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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  Empty Nester crossover SUV - 2010 Toyota RAV4
  By rich comeau - August 11 - 12:43 am

  My wife choose this vehicle as she will be driving it the most. We have only owned the vehicle for two weeks but are very satisfied with the RAV4. The V6 is freaky powerful with lots of fun acceleration. She did not like the rear door mounted spare tire, as it detracts from the nice style of the Rav4. She said it looked utilitarian with a Jeep CJ look. Choose the Sport with rear tire delete. I did notice a stiffer ride with the sport tuned suspension and 18" tires compared to the Limited we drove. Good mileage for our new found freedom to travel yet enough cargo space to fit our daughters dorm room in. At 6",2 the seats run out of thigh support for me, but wife finds it comfortable.

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  Replace water pump! - 2005 Toyota RAV4
  By Rav4 Owner - August 10 - 7:16 pm

  Bought my Rav4 brand new in 2004 which is a 2005. Have had no major problems with it except for replacing the water pumps constantly! They are made very cheap, and its not cheap to replace either. And rear breaks are for sure bad as well like previous reviews have stated. Also, when it rains the car does not stay put on the road.

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  06 standard cab 4x4 Tacoma - 2006 Toyota Tacoma
  By gene - August 10 - 3:36 pm

  I bought this Tacoma in oct of 2006. Its a 2.7 i4, 5spd manual, 4x4 w/ ac. The truck itself is great. Handles well on the highway as well as offroad. My only complaint is the 5spd manual transmission. It does not shift smoothly. It sometimes hangs up going into reverse and 2nd gear. I have taken it back to the dealer a few times and was told that while they test drive it there wasnt any problem shifting. I am 55 yrs old and have been driving manual transmission trucks and cars for a while. This is the first one that felt like the trans was low on oil, or the shifter was bent out of shape. That has been the only problem I have had so far.

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  Corolla 6-speed - 2014 Toyota Corolla
  By schooby - August 10 - 4:10 am

  This is an addition to my previous review. If youre looking for a sports car the 6-speed might not fit. Passing with the 6 speed can be a bit challenging, although its still capable. At 55 mph in 6th gear drop it into 4th and punch it to moderately pass on the open road. Do not challenge on coming traffic, give yourself room. When shifting from 5th into 6th ride the shifter to the far right as to not accidentally drop it back into 4th. A sloppy shift may end up going from 5th back to 4th. Also mind going from 4th to 5th as to not accidentally drop into 3rd. This advice applies to folks whom are new to driving manual transmissions, seasoned folks will not find this problem.

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  A great little car. - 2005 Toyota Echo
  By happy echo driver - August 10 - 3:16 am

  The car gets great mileage and has decent power to boot. Its easy to park, but has plenty of passenger and cargo room. Handling and ride are acceptable. Exterior styling is pretty good, but could be better. Interior looks kind of cheap. I like the center-mounted instrument cluster because the steering wheel doesnt get in the way of the gauges. Its solidly built and wont squeak or rattle. The cd stereo is great. The Scion xA and xB are based on the same platform, but have much less cargo room with the rear seats upright. The echo makes more sense if you need to carry around four people and cargo.

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  High tire pressure ride problems. - 2013 Toyota Avalon
  By poorthingflint - August 7 - 2:20 pm

  Recently bought this fine vehicle and almost didnt because of harsh suspension response when impacting large road patches and other road irregularities. Drove another car before the one I took home for the little woman to see and drive. Both cars had 18" Michelins and were disappointing in the way they reacted to serious road imperfections. Driving the car I ultimately bought decided to check the tire air pressure. All tires checked just a little shy of 40lbs. Obviously being over inflated by at least 6lbs will cause the ride problems I noticed. With the correct tire pressure the over all ride improved drastically. I would suggest before you road test one check the air pressure.

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  Much better than expected - 1997 Toyota Tacoma
  By norque83 - August 7 - 10:00 am

  Performs well; has excelent payload capabilty; best-in-class ground clearance; gas mileage isnt bad for a 4WD truck; the 4-cyl performs like a V6; the brakes are great; however, the handling is slightly ponderous at times and the seats can get uncomfortable during long trips

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  great all around vehicle - 2000 Toyota Tundra
  By marc northrup - August 7 - 10:00 am

  I find my 2000 Tundra Limited just an all around quality vehicle. I have owned Ford and Chevy trucks and I am pleased to state the Tundra is by far a better vehicle in all ways. The quality and fit and finish are excellent. The ride is much like a full sized acr, not the hard choppy ride of most 4 wheel drive pick-ups. The one area I hope Toyota has addressed and improved upon are the brakes. They seem to be poor and inadequate for this big vehicle.

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  My 4th Sienna, overall 4 stars - 2015 Toyota Sienna
  By lou - August 6 - 9:59 pm

  Just want to let you all know, it took me a long time to moved up to this 3rd Gen Sienna. And here is why... We used to have 04 LE AWD, 05 LE, 07 LE. When we picked up our 07 (used) we spent lot of time compare that 2nd Gen and 3rd Gen (2011+) and we just didnt see the wow factory so we settle for an used 07 :) You all know the 2011-2014 has a pretty bad review for its interior design and material. In this 2015 we just picked up, the inside is now more in par with other current new cars on the road. the bigger screen with backup cam does work much better. The new touch screen radio is a very good update over the 2014. Many options and settings, with big Text. Other nice features (for LE) is the build in blind spot corner mirrors. I have been telling my wife about how Ford made it standard years ago and all the sudden, the Sienna has it. Build in windows screen for 2nd and 3rd rows is another feature that my kids love. Couple cost cutting items, the not lighted speedometer is bad. Very hard to see during the day. The other is the non powered windows on the rear. It used to be standard on all 2nd Gen but now you have to get to XLE or higher to get that feature.

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  Overall, a good buy for the money - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By Danielle Marie - August 6 - 1:36 am

  I fell in love with my Yaris from the moment I saw it. I felt so excited to be the first one in my city to have a Yaris, and they curious looks I got. I love everything about the car except two things. Be careful when it is very windy because it will blow you around like a leaf in the fall. Second, I still have not gotten the gas mileage I am supposed to be getting. I am only getting 33 mpg on a good fill up. It should be between 34-40.