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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  great car- bad vision out of rear - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By barry friedman - October 11 - 10:00 am

  Beautiful, nice handling, plenty of power except for pea headed power hungry males( I am a male). Rear view through mirrors is absolutely miserable- and head restraints are supposedly not removable. Would call the car a lemon design because of the latter. Not safe. The insurance institutes will figure that out quickly. The company has not responded to my rquests for info on changing the rear seats.

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  Best front wheel drive suv - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By ojs - October 11 - 8:13 am

  I bought this car with 36000 miles on it. The dealer wanted to sell us a xterra at first, but after the test drive of both cars, I came to be in love with the highlander. It has comfort, performance, and style. Now I have close to 80000 miles on it and still running strong. Only major problem was that the idle was very low aroung 200rpms. Took it to the dealer and it was the idle air control valve. But other then that no problems. I have only done the maint. on it. At 75000 I changed the tires (40000 miles tires). I have not even touched the brakes. Last time I check them at 75000, they still have 75%-50% life on them.

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  Camry now lower in standards than a Yugo - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By whoisme - October 11 - 3:38 am

  Before you buy this car, rent one . Second find a good tune on the radio and fade to the rear and fade is what it does there will be no sound . Dealer says that is how its made. If you have owned a previous model dont expect the same ride or comfort level. My prior was a 2010 LE and I would take it back if I could. Now to my last fight with Toyota, park the car on a level spot ,look from the rear, it will lean towards the drivers side its called the Toyota lean. The last spec quoted to me was 1.5" is good and no correction. I was lent a 2015 se and it also is the same. Maybe I am anal but it bugs the hell out of me. As to the interior the glove box is a joke no room, the carpet " what carpet" Oh the floor felt is very cheep maybe a little thickness might eat some of the road noise. Enough of me wining its a love hate relationship with this one.

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  200,000 and still going strong - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By jason1974mgb - October 10 - 4:02 pm

  As a car guy I never thought I would buy a normal commuter car, but this car rocks, I bought it at 150,000 last year and have put 50k on it so far, at about 190,000 the original shocks finally gave out. for what it is (4cyl manual trans) its actually quite peppy, handles well enough to not be boring, and still gets 31mpg combined city / highway, and only uses about 1/2 quart of oil between oil changes. the only problems I have had with it are the prior mentioned shocks, and the actuator that selects where the air should go inside the car has stopped working. I will run this thing until the wheels fall off then buy another one, hopefully a convertible.

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  FJ - 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By mjmiller - October 10 - 12:36 pm

  I like how it drives and handles. There are major flaws in the craftmanship though. The sun visors are so small they have no purpose. The stereo system is lacking. The roof rack is weak and I busted two supports already since theyre made of cheap plastic. The engine is powerful and it is a lot of fun to drive. But the gas mileage stinks.

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  Intermittent Starting Problem - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By Will - October 9 - 1:36 pm

  Purchased vehicle new and after approx. 2 years noticed problem in starting engine(no pattern to problem). Dealer claims foot is not being held firmly on brake pedal when starting. Why did it take 2 years for this to become a problem. Dealer has kept vehicle on 2 occasions for several days and says it never failed to start. They said they have never seen this problem before & dont know where to look for the problem. Toyota said basically the same thing. When it fails, and without changing pressure on brake pedal, it usually starts after 4-5 attempts. Strange Toyota "engineers" cant provide a fix for this problem. This is my last Toyota. Small oil leak at 1000 miles.

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  2006 Camry - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By Patrick - October 9 - 9:40 am

  Car looks good, drives fine but the low profile tires are noisy. Transmission was replaced at 20000 miles. Eats through tires like a demon. EIGHT tires in 30000 miles. Toyota completely unresponsive to the problem

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  Great so far - 2006 Toyota Corolla
  By CE2006 - October 9 - 3:13 am

  We have loved this car! We have had no problems and love the great MPG. We would buy another one.

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  Gas milage - 2012 Toyota Corolla
  By rvpilot1 - October 8 - 5:06 pm

  Gas milage nowhere near advertised. I started out getting 30 in town, now have about 700 miles and milage now at 24mpg. Check of highway milage only 31. also the warning buzzer is so weak I cant hear it at all if car running, barley when car shut off. Maint said there was nothing they could do about the buzzer. If milage what you are looking forget this car.

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  Ava-lux! - 2014 Toyota Avalon
  By Chris - October 7 - 4:34 pm

  If you like a touch of class, style, performance and panache from an automobile, this is the one for you. Several weeks ago I purchased a used 2014 Toyota Avalon. Having recently moved south from the Midwest, I wanted to shed my 4-wheel drive for something smaller. Initially I went looking for a gently used Lexus ES350. My reasons were simple: I’m getting closer to 40 and my automobile needs are starting to bend more toward function and less form. This meant arguing my ego down from the thought that I needed to ‘sit high’ or that I need 3 rows for the few times a year we use the 3rd row. So on to the car; I initially drove 3 or 4 ES’s and on one return test drive I ended up parking next to an Avalon. “What’s this?” I asked the salesman. He responded ‘the Avalon’ and proceeded to tell me of how the car rides a variation of the same platform as the ES. Really? Also that the engine and powertrain were virtually Identical. Really?? So I gave this car –which I had never even glanced at, much less considered before- a good once over. Lowered front end profile w/quadra-beam headlights, Aston-Marton inspired lower intakes flanked by chrome enveloped fog lamps. A clean and handsome profile with a slightly ‘windswept’ greenhouse profile and a beautiful tail end w/LED lights and dual, trapezoidal exhaust…. “Hmm, will you get the keys for this”??? I asked. Got inside. ‘Whoa, seriously, nice! A 6 inch touch screen w/digital readouts for the HVAC just below. Mine has the lighter interior w/contrasting taupe, chocolate brown and black color scheme. It’s a very rich look accented by liberal swaths or chrome. On to the drive; the ride was the final deal cincher. The engine is buttery-smooth with plenty of power for passing. In fact, I had to learn how to properly finesse the engine when I am passing because stepping down too hard gives way more power than you probably were looking for. I want to address the ride quality itself though. Many have written that the car clunks or crashes over bumps. Honestly, I hadn’t noticed it at all. I think the ride is quite appropriate and I have to believe those that don’t care for it are exactly the buyers Toyota is getting away from. The geriatric set. The only place I have to give the car less than stellar marks is the sound system. The base unit’s graphics seem a generation behind the two vehicles I have most recently owned. Also, the basic sound system is very thin and has very little bass. They are merely adequate and I have been accustomed to far better utility. (the unit doesn’t even show album artwork for ipod songs) All told, this car is a serious sleeper that most likely are unaware of how good it is. After spending days if not weeks looking for the perfect gently used Lexus ES, I finally found it. Just so happened that it wears a Toyota badge and prefers to be called Avalon.