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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  Never buy another Toyota - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Jay2005 - September 22 - 10:00 am

  This car sucks, Gives me trouble from day one. I would have rather prefered an american car with lots of incentives.

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  A Step Back in Quality - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By genesis1 - September 17 - 2:06 pm

  I previously owned the 2014 Tacoma SR5 Access Cab- a great truck that unfortunately was totaled in a recent wreck when an unlicensed driver pulled in front of me . So off to the dealer I go to replace the 2014 with the new "improved" 2016 model. On the outside, the 2016 model has become sleeker, sportier and more stylish looking- more plastic where there used to be metal- but still with the new curves and grooves built into the body its sure to impress younger drivers. Also on the positive side Toyota finally got rid of aerial antenna thing (always a problem for car washes and tree branches) and put the antenna on the cabin hood where it belongs. What is most disappointing about Toyota however is the obvious attempt to "go cheap" on the newer models by greatly diminishing the quality of materials on the interior of this vehicle. In particular, the seats on the 2016 model are hard and uncomfortable, whereas the 2014 model had great seats. The glovebox- now really more of a glove "cubbyhole" has been greatly reduced in size and you can barely fit anything more than a couple of maps and sunglasses inside of it now. Adding the divider shelves was poorly thought of idea Toyota. Theyve eliminated the easy to use lever that used to control the side mirrors and replaced it with a flimsy piece of plastic knob thing that will surely break off when used too hastily by big handed people- much harder to adjust your side mirrors now. On the outside the factory tires are now cheap looking Hankook tires that look more like passenger car tires than truck tires- a step down from the factory tires on the 2014 model. While the V6 engine seems to have plenty of pep, the transmission in the automatic models seems to be slightly jerky and does not have smooth feel to it. Some owners have claimed to be getting mid to upper 20s in the MPG category but so far Im only getting 20 mpg on mostly highway driving at 60 mph average. I really hope this gets better but dont expect much. I give this truck three stars instead of 2 because of the expected and known reliability of the engine and the lifetime powertrain warranty that most dealers now provide. Its just sad that Toyota has decided to go cheap on these trucks- while raising their prices considerably- in an obvious effort to boost profits.

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  Not a bad deal for the money - 2001 Toyota Camry Solara
  By arjun metha - September 15 - 9:26 pm

  I bought this car with 70,000 miles. It runs good, but did have some problems here and there. I believe the brakes could be better on the car. I have gotten the brakes done by the dealership, and still dont feel a major difference. Other than that the car is not bad overall. One more thing, I believe the headlights could be better on the car.

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  What happened to Toyota - 2001 Toyota Sequoia
  By smyroad - September 14 - 3:50 am

  Five years of ownership, 100,000+ miles. Front suspension broke with no warning (not a recall). VSC randomly malfunctions. Rear door handle snapped off. Interior plastic pieces pop off like popcorn. Rear cargo compartment door won’t stay closed. Radio/CD Player sounds like a close-n-play. Emergency brake that requires adjustment every 1,000 miles. Brakes squeal when backing up – Service Department calls it Normal. Constant steering input required to keep it straight ahead – even on calm days. At a stop the transmission kicks forward. Feels like someone bumped the rear. Alarm sounds 50% of the time when unlocking the doors. To many to list here.

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  Great! Until 100K... - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By mocondo - September 13 - 4:46 am

  I have been a big fan of this car since I bought it new seven years ago. I bought the 5-speed manual base line model. And for the first 100K, the only thing I had to replace were the usual things - tires, battery, brake pads, clutch (in that order). In fact, the clutch didnt start to go until I cleared 110K, and I do a lot of city driving. But. In the last six months, the car has just started falling apart. First the clutch, then the parking brake (twice), the struts, the suspension system, the air conditioner is leaking... Ive put more money into this car in the last three months than I did the whole rest of the time Ive owned it.

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  OK except wierd brake placement - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By Robert Weiner - September 13 - 3:56 am

  traded in an old SUV and got clunker discount on a new Corolla. Main problem with the Corolla is brake pedal engages way down near the floor where the accelerator pedal is. Easy to hit accelerator when trying to brake. Why does Toyota for 2009 decide to situate non-adjustable break point so low? Electronic steering becomes annoying after a while too. No real road feel as in a normal hydraulic steering system.

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  Gas Mileage Not as said in the Sticker! - 2013 Toyota Camry
  By david555 - September 10 - 10:14 am

  Cheap looking "stick on" middle dashboard: (Where the radio/gps and the cd area), The upper deck interior/roof looks cheap and noise(hollow inside) and built from a cheap material (Compare to my Japanese built in 2003 4runner..which solid and looks classy). Interior/Door sides again looks cheap, Back mid-console box looks cheap and no ventilation goes out to the rear passengers. Overall texture of the interior looks down graded to all of my Toyota that I have owned in the past! Disappointed! GAS MILEAGE: Not as what it said in the sticker (25/35..combined 28mpg)..So far only 22.4MPG!!

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  Headlights are a disaster - 2015 Toyota Corolla
  By Annie - September 10 - 6:52 am

  I always thought that the Corolla was the best for reliability. It probably still is. Safety, on the other hand is now questionable. Problem is, where I live we have hills and a lot of deer. Who ever designed the headlights for this car did NOT do their homework. On low beam, which is led, the headlight lens has a sort of a black plastic "eyelid" over the top of the lens, so that when you go down a hill, the lens cuts off your sight lines to only about 50 feet ahead. It is so disconcerting that beyond that 50 feet, it is absolute blackness. It is like a solid black curtain that drops down. There is no way to see if anyone or anything is approaching from the ditch onto the highway. You absolutely have no idea whats ahead, its like driving blindly. When you put the headlights on bright, a halogen lens will kick in and you will have a little better sight line which gradually fade away. If I had test driven this car at night, there is absolutely no way that I would have ever bought this car, and the previous Corolla that we had was one of our favorites, that along with the Camry that we had. These headlights should be recalled. They are dangerous.

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  Big Disappointment - 2009 Toyota Matrix
  By camrykiller - September 7 - 3:34 pm

  I bought this car because it looked cool, and I always had Toyotas. I thought it would be fun to drive, and good on gas. Wrong. The car is ridiculously boring to drive. At 49,000 miles, the paint is peeling off the hood and front bumper...should be rusting soon. This car has the worst blind spot in auto history with the ridiculous pillar thing in the back rear. The interior is cheap, and it drives like a tonka toy car. Although the car will probably run forever, I would not buy this car again. I traded it in at 49,000 miles for a 2007 Honda Accord. Let me tell you....There is no comparison! The Toyota Matrix is so boring to drive and is a waste of money unless you just want A to B

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  Slightly disappointed - 2000 Toyota Corolla
  By jds2805 - September 5 - 2:22 pm

  Perhaps I got a dud but I was disappointed. I kept up all maintanence. But at 194k miles the transmission went out, shocks went out, gasket blew and alternator died. 194k miles for a Toyota is to soon for transmission and engine problems. Especially since the early 90s models are going 250k+ miles with no problems. It did get great gas mileage and maintanence was cheap. Id still take Toyota over Ford or Dodge any day.