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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  Over Rated - 2005 Toyota Sequoia
  By snoopy - January 22 - 5:13 am

  Traded a 2003 Suburban. Would not do it again. The Suburban has it all over the Sequoia when it comes to bells and whistles. Very disappointed in the Sequoia. As for reliability, already the plastic connectors(a .05 cent part) on both ends of the latch rod have broken. The Suburban has more room and cargo space. I got better gas mileage on my Suburban than the Sequoia and the Sequoia is the Limited model. Although it is made in Indiana and my Burb was made in Canada apparently my Sequoia was assembled either on Monday or Friday. In 2007 the Suburban is supposed to have an all new look. I will probably be going back to a Suburban. After all the Suburban is the Grandaddy of SUVs.

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  ABS Issues, interior noise - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By angry in antioch - January 21 - 6:43 pm

  So I bought this car, and from day one, under normal driving conditions, if Im braking and I hit a bump or pothole, the OVERSENSITIVE ABS kicks in and increases the stopping distance. Loud and heavy vibration, felt at the pedal. This is an issue that definitely needs to be addressed, I bought this car for the safety rating, but its not safe. I cart around young family and this vehicle is definitely not safe. I regret buying this car. Has only 7k miles on it and I sit and watch it collect dust.

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  RAV4 Headaches - 2001 Toyota RAV4
  By ChadA9 - January 21 - 2:00 am

  I have had this vehicle for two years, Its been in the shop on average every two to three months. They have looked at the brake system four times and replaced the back brake drum once. It still has problems. The interior rattles. Its been in the shop several times to fix those. In May of 02 the cadillic converter went out. Toyota had it for over a month (Could not get parts). This is my first Toyota and most-likely my last. These are the types of problems I would expect on a 5 year old American made car not Toyota!!!

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  Good MPG, not much else. - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By chris - January 19 - 4:36 am

  Good all around car. It gets good mpg in the city. I like the low cost of ownership as well. It has a slightly asthmatic sound when driven at only 30%. I think the car should keep the low weight but get the 1.8 from the scion xd/corolla. This would give it a more acceptable rate of freeway merging. The interior finish seems kind of cheap although better than the Chevy Aveo. And the rear defrost must be switched off manually, sort of annoying.

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  BEFORE YOU BUY - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Unhappy - January 12 - 6:13 am

  I have owned a Camry for 13 years. Loved my last one 94. I hate this one. It shifts hard, has a lot of play in steering, has quite a few blind spots & the interior is cheap plastic which scratches very easy. My 94 had no play in the steering even with 173K miles on it. I have to keep both hands on the wheel with this one. Headrest very uncofortable when seat is upright. When you test drive make sure you pay attention to all this. I didnt because I thought I couldnt go wrong buying a Camry. Will be trying to sell & buy different car soon & I am a person who keeps my cars till they dont run anymore. I am so disappointed. Beware!

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  Hard Ride - 2003 Toyota Tacoma
  By Joe Zebar - January 10 - 10:00 am

  I drove a 1990 Toyota SR for 10 years & my son is still driving it at 201,000 Mi. I never thought that it had a stiff ride. My 2002 tocoma with the off road package rides very hard and stiff. You will feel every bump in a jarring manner. This is the only complaint I have. The V6 is a little weak at 190HP but provides adequate acceleration. The front seats could be a little longer for more leg support. Fit & finish is excellent. Basicly satisfied with the truck. Ps No recalls & have not been back to the dealer for anything.

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  Disappointed - 2008 Toyota Sequoia
  By Not satisfied - January 9 - 1:10 pm

  We traded our 2002 Suburban for the Sequoia in Jan., 2008. With three kids and three dogs, we loved the automatic third row and hatch. It drives and parks like a dream. Within 6 months, tho, the a/c smelled like mildew. After four LENGTHY visits to the dealership who found mildew on the filter, multiple calls to Toyota (we purchased the extended warranty), we are extremely dissatisfied with the "customer service." There is a constant clicking noise under the cage, the hatch does not close all the way, and the dealer could not solve any of the problems. The navigational system cuts off when driving so passengers cannot enter the info. Our TomTom is more well designed.

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  Vibration - 2007 Toyota 4Runner
  By Volker - January 6 - 5:53 am

  This SUV has been in the dealership 5 times for excessive vibration and rear end clunking and not been fixed yet. Ive even had the Toyota technical rep look at it. The clunking in the rear end is a known defect in the SUV which according to the technical rep Toyota is not going to fix. If you get it youll just have to live with it. We thought the vibration was fixed with a new set of tires but that ultimatly did not fix the problem. Toyota quality is not what its advertised to be. Id recommend looking at another companies product before buying one of these.

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  My Third Celica - 2001 Toyota Celica
  By KudosKim - January 4 - 2:00 am

  The vehicle has been problematic. The tension belt was replaced at 23,000 miles-now at 38,000 miles it is again necessary to replace the tension belt. The brakes have clicked the entire time Ive owned the vehicle, and the air conditioning has never functioned at a cold level. I purchased the vehicle new, and intend to sell shortly..

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  Dont buy - 2015 Toyota RAV4
  By Preya - January 2 - 5:39 am

  Dealership is a scam , not worth the price ,do not get a four cylinder . Almost everything about this car is bad