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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  Holy Moly: Headlights! - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By M. Gomez - June 4 - 7:56 pm

  I have an 05 Avalon that I bought (traded in my 01 Avy) and Im less than thrilled. The thing has had some some problems that the dealer cant seem to fix: groans, engine hesitation, rattles. My mileage is much worse than my old Avalon. I like the new power but, come on, Im 58 years old! I dont race. I wish you could get a smaller more efficient motor. But heres the big bummer. I hit a deer one morning two weeks ago. I have the HID lights. One headlight was broken. The headlight cost close to $1,000!!!! My insurance company picked up half the tab (I have a 500 deductable) but oh my, I dont look forward to replacing these lights in the future when they burn out -- or I hit another deer.

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  Dissapointment City - 2003 Toyota Tundra
  By kahnman - May 27 - 10:00 am

  This is a truck that is for people who are really not serious about trucks. It is not a full size turck but is more of the size of a Dodge Dakota. It is hard on gas, cramped and a poor imitation of the trucks that it tries to imitate.

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  Not particularly impressed - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By phxbuck - May 26 - 7:23 am

  Ill give you the fact that the vehicle gets great gas mileage, but the savings in gas is offset by the cost to maintain. $500 to replace a headlight, $50 to replace a tail light, cost of replacement tires because the manufacturer puts an odd size on the car, $60 for a cabin air filter, and the list goes on.... Trendy car that needs a bit more disclosure as to what it really is - a really poorly designed car is easy on gas but hard on the wallet in other ways.

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  Poor gas mileage - 2012 Toyota RAV4
  By asamford - May 24 - 5:28 am

  Bought this 2012 Rav4 in october. I really regret the choice. should have tried to rent one first. Firstly this is totatlly a girls car. Not a real suv because it only holds 5 people and theres not much room for luggage inside. Gas Mileage sucks. Car downshifts/4000rpm on some overpasses and ALL small hills at 70-80 mph. Wind blows it all over the road. Steering is too tight and erratic. ride is rough and transmission shifts funny like it cant decide which gear to stay in at certain speeds. Cheap radio speakers, sounds really cheap. No room for mens legs knees hit on both sides while driving. Hate it, but thank God its my wifes car.

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  Cheap interior - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By Alberto - May 13 - 3:10 pm

  This truck has a very cheap interior. The seats are very uncomfortable and the seating position if poor. I,m dissatisfied with this truck, and very disappointed after all the hype and good things I,ve heard about this truck before I bought it. I am definately going to sell it or trade for a truck with a better interior and more comfort. I am not impressed with the gas mileage either, with 19-20 miles per gallon around town.

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  Problems with 4 Runners/Toyotas - 1994 Toyota 4Runner
  By Marion Saffell - May 13 - 10:00 am

  This is my 2nd, & my last Toyota! The 1st, we had to sell at at loss with 96000 mi.,with a cracked head. 2 years later, they had a recall on that model for that. This one has fumes in the cockpit; made me very sick going to our cabin twice, before I figured it out! Dealer says fuel injectors going out, over $400 per, (after they get inside, dont know how many, however, they may continue to go out). Also, clutch going out, our 2nd or 3rd on this car! Have had many gear problems! Not going to spend that much to repair. We just spent $1611 on a tuneup. Are there any recalls on these problems?

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  Should have gotten a Camry! - 2011 Toyota Corolla
  By milans - April 28 - 8:31 pm

  Ive driven my 2011 Corolla for 18k/mi and wish I would have been less concerned about MPG than comfort. The car feels a bit underpowered. It also needed a front tire replacement almost immediately because it was defective (two dealer visits). MPG is good but Im not sure that the gas savings are worth the back pain. Im glad I didnt get rid of my 2004 Sienna because I absolutely cannot drive the Corolla all the time. Should have gotten a Camry instead which has more comfortable seats and fits a taller person better (Im over 6).

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  ok but there are better choices - 2015 Toyota Tundra
  By Daniel Graber - April 25 - 6:41 pm

  I think its the worst looking of all the full size trucks and the redesign is a even another step backwards, but I thought it would be better in quality & feel than the others brands because of the Toyota name plate. It has great power! Transmission seems to have the right shift points, The heat & air controls are cheap feeling. The steering requires constant corrections going down the highway and fuel mileage is terrible!

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  Good Mileage - not much else unfortunately - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By jring123 - April 20 - 5:44 am

  Had this as a rental for 2 weeks - looked like [violative content deleted] outside (scratched, chipped and dented all around) and inside (seat fabric worn, plastic color rubbed off everywhere) after a year - albeit with 30k miles. Even if one reckons in careless handling it did look worse than any other rental I had - including a lot older ones. Performance was ok but not more - I guess Im spoiled by my saab turbo... Steering was unremarkable, what was a bit strange was the whole Traction Control, Anti-Skid Brake and Cruise Control unit - see below. Seats and Interior were very uncomfortable for my 62" - seats dont go back far enough for sufficient legroom and hard plastic on door and dash hurts legs.

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  Brakes are TERRIBLE - 2006 Toyota Tundra
  By Used 2 Love Toyota - April 17 - 4:36 pm

  Bought it new, and it ran like a dream. Then at about 20-25K miles, the brakes started going bad. On slippery roads, whenever I stepped on the brake pedal, itd seize up and the truck would take forever to stop. Brought it to the dealer, who said the brakes are perfect. Dealt with it for another 40K miles (yes, I shouldve gotten rid of it). Its at the point that when theres even the slightest bit of rain or snow on the road, the whole truck shakes violently when I try to brake. Tried pressing my entire weight on the brake, and the truck slowly comes to a stop. Ive almost gotten killed twice. Google it. Youll see. Total nightmare. Dealer says its "normal for this model".