rattle in the steering wheel area. I thought it was not a big deal that they could fix it. I was so wrong! Over a year later and many trips to the dealership the problem still exists. Toyota reps said live with it. The transmission is awful and Toyota is aware of this problem. This was the first year with the new transmission and they have problems; The transmission can sometimes "drag" when you are trying to move forward which makes driving on I-95a lot of fun or it may take it upon itself to move forward when sitting with your foot on the brake. My air conditioner likes to blow warm air in the summer.

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  Toyota is NOT TOPS with me - 2002 Toyota Sequoia
  By fagan8254 - August 14 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle has been in the shop 6X in its 4 month life. I have had the rotors replaced, 2 tires replaced (for wearing) and the noise in this vehicle in incredible. I also only get 13.1 on the fuel guage no matter what) I am SOOO disappointed in this one. I am selling it in the AJC (for what I paid for it) and expect to get it (since it is a Toyota!!) I am the cheapest one listed in the paper. Which says alot for imports. (I don;t say that feciously, since I couldnt give my 1999 Expedition away

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  Great car, but POOR quality - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By Steven Daly - July 31 - 1:00 pm

  I have owned a 1993 Camry and a 2001 Camry, and this 2008 Camry is terrible compared to those two. I am so disappointed in the cheap plastic parts, the terrible squeaks and rattles and the horrible transmission. This vehicle is by far, the best looking Camry I have had, but the worst quality of the three. It has already been in the shop FOUR TIMES. My other Camrys were never in the shop for anything other than oil changes!!

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  Great car? - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By jlahav - July 29 - 3:46 am

  After 14000 miles: 1. Paint is substandard. Worse paint of any car. 2. Standard stereo system. Bad sound quality. I could not turn the radio on. Replaced speakers with Sony speakers, sound quality improved. 3. Car is hesitating on acceleration. Takes 3 seconds for the car to respond. It is annoying and dangerous. 4. Squeaking noises from right side of front panel. Also clicking sound of something loose from the front panelÂ’s right side. 5. Loud popping noises coming from the rear left shock absorber area every now and then. 6. Uncomfortable seats. After long drive, I could not move for few minutes. Wife complaining of lower back pain. 7. Rattling noise from rear dashboardÂ’s right side.

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  Things you need to know about the 2016 rav xle - 2016 Toyota RAV4
  By John Tran - July 22 - 6:34 am

  1. Seat belt adjusters make rattle noise (when driving) 2. Popping sound in the back of the car ( after braking) 3. Strong engine vibration - shakes both front seats just like the 2015 crv. Sometimes I have to shut it off when parked because the vibration causes dizziness. 4. Car makes metal type sound when backing up and turning the steering wheel (like an old car). 5. For around $ 27k, TOYota makes auto headlights an option for the rav xle. Not a smart move. Overall the car looks luxurious but feels cheap. Lots of road noise, cabin noise (because of cheap materials in the car), and wind noise. Buy it for reliability. Look for something else if you want more features and comfort with the same amount of money.

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  What A Waste - 2007 Toyota Avalon
  By Pat - July 16 - 3:20 pm

  Before buying this car I heard great things about Toyota vehicles from friends and family, so I decided hey I have to get one for myself. What a joke, this car makes me sick!!! It has a very loud noise in the engine. I have taken it in too many times only to be told by the mechanic that he does not hear the noise. These guys must be deaf!!! The last mechanic told me that the noise is normal that the sound was in other cars he tested?! Transmission horrible to say the least not smooth at all. Sound system cannot be heard over noisy engine, brakes are terrible, problem with wipers, in all one of the worse vehicles I have ever owned. I cant wait to get rid of it!!!!!!

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  Not worth it - 2001 Toyota Prius
  By photo123 - July 13 - 8:34 am

  To buy a new hybrid is OK if parts are under warranty. It seems that the HV battery (High Voltage batter) at a cost of $4000.00 installed dies after 8 years and around 150,000km . Just when the warranty dies. Hmmmm!! The car is nice to drive, but, so is a Elantra and the Elantra is way more reliable and coat effective to fix for the same year. Then there is the converter!!! Another $4000.00!! Please read carefully the reports about the 1 gen Prius. The HV battery will go on you and they were a poor quality. If you are buying a Prius to save the planet, forget it! The cost and consumables related to keeping it going including maintenance and repairs will far out weigh the savings.