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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  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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  Boring - 2008 Toyota Avalon
  By raspar77 - April 1 - 10:26 am

  This car is boring. OK in almost every respect but not great at anything. Unexciting exterior not too sure about that rear end. Engine ok not what I was used to. Ride a little firm on long trips I feel a little beat up. Fuel economy is good not great. I had an 03 STS that I drove 116,000 miles and it was a great car fun to drive much more comfortable and less tinny than this. I am far from in love with this car it is solid transportation from point A to B but that is it.

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  Alright car for an alright price - 2002 Toyota Celica
  By Celicagts - March 31 - 2:00 am

  The car is fast but only at high rpms, but at that time you will be losing the race. The gears on my gt-s are to close and I haave almost gotten rear-ended twice because I shifted wrong, so be carefull

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  I HATE my Prius! - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By llf415 - March 30 - 8:53 am

  We bought a Prius in November, and it does not live up to the hype. The keyless entry system stopped working at 2,500 miles and has required 3 trips to the shop to fix. The seats are VERY uncomfortable on long trips, and everything is just waaay too complicated to operate (audio, temperature, etc.), and I hate doing it all on the screeen--whatever happened to simply turning a knob?!. Finally, the real MPG is nothing even close to that listed on the sticker. Over the life of the car so far, I have averaged 36.6 MPG. Granted, I am in stop and go traffic, but isnt it supposed to workbest in those conditions? All-in-all, I would not recommend this vehicle to anyone.

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  Random Fire in the Cylinders - 2001 Toyota Corolla
  By terriblydisappointed - March 25 - 10:00 am

  I am disappointed with my Corolla. The engine light has come on 3 times with an error code of P30 (random misfiring in the cylinders). I have had it serviced 2 times and they have turned off the light..sluffing it off as nothing. Now the engine light has come on for a third time and it runs really rough. Not only has my Toyota Corolla CE failed my expectations for reliability..it has failed my expectations for servicing.

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  What Quality - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Bill - March 23 - 10:20 pm

  Thought these Toyota guys had it going so I bought one for my daughter. What a mistake! Road noise is horrible. Car has numerous rattles and squeaks now we learn that it could have hung accelleration and Toyotas CEO advises that we keep driving it. No thanks I love my daughter too much to put her in this piece of junk. Im headed to Ford they have a better idea.

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  Lightning Issue PLEASE READ! - 2015 Toyota Corolla
  By Jason - March 15 - 8:58 pm

  If you plan on buying this car please take a test drive at night without high beams on and go downhill. Half of the windshield is completely dark and sometimes the whole windshield. Very concerning and Toyota hasnt done anything yet and wont test drive the car at night to be shown what is happening. Good looking out for your customers Toyota.

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  battery issues - 2014 Toyota Camry
  By sonia - March 15 - 7:55 am

  If you dont drive a distance daily you will have problems with a dead battery. I have had my battery replaced twice and I purchased my car in 2014 brand new. Apparently because I work very close to home my battery gets drained and when the weather turns cold my battery dies. I was told because of the electronics the car needs to run more to keep the battery charged. I had an Avalon for many years and never had this issue because it didnt have all the sophisticated electronics. So the solution drive around more to avoid this problem. Crazy!!

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  Must be a lemon - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By Joseph - March 11 - 6:01 am

  I purchased the 17 Highlander xle for my wife and the dealer has had the vehicle and put more miles on it than we have . It had a vibration and noise coming from the front end when making left turns . I was called into the dealer 3 different times to recreate the noise for them . The part they said was no good had to be ordered from Japan and they couldnt give me an eta . 22 days later still no word . I would wait until they get parts issues handled before you purchase this car . Interior quality is great but I wouldnt know because I had the car for 5 days before I took it back

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  Motor mounts broke - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By Tammy Guida - March 3 - 6:00 am

  My mechanic said the motor mounts broke on my new Avalon last week. The car shook terrible and then wouldnt drive. It is still in the shop. Im very unhappy with this car. Consumer Reports says Toyotas dont break down. Are they kidding? The paint on this car is almost as sad as the motor. It is very easy to scratch off on the front.