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:

• 

  car that sucks. - 2003 Toyota Camry Solara
  By david young - March 17 - 2:00 am

  hello, i just though i would warn all of you people out there going to buy a new solara that they suck. with 22000 miles on it my new car broke every tub the car had. it cost 3000 dollars to repair. but was under warrany thank god. but the car should never have done that in the first place.

• 

  Rent-a-wreck - 2016 Toyota Yaris
  By Robert Enox - March 7 - 10:07 pm

  Toyota should be sued for putting a "glorified go-kart" on the market and calling it an automobile. It is the most uncomfortable "autos" I have ever driven.

• 

  Lemon - 2002 Toyota RAV4
  By Rav Junk - February 21 - 10:00 am

  I have had nothing but problems with this vehicle since I bought it. I have had it back to the dealership 4 times for a rattle in the dash board. On the third visit, the service tech severely damaged the dash board and surrounding components. Rattle still there. Filed under the Lemon Law. I cant wait to get rid of it!

• 

  Blind spot issue is serious - 2017 Toyota Prius v
  By JBrewer - December 18 - 7:36 am

  There are such tiny side mirrors that it is impossible to adjust them to see approaching cars at or beyond the rear bumper. Several times I pulled out in front of other cars that did not appear in either my rear or side mirror. It got to the point where I did not feel safe in the car. I returned it and traded it for a RAV 4 after just 3 weeks. I have never driven a car before where you were unable to adjust the mirrors sufficiently to see oncoming cars. This problem combined with the lack of visibility because of the rear seat head rests made it a non-starter for me. It had to go.

• 

  biggest pos ever - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By ryguy6 - November 27 - 3:56 pm

  This has been the worst car I have ever owned I got it with 116k on it and it has nothing but break every few months since I got it power steering g rack and pinion tie rods tires starter the trunk broke fuses 3 batterys not to mention it gets terrible gas mileage my 95 astro got better mileage it has the turn radius of 1 ton dually cummins and sounds like crap the trannys almost blew up and it bounces around past 65 to were I wont go on the freeway with It I drive my 95 civic over it all the time not to mention how it accelerated full throttle at an intersection by its self and almost killed my family toyota needs to take responsibility for there crap cars I wouldnt recommend toyota.

• 

  Buyer Beware - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By ItsaLemon - November 23 - 2:00 am

  My engine sludged up badly, which is a common problem with many toyota models, and the public is unaware for the most part. Many camry and other model owners have had their engines seize up. It was a miracle that mine didnt fail, and now I only use fully synthetic oil in it, which better resists the high heat in these engines. This is definitely my last toyota.

• 

  I WILL NOT buy another Toyota - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Bill CX - November 18 - 10:00 am

  I have had constant problems with mine. Like another reviewer, my sliding door fell off the track also and the window EXPLODED!. Toyota had it for a week, and now it sounds like Im dragging a shovel everytime I open it. We also have had problems with the dash lights going off. It is quite dangerous at night. Twice it ahs stalled when I was picking up my children. We had a Caravan with no problems. TOYOTA can ROT IN HELL for all Im concerned. Im buying another Caravan

• 

  Blechhhhhh - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By B.B.Q. Houston - November 16 - 4:16 am

  Poooooor quality. Tailpipes off, engine growls and transmission problems from day one. Its been in and out of dealer for two months!!! My wife hates the seats in front. She says they are very uncomfortable. Plus, Toyota wont fix the darn transmission. They and dealer give me the runaround. Never again.

• 

  What a Joke - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By NoCamFan - November 7 - 8:10 pm

  Sure seemed like an excellent used car at the time I bought it for my mom, exactly one year ago. At only 63K miles it smokes when cold (valve stem seals), clunks on small bumps (strut mounts), all the painted plastic has faded (bumpers, mirrors, door handles), exterior door handle falling off (cheap plastic). I should have spent thousands less and bought American. Extremely disappointed in this smoking rattle-trap. There are TSBs on the problems we have, so these are not maintenance issues - I regret ever buying this car - cant sell it without doing a valve job at ONLY 63K MILES! NOT a solid car.

• 

  Sorely disappointed in the new TAcoma - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Tom - October 17 - 1:03 am

  My wife and I were in the market for a new truck to replace an aging and old 3/4 ton Dodge we no longer needed. We test drove a 3rd gen Tacoma at the local dealership, which after a 20 mile trip decided the truck would be a pretty good replacement for us empty nesters. Good mpg, reliability etc.. Totally drank the Kool Aid. We ordered our TRD-OR 4 dr lb and waited 4 months for it to arrive. We took our first trip- a camping trip that took us over the divide to south western Montana. Not a ton of gear- lightly loaded I would say. We were SHOCKED that to climb the grade the tranny dropped to 4the and 3rd gear, and it redlined the entire uphill climb! Our 100 mile trip to the campsite returned a whopping 16mpg. Stock truck, mostly highway and then 10 offroad. My offroad mpg was better then the highway. That should have been a sign. Then the tranny starting shifting erratically, up-down, up-down.. It would never hold a gear. Took it to the dealer to perform the TSB update on the tranny- service department at first said "No TSB exists". I had to do an internet search and show it to them. TSB flash fixed it for about 500 miles, then it reverted back to erratic shifting. Also- dealer said mpgs "Will get better after 2,000 miles or so".. Third problem- the hood support braces are glued to the hood. 75% of the glue points failed, and my truck had a wavy hood at highway speed. If the sun glint was just right, it was like having a disco ball in the cab. Very annoying. Fourth problem- after 6 months and 14,000 miles the truck differential started howling and moaning. At this point the avg MPG was 16 (yes- 16), even after a long highway trip from Montana to Ohio. The dealer refused to address the hood- they said "Normal Characteristic of the truck", my tranny still shifted erratically and the car was unsuited for long distance travel. We had it. We drove over to the Chevy dealer, test drove a 1500 Silverado with a 6.2L V8 and 8spd tranny and got a decent trade on the Tacoma. No shifting issues, no wavy hood, no groaning differential and Im getting 19mpg on average. Toyota really duffed this Tacoma. Not worth the hype, the price or the hassle.