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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  Problems with Toyota Highlander - 2013 Toyota Highlander
  By Scott - February 2 - 11:11 pm

  Problems: 1My Multifunction Display intermittently stops working. I have taken it to the dealership and had a soft wear upgrade that did not solve the problem. I contacted Toyota Customer Service and had a case number assigned. I called multiple times and was told it was a district manager decision and they would get back to me. You can guess that they did not get back to me. After more phone calls my problem was sent to the National level for review. My highlander was still 3 months within the 3 year and 36 month Factory warranty period and just over the mileage. (Less than 37000). Toyota refused to help me despite the fact that I have owned a number of Toyotas and keep the highlander serviced. (The replacement cost is thousands of dollars). I usually buy the extended warranty on my vehicles, but online reviews says Toyota is very reliable and that the extended warranty not needed. That may have been true in the past, but in my opinion is not true now. Please dont make the same mistake I did and count on Toyota Reliability. Also dont count on Toyota to stand behind the products.

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  Not what I expected? - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Bruce - February 2 - 3:07 pm

  Like the truck but very disappointed in the engine & transmission. It shifts at very poor power curves and seems to very weak. In the electronics transmission control mode, it performs better but still feels weak. My wifes car has the 3.5 eco boost Ford engine and its like night and day performance difference. Yes I recognize the turbos make a difference but the performance of the 2016 Tacoma feels like a weak 4 cylinder. When you push the pedal down it will shift into a lower gear and start to move fairly rapid but is very abrupt shift. Im not wanting a race car and not a off-road enthusiast just disappointed in the engine performance. Like the looks and quality and have had no problems with the truck. Pulled a small utility trailer with my lawn mower and it only shifted to 6th gear a couple of times driving on a level road.

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  No seat support. View not prcise - 2016 Toyota Corolla
  By mermaid - February 2 - 7:20 am

  Owned a 2003 Corolla S for 12 yrs. Had great back/lumbar support, handled well-one with the car) The 2016 has no back support = back stress! Need a rolled towel or pillow to support. NOT safe-after/during rain-the front windshield FOGS up continuous! Have to use wipers all the time...to clear the fog since defroster or change temperature does not clear it. (2003 Corolla never fogged after rain - had 12 yrs..) Car feels more bulky (not tight with road). Bad view/feel of outer car for turning/parking..so got to check how far pulled up, to park. Never had to issue with any other car! Interior looks cheaper than past models. Front outer grill a bit too much. Speakers not as good as my 2003. ECO mode light comes on = good.

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  Needs some improvements! - 2006 Toyota Matrix
  By goat herder - January 31 - 12:23 pm

  Handling in any slightly icy or wet weather is very poor. Gear shifts are poor with the tachometer spiking up and down as automatic shifts into gears. No room in tire hold for a real tire. I prefer not to use the donut. When I was removing a package from the passenger side, a handle flipped over the gear shift and the car jumped into reverse! (Ignition was still on but had been in park.) Fueel economy is nowhere near the sticker. Best I have gotten (100 per day highway driving) is 26 mpg. Whenever the weather is cold or wet, fuel economy drops and the "sticking" problem with the gears increases. At times it feels like I have to push the car to get it to move.

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  Dont buy for Stereo - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By PGIL - January 21 - 10:00 am

  Vehicle runs good, but engine noise heard through speakers. Toyota not standing behind audio system. Says good as it gets. $35,000+ auto with upgraded stereo has engine interference? This problem went away in the 80s, now its back? Wont buy another Toyota, based on their unwillingness to stand behind vehicle.

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  Air conditioning is awful - 2013 Toyota RAV4
  By emput - January 17 - 12:43 am

  The air conditioning is awful in this car. There are no vents for the back seat and therefore my hands are numb from the air conditioning while driving yet my daughter in the back seat is dripping in sweat. We bought this car in the winter and wish we had been aware of this. We asked Toyota about it and all we got is the car is small enough the vents werent required. Well they went the cheap way and therefore it is awful to drive with passengers in the summer. We also had both metal bars that adjust the seats break already. You would think with a semi nice car the seats could be motor controlled. Other than these 2 big discomforts we like the car a lot.

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  2006 4Runner Limited - 2006 Toyota 4Runner
  By melady - January 15 - 7:03 pm

  Well, what did I expect? Its a truck, after all- and it drives like one. I was used to car-frame SUVs, and must say I miss their agility and ability to handle curves without slowing down to 25 mph! Mine is top of the line, but it feels cheap inside. Ive also been used to German vehicles, and have learned that once youre used to that level of quality, its hard to retreat to the Japanese style of imprecise steering and general loosey-gooseyness in the handling department. Affordability is excellent, but next time Ill definitely go back to a German vehicle that makes driving a pleasure, not something that must simply be endured.

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  Disappointed - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By Wally - January 15 - 10:23 am

  We just completed a 4200 mile trip in our new Prius. We drove the speed limit, and had the car in eco mode the whole time. We averaged 44 mpg. Needless to say, we were not happy with the mileage. The car rides well, but the road noise is almost unbearable on some road surfaces. The fit and finish is good, but the quality of the materials seems to be a little on the cheap side. The outer door panels flex when you close the doors. The plastic wheel covers over the allows dont help. When we limit our driving to in town driving with short trips on the road or freeway, we average 49 mpg. The car seems to be overpriced for the features offered.

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  DISAPPOINTED - 2003 Toyota RAV4
  By mechanic46 - January 11 - 11:52 am

  I bought this Rav4, AWD about 10 months ago. It is great to drive, ride and handling are good for its size, power could use lot of help, and the economy has yet to break 25 MPG-it has dropped since we bought it, it is now down to 19 to 21 MPG. I removed the PCM and sent it to a repair facility to get the transmission problem corrected before it actually failed. The man who is repairing is said that the poor economy could be part of the PCM failing, even thought the transmission area had not failed yet. The outcome of this repair will be the deciding factor whether I keep this car or not.

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  Big Mistake: traded 03 Avalon for Camry Hybrid - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By bing - January 11 - 3:16 am

  The poor mileage is biggest problem (34). Not significantly better than gas camry V6. Lack of trunk space is very close second biggest problem. No, on second thought, its a tie for first. NO TRUNK SPACE. Minor problem: very poor AM Radio reception. Much worse than other Toyotas Ive owned. Mileage:the improvement over the gas Camrys is not worth the money and hassles of the Camry Hybrid.