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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  Front End Rattle - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Its A Lemon - August 25 - 7:30 am

  In 6 months of ownership the front upper strut mounts and the front left strut assembly have been replaced. "Insulation" was added between the strut mounts and the car body to try and quiet the rattle noise. All efforts have failed. Toyota has no solution. Think twice before buying the 4 cylinder LE. There is a flaw in the front end. Arbitration denied my claim because the situation was not serious enough. Protect yourselves and do not buy the LE model until a solution has been found for this problem.

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  Dont Buy!!! - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By CFowl - August 24 - 6:56 pm

  My wife and I purchased this vehicle less than a year ago to be our primary vehicle. Weve regretted buying it every day since! Toyota wont tell you theres a very real "bed-bounce" problem on many freeways (particularly Southern California) and the fuel economy isnt nearly as good as they claim. The truck hesitates at times, too, when you try to accelerate (because of towing differential) from a stop. Its not a $40,000 luxury car. Its a very nice "work" truck, but do not buy this truck if you want a comfortable drive on most concrete freeways! If you drive with infants or children, do not endanger them by putting them in this truck!!

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  No brakes, no help from Toyota - 2002 Toyota Tundra
  By A Drews - August 23 - 7:30 am

  This truck is my first Toyota lemon. The rotors warp every 3000 miles, a common problem on all Tundras now. Dont buy one used (or new). Toyota has learned well from U.S. car corporations. Stall, stall, deny. Just do a web search for " Tundra Brake Problems".

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  Why Not To Buy A Sienna - 1999 Toyota Sienna
  By Very Unhappy Toyota - August 21 - 10:00 am

  We have broken three passanger handles. We cannot get the vehicle to align we tried 3 times. We have been thru 3 sets of tires and three brake jobs. None of the above are covered by the extended warranty. (Never buy an extended warranty from Toyota) All work was done by dealer with exception of the last brake job was done by a shop that carries a lifetime warranty.

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  TOYOTA is big mistake - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By meddoab - August 9 - 10:32 am

  I bought this car in July 2008 brand new from the dealership. I do maintenance regularly at the dealership where I bought it. The first year I had it, it lost a lot of oil but the dealership said it was normal, til now I lose a lot of oil. Now, I have 54K miles on it. Then one day, without any warning, the battery died. I bought a new battery from toyota and still the car wasnt working well. I returned to the dealership and they told me I need a new alternator, I had to pay all of this out of pocket because the warranty ended. I bought this car thinking that it would not give me any problems, I worked 10 hours a day to pay off this car in 3 years and now I this purchase was a HUGE mistake

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  Never Own Another Toyota - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By NoMoreToyotas - July 29 - 9:43 am

  I purchased this car in July of 2007 with 114k miles. The car made it to 148k miles. Once it reached that point, I pumped approximately $5,000.00 into it. I replaced the timing belt, water pump, fuel pump, new rotors (twice in the time I owned it), 3 new sets of tires, plugs, axles, and last but not least, the transmission. I have had to replace other things, but those were the big ones. The paint job is the worst I have ever seen and the door handles have a curious habit of snapping off. I dont drive like a kid, so I think operator error is minimal. The car just died yesterday and this time, its anyones guess what the problem is. If you are thinking of getting a Toyota Camry, FORGET IT

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  Unreliable Car - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By abhishek - July 24 - 11:40 pm

  I bought this car with such an excitement in 2006, but since then it has been giving me troubles and nothing else. The whole tranny defaulted within 1st month. I had to call up customer service and dealership, only god knows how many times to get the problem resolved. Instead of giving me a new car they finally admitted the problems with transmission and replaced it with a new one, free of cost to me ($6500) cost to them. After two years, last month the tires worn out at 20000 miles. Bridgestone Potenza (worst tires). My driving habits are just as normal as others and I am not driving this car on a raceway, how can possibly they go bad?

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  Not what I was hoping for - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Brenda - July 24 - 9:21 pm

  The truck idles high when in park, lunges when going from park into drive or reverse, and is continuously searching for gears when going down the road. It also feels as if I am constantly pulling a boat behind me. These issues can cause damage to the transmission over time. The dealership says the truck is "learning my driving habits", but at 3,500 miles, the truck should already be in sync with how I drive. The mechanic said he has had several complaints about the same issue. He said he did not experience the problem when he test drove mine, & it didnt show any problems when they hooked it up for a computer diagnostic test. I called Toyotas corporate office to file a complaint. I go this week to have the service manager test drive the truck with me in it. He is also going to check the transmission fluid levels. A different lot of 2016 Tacomas came off the assembly line with low transmission fluid. What those customers described as being their problem is exactly what Im experiencing. It appears to me Toyota is handling each complaint individually as customers speak up, instead of doing a mass recall. What a money saver for them. This is my first Toyota, and I really wanted to like it. Nothing but a disappointment so far. Did I mention it does not come standard with interrmitant wipers??? Those cost extra!!!! I should have bought a Chevy!!!

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  Not what I thought it would be - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By loke - July 21 - 2:00 am

  Pretty nice having it in V8 ut the mileage is terrible. And it is kind of noisy and bouncy. Not very comfortable after driving it for a while.

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  Toyota Heading the way of GM - 2011 Toyota Sienna
  By Toyotanomore - July 18 - 3:06 pm

  Have Sienna for 2 kid family and one on the way. Purchased for leather and DVD player. Very disappointed. Complex dashboard distracting from driving experience, readout display busy. Plastics are awful, buttons and lever feels like they will snap off in your hand. Front seats very comfortable, rear seats roomy, but awkward for anyone over 510". Feels like it was designed for short, obese people. Reeks of cost cutting and poor ergonomics. Ride OK but get seasick at high speed. V6 motor/transmission hunts a lot: revs without oomph. Handling also awkward, too much curb weight. Trunk huge, but hard to load. Rear seat already broken, stability control/DVD keep giving problems.