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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  Why not get a TDI? - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By Jason123 - March 16 - 2:00 am

  I was not been impressed with the Prius. It actually pales in comparison to the Volkdwagen Jetta TDI. The Prius has no power and its MPG is overrated. It gets on the highway about 43 mpg. I traded my Prius for the diesel Volkswagen Jetta and have been amazed by the TDIs power and handling. It also gave me 43 mpg. Another plus was the TDI had no waiting list and was under $20,000. Toyota dealers have taken advantage of the purchaser and mark the car up. My Prius was marked up $1000 over the MSRP. I got my TDI for delaer invoice. Same MPG but the TDI has better handling and power.

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  Exterior looks great but lacking basic features - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By kane - March 14 - 2:13 am

  I was really excited for the redesigned Tacoma as i was in the market for looking for a new car and it came out at the right time. However once i test drove the truck, i was disappointed in some of the basic features that were missing for such a high price tag. First is the ability to adjust the height of the driver seat. I felt the seats were too low and with the hood of the TRD sport blocked me from having a better view of the road. The truck doesnt have these items as standard features: Automatic headlights, HomeLink, Bi-Xenon lights, although i think you can add those for additional cost. The new hard tri-fold cover was a nice feature. The engine was pretty loud and felt much slower than the 2011 version i have drove.

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  not recommended - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By Philo - March 6 - 10:00 am

  Numerous problems: gas tank needed replacement, tires last short time, transmission died.

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  Toyota, not that great - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By eR1c - February 26 - 4:03 pm

  Our Toyota Camry SE (4cylinder) has 85,000 miles on it currently. Heres what Ive had to replace over the past 5 years of ownership: 1) air conditioning condensation liquid leaked into interior cabin of car -about a 1/4 gallon of water leaked after each drive resulting in damaged carpets and sound deadening material. 2) Original tires wore out in 6,000 miles!!!! 3) Rear wheel bearings replaced 2x. 4) Reset engine light ($90) because gas cap was left off car one time after fill up.

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  Rear End Noise - 2012 Toyota Prius v
  By rhagedorn - February 25 - 5:34 pm

  Overall I am satisified with the car. My gas mileage, having driven 10,320, is 44.2mpg which is GREAT. The rear storage is more than adequate for a small car. Handles and ride just fine. Our BIGGEST problem we are having, with no fix available at this time, is an increasing high pitch noice coming from rear. The noise has been increasing in loudness and duration as we add mileage. It now is occurring at times when applying breaks. It is more noticeable when it is damp, but has at times made it when dry. I have had it back to dealer 3 times and this last time was informed Toyato is aware but does not have a fix. So if you are considering proceed with cation! Frustrating for sure!

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  Decent enough car, really slow. - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By Alex - February 22 - 8:30 pm

  This was my commuter that I bought a few months ago. On the good side I average about 34 MPG with around 70/30 city/highway. Another plus is the design, cute and well made. Unfortunately, the car has quite a few downs... such as the acceleration. It truly feels economy car like. If you really want any type of hustle from this car, you need to darn near floor it. It is also not that great to drive. The small thin wheels and comfort tuned cheap suspension dont make for very exciting backroads adventures. It is decently comfortable for front passengers and has a reasonable amount of space in back. But that driving position is just weird. Bottom line, it makes a good commuter/city car thats it.

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  Poor front bumper and light structure - 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By sunny12 - February 22 - 4:02 am

  Poor front bumper and light structure. Just made scratch the garage door, the bumper and absorber falled down, both left and right lights have to be replaced.

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  2004 Sienna LE AWD - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By RAMFJ62 - February 19 - 4:20 pm

  Ive owned several Toyota vehicles and never had the troubles encountered with this vehicle. My primary complaint is that the AWD van came with Dunlop run flat tires. These wore out at about 11,000 miles. Toyota replaced the first set due to all the complaints with the premature tire wear wearing. The transmission has a mind of its own. It hesitates at times (usually between 5-10 mph). Its been reprogrammed by the dealer one time thus far. Drivers side wind noise is problematic. We average about 17 mpg.

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  Nice features, bad transmission setup - 2009 Toyota Tacoma
  By FFT - February 18 - 2:13 am

  I recently bought a 2009 PreRunner double cab and the interior is very nice although I share the grip about the leg clearance under the steering wheel. I have to push the wheel all the way up and out and sorta wiggle my way in. The interior is nice otherwise. The transmission setup on this truck however is anything but nice and the brakes are too weak. The transmission hunts under 45 mph and the always on engine braking in "D" is VERY annoying. You cant roll down smooth. Also, the upshift to second is hard and the entire downshift from 5 (which the tranny races to get to) is hard in every gear. My 97 T100 was weak on power, but it was 10 times smoother mechanically. Unfortunate.

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  Close but not cigar - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By cheapdeep - February 15 - 2:53 pm

  I really wanted to like the Prius but ended up trading it in about a month after buying it. It drives like a golf cart but Im ok with that. What really bothered me were some missing features and the ergonomics. This is a bit of an exaggeration but it felt like I had to press 3 buttons to change the radio. While the touch screen is cool and futurisic, nothing beats a button for functionality. Nothing on this car was intuitive. I constantly felt like I was doing a science experiment. And the transition between the electic motor and gas was not smooth.