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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  Tacoma 4dr. double cab - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By aes - January 9 - 6:06 pm

  My new Tacoma double cab has lots of power. The ride is very smooth. The handling is great. The truck is very well built. I love the fact that the oil filter is right out in the open and so is all of the fluid containers and battery. The new truck design is much better than the old Tacomas. Plenty of room in the front and back. Plenty of cup holders front and back. The only thing that I didnt understand is why Toyota would give you a cigarette lighter but no ashtray. I also wanted the compass and temperature and it didnt come with the SR5 package.

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  Best value in its class - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By ValueWonk - January 9 - 4:56 pm

  The Venza is perfect for our current needs and has been a joy to drive in both city and rural/mountain driving. With two of three teenagers in college we no longer needed 7 seats and traded in a Honda Odyssey which we loved. But the Venza is a more luxurious car and we like the security of AWD along with all the safety features. Fit and finish are great, reliability has been perfect in the first 7000 miles. Backup camera as part of the navigation package is very helpful. Backup on its own has too small a display. Teenagers love the sound system and the MP3 plug and play capability. Looked at the Lexus RX350 but the Venza is virtually identical and is $8,000 less.

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  Third Camry - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By dave - January 9 - 1:23 pm

  Had some trouble initialy with a pulling to the left problem but it was corrected by the dealership. Had awful conntinental tires. Replaced them at Sams with Goodyears. It drove better than new. No other problems of note. Test drove all other cars in Camrys price range and slightly above. None even came close to the tight sound and comfort of Camrys quality.

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  Hockey dad - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By james - January 9 - 11:13 am

  Good reliable, well made compact car that gets very good fuel economy. A couple of things that bother me having taken so many long trips: the seats are not very good and I use a cushion to make things more comfortable. The brakes are average at best and you have to plan your stops. The car is really not that quiet on the highway but it is an economy car. The engine works well but the last year is making a droning sound that we thought was coming from the front end or tires. I changed the tires and had the front end checked, but not luck. The body is starting to show signs of rust on the hood of all places. You clearly need winter tires for traction in the snow because the car is so light.

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  A Great Automobile - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Bill B - January 9 - 7:46 am

  I have owned 30+ cars in my life and this is by far the best one of all! I bought the whole "package" leather, sun roof, and nav system. My first long trip (325 miles) with only 1000 on the odometer I got a remarkable 40.1 mpg! Considering the comfort of the ride, the safety features, the fact that I was driving a 3600 lb+ auto and getting that kind of mileage, was truly impressive! Oh and did I mention that since driving it off of the lot, that I havent had a single problem!

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  Love it! - 1995 Toyota 4Runner
  By vorgps - January 8 - 10:13 pm

  Bought this used with 76,000 and it has been a terrific vehicle to own. Now has 110,000 and only minor easily correctable problems. Had to replace radio antenna, inside rear window switch, had a really weird quirk with the brakes when we first bought it. The front drivers side (and possibly the rear drivers side) were grabbing and locking up causing the vehicle to pull rough to the left. Checked out by 2 toyota mechanics. Stumped them. Replaced both front pads and it was the same for about 1 week then it just stopped pulling and hasnt done it since. Latest is the rear window brackets, all rusted out. Have not had any problems with head gasket blowing as others have.

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  Poor Quality - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By t1 - January 8 - 6:40 pm

  One was led to believe that toyota was higher quality, but since the start nothing but problems and at 82,000 miles fuel injectors problems on 5.7L engine. Major repair over $ 3,600. Never had a truck with this major repair with less that 100,000 miles. Not built to stand up to heavy duty use.

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  Return to Reliability - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By Ralph - January 8 - 1:23 pm

  Ive had my Corolla S for two weeeks now and really, really like it. Its comfortable, very quiet and, yes, its actually fun to drive. Personally, I like the way the steering feels, and I like the position of the clock (and other trip information). I drive 250 miles a day (yeah, Im nuts), and do mostly high speed Interstate driving. This thing keeps up with no problems, and the fuel economy is great. Smart move on my part.

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  Its simply amazing - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By Matt D. - January 8 - 12:13 pm

  The Toyota 4Runner Sport Edition is simply an amazing vehicle. I have owned the car for just over six months now I could not have asked for anything more! It runs like a Lexus but has the price of Toyota. The interior is stunning with a slick exterior to make the vehicle aesthetically pleasing. The engine runs magnificently with good pickup and a smooth ride. Off the road the shocks are perfect! The ride is soft but you can still feel a little bit of vibration, a true sport vehicle. I have driven and owned many other SUVs in the past but this one is certainly at the top of the list. It is simply amazing!!

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  HR-V is far Superior - 2018 Toyota C-HR
  By Mitchell - January 8 - 1:15 am

  Test drove the C-HR and was completely underwhelmed - specifically with the power train, driving dynamics, and tech. Engine is completely uninspiring and the CVT technology seems like it is from 2010. I would not trust safely passing anyone in this car on a two lane road. Steering feel is numb and light, which I expected for a Toyota. Handling was OK, the car felt somewhat secure going around turns when trying to drive with some gusto (very difficult to do that due to the weak powertrain). No Carplay or Android auto is unacceptable for a 2018 model and onboard infotainment is nothing to write home about. Truly a shame because the exterior styling of the car is attractive! I test drove a Honda HR-V after this and found that it is a superior car in every category - I ended up purchasing it later that day! My opinion - dont buy this car until you test drive an HR-V.