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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  GAS HOG and high insurance rating - 2002 Toyota Tacoma
  By willysworker - March 26 - 6:16 am

  Bought my Tacoma PreRunner new with 2.7 L motor and automatic transmission. It has 97,000 miles and has been a gas hog. Never gotten over 22 MPG. Loaded and doing 65 MPH on interstate it averages near 18 MPG. It also has a higher than normal insurance rating even with my excellent driving record.

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  Toyota quality still slipping! - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By DAN - March 24 - 5:23 am

  This is my 6th Toyota and the worst of the lot. 3 recalls and several trips to fix broken trim, HVAC problems, engine issues etc. Toyota quality for 2010 is the worst Ive seen, heard, or experienced. I think Im done with Toyota and unless they do a quick turnaround, they are not worth their premium price. The interior design is lame and the HVAC system is laughably ridiculous - a chimp could have come up with a better design. The engine is already getting wheezy and noisy.

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  Toyota Reliability. Not This One. - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By Karen - March 23 - 3:13 am

  Bought the car used with about 13,000 miles on it. Regular oil changes and routine maintenance. Had 2 power window motors give out - expensive! Then at 91,000 miles, a connecting rod broke. Leaves us with a totaled Camry that we thought would last for another 100K miles. Toyota USA refused any help with repairs. Last Toyota Ill own.

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  You get what you pay for - 2018 Toyota Camry
  By Gary L. Heckman, Sr. - March 19 - 9:16 pm

  Be VERY CAREFUL before buying this car... NO CD available... Navigation system STINKS... NO leather... You MUST pair your cell phone to this car if you want to listen to something other than radio, or if you want to use the navigation system with a map... If you dont have a cell phone or dont want one, YOU WILL HAVE TO BUY ONE... The seats are now SYNTHETIC LEATHER... If you dont know what SYNTHETIC LEATHER is folks, ITS VINYL...

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  Okay I guess - 2002 Toyota RAV4
  By barbian7 - March 19 - 4:16 am

  As far as exterior design, nothing beats it--its a cute car. But the power just wasnt there. My mom drives a 4-cylinder Ford sedan that seems to have far better power. It was really sluggish up hills. And the fuel economy really wasnt there either, surprisingly. It was reliable in terms of service though. I only recently had an engine light come on, and then a report came out that said it might just be a glitch. I traded it before I found out. For me the worst feature was interior noise. It didnt seem insulated or something-- just wasnt really smooth in that respect. Overall just really a so-so experience for me. I doubt Ill even buy a Toyota again.

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  Disappointed with MPG - 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By MCD - March 19 - 1:06 am

  I am leasing a 2006 Highlander Hybrid. Im in second year; took car for service for poor MPG, averaging 16.8 MPG city/highway for 800+ miles. I was told that it is what I should expect! At 26K I am averaging 21.4 MPG in city. The battery immediately reverts to gas. The service dept. said nothing could be done and that other Highlanders were getting similar MPG. This is not acceptable! The sticker indicates 31 miles city and 27 miles highway. I wrote to Toyota-their reply: MPG sticker quotes are generated under controlled testing conditions for EPA and so I should bring it in for servicing. Fuel efficiency is influenced by many variables: tire pressure, weather, fuel additives, etc.

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  Not happy with Toyota - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By Kimberly McAllister - March 15 - 12:16 pm

  After doing a lot of research we purchased our 2008 Sport Highlander just three weeks ago. After two weeks of driving it we started to hear a noise when we would accelerate the car. (Mind you it only has 750 miles on it). Long story short we took it in to be checked out and found out we need a new transmission!!!! We are not happy and now doubt the reliability of our car.

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  Toyota Doesnt mean quality - 2003 Toyota Tacoma
  By Toyota Quality? - March 12 - 10:00 am

  I bought the truck because its looks good and because its a Toyota, but I have had problems with the breaks, the U-joints, and the thing rattles very bad. Also the doors feel like paper when you shut them and it is noisy when you drive and if the windows are rolled down you get blown out.

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  Continuing problems - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By rjloblaw - March 10 - 9:20 am

  Acceleration is adequate, but torque is all but absent! Too much weight for the old four cylinder engine. The transmission/computer is a major issue. Unexpected downshifting on pimple sized grades when in cruise, upshifting when decelerating, peculiar hold back sensations when at low speeds are among the problems experienced by me and, obviously, others. Poor mileage is yet another factor as is the numerous blind spots resulting from the appearance over proper design issues. Dealers do not handle the transmission matters well as Ive had no luck in clearing up the inadequacies. Is Toyota losing control as they grow in size or is their arrogance the major problem? My first & last Camry!

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  Her name is Lemon Aid - 2015 Toyota Venza
  By Eric - March 7 - 2:18 pm

  To be fair, I did buy this car used with 90,000 miles on it. But it was nearly perfect looking, not a scratch on her, clean, and everything passed inspections. I really liked the car when I got it, fun to drive and comfortable, both front and rear. (the rear seats recline, very nice for long trips) not crazy about the stereo, but I found out this model came with the nav system, which was replaced with the CD player radio (oh well). Then the honeymoon was over and the problems started to show themselves. The road noise is deafening, my convertible mustang GT was quieter. Yes, the dealer put cheap tires on it, which makes it worse, but those 20 inch tires are louder than some of the trucks I have owned. other noise?, I read about this problem, and this car has it, something is rattling in the dash on rough roads, sounds like the front struts are about to fall out its so loud. Two months into ownership the car died in traffic, lights went out, dash warning lights all lit up, then it stalled, the alternator died. If I had taken it to a shop, it would have been an $900 repair, you have to take apart the front of the car, including the removal of the radiator, grill, wheel well panels, under car panels, core support bracket and on an on, just to get the alternator out. Next the brakes, the rotors were hardened and shook when you stopped, that started after 7,000 miles. while doing that job I realized the emergency brake was a tiny, old fashioned drum brake built into the rear disk rotors, which explained why the car wont stay in place with the brake on, which requires repairs (fine, high mileage car), and the pistons for the rear disk brakes have rotten seals, 97,000 miles, with rotten brake components! NEXT, at 105,000 miles, the passenger wheel hub bearings went bad. I have read about this, apparently its a very common issue nobody ever mentions in these reviews, or the maintenance reports. (the suspect is the 20 inch wheels on a drive train designed for a regular car) By the time that one is over I am looking at upwards of $350. (you need a machine shop press to replace the bearings, so you cannot just pop them in yourself) Another known issue, every 5-6000 miles the engine light comes on, because the VVT solenoid on the bank1 exhaust camshaft is tossing a failure code randomly, thats a $1400 repair at the dealer just for one of them, there are four in the engine! (once again you have to take apart the front of the car to get to it, takes literally 10 minutes to replace, 2 hours to get to it). You have to take the car to a shop just to check the transmission oil because on a $35,000 car, Toyota didnt bother to install a dipstick. You cant do it yourself without a code reader that can read live data, and a way to get the car off the ground, but level (a lift). I read about people that have had great experiences with these cars, did you write your review the day after you bought the thing? The seats can catch fire, the transmissions have a known defect that can cause a complete failure over time, the VVT solenoids are known to fail. the leather is terrible (I did read about this, but I thought it was just people being picky, I had no idea a manufacturer would actually use such a lousy grade of leather, I would rather have cloth) There are good things about it, I like its looks, Mine came with an aftermarket chrome trim option, I like the big noisy wheels, the stereo sounds great, though I would prefer a more modern system, I do like the big seats, more lateral support would be nice. The thing is fast, that V6 is amazing, and it gets decent fuel economy for such a big car, I average 23.3mpg, and when I reset the average on long trips, I get about 25 highway (flat roads) I realize I have a higher mileage car, but I just sold a 200,000 mile explorer that gave me less trouble over the last 60,000 miles than this car has in 15,000. I bought a Toyota because of the reputation, then after getting it and having all these problems, I searched for Toyota Venza Sucks, I will remember to do this next time. Its disappointing, I paid $2700 for the previously mentioned Explorer with 131,000 miles on it. I replaced the upper swing arms, radiator, water pump, thermostat housing, and regular maintenance in 60,000 miles, at 192,000 miles, it sent its first engine code. I expected more from a much more expensive Toyota. Hopefully it will go years without any more major repairs, and make up for the last four months. OR, hopefully it holds up long enough for me to trade it.