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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  XRS great car but it uses premium gas - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By tdvr - June 17 - 2:00 am

  The XRS is very stylish. It has a lot of power for hills. Interior features are great. Note, when you get this vehicle that it uses premium gas (octane > 91). The ride, with the "sport tuned suspension" is a bit choppy on the highway.

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  Great car - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By en - June 17 - 2:00 am

  We had our Corolla for 4 years now ( its a 2000MY VE 5 speed ) and we put 65000km on it, it never let us down.There was never any problems with it, it still runs on original tires and brakes. I have a feeling that this car will run forever even after 4 years it feels as solid as new. However these cars lack the driving excitment mainly because of the the soft suspension, it makes the car dance on highway with strong winds and body roll is big.

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  Love my RAV4! - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By bright_eyes - June 16 - 6:36 pm

  My RAV4 is so fun to drive. It has enough oomph getting on freeway ramps even with the four-cylinder model. Ive had great mileage; 22 in town and 27 on the highway. Of course, anything has to be better than the 1997 Mercury Mountaineer I had before. :-) Even with FWD, living in the snowy Midwest, although its a little squirrelly, Ive been able to get around just fine.

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  Huge Improvement Over my Volvo XC90 - 2011 Toyota Venza
  By gigharborrltr - June 16 - 4:11 am

  Ive only had the Venza for 6 months, 8500 miles, but thats been plenty of time to conclude that this is a HUGE step up from my Volvo XC90. For the price of a used luxury SUV, I got a new Venza and LOVE it. The back seat room is much bigger than all 3 of my prior SUVs. I can carry 5 adults very comfortably. This is the first car Ive owned where I dont have the drivers seat all the way back...great leg room. You sacrifice back cargo room to get the leg room, but Im fine with that. I get 24MPG and 95% of that is driving around town. Interior, even on the base, is very nice (I had the dealership add leather after for $1100). I would get the AWD next time, but other than that, LOVE it!

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  Does Not Tow What Sticker States - 2006 Toyota Tundra
  By Main - June 16 - 2:10 am

  I recently towed a tandem axle and the rear end of the truck is on the ground. The vehicle is always taching up to the red line. I only have 3000 miles on this truck. The window sticker says that it can tow 6500 lbs and I had my trailer weighed and it was only 5000 pounds. I called them and they blew me off. They need to improve the rear suspension to allow it to tow better. I also have the TRD package and that does not help. It is only getting 7.25 miles to a gallon towing this trailer.

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  Nice SUV, but the newer model is nicer - 2006 Toyota Highlander
  By Brian - June 15 - 9:30 am

  We purchased a 2006 Highlander to replace our 2000 Blazer. We chose to go with the Highlander because we wanted improved fuel economy, but still with a V6/4WD combination. We also were impressed with the safety ratings on the Highlander. Now, the Blazer was OUTSTANDING in the snow, and only time will tell if the Highlander will do well in the snow too. The power delivery from the V6 was better than I expected, but having also test-driven a 2008 model (expensive) it lags in comparison. The transmission is seamlessly smooth, and the suspension in the Sport package makes the vehicle more fun to drive. The third row really only provides adequate room for children, but it is nice to have.

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  So far so good... - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By B.A. - June 14 - 10:15 pm

  Very comfortable. Today 97-98 degrees, a/c comfortable. Stereo good. Bluetooth connection to cell phone/pandora good. Seats very comfortable in front, with firm good support. Would prefer stronger seat covering than cloth, but this is base trim. Would prefer LED or high intensity headlights, but not on this trim. Good acceleration, very good road holding. Road trip from Colorado to Calgary and back via Glacier, Banff, Yellowstone, with 5 adults and baggage comfortable, except for third row seating. Mileage for trip: 24.5 - 25.5 mpg. Car very smooth, and so far, pleasure to drive. Bought Toyota Platinum Extended warranty, zero deductible 125,000 miles, 10 years. Would be great if I never have to use it. So far, I am happy with the purchase. Things to watch for when purchasing: Make sure gas, and temp gauges are working and are accurate. If must be replaced, part of instrument cluster which must be replaced as a unit, and includes the odometer. Toyota can be difficult about this, requiring car to be left at dealer for several weeks while part ordered. Check this thoroughly on test drive.================================================Update 1/15/18: One star removed (now 4 stars) due to perceived cost of future maintenance, see following: This is probably the most comfortable car I have ever owned. It is responsive, quiet, handles well, holds the road well. We are coming from US made Saturns, a 2007 Vue with 216,000 miles and 2004 Ion with 138,000 miles. We keep cars forever, so reliability and longevity are key for us, as well as low costs of ownership, and low maintenance costs. We were looking at RAV4, priced right, but seemed a little cramped... and the salesman suggested Highlander. We drove an LE with V6 and AWD and really liked it. Got a good price and the rest is history. We like how the car drives and looks. Very comfortable, with the performance being there when needed. We are getting approx 24 - 25 mpg with a combination of highway and local driving. We were able to purchase a Toyota extended warranty to 125,000 miles or 10 years (whichever comes first). We would give the car a 5 star rating, except for these items: 1). New plugs are required to maintain the emission warranty every 60,000 miles. To get to the plugs, a manifold must be removed, raising the cost of the service. 2) At 120,000 miles replacement of a brake booster vacuum pump is required as part of regular maintenance. The part alone is over $1,000... and labor is additional. This is required maintenance and not considered an extended warranty item. 3) The wheels appear to be alloy wheels. However, they are coated with clear plastic, which looks like they could be damaged by scraping a curb (ours are still fine, fingers crossed). There seems to be no way to repair this damage other than replacing the wheel, which I am told cost $700 each if purchased from Toyota. I would like Toyota to focus a bit more on low cost of ownership. 4) We have not experienced this problem as we have an LE (manual rear hatch) but there are some reported instances of failure of the electrically operated rear hatch on other Highlander models.

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  2011 Avalon (Great car, Horrible dealership services) - 2011 Toyota Avalon
  By avalon_lova - June 14 - 7:56 am

  I love my new Avalon. The suspension is smooth without the floaty ride. Rear seat legroom (roomier in class), adjustable rear seat comfort is a nice touch. Great car to own if you have a personal driver. A/C and Nav controls are intuitive and easy to operate. Only tech missing is the adaptive cruise control.

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  Good little SUV but no sizzle - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By RavCanuck - June 13 - 4:10 am

  Nice little SUV that my wife loves to drive. Great for driving with car seat age kids due to ride height. 4wd pretty good in Canadian snow and has never been stuck even with the all seasons. Not the quietest or fastest with the 4 cyl but racing is not this SUVs forte anyways.

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  good ride - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Gustavo Santos - June 12 - 2:00 am

  the car looks nice but ,I cant find the right seat position , in the drivers seat, also I think that at the same time that its roomy you losse power on the engine but when you drive in the high way its pretty smoth, also the body seems to be very weak but over all I like it its fun to drive , and the suspension its preety smoth I guess because of the fact that the car its new:-)