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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  Never Again - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By chip schell - March 6 - 9:56 pm

  After about 12,000 miles, this car started to fall apart. Rattles everywhere. Have replaced the steering column, brakes and rotors already before 32k miles. Problems with loud rattles in sunroof mounting. Misaligned fender. Busted trim. The antenna in the roof was disconnected and rattled. They have had to take the dash apart to fix rattles that are still there. AC smelled horrible. Suspension is noisy and squishy. All Toyota can say is sorry, but cars have problems. Have had it in the shop 12 times in the last 15 months. So much for Toyota quality. This doesnt even include any of the issues associated with the recall. I cant get rid of this car soon enough.

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  Avalon let down - 2007 Toyota Avalon
  By CJB - March 6 - 6:46 pm

  The looks of this car were all that remains after less than a year 6 problems in the first year. Rain leaks, water from washer fluid leaks, tire sensors bad, no start twice, and a very strange shift pattern unless I drive like my grand mom. No fun car. Looks good but I expected more. Next time it is the Acura. Either I got a bad apple or the Toyota name is not all what is is hyped up to be.

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  What were they thinking??? - 2016 Toyota Prius
  By Leonard Levin - March 6 - 6:10 am

  I have been driving a 2006 Toyota Prius that has 150,000 miles on it, and have been very happy with the car. But when the hybrid battery went on it, I decided to consider buying a new Prius. I test drove the Prius 4 Touring, and compared to my 2006 Prius, was very disappointed. All the dashboard displays had been moved from the drivers side to the middle between the drivers seat and passengers seat. So, with the new Prius, when drivers looks straight ahead at the dashboard, they see...nothing! It seems less safe to have to look to the side to view the speedometer or fuel gauge while driving. The 2016 Prius has only one glove compartment, while my 2006 Prius has two...so now there is less storage space inside the car. And the 2016 Prius 4 has no spare tire, only a "tire repair kit," which I was told is like Fix-a-Flat. I have trouble understanding what benefit this tire repair kit would offer me if I hit a pothole on a highway and blew out my tire. I asked the salesman if the trunk includes a well for me to store a spare tire if I decided to buy one on my own. He replied that there is no well, but I could always put the spare tire in the back seat and wrap in plastic. How crazy is that?! I decided to replace the hybrid battery on my 2006 Prius and hope that within the next 2 years, Toyota comes to their senses and corrects these "improvements" they made to the style of the car.

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  Inverter Problems - 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By drew1961 - March 4 - 10:50 pm

  This car has very expensive inverter problems. Cost to repair Hybrid inverter system as of June 21, 2011 $9325.00 + Tax Toyota does not fix this and have a class action suit against them at this time. If you are going green this green will be coming out of your billfold. The 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Vehicle (Highlander HV) was ToyotaÂ’s first generation of gasoline-electric hybrid versions of the Highlander sold in the U.S. A central component of the Highlander HV is the electrical inverter assembly, which changes the DC current from the vehicles battery into AC current that powers the vehicleÂ’s motor. The defective inverter assemblies cause the vehicles to suddenly lose engine power while the vehicles is being driven.

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  Shame on You, Toyota! - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By D. Cummings - March 1 - 6:16 am

  Please let me begin by saying that it saddens me to have to write this negative review of a company I once thought of as the benchmark in automotive quality, value and to some extent, design. Like many(maybe most?) of you, I thought our 2007 Prius was the greatest car ever invented when we purchased it new 48,500 miles ago. The list of design flaws, there are too many to list here, is long, but the worst and most dangerous of these being the extremely poor quality OE tires, traction control on wet surfaces, poorly lit dash, sloppy handling and difficult dash controls. Ralph Nader might call the Prius the new Corvair. Due to 7 safety recalls, Toyotas resale values have plummeted! Sad.

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  Hubcap noise detracts from an otherwise great car - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By craig4d - February 27 - 9:58 pm

  We loved the 2011 Camry LE when first purchased here in Cleveland. Multiple Toyota family. Owners 2d. Soon, though, a very annoying whirring noise arose from the front left wheel/hubcap. After some delay, the Dealer confessed to being aware of a problem or at least reports, but Toyota had no solution. Noise went away for a while, but is back and is VERY ANNOYING, detracting from the pleasure of owning this car. This caused another family member to look past Toyota and get a Nissan. The issue is spreading out to the public ear...Why doesnt Toyota just replace the hubcap if that is the problem??? We got it for my 20-something daughter.

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  Will not buy about another Toyota - 2008 Toyota RAV4
  By J shafer - February 27 - 10:00 am

  First off, Ive had three yodas: 89 corolla 214,000 mi, 95 Camry 250,000 mi and this rav4. The rav just feels cheaper: the paint has way to many chips, the transmission is horrible, rough ride in the city, the stereo sucks, interior is loud, not enough room in the driver (Im 62" 200 lbs) and passenger seat, we are expecting our third child and have to buy three new car seats because the second row is so narrow and it just doesnt feel like it is going to hold up. Now the good: zero problems in the first three years (of course its just past the three year mark), awesome second row leg room and cargo, great in the snow, gas mileage is decent, and the wife loves the second glove box.

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  It started off so well - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By nashvegasmom - February 26 - 6:51 am

  Bought van brand new after bad Chrysler T&C. The first 3 years were great. Here is the laundry list of problems we have encountered, none unique to us: rear door not staying up - repaired b4 recall issued, tires wear extremely quickly even w/ regular rotation, radio does not respond to buttons correctly and often has no display or only partial digital display, gear shift clip broken so have to hold with one hand while removing keys from ignition when you park, manual side door handle broken-2X, gasket around windshield detached and dealer blamed on auto carwashes that I rarely used, side doors freeze shut every winter-in NASHVILLE!, auto door no longer works w/buttons - must start manually

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  Untrustworthy gas mileage - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By MYOB - February 26 - 6:16 am

  After 15000 miles, the gas mileage started slipping. At this point we are getting 16-18 mpg max. Also, the dealer failed to finish coat the paint, and it scratches very easily.

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  Cant believe the costs of parts! - 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By NolongerFan - February 18 - 7:00 pm

  I have been a Toyota fan for 20 years until now. My 4 year old Highlander Hybrid just stopped cold on me. Now they are telling me its the inverter and transaxle? Parts alone are $13,000, does not include labor. A car only 4 years old and the cost to fix it is as much as buying another car. Cant believe Toyota would price the parts to this car at an outrageous price. Off to buy another car and NOT A TOYOTA!!