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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  1st truck and Disappointed - 2008 Toyota Tundra
  By hrs73 - October 11 - 2:57 pm

  This is my first truck and I bought a Toyota for its reliability and hopefully good re-sale value. I have been very disappointed in the tires. I have 69k and need a third set of tires. The dealer blamed the alignment, so on the second set of tires they have done all the aligments. So now the dealership is blaming the tire maker. All I travel is roads and highways. I keep it aligned but the tires are wearing out unevenly. The radio was replaced twice and the truck has a bounce that has made my child car sick on two occasions. The truck dents easily and is not as good on gas mileage as I would hope a 6 cyclinder would be. I like the acceleration and the look of the truck.

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  SHES A HONEY - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By ANN MANIUSZKO - October 10 - 9:36 am

  I purchased this car from a family member (who had purchased it new) in June 2000 with 15,540 miles on it. It now has 50,583 miles on it and it is OUTSTANDING!!! This car has never given me a moments trouble; it gets about 21-22 mpg around town (not bad for a V6 thats almost 10 yrs. old). I have had NO mechanical problems other than normal wear and tear. I will sell this car later this year when I replace it with a HYBRID HIGHLANDER (cant wait). Ive driven Toyotas exclusively since 1974 and would not even consider another brand! My daughters PRIUS avgs. 50 mpg and I just love driving it ... way to go Toyota!

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  Torqued windshield & odd tranny - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Bruce G - October 10 - 5:13 am

  Pleasant to drive, lots of room but the radio sounds a bid cheap despite a bunch of speakers. The windshield developed a tiny crack near the roof that progressively lengthed to about 2 feet before replaced. There seems to be a tendency for the chassis to twist and crack the windshield! Like others Ive had a dash rattle. Also, tap the brakes when slowing from 70 on a downslope and the tranny very perceptively downshifts. No answers from dealer.

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  Love my new Prius - 2013 Toyota Prius
  By pattiprius - October 9 - 11:30 pm

  I owned a 2005 Prius for 8 years with no problems ever. It averaged 48-50 mpg most of those years. My new 2013 is a Prius 4 with more bells & whistles, which I thought would lower the mpg, but not so far. I averaged 53 mpg on my 1st tank! I dont care for the center console area, less storage area than earlier models. And they replaced the map size door pockets with cup/bottle size pockets. I almost went with the larger PriusV because of the cosole area. The solar air circulation seems to work pretty good, considering I am in FL! Anyway, it was a little higher priced, but if it works as well as my old one, itll be worth it not to have any issues!

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  So far so good - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By taram21 - October 9 - 5:41 pm

  I bought my certified 2010 Corolla about 2 months ago with 36000 miles on it.This was defiantly not my first choice when searching for a new car but it was in my price range and I thought it was cute so I went ahead. I drive 80 miles round trip to work every day and so far its been great. However I do have a few complaints. The seats are not comfortable at all! They also collect lint like another review said. The interior is really boring in my opinion and it is really hard to see the clock. Overall it is cute and fun but I wish I had waited and found something better

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  THE MORE YOU DRIVE, THE MORE YOU SAVE - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By Zigmeister - October 9 - 10:00 am

  THE MILEAGE IS EXCELLENT, ALTHOUGH DIPS DOWN TO 30-SOME MPG IN EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER AND HOT WEATHER (USE OF HEATER AND AC). TOP MILEAGE HAS BEEN 50, AVERAGE IS IN THE MID TO LOW 40S. THE SMALLER TIRES ON THE PRIUS MAKE THEM *SLIGHTLY* MORE SUSPECTABLE TO DAMAGE, AND THE SMALLER WHEEL BASE REQUIRES SOMEWHAT MORE CAREFUL STEERING AT EXPRESWAY SPEEDS--ONE SHOULD AVOID JERKY MOVEMENTS AT HIGH SPEEDS. OVERALL, AS AN EVERYDAY CAR, IT HAS PREFORMED VERY RESPECATABLY, AND I AM SAVING A FORTUNE AT THE GAS PUMP. FOR THESE 2 REASONS, I PLAN TO BUY A 2ND ONE.

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  Surprisingly good ! ! - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By Hunter - October 9 - 1:11 am

  Strong points -surprisingly peppy & fuel efficient 4 cylinder wont leave you wanting to get the V6. This engine is really good. -smooth ride, much smoother than the Lincoln MKZ I had prior to this car, especially with these 18" wheels and sports suspension. Very very very smooth. The whole powertrain is smooth. -front seats are wide and the bolstering makes you feel as if the seat is giving you a nice hug. Im 64, 180 pounds and have alot of room in here. The cloth and pleather combo looks and feels great. -Barcelona red paint looks amazing and helps this popular car stand out. -smoothel shifting tranny. Weak points -transmission is so quick to shift into 3rd that it often has to downshift to make use of the power. -headlights could be Xenon or LED headlights would help. I plan on putting in either one aftermarket soon. -this car could use a high polished or machined cast aluminum wheel to help brighten it up, its rather dry looking. -BIGGEST ISSUE. THIS THING IS NOISY. Road and wind noise penetrate the cabin. Not good. Overall, not a bad choice. I know this car will provide years of trouble free motoring that wont require me to use my wallet that much.

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  Next time not Toyota - 2008 Toyota Sienna
  By No more Toyota fan - October 8 - 10:46 pm

  I am not happy with this van. Shortly after new - right out of showroom - things started falling off. On cold days the engine sounds like it is going to blow - dealer says this in normal. Cheap plastic bumpers come loose and have to put back in place. Found nuts, clips etc on the floor. Drivers seat uncomfortable on long trips. No automatic head lights. This van is less than a year old and looks and sounds like it is 5. Cheaper than Kia, Honda and Nissan and now I know why! Will Toyota run and hide again when major issues like engine failure - or after class action lawsuit scares them will they "Voluntarilly" fix problems. I have never heard a new engine sound so bad at start up.

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  Great car, except for seats - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Edward Turner - October 8 - 1:30 pm

  Love the car, except for the seat issue. Back half of seat is soft. Front half of seat is hard, as it has a flat metal piece under it. There is a lot of pressure at the transition which cuts off the blood circulation.

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  Checking in-approaching 60K - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By chuckfromli - October 8 - 1:13 pm

  Still have this van. I think Ive reviewed it on Edmunds before. It will be five years old in September 2009. It has about 58,000 miles on it now. Im very happy with it, as is my wife. Other than a couple of minor things, sensors, a window motor, things like that, it has been trouble free. Even those things were covered under warranty. I dont think weve laid out any money for repairs. We have for maintenance, of course. Still on our second set of brake pads. Had the coolant and hoses changed. Should probably spring for plugs, cap and wires soon, but it still runs fine. Toyota treats its customers very well. Van is fantastic on trips, roomy, smooth, quiet. 25-26 MPG highway, 18-19 overall