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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  Id rather have my 1997 Camry LE back - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By jh - July 27 - 2:46 am

  I am very disappointed about this new car. The driving is not smooth. The car stumbles and hesitates when trying to accelerate. The accelerate pedal is stiff, and sometimes there is no speed change after it was pressed down. The motor noise is another problem which really bother me when driving. I would rather have my old 1997 Camry LE back, which was much better in handling and accelaeation and much quiet. The new 2007 Camry should have the higher quality than 1997 Carmry, but not in my case.

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  Great in the beginning - 2001 Toyota Celica
  By Kurtis Rich - July 24 - 7:43 pm

  I bought this car brand new in 2001. I loved it when I first bought it but after a while the car started acting up. One problem after another and theres a long list of problems but some of them are: trunk started rattling, the brake caliper on the rear driver side kept putting too much pressure on the pads and it would wear out more than the others. The DRL sensor also messed up. They also had a recall on the headlights. Im not an aggressive driver or anything but Ive put about 86,000 miles on it and the engine block cracked. I quickly trashed this car after that because I really hated it. So much for Toyotas reliability

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  Shame of Toyota - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By New Englander - July 23 - 2:16 am

  We purchased our 2004 Camry in June 2004. However, its quality does not match "Toyota" brand. One rear tyre went flat at 3000 miles and was fixed by the dealer. Another rear tyre totally blew on the highway at 13000 miles. These are not covered under warranty. One transmitter was broken after one year. The rear left door could not be opened from inside. Fortunately, it is still under warranty and was fixed by the dealer. Gas mileage: 17-20 (local), highway 32.

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  Unpleasantly surprised !! - 2001 Toyota Corolla
  By Catssu - July 21 - 10:00 am

  This my third Toyota. I am terribly disappointed with this particular car. I brought this car in for repair more than a half-dozen times. It left me stranded by stalling out, and something is herently wrong with the way it rides. The first was *finally taken care of when they figured out the computer was bad. I was actually looking at Lemon Law! The second problem we thought was the tires. After countless tire alignments and balance, the dealership replaced the tires and changed the bent rim. While these corrections helped initially, the problem ride persists and they have chalked it up to the road. Im trading this car in soon.

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  Not a good value by any means - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By Japanese? eh... - July 19 - 3:26 am

  I bought this car for a commuter expecting stellar fuel economy, and that is not what I saw. Although 32 is good on the highway but not what I expected for $20k+. Many cars would have suited me better. Dont get hyped over gas mileage because it wont make you the money back. My pontiac grand prix got 31 mpg for 40% of the cost. My only other issue is my a/c unit is not very reliable.

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  Think again - 2000 Toyota Tundra
  By Jacob123 - July 17 - 10:46 pm

  The first 6000 miles - (bad rear springs). Non-stop creak in dash - never could be fixed. 30000 miles - dead in rush hour traffic. Police stop traffic and help me push it off the road - (fuel pump). 30002 miles - engine stalls at 55 mph in rush hour traffic AAAHHH! Glad to be alive! (Fuel flow regulator) 3 days later it blows the new regulator. The Toyota dealership calls Toyota for advise? As I write this review no one can fix my truck. I dont trust this vehicle in traffic. Time to trade it in.

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  Two Times Disapointed - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By dickwillie - July 16 - 7:13 am

  I bought a Camry for its reputed quality. I was sadly disapointed. I bought this car new and have had numerous mechanical problems. First the back tires were chewed up within the first 7000 miles. Then the brakes developed a terrible shimmy when applied. Next the computer freezes the the electronic dashboard displays locking out all electronic systems, e.g., ABS, airbags, traction control. Next the transmission is failing. You might think this is a fluke, but I also owned a 1999 Camry that had may of the same problems. I thought that car was a fluke. I will not by another Toyota. If I am going to have problems with a car it will be an American car.

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  weird smell - 2011 Toyota Yaris
  By giulia2 - July 13 - 2:01 pm

  Interior smell is awful! People say that it is mold issue but it is not! It seems that dashboard, rubbers, etc. made of crappy materials and driver undergoes chemicals exposure. We bought this car in Toyota Ancaster Canada dealership and paid all together CA 22K . We hoped that that smell will be gone in awhile but it is not! When its hot outside the cabin smells like hell. Another issue is the radio. The audio system is just horrible! Never buy this car , folks, even its a fuel efficient car. In a long term you may get seriously sick.

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  Never Again - 2005 Toyota Camry Solara
  By flyer131 - July 12 - 10:00 am

  Worst choice Ive ever made in a vehicle. Charged full sticker price eventhough I asked what was the dealerships best price as per their "lowest price guaranteed" billboard. Day of delivery took over 2 hours to get the car. Car delivered dirty. I was asked to pay half the cost of the cargo net that was promised by the salesperson. Dealership very unresponsive to my concerns. Steering is very loose. Car seems to float over the road. Tires spin on wet pavement. Drivers seat has NO lower back support. Tilt steering blocks the view of the gauges. 4 cylinders lack power for merging onto highways. Carpet sheds! Worst of all is Toyotas poor customer assistance.

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  Reliability is not all - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By james - July 10 - 5:20 pm

  That is my first Toyota and after driving my Audi for 10 years. Everybody said Toyota is reliable and Camry is comfortable. I think cars like Audi, raise your expectations from what a "car" can deliver. Camry is extremely uncomfortable compared to my Audi. It vibrates a lot on the road. The road noise is high. After two hours of driving, you easily feel it when you get out of the car. Worst of all, the whole car waves, once one tire hits a road obstacle or a dip. That is, the suspension on each wheel are not that independent. The car is not that stable on sharp turns either. This is a technically poor car. I guess people who claim Camry is comfortable, have never owned an advanced car.