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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  After 4 Months - 2006 Toyota 4Runner
  By Rod - November 27 - 3:00 pm

  Absolutely zero defects after 4 months and 5000 miles. Gas mileage holding at 19.5 mpg with mixed city and highway driving. Best of all, wife loves it more each time she drives it to work. Probably the best vehicle, new or used that I have owned during the past 40 years. Wife believes now she would have preferred the leather seats for added comfort.

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  2001 Tundra - 2001 Toyota Tundra
  By paychek - November 27 - 12:43 pm

  Overall Ive been very happy with the performance & quality of this truck. Not happy with the poor gas mileage but I guess it takes fuel to make power. Also it has a vibration at certain speeds (~65mph). Ive had many attempts made at fixing the issue, including alignments, wheel balancing (including lug centric), wheel check, replacement of rotors, shocks & different brands of tires. A set of Michelins seem to make the biggest difference. With all of the work done it still has a vibration from the front end at about 65mph. Add a manifold leak to issues.

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  Great Car - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By robroo - November 27 - 12:03 pm

  Not much wrong with this car. Great mileage, even at higher speeds. Seat cushions are not padded enough. Would buy another except MPG has dropped by 3 for 2008 models with same engine.

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  Exactly What It Promises - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Sandi - November 27 - 11:06 am

  Comfortable, reliable, great mileage, attention to detail, dealer follow up after the sale. This car is everything it promises - good power when needed, great mileage, lots of comfort

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  Yowzah - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By scsil - November 27 - 6:10 am

  A very impressive auto. Have driven over a week, 550 miles on one tank, 36-37 MPG, mostly highway. All the fuel saving feedback really has an effect on how you drive, which is a positive for me--I was something of a leadfoot. Leather seats are quite comfortable. Plenty of room, even with sunroof, for tall driver. Quiet on freeway, and particularly at lower speeds; it starts nearly silently. Good sound system adjusts to what road noise there is. Just as much pickup as my 2000 Accord SE 4 cyl.; no problem keeping up on highway. Bluetooth is cool; so is nav, but still learning how to use it. Really a technologically impressive vehicle for $30K. At least as cool as my relatives Lexus.

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  Gas Mileage - 2009 Toyota Sienna
  By gl2238 - November 27 - 3:30 am

  Very distressed at the fuel economy. Driving around Henderson, NV local driving average fuel economy is less than 8/9 mpg. On the freeway at constant speed i.e. 70 mph, fuel economy 14 mpg is the norm. My 1999 Yukon with the 350 gets 18/19 mph hwy. Overall the car is exceptional in ride and quality. Severe power limitations with Toyota battery. Insufficient reserve power to start car after door or other accessory has been on. I routinely have to jump start or charge the battery. I have been back to the dealer twice to check battery drain or if defective batteries.

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  Old Tacoma vs new Tacoma - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Jim - November 27 - 2:03 am

  I have been driving a 2005 Tacoma for ten years while waiting for an update, so I went out to test drive a new 2016 as soon as they came out with the intention of buying one since I love my old Tacoma. My initial reaction to test driving the new Tacoma was extreme disappointment. My old 2005 has been one of the best vehicles I have ever owned but I was looking forward to more power (the 2005 is a 4-cylinder manual) and better gas mileage. The first thing I noticed was that my head was touching the cab roof in the TRD model I test drove which had a sunroof (I am 62" but never had this problem in my old Tacoma). I checked some of the others on the lot and apparently those equipped with a sun-roof have a lower ceiling that I could not live with but the others without sunroof were ok. The second thing I noticed was lack of power with the new v6/new automatic transmission and this is compared to the old 4-cylinder with a manual transmission not vs the old v6 so twice as bad. One thing I have long lamented is how noisy the cab of the old Tacomas are, so this was an improvement but not as much as expected from all the hype. I am an IT tech, but dont care about lots of technology in my vehicle as I see it as more stuff that can break so all the new tech in the new Tacoma does not do anything for me. I would rather not be scrolling through menus while trying to drive. I will leave the tech to someone else to review. The interior surprised me as well and not in a good way. You can the dash in any color you want as long as it is black. The dark gray dash in my old truck does not show dust, but solid black in the new one is hopeless. I guess they dont expect people to use these outside the city? Other than that, the interior is seems pretty nice. I did not think the seats were an improvement but maybe they just needed breaking in? The exterior actually seemed nicer in person than it had in pictures as I was not initially thrilled with the new look in photos. Is it just me, or did they raise the hood making it harder to see? It definitely seemed like the field of vision shrunk.

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  Love my Yaris - 2009 Toyota Yaris
  By familyman5746 - November 27 - 1:23 am

  I run a lot of miles, over 30k last year, and love the fuel economy of this thing. With the AC on, I was averaging 42 mpg last summer. During the winter I averaged over 37 mpg. I have more leg room in this car than in my old Ford Taurus in the back seat. You do have a tighter fit in back, but have found that 2 car seats for the kids work perfectly with the pull down armrest. The controls are a bit hard to figure out initially, but now I have a hard time in any other vehicle. The cruise was a bit difficult to find, but now is intuitive. The coupe should have the same storage features that the Hatch does, but that is my only complaint.

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  Fun to drive every time, and easy with 3 kids. - 2015 Toyota Sienna
  By j m - November 26 - 6:46 pm

  This is an honest review of our experiences with the minivan so far, and compared to driving the Rav4 and Honda Pilot. We were looking for used Sienna minivans and think this was a great deal through Edmunds on a new vehicle and Carmax in Laurel, MD. Weve only had it for about a month, but couldnt be more pleased with it. We were thinking Honda Odyssey or Toyota Sienna, based on reviews and our experiences with Honda and Toyota. My 2007 Rav4 is 9 years old with almost 80K and NO issues, except for the many recalls that were annoying (but safety is important, and I m sure the company has to be careful about everything). I had never driven or test-driven a minivan and I didnt want to give up my 2007 Rav4 (my husband sold his car and uses the Rav4 for work), but I needed a car that fit 3 kids better, and take extra passenger if needed. In the Rav4, we had an extra thin infant car seat base with booster in the middle and latch car seat on the other end. It was hard for the 7-year old to access the seatbelt in the middle and to squeeze the booster in-between. I love how the Rav4 handles similar to a car. I drove a 2003 Honda Pilot and didnt like the shift on the column because it wasnt easy to downshift (something important to me for safety), and it handled more like a truck and was hard to stop. There is not much room in the Pilot when the 3rd row is opened, has little leg room in 3rd row, and hard to put permanent car seats in 2nd row if you need access to the 3rd. The shifter is easy to use on the dash, and easy to tap to the left and down for downshifting. The acceleration is smooth and it has power. I was going close to 80 MPH without realizing it on the highway! And it seems to downshift quickly when braking. It handles very well- really not much different to get used to, except its larger and longer. It doesnt feel like driving a minivan. Our garage is tight to fit 2 cars- even the Rav and small car, but its easier with the van and Rav to get the kids out with the sliding doors instead of car doors touching each other. The sliding doors are great- many ways to open and close them, including the handles and easy push-button inside. They seem to retract if they sense something in the way, however, my son closed it and it was pushing hard into my arm as I was getting the baby out and got me off-balance before it stopped. The fold-down seats are easy to fold and many configurations. We store the 8th seat away so we can get back to the 3rd row, otherwise only a small person can squeeze behind the seat to get out. Its so much room- I can easily walk to the back to help with buckles, although the oldest can buckle himself in the back. I have the youngest 2 in middle with infant seat and latched seat with harness for 4-year old. Its easy to move the middle seats forward and back with much leg room for either row- kids are not kicking into the backs of seats. I had 2 extra kids I was watching and fit 5 kids easily. The latch is easy to use in both rows, and also has anchors behind the seats. The temperature controls are great for separate temperatures in left and right front and rear. The radio and controls are all great- bluetooth. I accidentally called someone 2 times- once from the steering wheel and once from the touch screen when choosing something... I thought they were calling me, so it was something I had to get used to! I love the console with cup holders, plus 2 extra pull-out ones in the dash. There is a lot of storage in the console and glove boxes; theres a coin holder, sunglass holder, door storage for water bottles, cup holders and storage in 3rd row. A few more features are compass, USB connection, blind spot mirror, grocery bag hooks in backs of seats. The seats are very comfortable and fabric seems nice and easy to clean. The electric driver controls are great- I can sit up pretty high and I love the lumbar support. I sometimes would get uncomfortable in other cars like Rav- my back and legs hurt after awhile, and I thought my neck didnt feel comfortable with the headrest. I think the controls are better in the van so I can stay comfortable. The gas gauge is tiny and hard to see when the steering wheel is in the way, but the display says an approximate distance until the tank empties and shows estimated MPG while driving. The backup camera is nice. I think it is necessary- it seems hard to see around otherwise. I dont like to only rely on it though because it doesnt show sides and it displays like a fisheye and things appear very far away. Visibility seems really good- there are blind spot mirrors too. It seems to be decent on gas, but Im not exactly sure- Im sure it is at least 20.

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  Uncommon Beauty - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By Deborah H - November 26 - 12:30 pm

  Comfortable and sleek, fun to drive! What I like most about this car is the spacious interior and uncommon looks of exterior design. Also, it drives comfortably and handles nicely. What I dont like about it is that I hear some noise during sudden acceleration, and hard to change lanes and make turns during traffic. Still, I think the VENZA is fantastic car because it drives like Camry and rides high like SUV.