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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  Highly overrated - 2013 Toyota 4Runner
  By jose65 - December 6 - 9:08 pm

  in cold climate, it takes unreasonably long for the engine to get into normal operating range. (about 8 miles of driving) the interior heater is weak even at the max and takes very long to warm up the interior. Suspension is hard when driving over bumps and potholes, not good for the spine running boards are useless for a taller person as they are in the way front dives and rear moves up under hard breaking engine is loud and sounds rough around 2500rpm sheet metal is very thin, waves can be seen on the hood when going through car wash dryer

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  How could Ive been so wrong? - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By joe322 - December 2 - 10:52 pm

  The 2 factors in buying the auto were the name and 0% interest for 60 months. Within a week Id had the vehicle back to thedealer twice(rain or snow coming off the roof when door opened, blind spots when vehicles pass,and then theres the transmission.) Im 62 and have driven many vehicles but none like this. The tranny is always seeking a gear, it without warning downshifts at 40 mph, it drifts back on a hill when your changing from braking to acceleration, it revs to approx 5000rpm before engaging the tranny on a fast getaway and forget cruising thru the country at 25 to 30 miles and hour. And after reading your reviews today I find its not my imaginationwhen I hear something rollin

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  User Unfriendly - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By Ron - November 29 - 8:16 pm

  We selected the 4Runner based on headroom, oh well, it fooled me. The drivers side is vertically adjustable and during the test drive it seemed to be just marginal. Im not real big but at 61" after purchasing the vehicle for my wife I found that the passengers seat is too restrictive to bring my head along for the ride unless the seat is reclined. With the unconventional layout of the controls as an occasional user I find myself stopping on the side of the road to find things. Fuel economy is marginal at best when the cost of premium is factored (didnt know that at time of purchase). It gets really bad when towing, at 8 mpg towing 4000 lbs that about 30% more expensive than my club cab 5.9L Ram.

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  Give me my 2005 Tundra back! - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By hvacrsteve - November 27 - 3:33 pm

  Overall the Tundra is Okay, they have fianlly matched the big 3 in terms of lower quality, this is my 4th Tundra and the worst one thus far. I have a steering wheel vibration that I have been to the dealer 5 times now and it is still not repaired. The paint is very frail,I have to say that Ford is light years ahead on Paint quality! I own 40 Trucks so I know! The interior paint on the dash is poor quality as well, have many scratches already! The plastic dash cluster is also very cheaply made! The leather seats are fairly nice. the ride quality is fair except for the constant vibrating of the steering wheel. It makes your hands numb on a longer trip! The sheet metal panels-thin!

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  Declining Reputation - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By San Jose - November 24 - 10:50 am

  I bought the Camry because of past reputation. That has gone completely down the drain for Toyota. Maybe they are using bad suppliers or are not engineering for superior reliability now. List of issues I and/or most 2007 owners had: Failed CV Joint 40k, uncorrectable dash rattle, poor tranny performance even with updated ECU flashes, failed brake components. The ride, comfort, and drive is as expected, however, the quality and reputation of yore are completely gone for the flagship Camry. Look at the Accord, they have none of these TSB problems! Big regret, should have waited for the new accord! Just paid $300 to fix the failed brake issue, feels like I own a Chevy!

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  Economical People Mover - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By mickeyrom - November 20 - 6:20 am

  If all that matters is economy...this is a very good car.If comfort on a long trip is important....forget it.The seat has only two adjustments...backward and forward, and angle of the back.The steering wheel can only be tilted,and it constantly makes contact with my knees. Instrument panel is very hard to see in the sunlight and lacks even a temp. gauge.The trip computer has no range position,So you had better not let it get too low.The car also makes lots of noises and does not seem to have the build quality of other Toyotas.A bit of a rattle trap.

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  Time to Put it Down - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By jtn16 - November 16 - 9:09 pm

  I got this car used in 2011. I was averaging a commute of 400-500 miles per week as a college adjunct. The first year of owning this Prius was fun, mainly because of the novelty of going hybrid. Then I got established and didnt need to commute to 4 campuses a day. Got married. Got a dog. I took the car out to camp several times. It couldnt hold up well to our busy and slightly chaotic lifestyle. The hatch rubber handle melted my first summer with it and shortly after the whole back hatch broke due to its brittle plastic. Had issues with the power button throughout. I put only 50K on it. It might be time to let it go.

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  Hate my car!! - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By jennifer_zuri - November 16 - 6:19 am

  I wanted a Camry for such a long time. I traded my 2003 Chevy Tracker with 140k miles for this piece of junk Camry. I had the car for 5k miles and it already needed new brakes. The take off is terrible, the RPMs go very high on take off, it smells like it is burning and the interior is very poor. My air circulator turns off all the time letting the outside air in and the ride is really rough. The clearance is terrible and now @ 40k miles the dealer tells me that I have to get a fuel injector cleaner on 3 of the injectors (at 150 a pop), a power steering flush and again new brakes! WOW, what a deal!!

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  Hybrid Rip Off - 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By Brian - November 10 - 5:36 pm

  Bought the hybrid for the great mileage claims which turned out to be a complete lie. Vehicle gets 21-22 mpg from normal driving which in no way justtifies the price premium.

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  fuel Economy - 2018 Toyota RAV4
  By Janga Rai - November 6 - 12:37 pm

  I have great concern about fuel economy . I have been observing the fuel economy since 2013 . The fuel economy of 2013 toyota rav4 was 22 in city and 28 on the high way . when I checked the fuel economy of 2018 toyota rav4 , I found still same . we being the reliable customers , the fuel economy of 2019 toyota rav4 will be 26 in the city and 35 on the highway as same as honda crv. thanks.