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:

• 

  Not too bad but could be better - 2002 Toyota Camry Solara
  By chin 2 - January 9 - 2:16 pm

  Our 1st convertible & although the top down is nice I am very disappointed with the mpg which is 19 not the 22-23I was hoping for. The leather is hard and the kids need to sit on pillows because of that. It has a squeak thats annoying when driving at low speeds. and the paint quality isnt great for a white pearl color. It is peppy and the radio/cd is nice. We had it for 3 months now and only got a valet key with it and now the dealer has to replace the ecm to have new master keys programmed and made. The ecm is free, keys arent. Overall for 7300 price its an ok deal. I just wish I got better mpg, also it does have an occasional puff of smoke on start ups, aka valve seals worn, fun car though.

• 

  Dependable Tonka - 1996 Toyota Tacoma
  By Thai - January 8 - 9:46 pm

  I have had this truck for a few years. The only major maintenance was the starter. I have started to take it from LA to San Francisco. Tight fit on the inside. I agree I feel the bumps in the road. Mine is automatic and it is starting to feel rough in fourth gear.

• 

  2004 matrix!best money ever spent! - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By pj - January 8 - 2:34 pm

  owned a 2004 Toyota matrix hatch used,had roughly 60k on it,zero problems!Honestly car saved our(wife,and myself)lives. We were struck during construction while stopped by a semi traveling 73MPH.killed both dogs and father in law,broke 3 ribs of my wife(driver) and gave myself a severe brain injury. But 6+ years later-im divorced,and healing wonderfully!Purchased a hylander hybrid last december.absolutely wonderful vehicle! I swear by toyota!never had any issues with the matrix-good car for good price!What vehicle wouldve made out when stopped when struck by a loaded tractor trailer?none that I know of

• 

  Still a great runner - 1998 Toyota 4Runner
  By RunnerUP - January 8 - 10:00 am

  This is our third one. Last two were 92 and 95. Good looking truck but is somehow missing the quality and content of earlier models. Interior carpet wore through, leather seats started to tear. We treat our cars great, but the 92 was immaculate even after ten years. Did Toyota think we wouldnt notice the drop in quality materials?? Motor is strong. Oil filter is in a stupid location (again!). Paint isnt holding up as well either...lots of hairline scratches. Seats are not nearly as comfortable as the old 92 model. Much smoother though on the highway. Love the rack/pinion steering, longer wheel base & smoother transmission.

• 

  Great truck! - 2003 Toyota 4Runner
  By Nick4597 - January 8 - 10:00 am

  17k miles and still ticking w/ only one problem to date (moonroof rattle). Otherwise a great truck, VERY SOLID, always feel like youre in 100% control. Corners and handles like a dream especially in bad weather or rough (off-road) terrain. This truck never stumbles. Best SUV ive ever driven, previous car was a cushy Durango SLT+ and my SR5 blows it out of the water. Seats are horribly uncomfortable and if youre over 62 like me, legs will be severly punished by these park-bench feeling seats. Get a seat cushion and all is kosher.

• 

  An excellent car! - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Curric - January 8 - 10:00 am

  Two previous cars were 97 Grand Prix and a 99 Chrysler 300m. Enjoyed both of them in spite of little glitches, but my 03 Camry LE (4 cyl., and now with 21000 mi. and 10 months ownership) is possibly the best-built car Ive ever owned - including the 89 V6 Camry I bought new, and which had a tendency to go through front tires, I think due to the added weight of the V6. In these 10 months of ownership have done nothing but routine maintenance, and never back to the dealership at all. Was esitant to buy the 4 cyl. but did on salesmans assurances and have not regretted. "Consumer Reports" mentions the Camrys outstanding 4, and they are right.

• 

  A Low Down Minivan - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Robert L. Turner - January 8 - 10:00 am

  The car is a quiet, safe, reliable, very comfortable vehicle,however, advertising it as having a "towing package" is disengenuous at best. The hitch is barely 8" above the pavement. With no trailer attached and four people aboard, the receiver contacted the pavement when exiting my garage and had to be removed. The worst part is that Toyota seems to be in denial. In answer to my questions about trailer towing, they send me copies of the owners manual. Not at all what I expected from a world class company! The car also downshifts on the slightest grade. The transmission is smooth, so it isnt too noticable, but for 230 horsepower?

• 

  Good vehicle, minor annoyances - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By D. ODell - January 8 - 12:00 am

  The RAV4 provides an elevated driving position, good and adaptable carrying capacity and a comfortable ride. Economy, so far, has been very good at 24 MPG in suburban driving, near 30 MPG on the highway.

• 

  90k Camry outperforms 2 previous luxury SUVs - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By John E - January 7 - 7:05 pm

  I am writing this because I am so pleased with my 2010 Camry XLE. From day I purchased it at 85k and continuing until now at 96k, this car has completely outperformed my previous 2 luxury SUVs, both of which had way lower miles and were several years newer. I am talking about a 2011 Infiniti EX with under 20k miles and a 2012 Cadillac SRX with under 40k miles. This older and higher mileage Camry is quieter, rides better, and just generally drives way better than either of those SUVs. Even more astounding, I am getting this better performance at 1/3 the price of the previous 2 vehicles. Better car for way less money. This Camry has all the options so it is as close to a Lexus as you can get. I did think a 2008 Lexus ES350 probably was even quieter and rode even better, but the Lexus was all beat up and had more miles on it and still cost more than the Camry. Only negatives on the Camry are that the steering has loosened up a bit and I have to correct it too often for my taste. Is still comfortable to drive but wish steering was tighter. Also, passenger seat has developed an obnoxious rattle but only does it sometimes, thankfully not all the time. The real issue is do I enjoy driving the car? Before, when I had the 2 aforementioned SUVs, I usually drove my wifes 2014 Kia Forte5 because it drove better than either of mine. Now, I never drive hers anymore if I can help it because my Camry is simply more comfortable--the ride is so much quieter and comfortable both in town and on the road than the Kia or my former SUVs. You can just sit back and relax and drive all day without getting tired or beat up. Love how simple the controls are in the Camry. Virtually no learning curve at all. Navigation screen is right where I like it in the center stack in the middle so both front occupants can see it and do things with it. Camry has been totally reliable with no repairs at all during my 11,000 miles of ownership. The gas mileage even though its a V6 is way better than either of the previous 2 SUVs and is nearly as good as the Kia Forte5. Gets 30ish on the highway and 25 around town which I think is astounding for a car of this size and power. With 18 gallon tank, have huge cruising range. Backup camera works well and so does navigation system which has real time traffic. The value equation is huge here--this is the kind of performance and quality I was hoping for from the 2 SUVs but didnt get and ended up now with better car for 1/3 the price. Will probably stay with Camry when feel need for new wheels. One more note--USB ports are recessed in center stack and a pain to find. Had to buy dedicated cord to leave in car because its so hard to find. That design feature could be improved. Also, wish that could adjust fan speed one notch slower than the slowest that it offers. Most cars offer a bigger range of fan speeds than this one, at least on low end--it simply needs a slower notch than the slowest one it has. Its like they skipped from 0 to 2 and left out 1. Not a big deal though and just a minor annoyance on occasion. Most of the time it doesnt really matter. Also, quality of JBL premium stereo system is awesome. Sound quality is amazing and it has room for 4 CDs in the dashboard, which is a big convenience. Also like that does not seem to get out of balance tires very often. Have only needed to balance once and theyre still balanced 6000 miles later.

• 

  90k Camry outperforms 2 previous luxury SUVs - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By John E - January 7 - 7:05 pm

  I am writing this because I am so pleased with my 2010 Camry XLE. From day I purchased it at 85k and continuing until now at 96k, this car has completely outperformed my previous 2 luxury SUVs, both of which had way lower miles and were several years newer. I am talking about a 2011 Infiniti EX with under 20k miles and a 2012 Cadillac SRX with under 40k miles. This older and higher mileage Camry is quieter, rides better, and just generally drives way better than either of those SUVs. Even more astounding, I am getting this better performance at 1/3 the price of the previous 2 vehicles. Better car for way less money. This Camry has all the options so it is as close to a Lexus as you can get. I did think a 2008 Lexus ES350 probably was even quieter and rode even better, but the Lexus was all beat up and had more miles on it and still cost more than the Camry. Only negatives on the Camry are that the steering has loosened up a bit and I have to correct it too often for my taste. Is still comfortable to drive but wish steering was tighter. Also, passenger seat has developed an obnoxious rattle but only does it sometimes, thankfully not all the time. The real issue is do I enjoy driving the car? Before, when I had the 2 aforementioned SUVs, I usually drove my wifes 2014 Kia Forte5 because it drove better than either of mine. Now, I never drive hers anymore if I can help it because my Camry is simply more comfortable--the ride is so much quieter and comfortable both in town and on the road than the Kia or my former SUVs. You can just sit back and relax and drive all day without getting tired or beat up. Love how simple the controls are in the Camry. Virtually no learning curve at all. Navigation screen is right where I like it in the center stack in the middle so both front occupants can see it and do things with it. Camry has been totally reliable with no repairs at all during my 11,000 miles of ownership. The gas mileage even though its a V6 is way better than either of the previous 2 SUVs and is nearly as good as the Kia Forte5. Gets 30ish on the highway and 25 around town which I think is astounding for a car of this size and power. With 18 gallon tank, have huge cruising range. Backup camera works well and so does navigation system which has real time traffic. The value equation is huge here--this is the kind of performance and quality I was hoping for from the 2 SUVs but didnt get and ended up now with better car for 1/3 the price. Will probably stay with Camry when feel need for new wheels. One more note--USB ports are recessed in center stack and a pain to find. Had to buy dedicated cord to leave in car because its so hard to find. That design feature could be improved. Also, wish that could adjust fan speed one notch slower than the slowest that it offers. Most cars offer a bigger range of fan speeds than this one, at least on low end--it simply needs a slower notch than the slowest one it has. Its like they skipped from 0 to 2 and left out 1. Not a big deal though and just a minor annoyance on occasion. Most of the time it doesnt really matter. Also, quality of JBL premium stereo system is awesome. Sound quality is amazing and it has room for 4 CDs in the dashboard, which is a big convenience. Also like that does not seem to get out of balance tires very often. Have only needed to balance once and theyre still balanced 6000 miles later.