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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  Transmission troubles - 2003 Toyota Tundra
  By hermie - June 16 - 10:00 am

  The 5 speed manual transmission vibrates too much. Two dealerships told me that was normal. Transmission seems to downshift itself even thought it is a manual transmission. Very uncomfortable feeling.

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  Our first minivan 2012 Sienna Base Model 7 Seater - 2012 Toyota Sienna
  By Jay V - June 12 - 8:32 am

  Ive always been a car guy, then SUV, all german. Now that we have a newborn and our family is growing, we had to opt out to having a larger capacity vehicle. Hence, the 7 seater or even more in the future if need be. My first thought was, man no one really respects van drivers and I experienced this first hand right away. This is when other vehicles always cuts you off on the freeway and disregards that "Hey we are driving here! Dont you see me!" LOL. Well at least the drivability and the comfort with this van counters that. The ride is pretty smooth. We bought it used, and we are the 3rd owner at 88K miles, in clean pristine condition. We are running it with Goodyear tires. Even though we have the base model this is actually pretty good. I did not want the factory navi since I use Waze anyway and my kid uses his ipad mounted on the headrest. Its a win win for us.

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  What happened to Toyota reliability? - 2001 Toyota Sequoia
  By Christopher Reynolds - June 11 - 10:00 am

  This is the worst @#%#@$ SUV I have ever bought! I love Toyotas and currently own a Lexus LS400 but this truck has cause me nothing but grief. Lets see ... 10K transmission slips, knocking in engine like a gremlin with a ball peen hammer! Air conditioning works when it wants to. premature brake wear on the front rotors (Toyota mechanic confirmed this)

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  Disappointed with my Taco - 2007 Toyota Tacoma
  By MyTacoBites - June 4 - 11:13 pm

  Ill start by saying that Ive owned many Toyotas over the years and have been very satisfied with every one but this one. After 18k miles the engine began to knock loudly (piston wobble) and the tranny will kick after every stop (driveline lash). These traits all called "normal" by Toyota. These trucks do not represent the quality the brand has developed through the years. If you can live with a truck that makes a nasty knock at idle, shifts through the auto gearbox after a stop...only to thump you after finally finding first gear, chasing wheel balance due to the hub offset being whacked and always having steering wheel shimmy; this might be the truck for you.

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  Poor MPGs and uncomfortable seat - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By stern_s - June 3 - 7:47 am

  Two year/26,000 mile review: Rattle can with wheels. Took it to the dealer and told them the noise was from my passenger seat, yet they took my headliner and door panel off. I gave up and live with the rattling. Dashboard constantly pops with temperature change. Front seats lack butt cushion. I can feel the actual structure of the seat when I am sitting. After about an hour my butt and back hurts. I love the size of the arm rest/center console and that it slides forward, but it has already broke. Accelerates ok, but is definitely behind in performance compared to other competitors. The transmission downshifts too much, causing me to have to constantly re-accelerate. Excessive body roll. Terrible brakes. Good back-up camera. Side mirrors are badly positioned; I have to constantly adjust the mirror so I can see the curb when I park. Excessive wind noise on the highway. #1 complaint: Terrible MPGs! I cannot believe how far off the actual mpgs are from the EPA estimate. I am lucky to get 30 mpg on the highway. I average 27 on the highway and 22-24 city. This is going by the gauge in the car, which I have found to be off by 1-2 mpgs. This car has soured my taste for Toyota and I dont see myself buying one again in the future (except for maybe a supra).

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  2016 Camry SE - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By J9Detroit - May 29 - 6:37 am

  Ive been a Toyota Camry owner for over 16 years. I recently retired my 1999 Camry for the new 2016 model. I cant begin to tell you how disappointed i am with my new Camry. I love the exterior styling but the interior is just meh. My two biggest issues are the incredibly uncomfortable seats which cause my leg to go numb while driving and the bouncing of the car. I seriously thought there was something wrong with my car when i first experienced the bouncing, especially pronounced when driving on the highway. I brought my car back to the dealer several times but was told it was a common issue and that i should put some weight in my trunk. I wound up putting 40lbs of birdseed in the trunk and that mostly solves the problem but you can still feel every bump in the road. Not something you want in the pothole capital of the US. Some of the interior trim is cheap feeling and forget the infotainment system - bluetooth works intermittently and the voice commands dont work at all. Though it will read your text messages to you, there is no way to reply by voice command which is frustrating. As someone who loves long road trips this car will never be the car for that. Much too uncomfortable with those seats. I commute an hour each way every day and Im constantly thinking about what Im going to do with this car - keep it or trade it for something more comfortable. Its really disappointing given i loved the 2014 seats. Have no idea why they changed them. Im really questioning my loyalty to Toyota at this point but then I remember its the reliability.

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  Oh What A Not So Good Truck ! - 2000 Toyota Tacoma
  By ToyOfDallas - May 29 - 2:00 am

  Like others I bought this truck with high anticipations based on that Toyota reputation. Over 7 services trips concerning my squeaky clutch, suspension, and faulty paint. The passenger seat is uncomfortable and even it squeaks. Im very disappointed. I love the body style and solid feel, but there isnt much else to brag about.

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  Boring!!!!!!!!!!!! - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By Ugh! - May 28 - 5:13 am

  This is absolutely the most boring car Ive ever owned. Ive owned everything from sedans, to coupes, to convertibles, and trucks - this is the least inspiring car I could ever imagine to own. I drive a lot for work, and I just wanted something with good fuel economy and a reputation for reliability. I suppose it has that in spades, but thats all it has. In a practical sense, there is nothing wrong with the car. It does what its meant to do, but I hate driving this car. I cant wait until I get rid of it. The engine is lifeless, and the steering and handling are non-existent. Boring, boring, boring, boring!! I will probably never buy another Toyota, and would never buy a Lexus either.

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  Our first lemon - 2007 Toyota Avalon
  By guy - May 26 - 6:06 am

  We are very disappointed in this vehicle for many problems. First the air bag light came on and it took the dealer 5 mos to get repaired. The car tracks to the right and the dealer took 7 mos to repair after repeated denials of a problem. The problem apparently was caused by being lashed down too tightly while being transported. The transmission is jerky, slips and clunks at times. The engine is loud, apparently w/o adequate padding. Visibility while backing is poor. There is a glare on the ample dash. The remote start must be operated perfectly for it to work. Dont hold the push start button or else it will crank down, just tap it. You have to slam the trunk to close. Good luck.

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  Good Car - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By Toyota - May 24 - 4:33 am

  I bought this call w/ 40K miles on it. It just hit 100K. During the 60K, I had to replace the valve seals, front struts and caps, timing belts, front axles for a total cost of about $1800. Its still a very reliable car. Great car for the money.