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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  Love / Hate - 1996 Toyota Corolla
  By dbackfirst - May 6 - 10:00 am

  Title of the review sums it up. Love - - mpg, getting around in the snow, always starts, easy maintenance, air conditioner. Hate - road noise, poor handling, poor brakes, lousy power (even for an econobox). Also Ive had to replace the front wheel bearings twice in under 100K. Toyota dealer the first time.

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  toyota tacoma 2dr 4cyl auto - 2000 Toyota Tacoma
  By van - May 6 - 10:00 am

  gutless wonder in acceleration. straight shift is much peppier. rough riding. dependale transportation, good dealer service gas mileage averages 24-25mpg

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  Worst Toyota Ever - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Shock - May 6 - 2:56 am

  I knew within 6 months this car would not last. I owned it exactly 5 years and had 115k miles on it. Repair Bill at 5 years after spending tons on the 90k service, more than $8k. 1) Both rear passenger sliding doors broken. Watch those cables visible on the sides just under the very back window, they fail and then get stuck in the motor. Over $2800 each to repair. 2) Leaking transmission (2x already) 3) Power steering Motor failure 4) Motor leaking oil in the head gasket 5) Motor leaking oil behind the timing belt 6)3 O2 sensors (yea 3) bad. ==> Junk

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  Was great until..... - 2007 Toyota Sienna
  By mike915 - May 3 - 6:16 am

  We bought a brand new Sienna in 2007 with hopes of it being the family car forever, after all "Toyotas go forever". But about 3 years into it the check engine light came on and starting idling rough. We had never missed a maintenance visit. we were at about 85,000 miles so the warranty was gone. We found out that there is a sensor deep in the engine that had to be replaced, $8,000 to do. Well that was the end of that vehicle for us as we could not afford the repair. we found out Toyota knew about the problem and put out a service advisory, not a recall, which means you are out of luck. Great up until that day the engine light came on. Will not buy Toyota again.

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  Thirsty clumsy clunker - 2008 Toyota Avalon
  By toyotauser - April 30 - 4:53 am

  Proof Toyota can badge and sell any clunker. 13.6 mpg in Boston, 25 mpg on hilly I-90. I am not a heavy foot. I use premium & Mobil-1 5W30. The seats jiggle over bumps. The back doors need to be rehung. Accelerating and maneuvering make dangerous torque steer, I like the 3/4 large size and big interior space, but seats not comfortable on a long drive, even for driver, in spite of adj lumbar. Ive had a lot of great cars recently, everything from an 06 Evo IX SE to a Camry Hybrid. I like big cushy cars. An old chassis and should be retired. Paint scratches if you frown at it. There are lots of goods cars out there, this is not one.

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  I got what I bought - 2006 Toyota Tacoma
  By mrfinfish - April 28 - 11:06 am

  This truck "is what it is"; an economical version of a small truck, very handy and economical around the suburbs and city driving. Principal reason for my buying this truck is that Im sick and tired of loosing $10,000+ a year in owing a Ford or Dodge $30,000 vehicle when purchased new. I bought this truck for a little over $16K; it gets 22 to 26 mpg; it is decidedably uncomfortable; its 2.7litter engine performance is acceptable, and one year after my purchase, Ive probably lost between $3 and $4,000, based on its current resale value. Do I wish I had a big truck with 4-wheel drive? Sure; but its a function of whether I want the cash in my pocket, or in the dealers pocket.

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  Flip - 2000 Toyota 4Runner
  By vneyer - April 24 - 2:00 am

  Thought that the car was great till I took a detour on a gravel road and the car flipped.

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  LE V6 189K Update - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Mike Krahn - April 23 - 8:23 pm

  After i hit 189K the transmission went out. The engine still runs very strong, but it to needs to have two out of the four fuel air sensors replaced which would be $200.00 for one and $300.00 the other two if and when they would go out also cost $$$. The transmission dealer told me it would be around $3100.00 to fix trans, but the car is only valued at around $2000.00 to $4500.00 because of the mileage. I drove the car mostly on the highway putting on around 40K to 50K each year. Just pickup my new 2011 Camry 4 with a 6 speed trans LE model. Will update on this one soon, but as far as the old one goes she was good to me overall. Read the other reviews that i wrote from the beginning for info

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  Poor Corolla - 2008 Toyota Corolla
  By Lana - April 22 - 1:16 pm

  When I bought this car, I knew it was going to be for utilitarian purposes only, school, work, errands. After all, thats all that this car is good for. After 2.5 years driving it after buying it brand new, I got bored with it and sick of hearing the engine strain to accelerate and pick up reasonable speed. The car drives well, seeps on gas slowly (I could drive 2 weeks without filling up), but it is not a fun car. Very dependable, never had an issue with it after 20,000 and going.

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  Spontaneous Combustion - 1999 Toyota 4Runner
  By Houston, TX - April 22 - 1:10 pm

  I bought this car new and took great care of it. With 85K miles on it, an electrical fire started behind the dashboard (probably inside the instrument cluster) causing massive damage. All wiring was factory and no work had been done on the electrical system. Otherwise I really enjoyed the car until it caught fire on me.