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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  Busted and Bumbed - 2006 Toyota Tundra
  By lee - February 7 - 12:56 am

  Compared against F-150, should have bought Ford. Way nicer truck, more of everything i.e. towing, payload, cab choices. thought toyota would hold up to the pounding. not even close. what a piece. bad trans.

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  Unhappy toyota owner - 2007 Toyota Corolla
  By unhappy toyota owner - February 6 - 8:46 am

  I am very unhappy with the quality of my 2007 Corolla. I bought the car new from the dealer. I had to have the car towed and the engine computer replaced by the dealer, which apparently is a fairly common problem. In addition, the automatic transmission still shifts very roughly, but the dealer insists that the transmission is fine when it obviously isnt fine. I purchased an extended warranty since I expect the transmission to fail any day. The suspension is rough and I can feel every bump on the road.

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  Bad car - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By Roger - February 2 - 5:18 am

  Use of way to much oil mine now at 67000 uses 3 to 4 qts about every 1400 miles toyota said that 1.1 qts every 600 miles is ok witch they say 0w20 only needs to be changed every 10000 miles in that case you would use a little over 19 qts between oil changes hate this car

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  I hate it I hate it I hate it - 2009 Toyota Matrix
  By deafmatrixdrvr - February 1 - 10:19 am

  I swear the thing has damaged my hearing it is so loud. The door seals are one poor design and allow air to whistle and roar through the car. Took it back twice and they replaced the seals with no improvement. Finally ran silicon sealant around behind the seal and that has helped a lot. Tire noise very loud. Loud gear whine at 35 MPH and You cant shift into reverse without double clutching or hammering the stick. Both normal per dealer. Impossible to back up at night. Stupid automatic headlights can not be turned off and backup lights are too weak. Gas mileage is poorer than my Camry with same motor and tank is too small. Max of 300 miles and its on Empty.

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  First and Last Toyota - 2012 Toyota Corolla
  By n_hastings - February 1 - 6:24 am

  We have owned our 2012 Toyota for about 4 months and it has 50k miles on it. The rear speakers are blown out; the windshield exploded from the inside without any impact and the dealership is refusing to reimburse us for a new windshield; when you turn the temperature control to "0," the fan never completely stops blowing air; something on the passenger side clunks when you hit your breaks and turn left; the windshield wipers were not properly designed to fit the windshield, therefore you can never see out the windshield; the windshield fogs up EXTREMELY BAD and because the windshield wipers dont touch the window, you literally cannot see anything until after the morning fog has lifted.

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  Heading Back to the Dealer After First Fue Fill Up - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Geoff Cheeseman - January 31 - 1:07 am

  I so much want to like and live with the 2016 Tacoma, but as other reviewers have mentioned the truck has a fatal flaw with its engine/transmission combination. As a result, Im returning the truck w/ only 400 miles as it almost couldnt make it to my office today with a full tank of gas! Granted I work at 6,200 and there was a 20 mph wind blowing. But seriously, this truck is a dog. I read on Edmunds that the new V6 (with supposedly 42 increased HP) combined with the Atkinson cycle and a 6-speed automatic transmission is a full second slower in speed tests from 0 to 60 than last years model, and I believe it. It sounds like a bad marriage. The transmission keeps the engine in the low RPM range, but w/ the Atkinson cycle, peak HP & torque is up around 5,000 rpm. Very hard to get the truck to its power band. It feels like the two systems were designed by engineers who didnt consult one another. The truck is always shifting. At times, it feels as though its in too high of a gear and the engine/transmission vibrate. When you step on the gas, theres a huge delay as the transmission may have to drop 2 or 3 gears to get going and then you have to wait for the engine to rev up. There is an extra power button, but that doesnt help all that much. Apparently, the Atkinson cycle works well in the Toyota Prius, where it saves gas, but not in this truck. Its because of its lack of power, and more importantly, snow accelerator response, that Im returning my 2016 Toyota Tacoma.

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  Falling apart - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By Timothy - January 29 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car in August of 2001. Already, this car has been plagued with problems. Ive had to replace a CV boot, the leather stitching is coming undone, it thumps around turns, the interior rips or snaps while installing aftermarket speakers, the paint peels off on the hubs, and burns oil like the taliban to the American flag. I will have to sell it soon, because it fails emissions.

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  HIghly disappointed. - 2009 Toyota Tacoma
  By steve3003 - January 22 - 11:46 pm

  I WAS excited about my new truck. Then the following things happened, in no particular order: I realized JUST HOW SHORT the bed was. My Transmission slipped-- repeatedly. My radio turned off... and on... and off... I learned that the 4.0 V-6 power is a lightweight, and tediously boring to drive. (Even when the transmission does what its supposed to. I learned that a slow, boring engine can STILL only get 18 MPG. I learned that there actually are $30,000.00 vehicles today without intermittent wipers. I learned that there actually are $30,000.00 vehicles today without remote entry. I learned that I should have kept my Dakota. Toyota-- you can do better.

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  Big Disappointment - 2002 Toyota Sequoia
  By jwwatl - January 19 - 12:00 pm

  After having a Ford Expedition, I would only buy a Toyota. This vehicle vibrates terribly. You will also lose your children if you open one of the rear windows while your driving. They will get sucked out the back and youll break your ear drums. This is a definite design flaw. Toyota is aware of this and is working on a redesign of the aero dynamics. I have heard that a bug guard and the rear spoiler help but Im getting rid of mine as soon as I can.

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  oil burning Rav 4 - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By rav88 - January 11 - 8:43 am

  the first Rav 4 I had (2006) was a "lemon" as whenever it rained the car flooded. So Toyota did replace the car after I got a lemon law attorney. This 2007 is guzzling oil and the representative I just spoke with me told me 1 quart for every 1000 miles is normal. WHO ARE THEY KIDDING? And the car has had maybe 6 recalls. Toyota deserves to be out of business.