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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  Frustrated with NY Camry - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Nathan - May 18 - 1:10 pm

  I have climate control issues that two dealerships have been unable to remedy. The AC only works on the top two settings. One dealership told me there wasnt a problem, another dealer said $650.00 would replace a component. The car has 44,000.00 miles. Now the dealer says I need to get an alignment. My first and last Toyota.

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  Its a Prius, Its What You Expect - 2013 Toyota Prius v
  By hendolvik - May 16 - 5:06 am

  I bought a Volvo XC60 in November 2012 to haul my kids and giant dog, but after 4 months of getting 15 mpg, I traded it in for a new Prius V. Instead of getting lousy gas mileage, I now get good gas mileage, but not as good as I expected. After 8 months, I average 33 mpg. Hubby says I book it off the line too quickly. I say its the extra 125 pounds of dog that Im transporting that he isnt. Either way, its twice as fuel efficient as both my previous minivan and Volvo XC60, so its a win. I wont lie: I miss the luxury of the Volvo. The seats were more comfortable, the doors were more solid. The Prius V doesnt feel cheap, but its certainly not luxurious. At least it has built-in nav.

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  Dangerous in High Winds - 2006 Toyota Corolla
  By FrankLloyd - May 12 - 1:40 pm

  Basic transportation at best. It is not built to the quality level of Honda. High Wind / Rain on the highway blow the vehicle all over the road, and provides for tense driving. Two hands on the wheel are mandatory. The car "sails" with virtually no feel of the road in rain conditions. Numerous dash rattles, squealing brakes, and a front drivers seat which doesnt sit in the track properly are primary complaints.

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  Your mileage may vary - 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By hybrid34 - May 12 - 10:00 am

  We paid the premium for the hybrid because we keep our cars a long time and if we were going to get mileage close to the EPA estimate we would make up the difference in about 5 years. Now that we have driven it about a year we are getting on average 34 MPG Nowhere near where we expected. Our diving has mostly been city driving and when we do get it on the highway we get above 40 MPG. We took it back a couple of times to the dealer, they said there is noting wrong and when I called Toyota they said that 34 MPG was within what we could expect and does not indicate a problem.

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  Expensive to own - 2006 Toyota Sienna
  By cgermain - May 10 - 11:32 pm

  I bought my 06 Sienna new and have had many electronic issues. Radio went out within the first week, followed by airbag sensors. The brakes had to be replaced at 30k. I have 93k and have had the tires replaced three times. This van is a great driving vehicle but it is simply too expensive to maintain. Now my AC has gone out for a 2nd time. It was a $1200 bill the first time and I am praying it will be covered for this repair. I will never own another Toyota and my Sienna will be gone soon. Going American all the way from now on.

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  No more Toyotas - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By gina - May 7 - 5:10 pm

  There is something very wrong with this car. The list of problems with this car is huge. It grinds, growls, shifts hard, steers hard, and every time I go in for an oil change I have to replace or repair something. I have replaced steering column, and it needs to be replaced again, I replaced battery, front brakes, rear brakes, air filter, fuel filter and all the pricey tune-ups. Replaced spark plugs, wires, and right now I am so sick of Toyota, this was a new car.

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  Reliable car...costs too much - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By ajayuppot - May 6 - 7:35 am

  this a 2010 Corolla S Automatic canadian edition, drove 16000+kms for 5 months now. my last car was a 1998 corolla VE, drove it for more than 6 years and 200000+kms. Not much changes to the basic car, drives without much problem. i drive around 150kms a day on weekdays and averages 7.2liters/100kms. Good traction on snow and ice when combined with michelin X ice tires. Observations- Paint chipped off with few months, On cold mornings the accessories belt/pulley whines while starting. Both these according to Toyota Service advisor are usual and they can do nothing about it! Gear change from 2 to 3 and 3 to 4 had a slight delay, the dealership corrected it during 2nd service

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  Check Engine Light - 2010 Toyota Tundra
  By JH - May 3 - 2:46 am

  Have had the truck for a week and the check engine light is on! Just traded in my Jeep Grand Cherokee for the same reason. Expensive truck and now this! Put some faith in Toyota even with the accelerator recall and supposedly from another post, they knew about this problem, cam sensor. Beware!

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  New Englands RUST. - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By Leo - April 30 - 5:10 am

  For those thinking on buying this car and are from the New England area, Ive been driving it for the last 18months and I am already having rust issues on all wheels. The rust created by the environment is not eligible for the Warranty.

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  Not bad, but could be much better! - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By Corolla Driver - April 25 - 9:23 pm

  Its a good car but does not stand out in any way. Redesign the interior, clock in the radio area (add date/day of week); Improve steering feel; Illuminated controls for power door locks & mirrors; 8 way power driverÂ’s seat w/ lumbar support; Radio backlighting should be blue to match other controls; Make the LCD bigger & higher resolution so it contains more info at a time, not force to toggle the TEXT button. Every cheap gadget these days offers high-res LCDs with a wealth of info! & get rid of the pixelated fonts; Make available fog lights on XLE. Heated outside mirrors standard on the XLE (Elantra offer them standard on all models); No intrusive hinges on trunk.