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:

• 

  Toyota is a joke - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By TomandCarole - March 2 - 10:00 am

  bought new in 12/03, took on trip over 1000 miles to ky and back to va. I was never more happy to get out of the worst seats, I have ever been in, in a car/suv. I always thought Toyota was a great car but now know better, seats are too small and hard as a rock, no support to the side and the lumbar is worthless. The metal in this car is very thin and sounds like a tin can when you hit a bump in the road. I will be happy when we can unload this car on someone that is in love with so called Toyota quality and resale value.

• 

  2007 Toyota Avalon Limited - 2007 Toyota Avalon
  By bojacm - February 5 - 4:26 pm

  This vehicle rides nice on a smooth road, however on a rough road with ruts, it follows the ruts and somewhere there is a rattle that is intermittent. If the wind is blowing, it wants to blow off the road with the wind. Sometimes I feel like a bobble head doll. The headliner is not flush with the back window and they have tried to fix it twice but now say it is in tolorance of their complaints. Paint is so soft, you cannot wash it without spider web scratches. Window wipers are so flimsy they leave streaks on the window right in the sight range and it is very distracting. Service rep said to use Rain X to have clean windshield.

• 

  Toyota Corp. refuses service - 2001 Toyota Tundra
  By Slpless - January 29 - 2:00 am

  My Tundra will not stop squeaking and popping. I have been to the dealer 4 times and all they will do is lube the leaf springs. Finally on the 4th visit they tell me they are not going to fix the problem because Toyota will not reimburse them for repairs. The 1st Tech that came out told me that itÂ’s a common problem and that I need new leaf springs. The Service Mgr. then came out and said that Toyota is aware of the problem but will not do anything about it because not enough people have complained. Their fix for this problem is to bring it in and let them lube the springs every time the squeaking exists. As soon as I drive off of the lot it starts again.

• 

  I hate this car! - 2017 Toyota Corolla
  By janie - January 26 - 8:07 am

  I have been a Toyota fan since I bought my first one in the 1960s, I havent owned any other brand and I was never disappointed until 2016. I was extremely happy with my 2004 and never would have given it up(it only had 48,000 mi.) if it wasnt totaled by another driver. At low speeds(30mph) the car hesitates as if I am continually touching the brake. At highway speed (60mph) the car does not hold the road and drifts, so I am constantly steering to hold the car steady. At my six month checkup they told me the car was performing normally and this was backed up by a case manager at Toyota headquarters. I have the temperature set at 66 degrees, but the air always seems too hot or too cold. I am short and I find the visibility poor. I am also over 65 so I am not a fan of having to program everything,but thats my problem, not the cars. Well, thats enough complaining for now.

• 

  Not what I expected - 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By John - January 26 - 7:33 am

  I was disappointed by the fuel economy of the car. This was the major reason I bought it. Fuel economy was 19/20 mpg and I was not driving in an aggressive manner. Build quality was rather poor for price. A lot of features were missing, eg there was no indication on the remaining miles in the fuel tank. Stereo system was of poor quality and sound. It felt wobbly and shaky when I drove it on the highway and did not feel very safe. The center of gravity should be a bit lower. One positive aspect was that there is plenty of room inside for two adults, two kids and baggage.

• 

  GAS GUZZLER - 2014 Toyota Corolla
  By carlove3 - January 15 - 4:04 pm

  Someone told a big lie about the gas mileage on this car - it is terrible. I had a 91 volvo and was paying the exact amount for gas without the car payment. If gas mileage is a concern... go with a hybrid... this is absolutely not your car

• 

  Vibration, bad brakes, cracked manifolds - 2000 Toyota Tundra
  By Redbeard - January 13 - 10:00 am

  I have 47,000 miles on the truck. It has had two front brake jobs, two cracked exhaust manifolds ($1800.00!), it vibrates at highway speeds, the paint is poor quality. I would strongly recommend a different truck. I cant wait to get rid of this one.

• 

  "We are not going to help you with the problem!" - 2014 Toyota Camry
  By don - January 9 - 10:33 am

  Both dealer and Toyota Customer Service said that above to me personally face to face and corp. by phone. Driver seat bottom collapsing on left edge. Painful to drive after 400 miles of sitting. I had to buy a new seat for $178 from dealer who installed it. No more seat problems. I had planned to buy 4 more for my kids coming out of college but bought or leased Nissan Rogues, Mazda 3 and gave Camry to my son and took his Caddy. I cannot recommend Toyota to any one. Dealer told me to get a lawyer and he could not wave a magic wand and makee Toyota do something they will not do for a customer. Cost him $80,000 in new sales and Toyota is now 3rd not first anymore. don

• 

  Prius - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By P F Hamilton - January 8 - 8:53 am

  This car is not all it claims to be. I am very disappointed with the mileage I have achieved, thus far. The main reason I bought the car was for its above excellent gas mileage.

• 

  Not So Hot - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By CJ - January 5 - 7:43 am

  This vehicle handles dangerously on the highway. Toyota chose to equip this vehicle with Goodyear Integrity tires, which arguably are some of the worst passenger car tires ever made. Torque steer is way out of line for such a small car. The Corolla gets blown all over the highway in strong winds, and is difficult to control. Persistent problems abound with the fuel system in the Corolla. Including no start conditions after the car sits 30 minutes. Impossible to make factory stereo iPod ready. Cheap, paper cone speakers produce horrid sound. This car simply fails to do anything well.