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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  Transmission - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By delbar - December 30 - 3:12 pm

  the worst car I have ever driven and I owned an 05 for 6 years. The transmission "jerks" the brakes bind the engine whines and overall the performance is terrible. Toyota claims there is nothing wrong with it but I say the 6 speed transmission is very bad.

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  Worst car I ever owned - 2004 Toyota Avalon
  By Juwel - December 23 - 3:13 pm

  Bought the vehicle new at the end of 2004-after a half year shaking and unsmooth operation of the steering. Dealer found no problems. Several alignments and different sets of tires showed some improvement, but still not what you expect from a top of the line Toyota. From approx. 20k on rattling and noises from different interior parts... Now after approximately 50k the crank shaft pulleys broke (another $2k was quoted to fix this issue). In short: I bought this car since I had such positive experience with my 1990 Toyota Pick-up (now over 260k miles) and almost no repairs. However my Avalon is from a different breed: Lots of expensive repairs combined with a minimum of enjoyment.

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  If you enjoy burning money, flushing it down the toilet or lighting cigars with $100 bills, this is the car for you! Or, Ive never been this dissatisfied with an 11 month old car. - 2015 Toyota Sienna
  By wtftoyota - December 22 - 3:44 am

  Ok, I was a bit torn purchasing this vehicle. I am a lifelong car guy and having a wife that wanted nothing other than a minivan, this was something my Yang just had to yield to its far superior Ying. Also mommy needs AWD, this is the only AWD minivan currently in production, so its not like I had the choice of another Odyssey or anything else for that matter. I will simply leave you with this; you have been warned. This bunch of buffoons at Toyota will not stand behind their products, no matter how aggressively you ask or pursue it, not if you push it up the chain at corporate or mention your uncle the pope. I am not sure there is enough room here to express my disdain for Toyota.

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  2000 Toyota Tundra - 2000 Toyota Tundra
  By hovisimo - December 20 - 2:00 am

  This truck has been a disappointment. Toyota quality is all but absent. Granted it is the first model year, but it has far too many shortcomings. Overall quality is poor. The interior has squeaked and rattled since it was new. The suspension squeaks, chirps, and rattles. Teeth break off the spider gears in the rear end. Axle seals blow for no apparent reason. The transmission shifts hard into 3rd gear. Fuel milage and crusing range is unimpressive, After 4 years, toyota has still not solved the brake problem. The 4wd system is failure-prone. I cannot recommend this truck.

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  RAV4 Review - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By Aja Raye - December 19 - 8:13 am

  The most uncomfortable vehicle Ive ever owned. Seats are very hard. Road noise is so high the music must be loud and passengers cannot talk on cells phones when driving on the highway. Wind in the cab also makes it impossible to cruise with the windows down. One feature I like is the braking system. Very nice.

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  Toyota Quality???????? - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Last Toyota - December 19 - 7:00 am

  I bought this car to replace my Dodge. I liked the styling for a mainstream car, much better than that of the Ford 500 which I was also considering. Unfortunately, the like for this vehicle stopped there. I choose the four cylinder for fuel savings, but I have been dissapointed. Engine is very slow and it is an advanture merging on the freeway- no power for passing. I am avaraging about 18 MPG. Fit and finish are horrible, The molding around the console has popped out, and has some issues with the power windows and locks. Paint (black) looks like it was painted on with a roller especually under the lights. Seats are very uncomforatable and are showing wear after 15,000 miles.

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  ouch - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By john - December 18 - 8:29 pm

  leased this 2016 toyota tacoma v6, 4 door back in march , toyota had a great affordable deal on this model that the average working man could afford for a toyota truck.first things first the exterior paint is horrible scratches with the slighest touch, first noticed it when i was cleaning a little bird poop off the hood with water and a soft cloth i couldnt believe my eyes there where i just cleaned now had a circular scratch, i cleaned it again and nothing still there . as i looked closer around vehicle there were many similar scratches, when i picked up vehicle they must hide the scratches when they detail it, but when you do your first wash low and behold they reappear.brought it back to dealer they were very good about this situation and detailed it again, so far so good.now the biggest con for this vehicle is the transmission it shifts constantly for what reason i have no idea, after it goes through all the speed shifts its fine then the slighest acceleration it shifts , and shifts ,and shifts and the road isnt even in any kind of incline, i have a 2015 rav 4 that my wife uses with a 4 cyl that rides smooth shifts only when it should, and performs better then my tacoma, i asked her if we could switch vehicles she laughed and said you wanted that truck now live with it. bottom line i do not recommend the tacoma to any one,look into another truck you"ll be glad you did, and for me im stuck with it until the lease is up and when i do return it i feel sorry for the poor sap who purchases it.

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  FACTORY FLAW - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By pamperedprince - December 9 - 10:00 am

  This car and many like it suffer from a left drift problem (car steers left) that remains after numerous dealership visits. With front end alignments, applying TSB adjustments, and then replacing front struts (not in the TSB) this nagging problem persists. POOR!

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  2008 Highlander Sport Disappointment - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By SS Bee - December 7 - 10:56 pm

  First 2001 Highlander was superior to my 2008. Poor visibility. Seat is so uncomfortable hate to drive for any length of time. 2008 does not handle as well as prior model. No traction in the snow. Mine is an AWD 6 cyl. Interior parts fall off. Very disappointed with 2008 Highlander.

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  2017 Camry is a bad ride - 2017 Toyota Camry
  By Jane - December 6 - 7:10 am

  I thought Toyota was supposed make cars that were good quality and reliable. It seems that may have bee true years ago but not anymore. I have had problems with the temperature control where you have to set it to 77F in order to get the temperature to be in the low 70s in the car. If you set it at 72F, the temperature ends up in the mid- to upper 60s in the car. I also have a vibration that has developed and, in researching the problem, I found that this is a common problem on the 2015 - 2017 Toyota Camry, all trims. I have been fighting with Toyota about this and they said that the car is fine. I read other people tales of dealing with Toyota on the same issue and they received the same response. They have tried replacing the tires, rebalancing, etc. and nothing fixes the problem. Toyota is refusing to deal with the problem. Do yourself a favor and stay away from the Camry unless you like driving a car that vibrates all of the time.