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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  Not that great - 2004 Toyota Sequoia
  By venturen - March 13 - 11:50 am

  I love the size of the Sequoia, but I have had lots of problems... more than all my other cars combined. Replaced the transmission, rear window stopped working after almost decapitating my dog because it randomly opens and shut, the VSC shuts down on rainy day... loss of power when turning, the engine depowered while driving on the highway and almost got me killed. It eats tires... supposedly a problem with the $2500 VSCcomputer. The paint quality stinks! Scratches!

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  an unreliable toyota - 2007 Toyota Sienna
  By kevin - March 10 - 7:30 am

  I am not very pleased with this sienna. My other cars are a 10 year old Mercedes and 3 year old BMW. The Toyota has had more recalls than the other two cars combined--6 in total! Currently, the front seat warmer does not work and the the "automated" rear hatch door is a manual door. The AWD tires failed after barely one year of use. Even though all these issues are fixed by the dealer, the hassles and fixes are tiresome--after all, why bother buying a Toyota if this is the quality. I guess compared to the sticking gas pedal problem, mine are nothing to complain about. I will never buy another Toyota again!

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  Major problems with my car - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By Brandy - March 7 - 10:20 am

  Added on the 100,000 mi warranty and expected for features that had gone out to be fixed - not so. Had air conditioner problems from the time of purchase, has been worked on several times. I have learned to tap a box underneath the glovebox to get the air conditioner started at times. Power locks started going out at 40,000 mi. Eventually they all went out after the warranty expired and now I cant manually lock my doors on the drivers side. To get the power locks fixed will cost $2000-3000. Have replaced Toyota hub caps several times for about $80 dollars a piece. Plugged in a bottle warmer into the cigarette lighter, radio, dashboard features, and cigarette lighter fuse blew out.

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  average product with below average safety - 2013 Toyota Sienna
  By greencar2 - March 5 - 5:28 pm

  Main selling point was slight reliability edge as reported by Consumer reports over other minivans. However in safety, airbag counts are not a good measure. The airbags help if the structure fails and in this aspect the Hondas are many years ahead. Check out the side pole gov crash testing at safecar.gov or the small overlap front test conducted by the Insurance Inst. Hondas consistantly outscore all other models except volvos. We had a bad experience at our local dealer in Dover, DE. The price and terms were verbally agreed to but on the day of delivery they were changed in favor of the dealer. Do not deal with this dealership. Get everything in writing and signed by the owner.

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  So So SUV - 2006 Toyota Highlander
  By bobby04 - March 5 - 7:16 am

  Purchased this vehicle in 2006 for my wife. After about 2 months we realized that this vehicle is not for us. It has the V6 but is very underpowered. It will hardly get out of its own way. The seating is very uncomfortable. The most disappointing feature for us is the traction control feature. This cannot be turned off. While in light sand at the beach, the traction control locked up all wheels with the brakes as the wheels wanted to spin. This also happened in an icy condition last winter. Very disappointing. The quality of the vehicle is typical Toyota. It will probably outlast us all. If you are considering a Highlander, think about how you will use it and what your expectations are.

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  Another review - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By E-roc69 - February 28 - 6:46 pm

  I now have 20,600 miles on the car. Mostly wife driving as I still wont drive this. I got into it last week and discovered a springing noise from the rear susp. Most likely a bushing issue. I bring it in for the rear end spring noise and the still rattling dashboard. They wont fix it, service mgr and I road test car and we cant hear the rattles. It was raining all night so it most likely made the dash more pliant. They say I need to leave it over night next week when its cold so they can test it in the morning. They refused to apply 2 TSBs even though its under warranty. I cant wait till I get rid of this car.

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  NO MORE TOYOTA - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By Ap Singh - February 24 - 3:02 am

  We had 4 camrys before and we bought this 2017 highlander full of problems this is the last t

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  Disappointed - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By G James - February 23 - 10:00 am

  Poor Performance. Steering is very sluggish

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  used cars are bad and what bout transmis - 1999 Toyota Camry Solara
  By alison sudduth - February 22 - 1:16 am

  I have been highly disappointed in this vehicle; it has caused me a lot of grief. I will never buy a used vehicle again but then again I thought Toyota built a better transmission and never expected it to go out at 46,000 miles. I have had the engine light on for 8 years and part of the years I had total warranty coverage but it seems it didnt seem to matter. Had work done on it buy Toyota but they only screwed it up and Im paying for it now

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  2010 Camry - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Dan - February 19 - 9:33 am

  Performance is good for a 4 cyl. And it looks good, but from there on it is downhill. Milage is pitiful. 24 on hyw at 60 mph, and 15 to 16 in town. Interior is hard, almost everywhere. Leased this SE loaded for 36 months. Cant wait till I can turn it in.