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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  This vehicle sucks - 2003 Toyota Sequoia
  By Lmckevitt - October 9 - 10:00 am

  Most wimpy vehicle Ive ever owned. Waste of money, wish Id gotten an Expedition instead. Alignment problems every 3 months, door handle broke, customer service sucks--never will go Toyota again. Chevy or Ford all the way--wanted something tough, got a wimp on wheels....

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  DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By Ryan - October 2 - 6:53 am

  To keep this as brief as possible, dont buy the new Camry. I turned in an 02 Camry and I already miss it! The transmisson on my new Camry is sluggish and the steering doesnt connect with the car. I bought the Camry because I have had alot of friends tell me that "foreign" cars are of better quality. Man were they wrong... Toyota needs to recall this car and fix my transmisson once and for all.

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  T-SB-0094-11 Engine Oil Consumption Engine Problems Engine Noise - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By curramba - September 27 - 5:33 pm

  Our Vehicle: RAV4 4-Cyl Limited (As in Limited Quality) Our Dealership: Colonial Toyota of Lincoln RI. This is my wifes daily driver. After 50k miles, the vehicle has the following problem: Technical Service Bulletin (TSP) T-SB-0094-11. About a month ago the engine light came on, after running an oil consumption test on our vehicle, the service manager said that it “only” burned 1 quart of engine oil in 1000 miles, which they said was within specifications. This I do not buy given my 2003 Honda Accord LX with 165,000 miles, had never had engine oil consumption issues. The engine output power seems to be in declined. The engine noise within the cabin is worst than my Accord!

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  Never Again! - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By jcollins2 - September 24 - 7:29 pm

  I would never purchase this car again. The number of (and cost of) repairs Ive had to do is ridiculous! While under warranty, the following things were repaired/replaced: seal around the sunroof, seal around the windshield, & cd player. Two weeks ago, my water pump went out and had to be changed, along with the rotors. Now my air conditioning is broken, and the Toyota dealership is telling me that it will cost me $2,900 to repair it. In a three week time period, I will have to invest $3,700 into a car that is 3 years old and has 70,000 miles. I bought a Toyota thinking I would get a good car for the money I spent. I was absolutely wrong! I will not purchase another Toyota!

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  Worst Car Ever - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By brokenwings - September 21 - 9:53 am

  This has been the worst car Ive ever owned. Ive had to replace the rear hubs ($1200+), the catalytic converter ($200) and the air conditioner. The interior of the car has completely come apart and the hub caps have all fallen off. Ive owned cars that were way older and never had problems like I have with my Corolla. DO NOT BUY ONE!!!

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  Great car but terrible Navigation - 2018 Toyota Camry
  By Mark Hellervik - September 8 - 10:32 am

  The car is stylish and great interior but navigation is terrible. I expected this car to be loaded with all features but navigation doesnt exist nor does it have GPS. All software and electronics is tied to the cell phone. Without a cell phone all this car has is a radio. If you managed to get the navigation working (cell phone has to be plugged into the UPS), if you get a phone call or make a call, navigation quits working as the cell phone can only do one thing at a time. Navigation app is terrible. For a car such as the XLE to just have a radio I paid way too much. Ive have had 4 Toyotas now and would not buy this car for this price for just a radio. Would not purchase another.

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  Inferior - 2009 Toyota Tacoma
  By GARY - September 6 - 10:00 am

  Bad gas mileage and lacks power. Runs a little better when the air is off. This is my first and last Toyota truck. I traded a 95 Suzuki sidekick with 150,000 miles and was a better made vehicle than this thing. My truck has 10,400 miles and already has signs of rust on wheels and frame. Dealer and Toyota agree it is from road abrasion and wont cover problem. I have a 2002 Ford Taurus with 50,000 miles and has no signs of rust. A blind man could see that the wheels has very little of the paint on them. The price of the truck should have more accessories. The truck is hard to shift and sometimes impossible to get into reverse. The radio when first purchased had a mind of its own. Warranty stinks

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  My 4rd Tacoma - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Doug - September 5 - 12:06 am

  I have had three 2nd GEN Tacoma double cab and now a 2016 Tacoma and one 2nd gen. They have the number one resale value of all vehicles sold in the United States, that pretty much says it all. The one thing that I will ding Toyota on, is the tranny in the 3rd gens. Im just not a big fan of them over the 2nd gens. The interiors designed very well, I am a 6 foot man and I sit very comfortably in it. The exteriors are very eye-catching and are very useful for out door use. I base the vehicles I buy on how overall useful they are to me. This is why, this is my fourth Tacoma double cab Ive owned.

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  not my best purchase - 2018 Toyota RAV4
  By JCB - September 2 - 7:58 am

  1 The rear window, offers limited visibility and is constantly cover=ed with either dust, dirt or snow because of the dumb airfoil operation in the rear. 2 The front grille offers poor air flow especially in the winter, the grille clogs up with snow and ice thereby blocking the air flow and causing the engine water temperature to rise unless you manually remove the accumulated snow and ice. 3 The front doors have a poor bottom design that accumulates snow and ice that if now removed freezes the door closed or packs mud or dust that seeps into the vehicle interior. 4 The swept back design of the front doors is a safety hazard as it sweeps backward and smacks a person in the head because of its design not permitting proper clearance when opening the doors. 5 The antiquated technology of a push start/stop button is terrible, a normal key ignition is far superior to this Model T technology. 6. The dash electronics are absurd and useless not to mention very distracting, ever hear of “distractive driving” that describes your electronics. 7. Heat rotary switch are ridiculous, you are in one confined car interior do you really think that one side of the interior is going to be a different temperature, must be a millennium design person to think that is true. 8. Floor mats do not cover the floor except when the seats are fully in the forward position. 9 The wheel wells do not provide enough clearance in the snow, ice or mud, use of 17 and 18 inch wheels are the major cause. 10 The 17 and 18 inch wheels are absolutely useless, they accumulate snow and ice so fast and hold it that you constantly can feel the vibration in the vehicle, unless ever time you stop driving you remove all four wheels off the care and scape the snow, ice or dirt off the inside of these wheels. 11. Rear suspension is terrible, the angled direction of the shock do not offer proper operation of the shocks and therefore the rear wheel drop with a bang when driving. 12 The rear hatch door is impossible, in the cold and and snow the outside switch to operate this door freezes and is then useless, In normal weather the door electric opening and closing is absurd, useless and very slow, better to have a manual opening door opening left to right of right to left over vertically opening door. 13 Swashed roof line is useless and absurd not to mention ugly. 14 Rood rack useless unless extreme caution is used otherwise the rear hatch open up into what ever is on the roof making the design very poor and thoughtless. 15 Mileage, I get better mileage from my 1967 Land Rover 109 than with is electronic ignition, injections etc 16 Old saying: do not change things that work, the old er design and technology was better and in this case very much better than your new design and technology

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  Boring Car with Bad Computer - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By LCAtlanta - August 27 - 2:00 am

  This car had starting problems in the first 1,000 miles. After having it towed in twice and four dealer repair attempts, it now still has problems. Toyota doesnt seem to be able to diagnose computer problems with their cars.