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 as good as expected. - 2016 Toyota Corolla
  By DS - February 5 - 6:00 pm

  I recently purchased this car as a replacement for a 2016 KIA soul that had been flooded. This car is not even half the car the KIA soul is. I have had this car for 6 months and it has 1387 miles on it. The brakes are making noise, the car is very sluggish on acceleration. and it gets not even half what it stated on fuel mileage. I will not be buying another Toyota Corolla. I have owned a Tacoma before and it was better than this car and got better gas mileage. If you are considering this car, go actually drive a KIA soul its much better has better features for same cost or less.

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  TERRIBLE TRANSMISSION - 2009 Toyota Tacoma
  By David Legat - February 5 - 3:03 pm

  I am very unhappy with my Toyota Tacoma truck. I purchased the TRD Sport thinking if I paid for the most I would receive the most. Come to find out after driving it for a few hundred miles the transmission stinks. It seems like it has no idea when to shift into the right gear. When turning left or right under 10 mph it feels like it is out of gear so it revs up then drops into 1st gear "very scary". It also lugs when under 30 mph. I have had it back to the Toyota dealer a couple of times asking what the problem is and can it be fixed? The last time in the District Service Rep & Service Mgr. test drove it. And they determined the vehicle is "operating normal and as designed". "Do Not Buy One"

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  Is This The Best The Auto Industry Has? - 2004 Toyota Tundra
  By D. Richards - February 3 - 7:10 pm

  We purchased a new Toyota Tundra 4Dr. crew cab SR5 April 04. Pros: Very comfortable long distances and handles well on the freeways. And that is all I can say good about it. Cons: Under 1000 miles it started to howl at 45MPH, Toyota replaced the differential unit at 6000 miles but the howl remained unresolved. The EPA freeway is 18(16- 20). I have been lucky to get 15 MPG on near flat desert with cruise from gas station to gas station. Others have stated they get 19-21 in my area and some are 4x4s. We looked at all the crew trucks and read the reviews on them. We must say that the best in the industry has been disappointing. I expected better from Toyota, after all the testimonials.

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  Its OK - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By CoasterBrian - February 3 - 10:00 am

  Ive had the car for 6 months. Ive also experienced sulphur smells from the A/C. The loud scraping noice for the ABS actuator is annoying. The seat length is a little short for me (62"). There is a creaking noise in the front dash and the suspension groans a little. The CD player burnt out and had to be replaced. Those are the bad things. I will give the Camry credit for being a quiet car and it does ride well. The controls are laid out very well (except cruise control).

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  Bad fuel economy - 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By jfrose - February 1 - 1:36 am

  We purchased a hybrid for the fuel economy and it does not get nearly what is advertised. We get 25 miles per gallon vs the 28-33 they advertise. We paid extra for the hybrid for nothing and Toyota wont buy the vehicle back.

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  I am in awe at what a piece of crap this car is - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By yousmell102 - January 29 - 8:23 am

  Leased a 2009 Camry Le back in the summer of 08. Couldnt be more disappointed. I have had the weirdest problems with this car, ie accelerator and brake pedals that have a mind of their own. In the past year the car has developed an annoying and extremely dangerous problem where the tension of the gas pedal seems to be constantly changing. Sometimes, it responds with just the slightest amount of pressure, other times, applying it with the exact same amount of force results in no acceleration at all. Its like the car encounters dead spots where it simply refuses to accelerate. Youll need a burst of power to pass or just to get out of someones way, and it wont be there!

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  Prius after 100k Miles... STAY AWAY! - 2001 Toyota Prius
  By Alert Toyota Prius! - January 28 - 4:10 pm

  I purchased a "Preowned Certified" Toyota Prius 5 years ago with 30K miles on, my car has now 115,000, the ECU went 3 times already, the ECM and the catalytic converter need to be replaced. Anyone out there with a Prius.... Good Luck! What I saved on gas all these years Im paying on parts, I cant wait to get rid of this car.

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  Just out of warranty, radio, Nav unit broke - Ugh - 2013 Toyota Highlander
  By osfans - January 27 - 12:29 am

  2013 Highlander LTD. We are just out of warranty and the radio and Nav unit started going crazy and would operate on its own. We brought it to the dealer to find out its going to cost $1500- $2000 to fix. The reason I bought a Toyota is so that we would not have these issues. Anyone else have these issues?

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  Expected More of Toyota - 2013 Toyota Tacoma
  By brw115 - January 23 - 1:47 pm

  After owning a troubled GM truck for a decade, I had high hopes for this truck. Unfortunately it seems that Toyota has dropped the ball. Though a smaller engine than the 6 cylinder S-10 I owned, this 4 cylinder gets worse gas mileage. The ride is very choppy and the Dunlop installed tires seem very cheap. Why not Michelin Toyota? The exterior of the truck is stylish and the seats on the prerunner are very comfortable, but what is the deal with that cheap Entunes crap stereo? The sound is awful and the so called voice activation rarely works. I do like the space in the access cab and the warranty offered was excellent, but Toyota could do better.

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  life long ford owner - 2008 Toyota Tacoma
  By jim - January 21 - 11:10 pm

  First Toyota truck, have driven Ford f150s all of my 52 years, the brakes on the Tacoma seem to be some what weak, should be disc on the rear and the transmission feels like it downshifts a little hard. Like the storage space and ground clearance. Like interior of the truck. Plan on keeping this truck a long time.