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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  Dim headlights - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By mozart2012xle - June 8 - 7:42 pm

  just got new 2012 camry xle -v6. Im very disappointed with the headlights, they appear bright when you look at them, not as bright as my 2005 camry . I even brought a set of after market bulbs sylvania utra they also appear to be very bright when you look at them but from the drivers seat they do not light up the roadway as i believe they should. drove 35 miles the other night with the high beams on all the way and not one on coming driver flashed their lights back at me. in my05 i have had people flash their lights at me when i just had on low beams. took the car back to the toyota body shop guy checked the headlight adjusted them still to dim, looks like ill be doing less night driving

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  What is toyota doing ??? - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Regreted - June 7 - 5:20 pm

  I owned total 4 generations of Camry, this 5th gen is not a Camry any more. I made a big mi to trade in my 2001 Highlander 1st: Transmission up-shift is a design flaw, and it could be dangerous when enter freeway by merging ramp, at speed 35mph , there will be no acceleration when you floorboard it, my Camry was like a horse refused to run, stood still. The fear was that the car behind might rear end you. 2nd: Interior looks so cheap, over-engineering the control panel. Heater is intermittently change temp it self. Speedometer is too bright , make it hard to tell whether the headlight is on or off. -The handle grip on driver side got broken for no reason. 3rd: Exterior bumper paint was chipped

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  Suspension Issues - 2007 Toyota Corolla
  By RCB - June 7 - 3:43 pm

  I drove my Corolla for a year with the impression that it had a big-car feel and a very smooth feel (smoothest ever in fact). Then something broke, and the dealership has been unable to fix it. Now I do not feel safe driving on the interstate because if I hit even a small bump (and especially a series of small bumps) it feels like I am going to loose control. At slower speeds, it is just uncomfortable to drive on anything but the smoothest of roads. The dealership claimed to replace the front struts, and maybe they did because it did seem to reduce the rough feel for a 1-2 days.

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  The Matrix Almost Had Me - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By Nearly Neo - June 7 - 10:00 am

  The cargo bed is all hard plastic, if you toss anything back there, its gonna scrape and slide all over the place! Driving the Matrix was not a bad experience. The automatic transmission is smooth, yet a bit slow from a stand still (perhaps a manual would be snappier off the line). The car had a slight delivery van feel to me, particularly in cornering. And the instrument gauges- more than half the drive- I could not see them!- Frustrating! All around visibilty was excellent, however.- No problems in seeing the surrounding traffic. I walked away in appreciation of this new Toyota, but not in love.

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  Did any one had problem with brakes? - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By babar - June 7 - 10:00 am

  Ovel all its a very nice car and I am very happy with it. Its fun to drive and quite roomy. I have had noticed that if it goes over a bump and you apply the brakes at the time, they just dont work like for a second or two. I am not sure if this is true with all the 1999 Camary LE models or its just my car.

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  Good, reliable car, but some annoyances - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Sidley - June 7 - 10:00 am

  Overall, very happy with the car. I am impressed with power and speed. Handling at higher speeds is ok (not as good as European cars like the Passat). I really like the interior - very roomy and comfortable. The engine is very quiet. The trunk is huge, and rear seats totally fold down, so I can put anything I want to in this car. Lots of minor complaints. I experience squeaking and occasionally rattling noises. Visibility out the back is not great - big blind spots caused by frame and rear spoiler. I have also experienced sudden jerking at 40-50 MPH from the automatic transmission when you let off the gas (I noticed this in someone elses review as well).

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  XLE Hybrid - 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By talyun - June 7 - 5:01 am

  Lets face it buyinh a hybrid is all about gas mileage. I have had my 2012 XLE for approx. 1.5 months and I have driven nearly 1000 miles. The car came with a full tank and when I filled up, the odometer read 672. Thats 49 MPG with combined city/hwy driving (primarily city). Thats also 20% better than advertised! The 2nd tank is not getting quite as good, so far 47.6 MPG. Still quite respectable. The vehicle is designed to get great gas mileage. If you drive it conservatively (slow takeoff, slow stops) youll probably get similiar results to mine. Overall, Im quite pleased with the car. Its incredibly quiet, has plenty of power when needed and has all the luxury I need.

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  Wind & road noise - 2010 Toyota Avalon
  By Phutch - June 6 - 12:26 am

  I just bought a Toyota Avalon partially based on published reviews and was disappointed when I took it out on the open highway. What I thought was supposed to be a quiet ridding car was instead an intrusive, loud and annoying ride caused by road and wind noise. My former Chevy Impala was a much quieter automobile. You would think a higher end sedan like the Avalon would be better well insulated against the outside noise. I cant even enjoy my new stereo system because of this. I wont buy another Toyota.

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  Great Car - 2008 Toyota Avalon
  By Funeral Director - June 5 - 6:03 pm

  Love this car, navigation is a pain with the little wheel, should be touch screen. Metal is a little cheap got stuck in snow went to push on trunk by Toyota name and trunk bent in tow spots was $100 to get dents taken out. Got nitrogen in tires and during summer I average about 42.5 mpg on highway. Exterior does scratch at the slightest touch. Trunk was scratched by a box touching the trunk.

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  A harsh ride - 2008 Toyota Tundra
  By back apin - June 4 - 10:53 pm

  I had my tundra for a month now and wish I had rented one before purchasing. The ride is harsh and the leather seats are not shaped for leg comfort at least in the front. The performance is great the body style is nice to look at, and yes the gas mileage is around 13.5 mpg but thats not bad for the horse power.