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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  Transmission Problems - 2015 Toyota RAV4
  By larrys9 - July 27 - 1:08 pm

  Transmission vibrates power train when5th and 6th in shifted. Engine makes a terrible growl all the time. I should have bought a Honda.

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  Small things matter!!! - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By Bosmat - July 27 - 7:34 am

  This car runs well, but there are a few things I hate about it and would be a deal killer if I had it to do over again. First off, the heat sux!!! (yes thermostat has been changed, and core flushed, etc etc). The heater is simply inadequately sized and this is VERY IMPORTANT if you live in a cold climate! Basically if temperature is below the 30s, it takes a good hour to be warm enough, and then Im at my destination. Anything in the 20s or lower and the heat is not even close to adequate- and foot area never gets enough heat. Ironically, my car has the "heavy duty" heater. Id hate to see standard heater. Secondly the car is LOUD, and I mean L-O-U-D! It picks up more road noise than any car Ive ever been in and Ive been driving for 30 years. I dont think this car has any sound deadening material at all, if anything it has sound amplifying equipment. Third the car doesnt have the sun band at top of the windshield. This is the dark blue stripe that should run across the top of the windshield. If you drive into the sun, this really stinks. I cant drive with the sun visor down all the time because then I cant see traffic signals. On the plus side the gas mileage is good and I think the car will be reliable. Had I realized how bad road noise and shitty heater is, NO WAY would I have bought this car!

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  STUPID CAR - very disappointed!!!!! - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By adam07 - July 26 - 5:33 am

  I bought this car in march 08, and two months later, there are countless dents from the smallest branches and acorns, it has dinky wheels, and the ugliest design, plus the brakes got really squeaky by June of 08 and Toyota told me there is nothing they could do. Toyota is the worst car company ever, I made a HUGE mistake, I should have bought a Jeep Patriot instead, it has more style, still has good gas mileage, and is a hell of a lot more durable than this junk!

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  Disappointing - 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By Anna - July 20 - 5:23 am

  I was extremelly disappointed with the fuel economy. I got an average of 21 mpg - way below than expected. Granted I used the air conditioning all the time as I live in Fl but I did not push the car hard. A hybrid should have better fuel economy for its price tag.

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  NOT VERY GOOD - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Jim K - July 19 - 7:29 am

  I owned a 2001 Camry for over 13 years and used to be a Toyota fan, not any more. After owning this particular Camry for three months I find it mediocre at best. The three worst problems are; ROAD NOISE, NAVIGATION (Voice commands) and FRONT SEAT COMFORT. These three problems, alone, make road trips terrible. The road noise level is so high that to hear the radio, the volume needs to be very high. The Voice command feature is unusable at highway speeds due to the road noise. Combine this with the seat comfort and I dont want to take long trips. I guess you need to go to a two week course on using the navigation system. Nothing is intuitive, I guess that you can do a lot with this system but finding information, while driving, is difficult at best (Im still trying to learn this system). There are several other smaller problems; the display screen is washed out during the day by the sunlight, the digital speedometer does not match the needle speedometer and other small issues. Keep in mind this is the XLE Camry (one step below the Avalon) and should much much better. I hate to admit it but I rode in a Nissan Altima yesterday and found it much quieter and more comfortable than my Camry (I have never been a Nissan fan, maybe should re-evaluate the Nissan). Ill take my 2001 Camry LE over this one any day. I fail to see why this Camry is rated so high by many people, confused!

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  Poor handling and mpg - 2015 Toyota Corolla
  By mark - July 6 - 9:32 am

  I rented this car and I am so surprised that so many people actually bought this car. I dont encourage speeding but, if you had to get out of a line or had to get somewhere sooner I would not recommend doing it in this car. Steering response is weak and miles per gallon is not good at all for this car. There are several cars in its class with better gas mileage. Acceleration is almost non existing and makes gas feel like water. Expected more from a 2015 sport model, I cant imagine what the base models feel like. You will find the same reliability elsewhere.

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  New Toyota Camry Transmission Problem - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By Marc - July 4 - 7:30 am

  This car came with a defect in the software governing the transmission. The glitch causes a 3 - 4 second delay when rapid acceleration is needed. This is a safety hazard, and is the reason I strongly advise people to consider a different car manufacturer. Toyota has done nothing to address this issue, which I noticed immediately after driving off the new car lot. I did not test drive this car before signing the paperwork, but instead drove a test model "just like it" which did not have the glitch. The dealership and corporate office have shown an utter indifference, and deny that this is a safety concern. It IS a safety concern, so please consider a different manufacturer.

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  fender fill cap cover and seats - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By tomm - July 3 - 11:20 pm

  The fill cap cover on the left fender has 4 protruding sharp points, that will cut your hand. The front seat (one piece) is the worst design for comfort I have ever experienced. The hood rattles even though the dealer has worked on the vehicle 4 times. The accelerator is located so far to the left that your leg stays in a cramped awkward position all the time. The transmission is real iffy, weak and the engine sounds as if it is gasping for air. I will never buy another Toyota tomm

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  Computer problems - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By kdc - July 3 - 10:00 am

  We immediately started having problems with the prius computer saying check engine and take to service station immediately. Our dealership said it was safe to drive, and that toyota would have the fix for it in several weeks. Meanwhile, we were responsible for paying for the rental car while they took their time to have it checked out. Toyota customer service is terrible.

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  Squishy ride and horrible brakes - 2012 Toyota Corolla
  By xpvs - June 29 - 9:45 pm

  Although my gut told me not to buy a Toyota especially after the sticky gas pedal/brake fail issue with them I went for the Corolla because it fit my budget. Last weekend I drive it to Ohio from DC (a one way trip of 450 miles). Things started to get bad as soon as I got outside of the city. The handling of the car is foamy at best. I believe in comfort but when it comes at the expense of not having confidence that the car will make the turn at highway speed, it is not pretty. And then there were the brakes. I decended a few hills and I smelt something burning. I pulled over to check but nothing obvious. A little later the brake pedal needed to be pressed very hard to slow down.