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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  Lexus in Toyota Clothing (with sportier handling) - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Thomas from Westchester Cty, NY - October 22 - 12:30 pm

  Pros: Rock solid look, feel and handling. Calm-instilling, smooth, quiet ride. Sensible, simple, intuitive controls. Luxury car look, feel and performance at a below-luxury price and with lower cost regular fuel! Safe, effective all wheel drive and active safety systems. Cons: Smaller than ideal cargo space. Very tight third row -- for young children or emergency, short trips only. Lane departure sensor is a little too sensitive. Navigation slightly less intuitive and useful than other controls and systems in this vehicle and than navigation systems in other vehicles and after-market or cell phone based systems. Overall: An easy 5 out of 5 stars! This vehicle should be on anyones list for a mid-size SUV with a third row seat. There is a wide variety of option levels with corresponding wide variety in cost so it can fit into many budgets whether you choose the top end to compete with luxury vehicles as we ultimately did or a "lower" level which can compete with almost any but the smallest, compact SUVs on price (which we also considered).

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  Love my 95 hate my 91 - 1995 Toyota Pickup
  By bhoward - October 22 - 10:00 am

  I first came across the Toyota Pickup line was in 2007 my Dad bought me a 1991 Toyota pickup with the extended cab 2wd it was baby blue on the outside and dark blue on the inside. It ran okay until the A/C and heater went out on it. Then it just started falling apart. The day I sold it was the happiest day of my life. Well in May of 2010 my Dad found a 1995 Toyota pickup and I was hesitant to get it because of the horrible experience I had with my last one. I did buy it though and I LOVE IT! It runs so much better than my 91. I had to replace the fuel pump but it was time for it. Its a great truck with great gas mileage. Uncomfortable on long trips but I mostly drive around town.

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  Spare Key - 2003 Toyota Sequoia
  By Bob - October 22 - 10:00 am

  Just purchased my Sequoia used as a second vehicle. Spent a lot of money on new timing belt, serpentine belt, battery, replacing transmission fluid, etc. - which I anticipated and I am OK with all that. Seat belt retracter and gas gauge that failed right after purchased disappointed - but I still hung in OK. The big surprise that completely turned me off was a replacement ignition key (just the key!) to replace the lost key that did not come with the vehicle - $628 quoted! Unbelievable. From what I understand, an electronic module has to be replaced to work with a new key. Knowing that up front - I would not have purchased the Sequoia.

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  Great Car - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By Chris - October 22 - 10:00 am

  I have a 1995 Camry that got passed down to me by my grandfather about a year ago. It has only 130,800mi on it (1500 mi put on by me) and has only needed new motor mounts and valve gasket seal replacement. To improve my gas mileage I constructed a cold air intake to fit to my throttle which surprisingly increased my gas milage from 20-23 all the way to 25-27!! Im going on a trip from NC-FL in a few weeks, cant wait to see my highway mpg! This car has great handling and awesome brakes, I live on some curvy roads and havent ever heard my tires through a turn when in a hurry. the suspension is acceptable in these cars just dont be going crazy on the gravel roads. overall this car will last.

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  After You Buy - 2010 Toyota Venza
  By Ski Majeski - October 22 - 10:00 am

  I am enjoying immensely getting used to the venza that we recently purchased, from heartland Toyota in bremerton, wa. It was actually a fun experience to shop for and buy at heartland, no pressure to buy, and more concern that we were going to be happy with what we were test driving. We of course have not used the service dept. Yet but expect to the same attitude when we do. Try a venza, I think they are fun to drive.

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  Bad Trans/Differential - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By Charles - October 22 - 10:00 am

  These SUVs develop an annoying differential whine at about 40 MPH and up. There is a Service Bulletin #TSB- 0192-10 that addresses the problem. Problem is it simply tries to cover up the problem by dampening the noise - hoping the owner will go away. Also the engine has to be pulled to simply replace a water pump. The Service manual also states that the engine needs to be removed for spark plug replacement. It could really get expensive to own this vehicle for the long term.

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  Excellent Job Toyota! - 2011 Toyota 4Runner
  By John - October 22 - 10:00 am

  After reading the reviews here I had a hard time making the final decision, most people here were way off in their criticisms Let me go over the criticisms: Power-Excellent Does not need a V8 whatsoever. Took it loaded with 4 people to the Top of Mt. Evans, CO with NO problem. It outperformed my 07 Tahoe with big V8 and 320 HP. car buy a highlander. Cheap Plastic interior parts Ok, if you want refined luxury buy a Lexus. This car is not for you. Parts are practical and easy to use.

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  Transmission and acceleration - 2008 Toyota Tundra
  By JOHN - October 22 - 10:00 am

  Love the truck but it has some serious acceleration problems and transmission problems . With 19,000 miles on it I have to replace my tires . Previously owned to two Dodge rams and for the price rams are much better for everything but the ride. Toyota beats ram in ride and smoothness . Toyota way to expensive. For that type of truck. The biggest downfall is the sensitive gas pedal . Very dangerous

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  Areas of concern - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By bethvol1 - October 22 - 10:00 am

  The sun visors do not come down low enough to shield the early rising sun. I am still blinded after dropping the sun visors down. They should be made a little larger. Also, the side mirrors do not give me adequate vision of drivers just behind my right rear. Otherwise, I have really enjoyed driving this vehicle.

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  Very happy 3 months later - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By irg2 - October 22 - 10:00 am

  My lease on my 2006 Subaru Impreza was up, so I looked at various offerings, including Subaru, Accord, Altima and Malibu. I couldnt find a Subarau I liked, the Accord was really sub bar -I based my knee on the dashboard just getting in - it was swollen for week, lol. The Altima was very nice, but leased for quite a bit more, the Malibu leased for literally twice the price. The Camry was just right, only $234/mo with nothing down, including the taxes, alloys. Drives so much nicer than my Subaru, although not quite comparable really. But the difference in price was only $25. I may get another or the Venza to replace my Odyssey. Wish they would make a Camry wagon in the same price range.