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 and acceleration - 2008 Toyota Tundra
  By JOHN - October 22 - 10:00 am

  Love the truck but it has some serious acceleration problems and transmission problems . With 19,000 miles on it I have to replace my tires . Previously owned to two Dodge rams and for the price rams are much better for everything but the ride. Toyota beats ram in ride and smoothness . Toyota way to expensive. For that type of truck. The biggest downfall is the sensitive gas pedal . Very dangerous

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  Engine overheating after 1,500 miles on odometer - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By JW - October 21 - 12:38 pm

  gotta have it towed to the dealer tomorrow. I will have a follow up post after the dealers analysis of why the engine is overheating.

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  frustratingly sluggish on highway - 2017 Toyota Tacoma
  By Jerry - October 18 - 8:21 pm

  I wanted Toyota reliability and quality and the offroad capabilities. Tacoma seemed like everything I wanted. but my daily commute on the highway is very frustrating. its severely underpowered and difficult to keep steady speed as transmission is shifting gears constantly. acceleration is poor and even other cheap low end cars pass this truck all the time. I have to floor it to climb even the slight uphill. its really a bad driving experience.

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  Trans. Rattle - 2007 Toyota Tacoma
  By Trans. Rattle - October 18 - 2:16 am

  Bought the reg. cab 4x4 for utility and reliability. The truck has lived up to my expectation except for the 5 spd manual trans. The trans. has rattled when in neutral since day one. Rattle is tolerable except when A/C compressor is running. Had dealer inspect, but they claim it is normal. If I wanted a truck that rattled I would have saved some money and not bought new. I would not buy this truck again do to this problem. If you are going to buy a Tacoma dont get the 5 spd. I havent heard anything about the 6spd or auto. There is no point in spending extra money for a Toyota if they are going to build them like Fords in California.

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  More Hype Than Fact - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By NewPriusOwner - October 18 - 2:00 am

  I now have over 4000 miles on this car and wish I had stayed with my Civic. I can never drive this car long enough to make up the cost of the Hybird system. For a high tech car you cant even get an MP3 player in this car. Gas mileage is in the high 30s to low 40s at best. The seats are not comfortable for even a 45 minute drive, and no power seats at that. The car is unstable in a cross wind.

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  Very Disappointed - 2011 Toyota Sienna
  By corbinj123 - October 12 - 2:45 am

  We purchased the Sienna XLE a few weeks ago. We spent good money on a high end vehicle expecting great quality, unfortunately weve been very disappointed. All the back seats are squeaking and rattling. It started with the 3rd row seat, then the pilot chair seats. We brought it into the dealership to have it looked and they said Toyota was aware of the issues on some of the Siennas and that there was no fix. They said they are working a redesign! Why did they let this go out the door. Furthermore, when we asked the dealership to help us out and resolve the issue, they said its not their problem (there exact words). I will never buy a Toyota again!!

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  Its not my 2004 Camry - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By lauren hartman - October 11 - 12:20 am

  My biggest complaint is the engine noise. I can hear the car even with the radio on. I compared it with a friends Camry, same model and did not notice the noise. It has been to the dealer twice with this complaint, but they find nothing wrong with it. The leather seats in my 04 were much nicer. The trunk got tiny scratches on it the first time it went to the car wash. Overall, I agree with the other reviews in that I think Toyota got a little too relaxed about its quality rating.

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  The Lurchmobile - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By obob - October 9 - 9:00 pm

  This car cannot make up its mind what gear it should go into. It drives like, (Im not kidding here), my old 3-speed K-car from the seventies. It cant seem to change gears without first dropping into passing gear, even at 70+ mph in cruise control, thus the "Lurchmobile". But at least I have the comfort of knowing that it looks beautiful and handles like Im towing a trailer. I guess my overall rating is a 5.

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  Heavy on gas - 2007 Toyota Sienna
  By preferbettermilage - October 9 - 5:30 am

  The van drives nicely, handles great. It is a tank in the snow and ice, which is mainly why we went for it as there are no AWD models from other manufacturers. That display showing 15mpg though is a real downer.

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  Vibrates like a 20 year old car - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By Delsher Sino - October 8 - 8:03 am

  I do not want you to make the same mistake, even though I bought brand new 2010 car, the car vibrates like a 20 year old car, you can feel the vibration in the steering wheel, doors, seats. I told the dealer about the vibration and his answer was that all Toyota corolla vibrates and that I am not driving BMW.