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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  Toyota Sienna - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By snuffy - December 28 - 6:53 pm

  Road noise due to poor door seals. Sliding doors rollers noisy due to grit accumulation on rollers (dealer suggest cleaning often-I suggest better sealing of door). Does not provide enough heat below 0 deg. f and cooling above 70 deg.f. (dealer says to let car idle longer to warm-up and to turn fan off at startup????) No traction on snow, ice, loose sand. Not enough towing capacity, tranny downshifts too easily. Cheap tires! No after market roof rack available, after market hitch too low causing bumping on curbs.

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  Bad oil leaks. - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By John B. - December 23 - 5:13 pm

  This car has had excellent dealer care and has given us nothing but gross oil leaks. Would NOT consider another Toyota regardless of their seductive ad campaigns. The oil leaks are very serious. You will have a lot of oil everywhere. Consider another used car choice.

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  rethinking my purchase - 2007 Toyota Corolla
  By toyotaS2007 owner - December 22 - 6:53 pm

  First time new Toyota Corolla-S owner (had 2 used Hondas prior to this). Agree with this cars tendency to drift & shake in wind or rain. Im religious about scheduled maintenance, yet car shut down on me spontaneously on the highway. Had only 130K miles on it. Engine Control Unit had to be replaced! Same thing happened to my brother who has a 2006 Corolla-S. Now with the Toyota recall fiasco, Im rethinking this purchase...shouldve stuck with Honda.

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  Not what I signed up for - 2011 Toyota Sienna
  By Troy - December 21 - 2:50 pm

  After having this for less than a month it has been in the shop for NUMEROUS issues including transmission, power windows that would not go up and a stereo that has a mind of its own. This is not my first Toyota product, but this sure will be the last. The dealer was less than helpful and my salesman was nonexistent for help dealing with service. I will be buying an Odyssey in 2 years unless this vehicle gives out before. Getting ready to trade our ES350 for an Accord Crosstour. What happened to you Toyota?

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  I was willing to sacrifive perormance... - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By sol-kat - December 19 - 10:00 am

  For efficiency. But arguably the Matrix has neither. Not only do I miss the torque of a 6- cylinder, but I miss the range of a larger gas tank. I am averaging only 31 miles per gallon and 325 miles per tank. The Matrix is stripped down to a price point. The fact that no cargo mat is provided, doesnt mean that one isnt needed. I have carried the usual items in the rear--skis, tools, groceries-- but it is clear that Toyota did not design the cargo area for wear and tear. The lack of an integrated roof rack is disappointing since the cargo area is so flimsy.

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  cheap seats - 2004 Toyota Tundra
  By jim oneill - December 19 - 2:00 am

  i have had 2 tundras in 4 years i like them, but i would like them even more if the front seats were biger. also ihave a number of friends with chevys and they get better gas mileage.

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  Adjust your expectations - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By PhilCO48 - December 15 - 6:48 am

  First off, I bought this truck (2016 Toyota Tacoma Sport TRD) to avoid using either of our other cars for hauling lumber and plywood that I use in my woodworking as well as to have a utility vehicle available for bad weather. This Tacoma fits those needs quite well, so I am quite pleased with that. But, now that the fanfare is making its way around the internet about how great the upgrades are from the 2015 model I am really glad that I waited, I can only conclude that the 2015 and previous was a real dog. Toyota gets a big plus for the redesign of the interior, I really like the infotainment system and navigation. It is very logical and intuitive and was easy to get used to. While much is being said about the new Atkinson cycle engine, I have to admit to being disappointed. I just returned from a 700 mile round trip from Denver to Moab, and I was amazed at how hard the engine had to work to only maintain the speed limit (which happens to be 80 mph in Utah). The transmission was in either third (at 4,200 rpm) or fourth (at 3,500 rpm) most (say 75%) of the time. As a result, milage came in around 17, not too hot, and actually worse than my previous Toyota (Tundra with the V8 and lots more power). There are some key things missing besides adequate power: who doesnt include remote garage door opener as standard nowadays, no back up parking assist, no blind spot indicator, no auto headlights, no dual-zone temp control, no remote tailgate lock, no automatic headlights. For $36,000 maybe I should not expect all of this, but surely Toyota could have popped for some of it. If the company is serious about reversing the market share loss they must be feeling from the GMC Canyon and Chevy Colorado they need to step up and make standard some of the features that just seem basic to all cars today. I would have been willing to pay more, and would have felt the value was there. So, adjust your expectations when you think about this truck. If you want a good basic truck like I ended up with you should still consider the competition. But, all in all, I like this thing enough to keep it for the 2 year term of the lease. I am sure by the end of that time Toyota will have seen they missed the mark and will update this vehicle to modern standards.

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  Hybrid Battery Heck - 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By mtnman7615 - December 9 - 8:48 am

  We bought new in 2007 with assurance that problems with hybrid battery were fixed. First hybrid battery went out at 51,000 miles. Replaced under warranty. Second hybrid battery went out at 141,000 and was told it would be a $6,400 repair bill. Toyota customer service was useless, but dealer agreed to pay half of the cost as a "good will" gesture. Very disappointed in having to spend $3000 to replace a part that is supposed to be a "lifetime of the vehicle" part - twice at less than half the expected lifetime of the vehicle! Also disappointed at Toyota for not standing behind this product better. Wont be buying another Toyota product, especially a hybrid!

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  Hesitation is normal - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Wil123 - December 7 - 10:00 am

  Everything about this car is great except for the 5 speed automatic transmission. The transmission cant seem to decide what gear is correct and is always shifting. In addition, the drive-by-wire throttle combined with the transmission causes the car to hesitate when acceleration is needed most. Toyota says that hesitation is the drivers fault and that when the car is driven, the accelerator pedal must not be floored or pressed too quickly otherwise hesitation will result. Toyota told me that they may or may not address this issue in the future, but at the present time I am told that "hesitation is normal for this design".

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  What to buy a Toyota or Honda? - 2007 Toyota Sienna
  By Nick - December 2 - 11:00 am

  We narrowed our search for a good big family car down to the Toyota Sienna XLE or the Honda Odyssey equivalent level. We bought the Toyota, and in the first 6 months had to have the CD changer replaced 3 times! One tire wont hold air steadily, the paint chips very easy, the key transmitter needs replaced and no matter how and where we drive we cant average better than 18 mpg. Our dealer takes care of the problems under the warranty, but we loose much time having to go there and wait for repairs on a new car. Our conclusion is the building quality for the price does not match and we are now considering trading in for a Honda Odyssey.