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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  not much impressed - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By B4ernrd - October 7 - 10:00 am

  Good but not excellent enough. Good in the back road but scary in the freeway as if its going on a spin and jitters inside. Roll over is imminent. Not so Good. Engine is but not the whole set up, its not too good for safe ride. GAS CONSUMPTION is very greedy. Not so good.

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  What about hidden maintenance costs? - 2009 Toyota Prius
  By Ken C - October 5 - 7:33 am

  Ive driven my Prius for 36k miles. My love is simply summarized – 48 MPG! But will fuel savings be lost to unexpected maintenance costs? My car isn’t old enough to have real maintenance issues yet, but I’m wary. The engineers were great at building a complex car with great gas mileage, but lousy at creating a car that can be easily maintained. Theres no room under the hood, so theres no way to do a simple DIY like replacing a headlight without extensive work. I tried DIY, but gave up. In the end, the dealer replaced it (in about two hours of labor) for $200+ (for a $10 bulb?!). That’s crazy talk man! People need to know up front that there could be high unforeseen maintenance costs.

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  ECM /Transmission Problem - 2003 Toyota RAV4
  By abamabam1 - October 1 - 8:25 pm

  I rarely write reviews online but I want to share my experience with this vehicle...My RAV4 is in excellent condition until I hit 89K on my 2003 RAV 4 last month when its started jerking on shifting. Im 3 months passed out of extended warranty as per TOYOTA 10 YEARS/150,000 miles. I took mycar to the dealer but told me I need to pay $$$$ for the diagnostic and repairs because of out of warranty...Even calling TOYOTA Customer Relation is still no help..This is my last TOYOTA ever...You lost one loyal customer...I traded my RAV4 for a 2013 Honda Accord...

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  One Bad Investment - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Jacqueline Sabree - October 1 - 3:50 am

  This is my first Toyota purchase. I am so disappointed. I wasted my money on this car. One day while my husband and I was in route to Atlanta, the car started jerking. I was asleep but the jerking of the car woke me up. We took the cruise off the car and it settled down. When we returned home, I took the car to a transmission specialist and found out that the transmission is slipping. I was told that the car was sick but not in critical condition. I then took it to the dealership where it was purchased and the head mechanic said that the car ran fine. I said, "Aah heck, its another Mazda deal." I had almost the exact same problem with a lemon Madza Protege. My warranty will be out soon. HELP!

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  Some flaws - 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By LandRover - September 30 - 9:20 pm

  I have been very disappointed with the FJ! Current Land Rover owner... dont think for a second that youre getting one of those for $30K. First impression driving, very WEAK on power. The wifes Accord has way more get up and go. Rear visibility is tolerable for GREAT drivers, for average ones look out. Cannot believe those tiny windows in the back dont even open, the back seat is like a crypt. Cant see anything outside, so much for an "off-road" vehicle. Storage space is also very limited. If ALL you will use this for is off- roading, fine, but its no commuter.

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  Disappointed - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By rdibella - September 29 - 9:10 pm

  1) Significant, frequent and dangerous hesitation problem (reminiscent of an out-of-adjustment carburetor in the old days). 2) Rough shifting transmission; shifts at odd rpm levels. 3) Annoying rear hatch door rattle. 4) Rough starting at unpredictable times. 5) Difficult to moderate AC/heat with the standard controls. 6) Other trivial items that, in the past, would have never been associated with a Toyota product.

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  Great in town rental. Not a hwy cruiser - 2016 Toyota Corolla
  By HWYMiler - September 28 - 4:57 pm

  Very easy to drive. Brakes are decent, acceleration is adequate although the engine does buzz to get there. Not a huge fan of the CVT but seems like it needs that to get the most out of the engine. visibility is very good. It was the low end model but the stereo was fine. Biggest gripes: At highway speed the engine could use another gear. Turning around 3K @ 70mph => 34-35 mpg. Car would be much improved w/ small engine + turbo. Very little steering feedback and car tends to drift a bit on the hwy. Cruise control is typical Toyota in that it surged a few too many miles above the set speed as you hit rollers. LED headlights are way too hot which is a shame. I like the beam pattern of the LEDs but the temp does not create enough contrast and its compounded by not being strong enough. Drove this as well as the Ford Focus and VW Jetta 1.4 all in the same month. Each for almost a week. Granted Im not focused on long term ownership costs but the Jetta was hands down my favorite.

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  f - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By Termitesforhire - September 28 - 1:53 am

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  Sorry I Bought a Camry - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Unhappy One - September 25 - 11:36 pm

  After doing much research on "the best selling car" I bought the Camry V6 XLE, loaded. Im sorry to say that Ive had nothing but break problems. Im on my 3rd set of rotors Toyota keeps telling me its MY DRIVING and that no one else has these reoccurring problems. But, after reading some of these reviews its obvious Toyota has lots of disappointed customers. They put cheap tires Toyota put on their $30 car. Im ready to trade this car in for the Nissan Altima - the reviews for that car are wonderful. And the Altima has much better styling. If you want a car youll feel safe in (besides all the air bags) I would NOT recommend this car.

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  Camre LE 4cyl Automatic 6 Speed - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Gail - September 25 - 8:10 am

  I just purchased a 2010 Toyota Camry LE 4cyl vehicle. I am extremely disappointed in the transmission when traveling on secondary roads. The transmission is constantly shifting up and down making the ride feel very erratic and jerky when traveling between 25 MPH and 35 MPH. The transmission begins to settle down at speeds over 40MPH; but most secondary road driving is between 25 & 35MPH. I feel very uncomfortable driving this car. I took it back to the dealership within 1 week of purchasing it and they told me that it is the computer in car causing this behavior, and it should calm down when the computer becomes accustomed to my driving habits. I wish I bought a different car!