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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  So Far So Good - 2012 Toyota Tundra
  By thebigv21 - April 6 - 1:18 pm

  Truck now has 11K miles. Had first synthetic oil change at 10K. Averaging 15.2 mpg in combined driving. Truck runs great and has similar MPG as tacomas I have owned in the past. The horsepower and torque on this truck is something else. I see negative reviews on here and I cant understand why. The performance is what impresses me the most. I am 64" and have plenty of room. Kids can sit in the back without any problem whatsoever. This is a real truck, not meant for anyone who wants a car..

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  03 Corolla LE disappointment - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By bbarbarajt - April 6 - 10:00 am

  I know this car is well built but I am a little disappointed. Choice of hp would of been nice; I thought 130hp was enough but I wish I had more. I think the braking needs improvement; after getting the car home I noticed it has drum brakes in the rear ABS in the front. Rear disc brakes would be alot better. I still dont see the rear heat ducts.Maybe in time I will get use to it; if not I know I will still go for another Toyota (known for quality) like a Celica or a Camry.

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  2005 Avalon-Transmission Problems - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By camadden - April 6 - 8:56 am

  I bought a new 2005 Avalon last year (my first experience buying a Toyota) because I had heard such wonderful things about it and the Camry. Boy, am I disappointed ! The transmission is horrible. It "bucks" when accelerating from a stop or slow driving. I was told that it needs to "learn" how to behave from the driver. During one service appointment, they "untaught" it to see what would happen. No change. My kids get car sick, its so bad. The dealer told me to keep checking with them for a "fix". If there is no "fix" soon, I plan to get rid of it while its still under warranty so it will have a good selling point.

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  Acceleration still not fixed - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By Lois - April 6 - 5:26 am

  This is my 3rd Camry since 1993. Stuck with the Camry since Ive always had good luck. Heard the 2007 had problems with acceleration, but figured they had fixed that on the 2008. Having same problem with 2008 as people did with 2007. Problem is still not fixed and I want to slap myself for not test driving my new car. Once you get on the highway, it rides beautiful, but my ride to work is all stop and go.

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  Supercharged this thing rocks! - 2002 Toyota 4Runner
  By Speedy - April 5 - 6:40 pm

  I traded a 2002 Xterra which was junk for this 2002 4Runner. I test drove the then new 2003 4Runner but felt it too big and heavy. Ive not had a single problem with this 4Runner, its built tight, drives great, is quiet, roomy, and wonderful on road trips. I decided it needed more power so I installed a TRD supercharger and some other goodies which really woke it up. Ive dyno tested this 4Runner at 240RWHP. Thats Mustang GT territory and the 4Runner weighs nearly the same. Im thrilled Toyota offers these types of upgrade options. Its an entirely new animal.

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  After 5 Years - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Mark - April 4 - 3:16 am

  Owned this van for exactly 5 years and just received one big repair bill. After only 42K miles needed to replace the front control arms at considerable expense. Also needed to replace the rear brakes and rotors, and the tires. When asked why they needed replacement so soon, was told the van is very heavy. Otherwise, have been very happy with this van. Very comfortable on road trips. A bit disappointed in the number of recalls; gas tank, radiator, power steering hoses, and 2 other minor items.

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  Cowl shake - 2006 Toyota Camry Solara
  By bluewater bill - April 3 - 6:50 am

  We have 2500 miles on our convertible. It is a very nice and well behaved car. Our major compaint is cowl shake. Going over a bump makes the whole car shake. I have reviewed other reviews and have not found this to be a current problem but got mention back as late as 2004, but I thought this was thing of the past.

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  luv my rav - 2005 Toyota RAV4
  By M F - April 2 - 12:30 pm

  I waited a while to switch to an SUV and as soon as I saw the RAV I knew it was the one. I am a loyal Toyota driver but did try other SUVs for comparison and I made a beeline back to the RAV. Toyota also offers very very good customer care. They are real people friendly. My first car was a Toyota Corolla SR5 in 1987 and I am sure my last car will be a Toyota.

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  Park Your Prius - 2001 Toyota Prius
  By peg dietz - April 2 - 10:00 am

  A great city car. Extremely quiet. Incredibly easy to park with its short length and tight turning radius. Also fine on the highway.

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  Fantastic car that has withstood the ultimate test - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Jerry O. - April 2 - 7:32 am

  For the first half of this cars life it lived in the frigid , salt covered wastelands of Western New York... For the second half of its life thus far, it has been broiled by the punishing sun and aid sea salt of Florida. The car hasnt skipped a beat thus far! Major repairs have been as follows: The air conditioning compressor died at 84000 miles. At 155,000 miles it got all new struts and springs. New brakes x 3 thus far. At 111,000 miles the right rear door rotted through on the part adjacent to the window - the central pillar; the same has now occurred on the drivers rear side. Ill chalk thus up to the lovely Buffalo winters though Ive heard that cars routinely exposed to road salt have this as a fail point. In both cases a door from a junk yard with matching paint from a rust free area was found and no one can tell that its not the original except me - because I know.... The headlight covers require periodic maintenance with rubbing compound to keep them clear 2 x per month. Annoying but cheaper than replacing. Other than that maintenance and tires only. For the first 8 years I meticulously changed the oil every 3000 miles. After that I switched to Mobil 1 synthetic and now change it at 5000 mile intervals. I hope to get 300,000+ miles before it gets put out to pasture.