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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  Nice but improvements needed - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By Nana - August 16 - 8:23 am

  I purchased this beautiful car for 2 reasons: No trunk to lift out of and better gas mileage. I had a Cadillac DeVille and I averaged 25-27 MPG on the road and thought Toyota would give me better. Wrong!!! I only average 20.9 on a highway trip. I also have a "Thump" sound which seems to come from the right rear but the dealership cannot find any problem. Being a single woman, I really have my fears that the noise could be something to do with the wheels on the back and dangerous. The plastic on the dash and steering wheel could certainly be improved. It is a nice car, drives wonderful, turning base is great but the MPG makes me wish I had my Cadillac back.

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  Another weekend road trip success - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By dadinfo - August 16 - 4:49 am

  Just did 400 miles I-70 Colorado mountains averaged 70 plus mph 39 to 40 miles per gallon!

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  This ones a sleeper - 2007 Toyota Avalon
  By chicago88 - August 15 - 10:56 am

  This car keeps me laughing at all who spend a lot more on the luxury models as well as those whom have to use premium fuel. The Avalon has a limo like back seat which makes taking guest out with you a very flattering event as well as the pleasure and comfort of the ride. I use this car for both long business trips (300 mi+) and local. The mileage has been good for a bigger six (24 mpg avg). The ability for this car to get up and go is amazing. The manual shift mode is exciting with almost 300 ponies under the hood but yet refined enough for the wifes finest dress and black tie night out.

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  Column stick - 2002 Toyota Sienna
  By Sandra Wilson - August 14 - 10:06 am

  I like my Sienna except for an occasional problem. When I go to put the van into Park, it sticks in Reverse. Since this is an occasional issue, I now leave my foot on the break until the van is turned off!!

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  Great vehicle except - - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Ken Rayborn - August 14 - 6:14 am

  We bought a 2016 Highlander Limited. 1. Gas mileage is overstated 10-15%. 2.Front Passenger seat is too low, if not electric (ours) cannot raise, so uncomfortable armrest and window height for a lady. Our drivers seat is adjustable up & down, so great. 3. Electronics are not well designed. 4. GPS poor.

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  Overall Great Family Sedan - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By jlarry - August 13 - 10:40 pm

  The SE is definitely the better looking Camry amongst the other available choices which are boring, lets be honest.The pick up of the V6 is great and shifts are silky smooth. Handling isnt very sharp though, coming from an 02 Altima, it felt like I was driving a bus. Interior parts should be better, questionable fit and finish inside. Upgraded JBL is not great, the radio in my Nissan had more bass, however there is more detail in the music. The rear deck is all plastic, so expect some buzz when you crank it up. Nav input is slow and USB port is in a bad spot. The seats are SO comfortable, more bolstering would be nice. Its a great car that falls short in some areas, overall I love it.

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  The Prius moves up in styling and performance. - 2017 Toyota Prius
  By Cliff Detz - August 13 - 8:09 pm

  The cars handling is a major improvement over that of my previous 2005 Prius. The exterior styling is bold and original. It is an improvement over the stale styling of previous model years. The interior passenger space provides a large amount of room for a small car. It is more comfortable than many larger sized vehicles, and for me the seats are comfortable and provide good support. The car is very quiet inside, a major improvement over my older model. The transition from battery mode to gas engine mode and vice versa is seamless and silent.The audio system produces excellent sound and is easily balanced between front and rear. Visibility ,however, could be better. The front windshield posts still result in blind spots in the front corners visibility fields, but a bit less so than in my older model. The head rests on the rear seats obscure visibility out of the back and rear corners. I am thankful for the rear view camera. The basic instrument read outs are conveniently located and easy to read. There are a multiple of views for monitoring fuel economy and other performance parameters which are available by scrolling through a large number of screen views using buttons and arrows an the steering wheel. These are interesting but confusing, and they create a major distraction if one attempts to change views while driving. It is best to find the view you like before starting to drive. The voice recognition technology is very poor, particularly if one is used to Siri or Googles voice recognition. Getting it to provide navigation directions is an exercise in frustration, and I find myself defaulting to the map apps on my mobile phone. Toyotas Ensue applications system is a puzzle at best. One wonders why Toyota did not opt to use Apple Car or another system from a technology provider who knows how to build these systems so that they are convenient, intuitive and helpful. The Navigation app in the car suffers from the poor voice recognition system, and there appears to be no other way to enter information into it. The vehicle comes with a daunting multi inch thick manual which I have yet to crack open. However, I think that the operation of these systems should be intuitive. The car is equipped with lane departure warning which works well. It also has collision and pedestrian avoidance systems. However, for obvious reasons one cannot test these until hey are actually needed. I have not had the car long enough to rate its reliability and service requirements, but based on my previous experience with a Prius and other Toyota models, I am expecting a very high level of reliability

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  Toyota Tundra: Unfulfilled expectations - 2003 Toyota Tundra
  By marauder1 - August 13 - 10:00 am

  Steel wheels are rusting at 3000 miles. Truck is not used in adverse conditions. Major cabin vibration at 70mph. Dealership is unable to fix problem, already changed drive shaft, one rim,one tire, and offset balance ot tires three times. Not the quality I expected when paying extra for the Toyota name.

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  Has build quality diminished? - 2003 Toyota 4Runner
  By so_cali - August 13 - 10:00 am

  Just took delivery of this vehicle and found it has an annoying rattle in the sunroof headliner area. Hopefully this is fixable. Otherwise it seems very good. I like the orange guages at night but dislike the hac controls - too gimicky. I got black with the gray cladding and prefer the look with the contrasting flat gray cladding, even though Toyota is apparently not using it any longer.

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  Another Toyota disappointment - 2010 Toyota 4Runner
  By kirby28 - August 13 - 12:20 am

  I have just traded in my SR5, owning it since Oct. 10. From the get go had slipping trans from 1st to 2nd gears...tinny doors, poor quality seats, spongy brakes, noisy, growly engine... this is not the 4 Runner of the past generations....Id pass on this one.