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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  They should not have changed it - 2017 Toyota Corolla
  By 1mobeau5104 - August 7 - 8:59 pm

  My family has enjoyed the use of a 1998 Corolla that was purchased new. For the past eighteen years and more than 235,00 miles, problem free driving was ours with only routine scheduled maintenance. Two weeks ago we decided to purchase a new Corolla. We test drove the 2017 Corolla. The lack of comfort and the level of road noise in "that cabin", as compared to what we had become accustomed to in our 1998 model was no small matter. The noise especially, was so annoying that we decided to purchase a Camry after giving one a test drive that very same day. I had learned from the sales manager that a lot of owners of our generation Corolla had decided to upgrade to a new Camry instead of repeating their purchase of a new Corolla after test driving the new Corolla. The manager also mentioned that Toyota made certain design changes between the model years that probably contributed to the issues we had with the new Corolla.

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  2016 Tacoma - poor quality - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Bruce Howle - August 7 - 11:21 am

  Beware of buying this first generation Tacoma. I have a serious buzzing sound coming from the dash that the dealer cant fix after 2 attempts and not having my truck for several days. Also, the transmission shifting is horrible. Its like driving a 4 cylinder, no power to pass, etc. Had high expectations for this truck and am very disappointed. Dealership (Nalley in Roswell, Ga) has been concerned at all. No offer of a loaner, nothing other than "yeah, well fix it, no idea what it is...".

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  Great car, with one huge exception: burns oil - 2000 Toyota Corolla
  By Marlene Arnao - August 3 - 11:50 pm

  Need to a add one quart of oil for 175 miles. Burns oil and clogs exhaust system. I was told that this is a problem with models from 2000 to 2003. I replaced the engine, hoping to "fix the problem", but the replacement engine was just the same. I threw away $2,000.00. Very disappointed. The car is great otherwise. Update: Great mechanic fixed the problem!! Im happy with the car now.

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  Help! - 2009 Toyota Avalon
  By george hooper - August 2 - 8:33 am

  I paid $36,000 for my 2009 Avalon. I will not drive it. It has 3000 miles on it. On 8 occasions the car has lurched forward after brakes were applied. One accident occurred costing me $500 deduct. I was in the bank line when the brakes failed. Car started moving forward. Brakes would not stop the car. Toyota dealers say they cannot find a problem. Both my husband and brother have experienced same problem driving this vehicle. Dealers say no other person has reported anything similar. The car is just too dangerous to drive. I am lucky I have not been injured or have injured someone else.

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  Transmission lag - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By Ted - August 1 - 12:43 pm

  The "fly by wire" feature has caused an annoying lag when reaching certain speeds. Its almost as if the car cant make up its mind what gear it should be in. It constantly downshift and hesitates. Sometimes the car stalls when I press the accelerator to pass another car. Im scheduled for Arbitration with Toyota about this problem. Stay tuned.

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  rav4 at 85,000 miles - 2005 Toyota RAV4
  By Corey - August 1 - 8:43 am

  I have had my Rav4 since 2006 and did not have to many issues at the time. At about 75,000 miles the alternator went out and is the biggest pain to get fixed due to the connector being a special piece from the rest. Since I got the car in 2006 it had a knocking noise in the engine that no one can seem to figure out. The gas has a severe hesitation and should probably be on a recall. It takes about 2-3 seconds from the time you step on the gas till the car preforms. Once it kicks in, it jerks very badly. Very easy to drive, almost like a go kart.

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  They should not have changed it - 2017 Toyota Corolla
  By 1mo5104 - August 1 - 3:29 am

  My family has enjoyed the use of a 1998 Corolla that was purchased new. For the past eighteen years and more than 235,00 miles, problem free driving was ours with only routine scheduled maintenance. Two weeks ago we decided to purchase a new Corolla. We test drove the 2017 Corolla. The lack of comfort and the level of road noise in "that cabin", as compared to what we had become accustomed to in our 1998 model was no small matter. The noise especially, was so annoying that we decided to purchase a Camry after giving one a test drive that very same day. I had learned from the sales manager that a lot of owners of our generation Corolla had decided to upgrade to a new Camry instead of repeating their purchase of a new Corolla after test driving the new Corolla. The manager also mentioned that Toyota made certain design changes between the model years that probably contributed to the issues we had with the new Corolla.

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  Poor interior quality - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By John Vantel - July 31 - 11:36 pm

  I bought my Camry 3 weeks ago. I found the following defects on the car in the first two days: Its heater knob was defective. It was turning itself continuously on/off driving me crazy. It does not go off. Interior quality is very poor. All components are plastic and badly aligned. Cabinet on the dashboard does not close properly and it leaves a big gap between its door and dashboard. The trunk does not close easily. I have to strongly slam it every time. I have recently noticed that it is touching the bumper and it also peeled its paint very badly. There was a scratch on the passenger seat and it will probably lead to tearing soon. There was also a scratch on the back bumper.

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  A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT - 2016 Toyota Prius
  By Richard J. - July 28 - 9:55 pm

  Own a 2007 Prius and was hoping for a huge improvement. It was there in the noticeable performance improvement and quieter cabin. However A huge technology screen is distracting, and visibility has diminished considerably in this version with a large sensor in front of the rear view mirror and tall head rests front and back. And seats sit lower adding to reduced visibility. So we decided to save almost 28,000 and keep our 2007 since the deal skimped on trade in price. Moreover the flashy body design did not impress us.

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  2007 Camry Hybrid update - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By brantw - July 27 - 5:22 am

  Ours is the loaded Silver anniversary edition bought new now with 116K miles. Mileage is ok at 28-30 city and 34-35 highway. Car has been reliable except for recall for steering issue and the hybrid batteries just failed. Luckily we live in CT, a CARB state so it was replaced under warranty. Interior fit an finish is subpar and dashboard clicks and pops when cold. We have never gotten more than 30k miles on a set of tires and we buy good quality tires. Not a great effort from Toyota.