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:

• 

  My first Toyota - 2008 Toyota Corolla
  By A West - July 6 - 7:28 am

  After being in a wreck with my truck I decided to buy an car for fuel mileage. I looked at several vehicles before settling on the Corolla. Here are the reasons i choose it. First off I bought the Corolla S because of the factory body styling and you can not see the exhaust. Second the reviews on this site gave me a good feeling about the reliability of the vehicle. Third the safety of the vehicle, My wife tends to drive it every now and then with our daughter. The Toyota Corolla was the right choice. I have had it for two months now and love it.

• 

  Love my Camry - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By shelly - July 6 - 7:16 am

  I am very pleased with my 2002 Camry SE. I purchased it new, and the styling still looks fresh. I have had absolutely zero problems with this car. It is still perfect and drives like new. Although it only has a 4 cyl engine, the pick up is excellent. Friends have commented that it feels like a V6 in power. This is the longest that Ive ever kept a car! (almost 5 years)

• 

  Worth the wait! - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By Larry in NY - July 5 - 6:53 pm

  This SUV was worth the wait! We have 1000 miles on it so far and its everything we expected and more relative to ride, comfort, build quality, cornering and performance. The roll over test which was not previously available came out very positive. Our Limited is fully loaded and the options were well worth it! It rides very smooth, has great acceleration and is noise free in the cabin. For styling, value and performance there is no competitor on the market today. You must drive this SUV!

• 

  Good Truck, No Issues - 2010 Toyota Tacoma
  By Dustin R - July 5 - 3:00 pm

  After the purchase I installed a Flowmaster Muffler, this helped to improve my feelings towards a 4 cylinder 4x4. Currently, I have over 4,000 miles logged and no complaints thus far. It is a far better truck than the competition, and it was made in California! I did not think I would buy a Toyota, with the economic issues but it has been well worth it. I recommend the SR5 package, it has a lot for the money, although the stock wheels and tires are horrible. Although most stock tires usually are not the best, I expected better. Overall, this truck is worth the money, no matter what the media says.

• 

  Eh. - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By Kathleen - July 5 - 12:06 am

  I bought the Corolla in April of 2003 to replace my 1997 Geo Prizm. Mechanically, you cant complain about the Corolla. It is a sold contruction and quality materials. As a Toyota, you know it will run forever. And the gas mileage is unbeatable. On the flip side, though, this car is way too tall for its wheelbase. The first time I drove it on a windy day I was unable to stay in my lane. I did not feel safe in the car, which ultimately led me to get rid of it. The engine is kind of pokey, too. I had to floor it getting on the highway. Toyota would be wise to give a bigger engine option and stabilize the car.

• 

  Tundra - 2002 Toyota Tundra
  By Limited - July 4 - 11:56 pm

  Great overall truck reliable and comfortable unless your in the back seat. The motor has ample power but Toyota has improved on that too. You cant go wrong.

• 

  Good van, but read before you buy! - 2015 Toyota Sienna
  By Ricardo Burgos - July 4 - 11:31 pm

  I wanted a Sienna with the black interior. I have 3 young children and things get dirty pretty quickly. I also wanted an OEM DVD player. I am not a fan of the aftermarket ones. The aftermarket ones you have to load the dvds right on the unit. On the OEM, you load them up front. I rather have that control than 3 kids fighting over which dvd to see. The PROs. Handles beautifully. I must say that the SE edition makes you feel like you are in a sports car. Very responsive and the steering feels solid. I just came out of a 2007 Honda Odyssey E-XL that felt very soft and dangerous at higher speeds in the freeway. The 2nd row seats have more room to move them than in the Odyssey. This is good when carrying taller adults. Easy storage in the back for the jumper seat. The dashboard on the 2015 is better looking than that swoosh that they had on the previous models. Also the SE comes with leather (well I doubt that it is REAL leather) on the dashboard. Wide DVD screen, you can see 2 separate movies or stretch it out and see a bigger picture. I wanted leather seats in black with contrasting stitching and that is what comes on the SE already. When you are inside, it feels luxurious, makes you forget that you are actually in a minivan. The technology to be able to speak in a soft voice and have the passengers in the 3rd row is fantastic. Gone are the days of having to scream to the kids seating all the way in the back. This is the first car that I get with navigation. It is nice not having to have your phone moving around while trying to find direction. The bluetooth phone connectivity works very well. You can answer and make calls handsfree and with voice commands. Now the CONs. You will need to take it to the dealer to get aligned. This van was having a slight pull. I took it in and the service advisor told me that in deed it was a bit off in the rear. After they realigned it, now it pulls to the left. The leather is not real leather. It does look nice though. The amount of glues, plastics and vinyl that they use in this car creates so many fumes when they are new, that you WILL get nauseous. I had severe headaches and felt nauseous. I was very close to going to the doctor. I had to drive with the windows down. I left charcoal and vinegar in pots inside the car over night. I put Fabreze air fresheners. After 3 weeks the smell seems to be gone now. A bit scary. The mats on the second row go under the seats all the way to the third row. This is a terrible idea. Hard to remove specially when you go to get your car washed. The rails where the 2nd row seats move back and forth are an open channel and debris can get into them real quick. It is not so easy for the passengers in the 3rd row to get in. We have chosen to remove the jumper seat and have people get in to the 3rd row through the middle. With the car parked, the cover for the left side mirror fell off. Good thing that the car was parked........ The design that Toyota has done to have the 3rd row seats fold into the well is not that visually appealing. When the seats are up and you go to the trunk, you see the legs and armature. Honda does a better job here. This is a bit of a problem, because when you buy the Weathertech mat for the trunk, it covers up to the legs, sacrificing some space. The DVD is in a low dark place. You cannot even see it in daylight without having to crouch down. The surface of the DVD player is all flat. It is hard to find the play button since it is flush. They should have had it raised so that it could be found easily. The center storage console between the front seats has good storage inside, but if the people in the 2nd row want to store anything like umbrellas, dvd holders, etc., there is NO space. Again, Honda wins on this one. There is so much electronically going on on the dashboard, that it will take some time to get used to it. It could be a major distraction for the driver. Your visibility to the rear from the drivers side is very, very restricted. Toyota built the headrests of the 3rd row seats TOO big. Instead of being able to bring them down when you do not want your visibility blocked they actually tilt forward. That is no good because it is very uncomfortable for young children. Here Honda engineers beat Toyota. The DVD player screen is big and will also block your view. There are no storage pockets in the rear trunk areas where to put jumper cables, first aid kits, etc. You have to use up the floor space. Sorry Toyota, Honda beat you on this one too. There is NO overhead lamp in the trunk area. The is only a small light to the side. Again, Honda did a better job here. A lot of you read: Honda did this better and are asking yourselves, why did this guy buy a Sienna then? Because HONDA gave me sooooo many problems and the quality of the materials used are so bad, that I had enough. The dislikes are few compared to the likes in the Sienna. I like it so far and I plan to have it for many years.

• 

  Very happy with my 2.4L XLE - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By Happy Owner - July 4 - 9:36 pm

  Ive had the car for a little over 2 weeks and am very happy with its pep, ride, styling, and the many standard features on the XLE. I came from a 2000 Chrysler Concorde LX, 2.7L 6 cyl. I was looking at the Hyundai Azera, Lincoln MKZ and the Toyota Avalon but the Camry won out.

• 

  Undependable, too expensive, too LOUD! - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By Herm Munch - July 4 - 11:16 am

  Very sad to have had this car six months. Several mechanical and electrical problems, but the worst of it is the VERY HARD seats and the loud interior. I drive on some rougher blacktop and the car is NOISY. Im also picking up flecked paint on the front and the unprotected doors are getting chipped at the supermarket from other car doors!

• 

  Great SUV!!! - 1997 Toyota 4Runner
  By wb07 - July 4 - 10:00 am

  I decided to sell my Mustang to get something I could drive 30,000 miles or more per year in snowy/rainy weather. I bought a 4Runner & loved it! It was fun to drive in all seasons; it was very reliable for my long commute; the highway visibility was SO much better than in my Mustang. In the snow, it was wonderful. I think there was one occasion all winter where I slid on an icy bridge, but overall, the push- button 4WD is great. Sadly, my 4Runner was recently totaled in an accident- not my fault. I plan to buy another one as soon as possible & I highly recommend a 4x4 LTD 4Runner to anyone who is looking for a sharp, reliable, fun SUV.