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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  Some good, improvement possible - 2010 Toyota Venza
  By toy yoda - October 18 - 2:40 pm

  This is in no way a bad review. I love this vehicle and know exactly why I choose the 4 cyl but I think Toyota could have done a better job with the pep of the engine. This is not a vehicle I would use to make quick moves with on the highway. I am 64" with very long legs and I fit in this thing like a KING! The roominess is my favorite feature. Im a young guy (23) who is REALLY into technology and even I had to read the manual; they could have made the bluetooth setup a bit easier but its not bad overall. I think I may take mine in to have the dash looked at. Seems to be not set properly and the side airbag compartment isnt fit properly.

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  Fun Car - 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By Dave - October 18 - 10:20 am

  The FJ is a fun and relatively comfortable car. The only complaints are rear window visibility and height. With the optional roof rack, the car stands approximately 63" tall, which doesnt fit into some garages.

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  Buy Toyota - 1997 Toyota Tacoma
  By craig - October 18 - 7:56 am

  I put 145,000 on the truck and I bought it used. Ive done nothing to it but general maintenance. You cant go wrong with a Tacoma, its my second Toyota and I will be buying a third after I put 200k on this one.

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  2000 RAV4 Needed Some Tweaking - 2000 Toyota RAV4
  By Betty - October 18 - 2:00 am

  Overall, this is a very good suv. But, when I bought it brand new, the drivers side mirror was distorted and had to be replaced. The gas gauge never accurately revealed the full capacity or empty capacity, even after warranty repair. The cruise control shows problems of racing rpms and engages in a jerking acceleration without warning. And as others mention, it lacks good starting acceleration. And, I couldnt believe that I had to replace the emblems for rusting

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  Another Great Toyota - 2002 Toyota Sequoia
  By Doug Seal - October 18 - 2:00 am

  The only complaint I have is the MPG. Around town, with a 2wd, I average 12-13 which I thought was somewhat low in comparison to GM V8 products. Other than that, its great.

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  Nice Van but a few flaws - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By Mike Leonardo - October 17 - 8:03 pm

  Toyota builds a fine van but it is a bit pricy and gets lousy fuel mileage. My main complaint is the run-flat tires on the AWD models. They are garbage. No one carries replacemants and they do NOT take the place of a spare. I got a flat on a major interstate and had to get my van towed because Toyota provides no spare on AWD models. It was a very expensive lesson.

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  2004 4Runner - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By SMOOTHIE - October 17 - 2:03 pm

  Purchased RW drive SR5 09/03 and have driven approx. 17000. This is an exceptionally tight vehicle. Never as much as a slight rattle over very rough roads. Very stylish desing. A lot of second looks from other drivers.

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  Fixed at last - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Toyota Camry - October 17 - 12:53 pm

  We have had the terrible acceleration problems that people have been writing about. We have owned Toyotas since 1985 and this is such a shock to us. Our dealer has been wonderful trying to fix it. Last month dealer informed us there was a new update and it should fix it. They were right - it is behaving like a Camry should. Get in touch with your dealers to find out about the latest fix.

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  sorebutt - 2015 Toyota RAV4
  By John - October 17 - 2:09 am

  Bought a limited and have found out that the front seats are made for people under 6. Drivers side is too narrow for comfort. Your right leg will ride on side buttress and not on seat cushion. On long rides, you will be very uncomfortable. It was my mistake and I will have to live with it. When you are test driving a new car, you tend to look at all of the bells and whistles, and forget about comfort. Please do not make my mistake. A very costly mistake. I love Toyotas- had a Camry before the limited. Wow-talk about opposites-going from comfort and quiet, to noise and, "cant wait to get out of that seat" vehicle. Be wise and TAKE YOUR TIME". Remember, there is a big difference between a regular car and an SUV. You will be giving up comfort and noise level. *** Update-5-6-17! Car still uncomfortable for me. Still paying for a car I do not like. Would like to sell it and go back to a Honda or Toyota sedan-more comfort, more cargo space, better gas mileage! As for gas mileage- always subtract at least 5 MPG from window sticker. Getting around 22-23 MPG combined. Glad gas is cheap at this moment! As for the positives- looks good, made very well, tight body, tight engine- in other words, a Toyota!!

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  18 months, 18,000 miles, like it a lot - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By rambler4 - October 16 - 7:53 pm

  Minimum 23 mpg mixed fwys & surface rds in Minn. winter, to 32 mpg summer freeways 70-80 mph. Im 62", head- and legroom fine, with seats low and far back. Comfortable even on 500-mile drives. Short seats no problem. Tranny hesitates when accelerating from stop or very low speed--a real problem if youre often accelerating from very low speeds to merge with fast-moving traffic. Its a real design flaw, not a question of learning a knack for handling the gas pedal. Degree of hesitation varies unpredictably, once it a while it bogs down badly for a moment. This is the one thing that would make me consider another make/model. Fine at higher speeds, though.