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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  My first Avalon - 2003 Toyota Avalon
  By jlh - May 26 - 10:00 am

  Just purchased my Avalon 9 days ago. Probably too early to give the car a rating but so far its better than I expected. The comfort, the quiet ride, and the responsive engine are wonderful. My last car was a 1990 Volvo 240DL and I have to say there is no comparison. I love the car and hope to make as good a review after a few months of driving.

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  Thump in rear suspension - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Sfiega - May 26 - 10:00 am

  I love this car except for the thumping sound in the rear suspension on bumps. Its been to the dealership 3 times for this. The claim they hear nothing. Its always there on bumpy roads. I think they hear it but dont know of a fix. It is very annoying on bumpy roads or tar strips on the freeways.

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  I would consider other options before purchasing - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Bill F. - May 26 - 6:44 am

  This is our 5th Toyota and by far our least favorite. The large outside mirrors cause blind spots when turning. The auto climate control seems to overshoot the temperature causing discomfort until the cabin temp has stabilized. We do not experience this on our 2014 Rav4. The navigation system was not accurate the voice command often told us to turn in one direction when the map displayed the opposite. We found out that the map data was from 2015 on a 2016 vehicle purchased in October of 2016. The dealer wanted to charge us for the update that was released prior to the purchase date. The rear windshield wiper locks up at times after the rear window is opened and closed. (The wiper is driven from a mechanical linkage located in the lower portion of the hatch and often does not re-engage after the window is closed. The brakes are awful, pedal often goes almost to the floor and the dealer says this is normal. They would not even check to see if the brakes needed to be bled as they said this would be admitting there was a problem?????????) The drivers side window makes a loud noise every time it closes. In all the prior Toyota vehicles we have owned starting in 2009 we have never had a complaint until the Highlander. Our 2014 Rav4 is a much better vehicle than the Highlander. Based on the way Toyota and the dealer responded to the issues, we will likely never purchase another Toyota.

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  Amazing Vehicle!!! - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By carcrrrazy214 - May 25 - 4:56 pm

  First off, I am 18 year-old guy, and I have no shame driving this. It looks great for a minivan, and can take off when you put your foot down! My friend said "I thought this was a minivan" when I got on the highway. Yet it still gets over 20 mpg hauling 6 people every day to school. No other minivan has a factory woofer in the back. Drove on an 11 hour road trip, and it was perfectly comfortable and returned 27 mpg doing a steady 70 mph with a full load. Dream vehicle for a road trip! I highly recommend to anyone needing a versatile reliable family vehicle.

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  Yaris Rocks - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By Cincy2 - May 25 - 4:40 pm

  I picked up a metallic blue hatchback this weekend. Toyotas quality and this vehicles gas mileage (39 hwy) were what attracted me to this model. I was shocked to find I actually enjoyed driving it! I know vehicle quality. My other cars are a MB CL500 and Lexus Rx300. This little car is well made, peppy and has a lot of character. Highly recommended.

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  My first Toyota - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Lonna - May 25 - 11:20 am

  This is my first "foreign-made" car, after owning GMs for the last 30 years. Im counting on Toyotas reputation for reliability and value. Ive owned my Camry XLE for 6 months and love the comfort--even better than my 1995 Buick Regal, which I didnt think could be beat for long-distance driving comfort. Other than for oil changes, Ive only had my Camry to the dealership twice for a hesitation problem between 1st and 2nd gears. When cornerning, or accelerating after a slow down, my car seems to remain in 1st gear at 20 mph, then zooms off all at once. Dealership has re-set the drive-by-wire twice. Ill guess Ill just put up with this minor problem.

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  I like it, but... - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By G - May 25 - 10:06 am

  Overall I like my Corolla. I chose a Corolla base on its reputation and Intellichoice.com recommendation. Along with the Civic, it has the lowest Total Cost of Ownership. The reason I picked the Corolla it was simply because Toyota gave me more for the money, alloy wheels, power locks and windows, etc. I am intending to keep this car for a few years so I bought extended warranty and paint and rust protection. Toyota could have worked on the interior a bit. The stereo seems cheap quality.

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  Terrific truck! Very happy. - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Will - May 25 - 6:50 am

  Toyota nailed it with the 2016 Tacoma. I purchased a TRD Off-Road, Double-Cab, short bed truck with the premium and technology packages, sunroof, folding bed cover, and towing package. Overall: I could hardly be happier with the truck. The technology is terrific; it wirelessly charges my cell phone in the center console, senses cross traffic when I am backing out of a parking spot, identifies cars in my blind spot when moving one lane over, and displays my surroundings on the large lcd screen in the dash when reversing. It also has a power outlet in the bed of the truck for tailgating. I love the look of the trucks exterior and am pumped about the ride quality, quietness of the cab, and comfort of the interior. Even in the TRD Off-Road trim, this truck matches my wifes Lexus for ride quality, and as a result, it has become our main vehicle. The rear selectable locking differential is terrific. And the safety of this truck won my wife over. Best of all, the Tacoma came with a lifetime power train warranty and free service for four years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. Technology: When you add the technology and premium packages, this truck has all of the gadgets typically found in luxury vehicles like Lexus, including blind-spot monitoring, a backup camera, wireless phone charging, Bluetooth, predictive traffic maps, weather, e-mail and text messaging, satellite radio, crawl control, and more. It automatically unlocks when I touch the drivers door handle with the key fob in my pocket. Id be hard pressed to come up with more technology I would want in the truck. Ride quality: The ride is phenomenal. The truck soaks up large and small bumps far better than I expected. Gone is the spine-shaking sensation that pickup trucks often have when the rear axle hits a short, harsh bump. Steering: While not as precise or firm as my sports car, the truck feels planted. I can confidently pick and hold a line at speed on Georgias curvy roads. Interior materials: The trucks dash looks terrific. You can change the interior accent colors with the touch of a button. I love the display for the GPS and radio. The smaller lcd screen between the speedometer and tachometer is packed with technology and displays more information than I thought I would ever need in a truck, from tire pressure, to a compass, to the name of the street I am driving on. I love the 9 cup holders for the front two seats alone, with an additional four in the rear for a total of thirteen. I am shocked by some of the reviewers that complain about the interiors quality. The materials are handsome, and are a snap to clean the mud off of. I love the all weather mats, a definite must. Exterior: One of my favorite options so far has been the folding tonneau cover. By locking the tailgate, I can store my chainsaw and other tools without worrying about them walking off. The bed cover keeps my stuff dry, and its easy to remove when loading up the dirt bikes for the weekend. The styling of the truck has prompted two neighbor buddies to come over unannounced and chat about the truck. Areas for improvement: Sure, there are a few things I would change. I agree with the reviewers who said that some options are missing for a truck in this price range, including a garage door opener (a $250 option, on top of the couple thousand dollar technology and premium packages), few interior color options, and manual seats. I also agree that the truck shifts often when set on cruise at 85 miles per hour. Set at a more reasonable speed of 70 miles per hour, however, the truck hums along just fine and gets reasonable gas mileage, though not mind-blowing. The bottom line is that I chose this truck because its exactly what I wanted after researching all of the trucks competitors. Go ahead and buy a different truck if you want, but I know that this truck will be reliable over the long haul, and it has been so enjoyable so far that Ive been coming up with reasons to drive it or run to the garage to look at it. Finally, that Toyota stands behind this truck gives me confidence in my purchase. Not so with some of the other guys, and Ive already seen a 2015 model of a competitors truck broken down on the side of the highway. I would definitely make the same decision again to buy the 2016 Tacoma. I hope this review helps.

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  Love my Yaris! - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By Tine - May 25 - 1:16 am

  I purchased my Yaris at the end of August 2006. Its given me no problems, it is fun to drive and I love the 657 million compartments. The little extras like MP3 hookup are great!

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  love the sienna.. - 2008 Toyota Sienna
  By inseattle - May 24 - 10:23 pm

  So far, its worth every penny. Handles and rides great for such a big car. Very comfortable on every type of surface. Love the power of the engine.