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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  Awful ride - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By randy - April 1 - 10:30 pm

  I bought this powerful half ton thinking it would run like my 9 year old tacoma. The ride is simply awful. I as well as my passengers are literally bouncing off our seats being held in by our seat belts. I dont dare have my new born in the truck as a passenger. After waiting a year for a promised fix from Toyota for the rough ride I could wait no longer and traded it in for a GMC Sierra. Lost a bit of power but man is the ride better. Problems during my 9 months of ownership: the rubber sealant around the windows were replaced. The drivers side mirror was replaced. The torque convertor was replaced. The transmission was being looked at due to hesitation-vibration.

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  2008 and newer highlander V6 engine issues - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By gobubba - April 1 - 3:07 am

  All V6 2008 and newer highlanders will develop piston slap according to the dealer and factory rep I talked to. It causes the engine to sound like a diesel for the first 10minutes of driving. The dealership could not fix the issue and bought our vehicle back. Im writing this to help educate people about this and hopefully save someone from making the same mistake I did, purchasing a certified highlander....

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  Avalon built in USA - No good - 1998 Toyota Avalon
  By racine guy - March 30 - 10:00 am

  This Avalon was built in Kentucky with good ol union labor...and it shows! The dealer delivered the vehicle with the rear middle seat belt BEHIND the rear seat backrest! The front seat belts have to manually feed back into their slots. The front armrest was replaced twice under waranty. My wife was injured by the parking brake foot lever when she was in a minor accident ? her shin bode hit the peddle which bruisded the bone. The drive train sometimes jerks in stop n go traffic or taking off from a dead stop. Finally, the tire noise is so bad...rear seat occupant ALWAYS complain about the noise! What a lousy car for $28 grand!!

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  Disappointed - 2007 Toyota Highlander
  By Gloria S - March 26 - 7:36 pm

  I bought this vehicle after much research. I am disappointed in the leg room, you feel like your legs are not fully supported. The seats feel very hard. In addition, if it is raining and very hot, your ac will not cool and the belt slips.

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  disappointing - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By gramparoy - March 25 - 11:26 am

  Heres what I found out regarding small battery.....no warranty, has special battery..cost much more as it has no liquid( safety issue) You can toss out the milage amount.....somewhere between 26-28 mfg. I will never buy another hybrid as we put on only 380 miles per nonth. Am trying to lease either a fiesta or hyundai.

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  Toyota Camry - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Ava - March 22 - 12:01 pm

  It is an OKAY car for the price. Nothing about the car is impressive. Its a dependable car for the price.

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  Beware of The Clunky , Rusty 2005-2011 Tacoma ! - 2006 Toyota Tacoma
  By Bill Robertson - March 21 - 8:20 pm

  While the engine is strong and the truck seems to hold up , the issues with cracking leaf springs and rusty frames makes me tell people to be very careful . My trucks leaf springs died at 67k miles and at the time Toyota had not recalled the nearly 700,000 tacomas ... Although I fixed it I am not getting reimbursement from Toyolet ,and they continue to cheat me and thousands of other customers . Google "Toyota rusty frames " or " Tacoma leaf springs failure " .. While the trucks look butch they are weak and the customer service is an abomination ... Beware of the last generation Junk Tacomas from Toyolet , not worth the money or the hassles .. Buy a real truck .

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  Instrument panel display problems - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By irish - March 20 - 3:20 pm

  Seats are very uncomfortable. For a short person the headrests do not fit properly and cannot be adjusted. They obstruct rear view. Main problem is the instrument display fades out in sunlight and very difficult to see. Cannot wear polarized sunglasses. The display is LCD and polarized making it incompatible. Non polarized sun glasses did not offer any significant improvement. I am returning this car. It is not safe for me to drive.

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  My Corolla is still going strong... - 1998 Toyota Corolla
  By baba_ganoush - March 18 - 10:43 am

  Bought an LE (Touring) in 1998. 30 seconds out of the showroom, it started making this HORRIBLE grinding noise. Dealer fixed it under warranty (a loose lug nut in the front aluminum alloy wheels), but entire new car experience was compromised. Then, for the first 20k miles, the car made a squeaky old mattress noise -- turned out the Goodyear Integrity tires had uneven wear. Goodyear disagreed, so did the Berkeley, CA dealership. Bought tires (Pirellis) out of own pocket. Noise went away for a bit, but came back at 40k. Bought new Yokohamas, and has been perfect since. Back seat had enough barely enough leg room - - it is a total joke. Auto. tansmission pickup is pathetic. Still LOVE IT!!

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  Never again will I buy a RAV4 - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By mommao - March 16 - 12:55 pm

  I bought a Toyota because of the reputation of reliability. This was my first brand new car, I took care of it especially because I wanted to hand it down to my daughter (just like the commercial right?). Unfotunately, Im not even done paying it off and it needs a new engine. Soon after I bought it I realized I had made a mistake, but it was little things that bothered me, I felt I didnt get much for the price I paid, and it wasnt all that great on gas. Now with the engine going, I am extremely unhappy with my purchase and most likely will never buy another Toyota.