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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  Gas Mileage - 2010 Toyota Tundra
  By nathantundra - October 28 - 6:19 pm

  I bought my truck new in 2010, its a double cab TRD, 5.7liter, 2wd, and it has never got more than 14.2mpg, and thats on the highway with a K&N filter, and premium gas, its the worst gas mileage truck on the market today. I have owned many trucks, but this is worst one yet. I dont know where they get the window sticker information, because its not true.

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  Unreliable - 2002 Toyota Prius
  By bellmel5 - October 26 - 9:40 pm

  I was very excited when I bought this car last November. It only had 24,000 miles with one owner. When I bought the car the dealership said they installed a brand new battery. After a month or two, the battery would not keep a charge. I had to go buy a battery charger (dealer suggestion) and now have to charge the car every other week or it wont start. The dash electronic system shows that the battery is being charged as I drive like normal. But, it wont hold the charge and drains VERY easily. The dealership wont do anything about it. Wont buy from them again. Normal battery cost $250-300! It has turned out to be a very unreliable car because I never know if it is going to start or not.

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  Dont kick the bumper - it will break ! - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Cheap Plastic - October 18 - 10:16 pm

  Rides nice, smooth CVT, mileage is good. Many structural problems. INside dash squeaks, entire front bumper is cheap plastic (I replaced the whole bumper once: dealer said warranty doesnt cover design flaw.) The genuine Toyota replacement bumper is all falling apart again. It only takes the slightest accidental bump to crack it and then the entire bumper deteriorates. Really bad design flaw! Would never buy a Toyota again! Bluetooth hands free car phone is inferior! Tires were meticulously maintained (every 5K miles) and they only lasted 20K miles. Toyota quality?? Where?

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  problems...problems - 1997 Toyota RAV4
  By jacobmarley - October 14 - 10:00 am

  overall this has been a great little around town car, though is the past 6 months we have had to re-build the automatic transmission, (very expensive) and replace the front struts (also expensive and hard to find). we have had the car back to the shop 3 times to stop leaks or turn off engine dash light, after the re-build. would not buy another automatic, but would consider a stick shift.

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  unhappy - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By unhappy2 - October 14 - 10:00 am

  This is certified new vehicle with 34000 miles, car is burning oil, transmission does not change properly when AC is on. Tires and brakes had to be replaced. Dealer told me that Camrys burn 1 quart of oil every 1500 miles!! Refused to fix trans, said no problem. This is because car is under original warranty. I wont buy another one, thats for sure.

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  Steering a problem - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By Ron - October 11 - 7:53 am

  I owned a 2008 Corolla and loved it. The steering and vibration problems with this model are a real problem. Ive taken it back twice and the dealer isnt interested in the problem. Now I know why... they cant fix it!

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  A nice car - 2007 Toyota Sienna
  By wai1480 - October 11 - 3:36 am

  I bought it this March 2007, XLE model with 17 tires, tri zone automatic climate control, traction control and so on.

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  2500 mile update - 30.8 miles per gallon - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By jpr - October 6 - 4:06 pm

  Would like to share thoughts after driving this 2010 Camry LE 4 cylinder, 6 speed auto for apx. 3 months and 2500 miles... am very pleased with the "everyday" gas mileage (mixed driving, freeway commute to work and city driving for errands) 30.8 mpg. Fantastic for the space and size of this vehicle. The transmission seemed to be "learning" my driving style the first week or two, then has smoothed out beautifully...I think this is typical of most modern transmissions. Very pleased with driving this car in the rain, very secure and the wipers are the best of any vehicle I have driven...small detail but may be important to someone thinking of purchasing this vehicle who often drives in rain.

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  Mileage estimates are a LIE - 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By ToyotaLies - October 1 - 10:06 am

  Its a nice-looking, comfortable car with good power, but I got 15.4 mpg on a recent tank. And my highway mileage was much better than my city mileage (opposite of what they advertise). I took it to the dealer to find out if theres something wrong and they found nothing. They tell me Im not driving it correctly. Based on discussions on the Internet, it sounds like a TON of people are not getting close to the expected mileage. If you buy this car, expect to be disappointed.

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  Test Drive First!!!!!!! - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By heyyou67 - September 30 - 2:35 pm

  Be sure to thouroughly test drive before committing. Engine has a very annoying buzzing, resonating vibration while accelerating or under load between 2100 and 2400 rpms. This seems to be a somewhat common problem mentioned here and other websites and forums. Toyota claims it’s “normal”. It is literally driving me nuts and I’m trading it in with 23K miles. Only saving grace is that re-sale is above average. Gas mileage is great but it is quite under powered. Don’t plan on towing a big boat or camper with this unit. Overall quality such as fit and finish, materials used is good. Good firm but comfortable ride and handling. This engine is just un-acceptable. Vehicle should have been field tested more before release to the market of a fundamental flaw like this. I will not return.