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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  Beware of this!!! - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By Beware - August 28 - 10:56 pm

  My husband and I have been through 9 cars and we bought and paid off this vehicle in full because we like that it was a Toyota (great reputation in quality and durability) it was a four door and had great space and very attractive and sporty look. Unfortunately weve had the worst experience ever out of 9 cars!!! It only has 15,000 miles and Ive been in the service deptarment more than I ever did for all my cars combined!!! To all who are looking into this car be aware that some matrix have been know to have a "long-crank" problem (mine is one of them). Sometimes it wont even start and I have to keep trying to start it with the key until it finally does. Very scary especially for a mom!

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  Ride is nice and smooth - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By SP - August 28 - 9:33 pm

  Ive had this car for over 3 weeks, and I must say, its a great car. The ride is nice and smooth. Though the steering does "wander" a bit, it isnt unbearable. The seating is comfortable for me, and the radio/aux system is nice. The gas mileage is great! A really good economy car.

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  New 2008 Touring Prius pkg #6 - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Ferret - August 28 - 6:36 pm

  Purchased the vehicle this week after waiting for 3 weeks to get what I wanted. So far I am more impressed with the vehicle that I thought I would be. Bought it to commute to work and use as a 2nd vehicle during the winter. The exterior styling is more appealing than expected. The larger spoiler plus 16" wheels make it look much nicer. Interior is nice and modern. The amount of information on the screen is a hoot to look at, although somewhat dangerous! Keep your eye on the road! Overall, I am very impressed with the car so far.

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  XLS is true road warrior - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By Hans Aubuchon - August 28 - 6:13 pm

  This car is in its element on the road. It rides especially well, is very comfortable, delivers incredible gas mileage for the space and is well built. The Avalon has been seriously upgraded over the 2004 models which were already nice cars. For the money, it delivers performance, luxory, and comfort that rivals Lexus, Infiniti, and Mercedes.

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  The seats are full of lint - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By dineen - August 28 - 1:33 pm

  I had a honda civic since 2006 and I figured I would try something new. In Sept I purchased a Corolla LE.. The car seems ok but the material for the seats is horrible. It is a gray material and it picks up lint. I mean it is really bad. The car is two months old and the seats are filled with tiny pieces of lint. I called Toyota and they said that is the first that they have heard of it. I am very frustrated. I cant remove it with a lint roller. I have to pick each piece individually. WOW!!! all those things I heard about Toyota are true.... bummer!!!!

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  Really enjoyed the 51 miles per gallon. - 2012 Toyota Prius
  By Cheryl - August 28 - 10:27 am

  The Fuel economy was unbelievable. Good, excellent even, but: and its a big one. The machine rides like a buckboard. Rough, very rough. The struts do not do the job. If you live down the street from your work and all are paved roads in good repair then its worth considering for the fuel savings alone. The resale value/ trade-in was not all it was cracked up to be. The largest disappointment were the mice. Literally. We had mice in the battery compartment, mice in the spare, mice in the rear seat. Mice in the ac. The mice were colonies. The fought, they died, they stunk, and stunk and stunk until we had to give up the ride. They came in though the engine cowling at the hood, under the wipers. They chewed through the cabin filter. We had them cleaned out by the dealership once, very expensive, and the car sanitized. They came again, we cleaned it out ourselves and placed wire over the air intakes under the wipers (YouTube) but during the summer every time we hit a bump, you guessed it: The smell of decaying mice through the air vents. Finally we traded for a Subaru. its a much better ride but I sure do miss that 51 mpg.

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  We Call It "The Turnip" - 2014 Toyota Avalon
  By Dave Kopczynski - August 28 - 4:17 am

  After owning nothing but Camrys since 1989, and being completely satisfied with them, we decided to "upgrade" to the Toyota "Flagship", assuming that it would be nicer than the Camrys. This was the biggest car buying mistake of my life! Our 2014 Avalon Limited has the harshest ride and the most road noise of any car we have ever owned. We refer to it as "The Turnip" because we feel the ride and noise would be what you would expect from a turnip truck used on a farm to transport vegetables. The seats are about as comfortable as sitting on a sheet of plywood. Understand that we think the deep metallic red Avalon is one of the prettiest cars on the road. We get a lot of compliments on the appearance of the car, and I always try to sell it to the people making the compliment. However, when new people ride in the car, the comment is something like, "What were you thinking? Did you even drive this thing before you bought it?" Regrettably, I didnt drive the car; I went entirely on Toyotas reputation for quality and the terrific Avalon reputation for a quiet, almost luxury car ride, in an affordable vehicle. Toyota says they redefined the ride to appeal to a younger (40-ish) group of potential buyers. I really dont see where a "neck-snapping" noisy ride would appeal to people in any age group. A few other complaints: 1. Navigation system is already out of date; 2. Analog and digital speed indications are different; 3. Rattles are starting to appear; 4. Sound system is very unimpressive compared to systems in our other cars. I have tried several times to trade this car for something (almost anything) else. Car dealers KNOW the Avalons new reputation, and the trade-in value is below the low end of the Kelly Blue Book range of values. The saddest event was when I test drove a Ford F-150 pickup truck and the ride quality and lack of road noise was FAR superior to the Avalon. Summary: If you feel you simply MUST consider this car, take it for an EXTENDED test drive before signing the paperwork!! Drive down a highway at 60 MPH and just listen to the road noise!! There doesnt seem to be adequate sound insulation in the body. READ READ READ the reviews!!! Better yet, buy something else. Update: After trying several times, we have not been able to get rid of this car. Dealers know that this is not the quiet comfortable car that Avalon used to be. The car has very low mileage and is in absolutely flawless condition, but we have not been able to get within $2000 of KBB or NADA trade in value. This car was a very poor choice. Update 2/17: We still own this car because we have been unable to get any kind of a reasonable trade-in on the vehicle. We keep the car as a spare when someone in the family needs a car when their car is in the shop, etc.. This is not a problem since we have four cars for two drivers. We purchased a new all-wheel-drive SUV last November. Sadly, the SUV rides far better than the Avalon and, unbelievably, is quieter. The most annoying thing about this Avalon is that it could have been a wonderful car if they had only left it alone and kept the fantastic quiet comfortable ride for which Avalon was know up to the 2013 model. I enjoy reading other Avalon reviews where the Avalon is compared to "the Flintstones car with granite wheels". At least I get a couple laughs out of the $35000 I threw away on this car.

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  Love passing gas stations - 2003 Toyota Prius
  By Rcruser - August 28 - 2:00 am

  After purchasing my Prius, I took a trip through the Rocky Mountains. I would have never believed that I could pass a truck going up a mountain and increase speed from 60 to 80 mph so quickly. The Prius is super efficient but you have to know how to drive it. You learn when to coast and brake. By watching the fuel consumption monitor you are constantly reminded of your driving habits. Comfortable, zippy, and passes gas stations with a smile. I do get 50+ mpg in country driving and city.

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  Why I love my truck - 1998 Toyota Tacoma
  By onebxr - August 28 - 2:00 am

  I love this truck. The only thing that I wish that I had known before buying this truck was that if you are going up hill against the wind there will be problems. Not enough power with the 4 cyl. Next Tacoma I get will definitely be a 6.

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  Excellent Used Car - 1997 Toyota Avalon
  By minime76 - August 28 - 2:00 am

  I recently purchased the 97 XLS model with the gold package. I think this is an excellent car. Ive had no problems with it thus far, and anticipate not having any problems with this Toyota for a long, long time. The traction control is smooth, and the automatic headlights/external temperature features are incredible. This car is the "Total Package" in my books!