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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  Dissapointed - 2016 Toyota RAV4
  By Jim S. - June 19 - 3:39 am

  Probably just luck of the draw but my Brand New Rav 4 had a faulty transmission that the dealer acknowledged and replaced to their credit. It had a very pronounced whining/whistling noise on deceleration and still has some whistling noise to it on acceleration now. If I knew then what I know now about CVT Transmissions, I would have purchased a different vehicle that has a conventional trans. Did much research before the purchase and the Rav 4 had awesome reviews across the board which heavily influenced my decision to purchase it. Live and learn.

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  Toyota reliabilty, where is it? - 2000 Toyota Celica
  By nomoretoyotas - June 16 - 2:00 am

  Ever since I bought this car it has been nothing but trouble catalytic converter died 3 days after I got it dealership claimed no knowledge about issue, had to replace o2 sensors 3 times in 1 month after that and it had a bad coil which led to another expensive repair it eats spark plugs and has to have premium ones for some reason parts for gt are more expensive than gts and now the computer is having issues I am selling asap

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  Ticking noise in hubcaps - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By Angry Camry owner - June 16 - 2:00 am

  I have owned my new Camry for 2 months. It is making a loud ticking noise in the hubcaps. I took it to the dealer and they can not figure it out. A corporate specialist is coming out to look at it. Another dealer admitted it is a problem and Toyota does not have a solution yet. He recommended I remove the hubcaps. Meanwhile my new car has been in shop for four days.

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  Poor transmission - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By sam - June 15 - 3:03 pm

  Very poor transmission. It changes gears and you can feel it since it stalls. Had rotor problems already. just has 1058 miles. Interior makes noise as though something is loose. The passenger side windows would not open front and the back. Just a nightmare since the day one. I do not think it is number one when you spend so much money for it.

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  Quality Check - 2011 Toyota Sienna
  By bruinville - June 14 - 3:36 pm

  I just bought my 2011 Toyota Sienna LE from Irvine Power Toyota. When trying to store the 8th passenger seat in the designed trunk area, the car was missing the parts (hooks and belt) to store the seat correctly. As I looked around the dealership, this looked to be common in other Siennas (XLE and Limited included). While this issue is not life threatening (I took the car back and the parts are on back order leading me to believe this is a common problem), I question the quality control process. Given all the negative publicity of the company, one would think Toyota would have stronger checkpoints in place to eliminate problems. Anyone else experience the same issue?

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  STOP - 2003 Toyota Avalon
  By Sam S. - June 11 - 10:00 am

  Toyota has got to stop making these heavy and ugly bodies. The rest of the car is excellent but the power to weight ratio is horrible. 03 Maximas weight much less and have 45 more horses.

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  Average Car - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By CORO 09 - June 8 - 6:43 pm

  The car is ok compared to a Civic. I dont like that the car does not have an oil filter. Rattle noise on drivers side. The car does not shift properly until the engine is fully warmed up. Overall if you are looking for an economy car thats reliable and gets good gas mileage then this is the car for you. The car has no soul; not fun to drive by any means. Strictly a commuter car.

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  THE WRONG MOVE - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Johnny Cash - June 6 - 6:26 pm

  Had a great truck in the 2008 Tacoma thought the 2016 was a beautiful truck had to have one. But the truck is not as good as it looks it has the lugging problem that all other 2016 Tacoma trucks have it also has a roaring going down hill when you let off the gas and if you are on interstate it jumps from one gear to the other like riding bucking horse. Toyota tried the new fix still same thing for 13,000 miles first they said it would get better when I took it in at 2,000 said the computer had to adjust to my driving well it has not yet so my next move is to trade this truck if they cannot fix there problem.

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  Not for the Road Warrior - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By DustyNC - June 3 - 3:16 am

  I really thought I liked this car when I test drove it. But after 2 months and 12,000 miles, Im very disappointed! Im just under six-foot tall and weigh in at about 215lbs. So...Im not a little guy, but there are certainly many that are bigger. The biggest fault is the drivers seat. Very uncomfortable! I average about 350 miles per day, or six hours of driving time. In two months time, I find myself needing a doctors visit. The back of my legs ache terribly after driving this car! I have tried every adjustment possible but cannot get the seat to where it is not causing discomfort and probably restricting blood circulation. DO NOT BUY this CAR if you drive a lot!

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  Not the perfect SUV - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By tom bracco - May 29 - 7:43 am

  While this was my 2nd 4Runner and vastly improved over the previous iteration I found it NOT TO BE WITHOUT PROBLEMS. The heater went down in the coldest time last winter and took two weeks for repair parts to be installed.An ongoing broken seal in the windshield reservoir had to be replaced 3 times and a recall for some other problem. The worst ongoing problem this car suffers from is if you drive with the sunroof and rear window open (the only way you can avoid severe wind buffeting) fumes from the exhaust enter the vehicle and its disgusting to have to breath that in while you drive. Complaints to Toyota yielded no satisfaction. Its a REAL DESIGN FLAW that cannot be overcome!