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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  Garys 2004 LE - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By Ciborphd - July 10 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive, great mpg, decent performance. Buying on reputation of excellent quality but so far disappointed at 1,400 miles. A/C blower switch and CD door broken already. Love the ride and EZ control panels. Would recommend despite the little things. Difficult to see back when parking. Not as low to exit as the Honda Civic so better ergonomics for those not wanting to rock and spring out of the seat. Love the auto-on light feature, but definitely needs more ways to adjust the driver seat.

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  Best I have ever owned. - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Halfmile - July 10 - 10:00 am

  This car is a total delight to own and drive. The seats were designed for me. I do not get tired driving long distances in this minivan. Everyone in the car rides in comfort. The separate front and rear climate control air conditioning is wonderful. There is plenty of power for my kind of driving. The car can be switched to haul things or people in the blink of an eye. All our senior citizen friends seem to get in and out of this car with much less effort then when we use our second car, a Camry sedan. I have recommended this car to all that will listen.

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  Prius replaced Ford Ranger - 2002 Toyota Prius
  By MSDickerson - July 9 - 2:33 am

  slight instability at high speeds. Noticed that it accelerated much better than my Ford Ranger. Extremely quite car. Interior misdesigned piece center arm rest is too low. Gear shift hides some controls. Snow driving was fine being front wheel drive. Used tire chains and still achieved about 40 mpg while chains on car. Plenty of power - CVT is unique in that there is no shifting . It is actually nice though in that as soon as you let off the gas, then engine goes away)..

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  Not Quite Ready for Prime Time - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By Terry - July 6 - 8:50 am

  My 2006 Avalon XLS is overall a great car. It has major drawbacks in the "drive by wire" trans; it cant seem to find its gear when your slowing down. If you speed up, it revs and then lunges, meanwhile nothing is happening to move you forward. This is a safety and fuel economy issue. The in-town, surface street mileage is awful, about 12-14 mpg, as is the stop and go driving and in-traffic mileage. On the open road, it gets great mileage, and has the power needed to get up and go. Ive had some bad fit and finish experiences: side turn signal mirrors were distorted after 2 tries to replace; still working on wind noise from side windows, way too loud. Magnetic signs damage the paint.

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  Good van, but read before you buy! - 2015 Toyota Sienna
  By Ricardo Burgos - July 4 - 11:31 pm

  I wanted a Sienna with the black interior. I have 3 young children and things get dirty pretty quickly. I also wanted an OEM DVD player. I am not a fan of the aftermarket ones. The aftermarket ones you have to load the dvds right on the unit. On the OEM, you load them up front. I rather have that control than 3 kids fighting over which dvd to see. The PROs. Handles beautifully. I must say that the SE edition makes you feel like you are in a sports car. Very responsive and the steering feels solid. I just came out of a 2007 Honda Odyssey E-XL that felt very soft and dangerous at higher speeds in the freeway. The 2nd row seats have more room to move them than in the Odyssey. This is good when carrying taller adults. Easy storage in the back for the jumper seat. The dashboard on the 2015 is better looking than that swoosh that they had on the previous models. Also the SE comes with leather (well I doubt that it is REAL leather) on the dashboard. Wide DVD screen, you can see 2 separate movies or stretch it out and see a bigger picture. I wanted leather seats in black with contrasting stitching and that is what comes on the SE already. When you are inside, it feels luxurious, makes you forget that you are actually in a minivan. The technology to be able to speak in a soft voice and have the passengers in the 3rd row is fantastic. Gone are the days of having to scream to the kids seating all the way in the back. This is the first car that I get with navigation. It is nice not having to have your phone moving around while trying to find direction. The bluetooth phone connectivity works very well. You can answer and make calls handsfree and with voice commands. Now the CONs. You will need to take it to the dealer to get aligned. This van was having a slight pull. I took it in and the service advisor told me that in deed it was a bit off in the rear. After they realigned it, now it pulls to the left. The leather is not real leather. It does look nice though. The amount of glues, plastics and vinyl that they use in this car creates so many fumes when they are new, that you WILL get nauseous. I had severe headaches and felt nauseous. I was very close to going to the doctor. I had to drive with the windows down. I left charcoal and vinegar in pots inside the car over night. I put Fabreze air fresheners. After 3 weeks the smell seems to be gone now. A bit scary. The mats on the second row go under the seats all the way to the third row. This is a terrible idea. Hard to remove specially when you go to get your car washed. The rails where the 2nd row seats move back and forth are an open channel and debris can get into them real quick. It is not so easy for the passengers in the 3rd row to get in. We have chosen to remove the jumper seat and have people get in to the 3rd row through the middle. With the car parked, the cover for the left side mirror fell off. Good thing that the car was parked........ The design that Toyota has done to have the 3rd row seats fold into the well is not that visually appealing. When the seats are up and you go to the trunk, you see the legs and armature. Honda does a better job here. This is a bit of a problem, because when you buy the Weathertech mat for the trunk, it covers up to the legs, sacrificing some space. The DVD is in a low dark place. You cannot even see it in daylight without having to crouch down. The surface of the DVD player is all flat. It is hard to find the play button since it is flush. They should have had it raised so that it could be found easily. The center storage console between the front seats has good storage inside, but if the people in the 2nd row want to store anything like umbrellas, dvd holders, etc., there is NO space. Again, Honda wins on this one. There is so much electronically going on on the dashboard, that it will take some time to get used to it. It could be a major distraction for the driver. Your visibility to the rear from the drivers side is very, very restricted. Toyota built the headrests of the 3rd row seats TOO big. Instead of being able to bring them down when you do not want your visibility blocked they actually tilt forward. That is no good because it is very uncomfortable for young children. Here Honda engineers beat Toyota. The DVD player screen is big and will also block your view. There are no storage pockets in the rear trunk areas where to put jumper cables, first aid kits, etc. You have to use up the floor space. Sorry Toyota, Honda beat you on this one too. There is NO overhead lamp in the trunk area. The is only a small light to the side. Again, Honda did a better job here. A lot of you read: Honda did this better and are asking yourselves, why did this guy buy a Sienna then? Because HONDA gave me sooooo many problems and the quality of the materials used are so bad, that I had enough. The dislikes are few compared to the likes in the Sienna. I like it so far and I plan to have it for many years.

• 

  GREAT - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By polaco - July 4 - 10:00 am

  Its aLexus with a Toyota badge!!!

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  Reliable and Rugged 4WD - 1994 Toyota 4Runner
  By kb - July 4 - 1:36 am

  A very reliable and rugged 4WD truck. Great for crawling over rocks, fording water, and punching through 3 snow-drifts. Not so much fun on the freeway. This 4runner is definitely still a truck. No mechanical or electrical problems with the vehicle at all. I average 18mpg highway/city. Not bad mpg for a truck of its capabilities. This truck is very fun to drive off the pavement, and is very stable over ruff roads. On the freeway the weak engine and top-heavy weight distribution make it a little scary.

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  Starting to regret it - 2007 Toyota 4Runner
  By Disappointed - July 3 - 3:06 pm

  Purchased in Jan. and loved it, but now its 12,000 miles later. Inside is very small, comfortable in the front seat means no leg room in the back. I am only 511" and I hit my head almost every time I get in. 3rd row seats create an even bigger blind spot. Seats aren’t too comfortable on long trips. Gas mileage is very poor when traveling at highway speeds. Its a nice SUV but not made for families, we wish we would have waited for the new Highlander.

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  Tacoma - 2007 Toyota Tacoma
  By 751 - July 2 - 12:46 pm

  I got the 07 Tacoma and love it. It drives better than my Firebird I had before it. Only knock is the gas mileage is not what I expected it to be. Also cruise control takes some getting used to. I would definitely recommend this truck to anyone. You must get a cold air intake and magnaflow muffler installed. It improves gas mileage and power and makes a great engine perform even better. Plus it is easy to install and fairly cheap.

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  Forget the rest! - 1992 Toyota Camry
  By ukybrit - July 2 - 2:00 am

  I have had 15 cars in 30 years from Minis to Mercedes and this is the car to beat them all. My 2nd V6 Toyota, the 1st did 245,000 miles. Superb comfort, effortless V6 power, smooth ride, quiet and always reliable - this car flies along! In my opinion this is the best body shape of all the models, its a shame they changed it.