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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  Cruise Control --- Warnings --- Dashboard --- etc. - 2018 Toyota Avalon
  By bhs67 - July 19 - 9:48 pm

  Toyota 2018 Avalon Limited ... 5,931 miles ... purchased four months ago, Aug 2017 -------------------------------------------------- Cruise Control 1. "Set" the cruise control to 35 mph (freeway construction zone). Accelerate (with the foot accelerator) to 70 mph after the construction zone (do not change the cruise control while accelerating). Set the cruise control. The car hits the brakes and slows to 35 mph. This could lead to multiple rear end collisions. 2. "Set" the cruise control to 55 mph. When traveling down a gradual slope ... the car brakes for a second ... then accelerates for a second ... then brakes for a second ... then accelerates for a second. The transmission shifts through three gears, up and down (per a service tech who monitored with his computer). The steepness of the slope may modify the times. It may be an engineering achievement to maintain 1 mph precision, but it kills gas mileage. 3. On a recent trip, the cruise control stopped working. There was a warning light with a message that the cruise control is "not available". The next day the cruise control started working again. 4. On the same trip, the tach jumped to 3,000 rpm at 70 mph. Canceling the cruise control, and restarting cruise control, did not make a difference. A few hours later it was back at 2,000 rpm. Also kills gas mileage. -------------------------------------------------- Warnings 5. a) The door is opened, the engine is running, there is no warning sound. b) The door is opened, then the engine is shut off, there is a warning sound. Normally a warning sound indicates something else is wrong. In this case, there is nothing wrong. -------------------------------------------------- Dashboard 6. The gas gauge light is dim. Can barely see during the day. 7. The A/C On / Off light ... Auto light ... cruise control ... etc. ... are dim. Can barely see during the day. 8. There are no knobs (only touch screen buttons) to change the heater / air conditioner. The driver must take eyes off of the road to adjust the temperature. 9. Must take off gloves to change the heater / air conditioner. -------------------------------------------------- Headlights 10. The headlights, in the auto mode, jump from high beam to low beam every few seconds ... even when it is midnight ... and there are no other cars on the road. I suspect it is the reflectors on the side of the road. -------------------------------------------------- Fog Lights 11. There are no fog lights. -------------------------------------------------- Misc 12. The passenger side rear seat door speaker has a distorted sound ... the dealer plans to replace. 13. The key fob does not always work to open the trunk. 14. Only two cup holders. 15. Too much bass on AM radio ... difficult to understand people speaking (unlike our Honda). Minimizing the bass does not help. -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------

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  Extremely unsafe! - 2012 Toyota Venza
  By tessann19 - July 13 - 7:58 am

  I purchased the 2012 Venza in June of 2012 with high hopes. The options and look were phenomenal. However, there is definitely a safety issue with this vehicle. In Oct. of 2012 the rear passenger window burst while driving down a highway. Today, 05/13/13, I started the car and put it in reverse and the rear window shattered. My concern now - I have a sunroof and panoramic window which I am concerned will have the same issues. Toyota needs to up their expectations - just because they purchased GM doesnt mean they can lower the standards.

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  bad front seats - 2016 Toyota Corolla
  By gerardo magallanes - July 1 - 5:24 am

  be aware of the front seats after driving one hour you may need to go to the quiropractor the seats are the worst seats i have ever seat on a car.I leased one from kearny mesa toyota and i only had it for one week I returned took a loss of $3500. so be careful on the corollas

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  Terrible little car - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By Abbie - June 29 - 5:49 am

  Needs a specific kind of coolant/antifreeze. Cannot use universal. Can build up blockages in engine.

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  My sun visor broken - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By VU Hanh - May 25 - 11:58 pm

  My sun visor broken when I driving and I get car accident , I m so scare what happen for next time

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  Awful Suspension - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Loaded4th - May 10 - 11:10 pm

  The Highlander used to be one of the best rides around, however, the latest version is a real kidney shaker. This may be fine for those who wish to tear around corners, but its brutal on a long distance drive. Although the Limited version has better suspension, it still falls short of the earlier models.

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  I thought toyota was the best - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By ben kaplan - May 2 - 12:29 pm

  Buying this car has been the worst experience of my life. first the dealership grossinger Toyota tried to overcharge me 11,000 but when I caught it they said it was an accident and corrected it to the right price but did not tell me about 6200 in warentys they decided to add so we had to goo back again and they said the warrenties were a accident and then finally took those off. Now during all this I am talking to Toyota national and they tell me to bad so sad they dont sell the cars they just makem so I should take a hike. so after all this I ended up dumping the car for 25000 losing my shirt and mind but I could not get behind the wheel without wanting to throw up the experience has made me sick

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  Tacoma has lost it in 2016!! - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By ADR - April 23 - 12:56 pm

  What can I say, I have been a huge Toyota fan for a very long time, until the new 2016 Tacoma came out, I was waiting forever for this truck to happen. Been super excited for this until I drove one, in fact I drove them all. The new 6 and the new 4 cylinder. Both are the worst running motors yet. Super under powered and very loud for what they are. Not to mention the quality of all the materials used in the cab, every button and knob is cheap! The cab noise is something else as well, I am sure it due to the quality of materials. As for looks, they nailed it, great looking truck hands down. Other than that, save your money! Or keep your old Tacoma like me. When I was at multiple dealers testing these, there were buyers over paying left and right for these trucks based on all the hype, mind blowing to me, I was thinking have you driven this??? What a reality check this would be in a week or so after taking it home. Any way, I hope Toyota realizes what they built here and makes a huge change in the future with this brand. I also never wright reviews, but this one was worth my time.

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  Unsafe! Do not buy! - 2015 Toyota Sienna
  By Melanie H - April 6 - 12:59 pm

  I lease a 2015 Toyota Sienna. The power sliding doors have been on recall for MONTHS now without any permanent solution. Temporary solution is to turn off power to the door. My power has been off for MONTHS, yet Im still paying my full leasing price. No one will take blame for this and I keep getting bounced from one person to another. Today I was on the phone for hours being transfer and did not get any solution. The doors are on manual yet it took me 25 minutes to get the door to stay closed today, in a store parking lot with 2 kids while being 8 months pregnant. Finally get it closed. Get home, taking my 2 year daughter out of her carseat and the door magically slams shut! When it was in the locked open position. Thank God No one was hurt. Im so glad this is how Toyota treats their customers. I can not wait til my lease is up and they can shove this van up their butt. I will NEVER get another Toyota nor recommend this company to anyone. This van is completely unsafe.

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  Venza Regret - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By donpaluh - March 23 - 10:50 pm

  My back was hurting just from driving it home from the dealership. I figured with the almost excessive seat adjustments, I could find some setting I could live with. I am 53 years old and have never had anything like this. I have driven mostly inexpensive cars and even tractor trailer, and Ive never had this issue. I regularly drive from NYC to Buffalo (430 mi), and I dreaded my first trip in this piece of junk. Between the uncomfortable seat, poor ride, road and wind noise I have a horrible headache (which I never get) and I cant sleep again because my back hurts so bad. It has "leather" seats. This leather is below vinyl. I cannot believe how bad it looks and feels. No iPod or blu-tooth?