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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  Its a great little car for the money - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By Eva Alice - May 5 - 10:01 am

  I drove my Yaris, Barney, for five years. I bought him used in 2011 with about 45K miles and he has been a very reliable car for me. The only repair I have had to make the entire five years is the serpentine belt, which cost me about 60 bucks. The fuel efficiency has been great, the oil is super easy to change yourself, and other repairs are easy as well. The car is basic, it does not have a bunch of bells and whistles, but anyone who is shopping for this car should know that. It is cheap to drive and it gets you where you need to go. I had no problems with it in the snow, it drove really well in snowy weather, although I could not get it all the way up my driveway in snowy conditions unless I put on chains. The seats are a little uncomfortable for long drives, and even though the car seats five, it really is only comfortable for four. Ive taken this on road trips with the family, and it is a tight squeeze. The backseat is very roomy thought for two people, lots of leg space. It does have a lot of plastic on the interior, and it is a little annoying, but super easy to keep clean. The AUX jack is finicky, and sometimes it takes some fiddling with to get it to work (it doesnt recognize that a cord is plugged in). This part is easy to replace yourself though, but it costs about $80 for the part! The headlights are a little tricky to replace, the manual will tell you to try to reach in behind the headlights under the hood to replace the bulb, but that is impossible unless you have the hands of a newborn baby. What I ended up doing was pulling the front bumper partially off, which was surprisingly simple (it just snaps on!). And I do not agree with the other reviews regarding it feeling unsafe. I felt perfectly safe on the freeway in this car, and elsewhere. The only issue I had in regards to ride was when it was windy, the car got pushed around a little, and also the road noise is really loud. Overall, for the price and the cost of maintenance, this is a great car! The only reason I have decided to give the car up is it is only a two door and I need something bigger to haul the family around in.

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  Buy it - 2006 Toyota Corolla
  By charleym3 - May 5 - 9:59 am

  Got the base model, no electric anything. Only added option was cruise control. After 115K miles, the only thing that has gone wrong is the CC switch for 80$. Tires dont last as long as I would like. I do all of the required maintenance and it keeps going and going. Im getting better mileage than EPA extimates, 37-38 in city driving.

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  long distance driving - 2016 Toyota Prius
  By Terry - May 5 - 2:58 am

  How can Toyota come out with such a great cat with one big flaw.. the seats for long distance driving are the worst of any car I have owned. we latterly crawl of the car after a long road trip. this is the reason I will get rid of it asap. will get less millage but better seating in something rather than this. (have owned 5 Toyotas.

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  Love my car - 1994 Toyota Corolla
  By Andrew C. - May 4 - 10:50 pm

  I love my Corolla. It has stood the test of time. Still getting 30 plus mpg, my car cannot be beat. I have done a few things (exhaust manifold, cold air intake, regular tune ups) to keep my car at its peak and the power of the car has not suffered at all in the past 14 years. Toyota reliability cannot be beat.

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  Toyota Matrix = College Students Dream - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By Alex - May 4 - 7:00 pm

  I live in Upstate NY, and I must say that the AWD Matrix handles winter weather exceptionally well. Also, as a college student, the space the Matrix provides (especially when the seats fold down) is extremely accommodating. I practically fit my whole dorm room into this wagon! I love the Matrix so much that if I was ever to purchase a new car, it would definitely be a newer version of the Matrix, I cannot see myself driving any other car that fits my needs. The gas mileage for an AWD car is amazing: I drove from Oneonta, NY to Rochester, NY on a full tank of gas and I had above a half a tank still available. Ive also found it to be very fun car to drive and the seats are very comfortable!

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  Great Car!! Highly Recommand.. - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Nokia-Samsung - May 4 - 4:20 pm

  Hi Friends,Ive been driving this car about a 1yrnow..Great Car, very quite, V-4 stillruns like v-6, great gas milage, I useit mostly for long travel, roughly about32.5 mpg, Its very comfy, I used totavel same distance in my old HondaCivic it was horrible by the time Ireach my destination I was so tired, nowin this car, I dont feel thing when Idrive 125 mile in the morning..Justgreat overall car..I love it..

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  Great Car - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By Bill Bryant - May 4 - 10:13 am

  The 2005 Avalon is a super car. It runs very quiet and is very economical to run. My only negative comment would be that the odometer is sometimes hard to see during daylight. I am very happy with my recent choice.

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  One Awesome & Economical Car 40mpg - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By loved my corolla - May 4 - 6:10 am

  I loved my Corolla, I consistently averaged 35-40 mpg combined city / hwy miles. I recently was in an accident - car was totaled and I must say the safety features kept everyone safe and alive! I am going to be getting another one, hope I get the same mileage with my new one!!

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  Poor Performance - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Chris - May 4 - 1:03 am

  Bought the 2007 Camry in April 2007, the carÂ’s acceleration is poor to say the least. I took the Camry to the car dealership and they told me the car is performing the way it should. I disagree with their opinion so I called Toyota customer service department and they in turn told me there are no problems with this vehicle. I feel the slow acceleration and hesitation is a major safety issue and something needs to be done to correct this major deficiency right away.

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  Good sporty little car - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By Danw - May 3 - 8:53 pm

  I purchased a 2009 Corolla XRS, 3 months ago. I like the car a lot, I drive at least 100 miles a day. I deliver for a living. I have had Toyota trucks in the past, and had nothing but good experiences with them. And decided to try a Corolla (a guy I work with has a 2003 Corolla with 220,000 miles with no breakdowns), thats one reason I went with the Corolla , dont like the space ship look of the Civic si. The only complaint I have with the Corolla, is the highway noise above 60 mph. Anybody else, have this complaint? Also, my left front tire is wearing, on the outside edge. Might be alignment, rotated tires and diffrent front tire doing same thing. Would Toyota cover alignment since I have less than 11,000 mls.