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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  No trouble - 2004 Toyota Tacoma
  By KREIN - February 22 - 5:56 pm

  I have had this truck for about 4 years. I changed the oil, brakes, tires, wiper blades and thats it. I never had to bring it in for any service. You will not see me at the dealer. Maybe for my next truck. I would drive the truck around the world today without worries. I hate to say it but, I would never buy anything other than toyota. The last one I had was going strong with over 250,000 miles. it was ugly but ran like a clock. The gas goes a little faster than they claim. You should also give the gas a chance to get to motor before you start cranking. sometimes if you jump right in and start cranking it may be a little ruff to start.

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  Lurch Mobile 2 - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By Parkerf - February 22 - 9:23 am

  I really liked this car until I had to drive it for longer than one month. There is something really wrong with the AWD transmission on these cars. It hesitates about 5 seconds when you need it to accelerate, stopped on a hill, gave a loud "clump" then went up hill. Transmission cannot keep up with computer is my thinking. Toyota will not admit any problems, been to shop twice. Car lurches while trying (slowly) to change gears, can be dangerous while trying to enter a freeway, hope no one gets killed due to this problem. Also, knobs, rubber is falling off, radio bad. Do not Buy!!!

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  Best MiniVan but could use improvement - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Alan - February 21 - 11:20 pm

  We bought this new, just as they came out. What we like: excellent mechanicals, interior well thought out, laser cruise for long trips back east is fabulous, dual auto doors, and folding seats work as advertised, DVD works well. The only mechanical I am not overjoyed with is the brakes they are just OK. First toyota and I am disappointed with the paint quality, interior build is ok but not quite what I expected, and recalls have been more numerous than I expected. I would like to see a lesser tint on the back windows, as visibility is impaired. Mileage is fair at 17 overall, in retrospect I would have gotten the FWD version, no need for the AWD probably.

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  Need more mpgs - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By george - February 21 - 7:36 pm

  Replaced 2006 civic with HB IV love Prius, averaging 52 mpg. Love the leather seats very comfortable. I really like XM Sirius radio, very clear reception.

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  Its a Toyota - 2007 Toyota Sienna
  By tfan - February 21 - 7:00 pm

  This is my third Sienna and my kids are grown! It hauls people comfortably and safely. It hauls bicycles and is a changing room at ski resorts. I keep the middle row of seats out and its convenient for loading everything. I fold the back seats down and load my 4 x 8 foot sheets of plywood for my workshop. Basically there is nothing this thing cant do well. People need to get over the soccer mom stigma of mini vans and the Sienna in particular. This is the most versatile, comfortable, reliable vehicle I have ever owned.

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  Great Truck! - 2004 Toyota Tacoma
  By Scott - February 21 - 3:03 pm

  I bought this truck in January 2008 from a guy who did not drive it much due to his job. He had it for 3 1/2 years and only had 9100 miles on it. It still has powertrain warranty until June 09. I know have 13000 miles and I love this truck. It is V6, auto. trans., power mirror, locks, windows. TRD package is awesome. It is fun to drive and very capable off-road. The truck looks great and my friends are jealous that I found this truck with such low miles. I have had many offers from people to buy this truck. It is not for sale as I plan on driving it until the wheels fall off. I pull a trailer that weights 2400 lbs. all the time and this truck handles the job without a problem.

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  Love it, except for two things - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Ryan - February 21 - 12:16 pm

  Let me start with the positives - I love the look and feel of this truck. its fun to drive and the off road version has some really cool features. So far, in the snow its been fantastic. The ride is comfortable and isnt overly noisy, but you still get to hear a good engine growl when you get on the gas. As for the negatives, there are a few. First, the Entune entertainment system is just awful. Its not the hardware - the hardware seems to work well (CD player, navigation system, etc.) Its the interface between your phone and the hardware. It never works as its supposed to. I get nonstop error messages about how my system cannot communicate with my phone, even though I have my phone connected with the lightning cable directly into the USB port and have their Entune app running on my phone. Controlling Pandora is an exercise in futility and recently, I tried to just listen to a few albums stored on my phone which was a total failure. I dont know who designed the app, but its awful and really an embarrassment. With the technology thats going into apps and in-car entertainment these days, this is about the worst design imaginable. I pray they come out with a software update soon, because its intolerable from a guy who loves Pandora, Apple Music and the music stored on my 128GB phone. Secondly, while I read that the transmission in this vehicle is designed to operate this way, I find it to be very jerky and slow to switch from Reverse to Drive. Coasting to a stoplight usually results in pretty abrupt downshifts and it seems like the vehicle is constantly shifting, sometimes unnecessarily. Also, for fuel economy, it seems that its always 1 gear too low. Ill be driving along at 45mph, and need to step on the gas to pass someone. Ill go to do so and without stomping it to downshift, theres very little power there. Again, Im sure this is for fuel economy, but its slightly unpleasant. Finally, when Im backing up and go to switch to drive, theres often a 3-4 second lag before the gear catches. Its not the end of the world, but its something of note. All in all, I like the truck, but for a brand new vehicle at this price point, I expected a bit more. Toyota, please fix the Entune system.

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  2006 Toyota Sequoia - 2006 Toyota Sequoia
  By the doc - February 21 - 8:36 am

  I bought my 2006 Sequoia new. I have owned it over 2 years and driven it almost 30000 miles. I have to say that it has been a great vehicle. The quality has been exceptional. It is a large SUV with a V 8, so gas mileage is what it is. The vehicle is very quiet at high or low speeds. The vehicle has been very reliable and only been to the shop for regular maintenance.

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  Definitely worth the money - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By MARKXLS - February 20 - 9:36 pm

  Only 2000 miles on the car (XLS) thus far, but Im extremely happy with it. Even the standard XLS stereo (not the JBL) w/nine speakers sounds VERY good - NO distortion. Comfortable drivers seat. LOTS of room for rear-seat passengers. Smooth, quiet ride. Feels like Im going 60 MPH on the freeway, but when I look at the speedometer, Im surprised to see 80 MPH on the dial. This car flies on the freeway.

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  Great Truck - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By David Moody - February 20 - 9:26 pm

  This is our 1st full size truck and we could not be happier. It is as much a pleasure to drive as our Avalon.