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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  GPS Madness - 2009 Toyota Avalon
  By Avalon Grandma - July 21 - 2:53 pm

  The GPS is the worst. Extremely user unfriendly. Many important POIs are missing. Per Toyota many were removed to make more map space. Toyota admits that the Avalon has the original GPS designed for the 2003 model. No wonder it is antiquated. Toyota will not stand behind the device. Says it was designed to specs. Ive asked them to take the vehicle back and replace it with another without GPS. They consistently refuse. Suggested guidance for the same route varies. Guidance for one route sometimes goes 15 miles out of the way.

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  Good, but overpriced. - 2000 Toyota 4Runner
  By pmn - July 19 - 3:26 pm

  Ive had this for 5 years and overall it has been reliable, although it once failed to start at -15 degrees, died on the interstate for five minutes, and misc things have broken. Off road capability is excellent. MPG is poor considering size and modest power, ride is pretty rough, terrible in a cross wind, and overall comfort is below average. Not nearly enough enough power to comfortably tow what it claims. Paid a premium price due to reputation for reliability, and for the most part has not disappointed there. But resale today isnt all that great. For my actual cost out of pocket I could have driven a significantly nicer (and larger) vehicle the past 5 years.

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  300 Miles and the vehicle is in the shop already - 2018 Toyota Sequoia
  By Mark M. - July 19 - 10:23 am

  I have leased the vehicle not too long ago. A week later I had to drive it to the shop due to multiple safety sensors repeated failures. Rear cross traffic, Blind spot, active cruise control, front collision radar, etc. At the moment dealer had to contact Toyota to figure out what is going on. I wish I could return it at this point in time...Toyota reliability is gone. First one, and definitely the last Toyota I will ever lease / own.

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  big mistake - 2000 Toyota Celica
  By frank b - July 19 - 10:00 am

  i have had so many problems and the service dept has been nothing but cold and unprofessional.

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  think twice or even three times! - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By JunctionA - July 17 - 12:10 am

  I am still trying to figure out what it is with designers. They took a perfectly good size of the Tacoma and changed it. It is more bulky and deliberate. It is no longer a small truck - I might as well have bought an F150. The radio looks like art-deco, sounds ok but looks terrible ... real imagination at work here (sarcasm intentional). So the brilliant engineers again took something that wasnt broke and tried to fix it. A style and color upgrade was needed ... but bigger is not always better ... wake up Toyota!!!

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  Plastic trouble - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By Brian - July 11 - 1:26 am

  We purchased our Sienna from the dealership, but the dealer drove it first, it was a used car. It was spotless, nice, we thought a step up from our 99 Odyssey. The car has mechanically been OK, we now have just over 50,000 miles. Our biggest problem is with plastic bits. The interior rattles constantly, and has since just after we bought it. The weather stripping broke on one sliding door (wind noise), on the other it actually fell off (hanging like a rope). Even with 100K mile warranty, the dealer considers this "trim" and will not fix. They were quite nasty about it, too, accused us of trying to steal from them, we should be happy to pay.

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  Not for adults - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By Jack - July 10 - 10:00 am

  Sold my 2008 hatchback after two years. A fine car for short commutes, but a back-breaker on longer trips. Even though car was loaded, Toyota found ways to unnecessarily cheapen the design. Middle position instrument cluster is the first tip off. Intermittent wipers are not speed- adjustable. Even the pedal spacing spacing is parsimonious. The dealer- option speed control stalk is invisible from the drivers position. A height adjustable drivers seat is not an option, nor was satellite radio. They say you get what you pay for, but at over 15 grand loaded it was not exactly a cheap ride, even at 30+ mpg.

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  Great Looks - Poor Performance - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Fishiman - July 7 - 12:46 am

  I bought the Camry based on looks but test drove the car on flat lands. In hills, the engine is way under powered and tends to lag badly getting on freeway or in most traffic situations. The vehicle does not get as good of mileage in town as I thought. However, freeway driving is great, smooth and good milage. Because of the gushy suspension, poor gas milage and sluggish 4-cyl engine, I sold the car and bought a Nissan Altima Hybrid.

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  Hate my 2011 Toyota 4runner - 2011 Toyota 4Runner
  By toyota02011 - June 24 - 12:26 am

  My first experience with toyota and I hate my 4 runner. Poor design of the running boards- they are useless!!! Also what vehicle now days doesnt have an automatic rear hatch. I have the limited model with all the bells and whistles and I think it still feels cheaply made. Very disappointed!!! I want my 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe back. Not a family friendly vehicle. You cant get kids in and out of carseats with the worthless running board in the backseat.

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  Second Tacoma, not happy - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Ty - June 13 - 11:23 am

  First of all, the economy shifting makes the truck feel like the slightest head breeze or up hill is dragging you down. I was able to get 26 mpg average on a tank of gas while driving back and forth to work (22 miles each way), however, while driving up the east coast on I-95 and utilizing cruise control for 90% of the way my tank average dropped to 18.7. (I know this because every time you turn your vehicle off you get a MPG for that trip and it keeps a constant MPG for the tank of gas as well). I ended up putting a rack on top for bikes and a kayak which dropped my average MPG, to work, to 21.2 mpg. If the truck is loaded up with 4 passengers I feel as though each small hill is a mountain as the truck feels sluggish and slow. I like the look of the truck, the interior is comfortable and the gizmos and gadgets are great. I wish there was a way to turn the digital feed off (between the tac and the speedometer, because I hate having it on at night). I had to sell my 2014 access cab for this 2016 four door for the additional room due to an addition to the family. However, though it gets better gas mileage (before the roof rack) I preferred the 2014 model much better. I did trade from driving a manual to a standard, so that could have a lot to do with the feeling sluggish. Give one a test drive and see what you think for yourself. I miss the old V6 model though.