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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  Poor Quality - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By Ann Koz - July 3 - 5:11 pm

  Paint chips all over car. Swirls in black paint. Seats are made of poor material. Noisy on highway. Tires had to be replaced after 27,000 miles. Very well maintained but you would never know it. Will not buy another Toyota and this is my third. Very disappointed.

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  OK Car - 2001 Toyota Corolla
  By yoyo - June 29 - 7:13 pm

  The 2001 corolla is about as boring of a car as you can get. Too bad the 2002 made major improvements. I have had this car since it was bought brand new and still drives fine with some minor mechanical problems. The check engine light has been on many many times. I think the interior is OK quality and there are not any bells and whistles at all. Also, I noticed that not just my car, but many Corollas like mine are missing hubcaps or have aftermarket ones. That tells me the interior quality isnt great either. The fuel economy definitely does not reach 41mpg on the highway. Overall, it is just a mediocre car in my mind.

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  Toyota back-up camera - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By Meg Jacobs - June 29 - 4:20 pm

  The biggest scam I see in the Prius is the back-up camera. The distance is so distorted as to be dangerous. Cars and other objects in the back-up camera always look much smaller than when looked at in the rear-view mirror or looking behind (reality). I just ignore it, but its supposedly a big selling point. Also, MPG on the freeway seems to be about the same as my former car, my beloved 1995 Acura. And parking it is inherently hard because I cant see the front of it as it slopes down steeply. It does have good pick-up on hills, and I bought it for the solar panels that bring in ventilation when parked in the sun to avoid that furnace blast of hot air on hot summer days. I want Honda/Acura!

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  Mechanically reliable, no frills vehicle. - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By j_ash - June 29 - 6:06 am

  I bought my 03 about two years ago with about 70k miles. I had to replace the HVAC blower motor (approx $250) because of an annoying rattle. Aside from that issue Ive had no other machanical problems at 115k. I will say that the front seat is uncomfortable and is ill suited to long drives. The cabin materials in general are cheaper than other cars Ive owned in the past. The carpet is super thin and the leather is of substandard quality in my opinion. A good car if you dont care about the ugly, cheap interior.nion. Not a bad car if you dont care about the interior.

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  Radio Lost Volume - 2012 Toyota Corolla
  By SKD - June 25 - 4:49 am

  My 2012 Toyota Corolla S lost sound three weeks ago and suddenly. Noting works - radio, CD, or connecting Iphone to the system. The center console is working fine - I can navigate, change FM channels, insert disc - but there is no sound. Took it to the Toyota dealer in Boston (car is being driven in Boston since last November). I was told that that radio has to be replaced at materiel + labor cost of $700. I did ask how can it happen - answer was that it may be due to the heat. Boston has been facing temperature of 92F for the last couple of weeks. I did point out that my other cars in Atlanta - Honda Pilot and VW CC Executive have not faced the same problem though the Atlanta temperature has been 98F and above for the last months. The gentleman did not have any answer. I just walked out without committing to the repair. If that is true, then I will really urge consumers to rethink about buying Toyota Corolla. This problem is widely reported on the internet. One pays lower price compared to the Honda cars with similar engine. But, if the repair cost is going to be like this for Toyota as opposed to Honda, then it is better one buys Honda car. At least it gives you a peace of mind. One does not have to deal with this kind of repair, leave your work and take care of it

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  Quality is going down - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Mike - June 21 - 4:10 am

  Ater owning it for less than 2 years, I have had so many problems with my 05 Corolla. I drive it under very normal conditions, no abuse or anything close to it, did all scheduled maintenance. Here are the problems so far: (1). In 6 months, the left mud guard fell off. (2). In 18 months, the fual pump broke, left me in the middle of nowhere on the interstate, after the car was towed and fixed, (3) service light went on about 6 hours after I got my car back from the dealer, another thing broke, and it is back to the dealership. In conclusion, this Corolla is awful!!!

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  Most Disappointing New Toyota - 2003 Toyota Sequoia
  By dogman - June 21 - 2:00 am

  This is NOT a luxury vehicle! Toyota built this using the parts bin from their truck line. Several switches are not illuminated at night.(in a $46K vehicle!!!) The heating/AC controls suck. There is a large protrusion in the front Pass. foot area due to a stupid design. The vehicle is just too high. Overall quality is marginal. The new 4 Runner Interior is much nicer. VERY, very disappointing vehicle.

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  Most Disappointing New Toyota - 2003 Toyota Sequoia
  By Dogman - June 21 - 2:00 am

  This is NOT a luxury vehicle! Toyota built this using the parts bin from their truck line. Several switches are not illuminated at night.(in a $46K vehicle!!!) The heating/AC controls suck. There is a large protrusion in the front Pass. foot area due to a stupid design. The vehicle is just too high. Overall quality is marginal. The new 4 Runner Interior is much nicer. VERY, very disappointing vehicle.

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  Not your old Toyota - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By mteverest - June 20 - 4:26 pm

  Even though I bought this Camry used it was very low mileage and should have been as good as new. First it made strange downshift noise, which turns out to be a known problem and the dealer fixed it under warranty. Then there is occasional hesitation on accel as some others have pointed out, which actually have now disappeared after the recall repair. I have a 02 Sienna now 120K and drives like new, and when I crashed my beloved Highlander at 90K it also drives like new. I think with all the electronic tinkering and so called high-tech, the new cars are actually less reliable than the old. This is true for Honda, Nissan, and German cars also.

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  Lemon on a stick - 2001 Toyota Sienna
  By rbsrmy3 - June 16 - 10:00 am

  This was my third Toyota and will be my last. I have had so many problems with the van that I cant imagine any other Siennas being any better. It is to the point that I have to take it in every two weeks because the engine light comes on. When I first bought it I noticed that it was very noisy to drive. Then all of the problems started. The tire pressure light continues to come on, the sliding doors continue to get stuck open, and now the engine light comes on very often.