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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  What Quality - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Bill - March 23 - 10:20 pm

  Thought these Toyota guys had it going so I bought one for my daughter. What a mistake! Road noise is horrible. Car has numerous rattles and squeaks now we learn that it could have hung accelleration and Toyotas CEO advises that we keep driving it. No thanks I love my daughter too much to put her in this piece of junk. Im headed to Ford they have a better idea.

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  Very Upset - 2011 Toyota Corolla
  By jsnsgrl98 - March 23 - 12:11 pm

  I purchased the 2011 Corolla S with all the bells and whistles in March of 2011. I was satisfied with the car and was excited to have gotten my very first brand new car. Last week we discovered that there was oil all over the back of the motor. The seal on the cam plate had blown out. My husband, being very smart with cars, was very upset to find that instead of a gasket it was silicone. So either it was put together wrong, or it had already been taken apart before we got it. The dealership told us to brign it up to be fixed, so when I got there I traded it in on a new Jeep. Was not going to pay for a thrown together car. Plus I also realized I was not a car person and wanted another SUV.

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  Good to the last drop - 2001 Toyota 4Runner
  By daf62757 - March 23 - 8:20 am

  I bought this 4Runner new and used it daily for 7.5 years. I cant say enough how much I love this SUV! The paint looks new and the overall look is even better than the new generation 4Rs. I am on the verge of trading it in but since the gas prices are dropping like a rock these days, my 4R may get another year or two first string duty! I am tempted to keep it as a backup car just to see how long it will last.

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  12 Tacoma 4wd, DBl Cab, 4WD, Sport, L/B - 2012 Toyota Tacoma
  By lagunasecam - March 23 - 5:59 am

  I had a 2010 GMC Sierra 1500, but really wanted something smaller to drive around town. Overall a nice truck, but it has some significant cost cutting that shows through. With an MSRP of almost $35k, it is hard to believe that the 4WD selector, outside mirror, fog light, and door switches are not back-lit. Drove the truck the second day I owned it at night in a snowstorm. Had to pull over to find the 4wd switch. Just plain cheap! What could it cost to back light the switches, $10? A hood prop rod? What, another $20 for struts? No heated mirrors or rear defroster available at any price? I guess it never snows. Auto-door locks? Entune does not work wirelessly (BT) with an iPhone!

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  Prius - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By woodman - March 22 - 11:10 pm

  Fun to drive, excellent quality, great fuel economy, the fuel economy has been what is advertised, you just have to learn to drive all over.

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  Excellent Used Vehicle Value - 2003 Toyota Sequoia
  By Earle - March 22 - 10:34 pm

  I want to add a review of a used, older vehicle, since I value those reviews. Thats also the vehicle market I am in. I generally dont buy new vehicles. Instead, I tend to look for good used vehicles with 100k miles on them that I am confident will get to 200k miles with few problems. As such, I need and value reliable and dependable vehicles. Seems to be for us the most economical way to go. We are second owners of an 2003 Sequoia, which we bought to replace a Sienna. Bought the Sequoia five years ago with 90k miles on it and we have since added 50k miles. We have five children, ages 12 and under, and we live in rural Montana. The vehicle has performed for us very well. All seven of us fit comfortably. There hasnt been any winter weather conditions it couldnt handle. Feels very safe on the road. It does have the notorious rear door problems and a couple of other minor issues, but overall the vehicle has performed flawlessly. I love 4.7L V8 engine. While not the most fuel efficient, I am satisfied because we are only about 1.5 mpg less than what we were getting on our AWD Sienna. The Sienna was a bit more comfortable and roomy, but it could not handle the rough terrain and winter conditions nearly as well as the Sequoia. I recently looked at a newer generation Sequioa. It is bigger and better but not enough to justify the price. Putting 10k miles on our 2003 Sequoia a year, we hope it will continue to serve us well for several more years until the kids start leaving home and we can then downsize. Thus far, I am very pleased as this seems to have been an excellent vehicle purchase for our family. Great value! UPDATE: I have been asked to provide an update. I dont feel to change anything on my review. We are still very pleased with the Sequoia. It continues to meet our familys needs while handling the rural Montana environment. Weve added 10k miles and done some routine maintenance, including the notorious rear door latch. Even so, we feel it continues to be a good value vehicle. Probably our best vehicle purchase weve ever made. No regrets.

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  Daytime Dashboard Lights - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By Puzzled - March 22 - 5:10 pm

  I had a Toyota Corolla LE 2007 and a Honda Civic LX 2010 which had dashboards that lit up as soon as the car started and remained until the car was turned off. I bought a 2010 Toyota Corolla LE two weeks ago only to find that the dashboard lights are controlled by a sensor that begins when the car is started in a darkened garage but fade as soon as the car is in daylight. Even when the car goes through a tunnel or overpass, the lights dont go on. All the mechanics tell me this is the way its made to work. To me, not having dashboard lights is a safety issue, and it should be rectified by Toyota. The salesman suggested that I cover the sensor. Why? Its supposed to work automatically.

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  Mixed bag - 2008 Toyota Tacoma
  By rmw288 - March 22 - 3:27 pm

  I bought my Tacoma used in 2011 with about 25,000 miles on it. I drove it for 3 years and 55,000 miles. I never had any kind of trouble with the engine or drive train, as far as reliability. It never broke down. My complaint was the truck always revved a little high while at idle. Also, the shifting was always weird. At low speed it would stay in low gear too long and rev high before shifting. Under load, the engine would knock. 3 of the 4 automatic door locks eventually quit working. The compass/thermo stopped working. The A/C fan would intermittantly stop working.

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  Whered the quality go? - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Fred - March 22 - 10:36 am

  I have owned my Camry for over 2 years and 30,000 mi. Initially, I loved the car and couldnt drive it enough. Rattles, squeaking, and transmission troubles started shortly after. After several trips to the dealership, I am happy to report that everything has been taken care of. My wife and I were in a serious accident with it and while it was in the shop, we couldnt wait to get it back. Over the month it was in the shop, we rented several different cars and nothing seemed to measure up to the comfort and options of the Camry. Strongly recommend it, just make sure it has been taken to the dealership for the technical bulletins.

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  Great Value - 1994 Toyota Corolla
  By benbo - March 22 - 10:00 am

  Outstanding car make and model year. Never had a problem, possibly over maintained it, but nothing ever broke in the 9 years we owned it!