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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  Disappointed - 2007 Toyota Highlander
  By Martha Sanford - March 31 - 8:26 am

  I was disappointed in the ride. It sure didnt compare to my former Mercury Mountaineer. However the handling is very agile. Wish I had noticed how bland the cars exterior was in comparison to other suvs.

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  Problems with Tacoma 4x4 from start - 2007 Toyota Tacoma
  By SharEd - March 30 - 6:23 am

  Makes clunk noise as you pull forward every time (sounds like transmission) and several times we were told that was normal. Now it is being looked at. Brakes squeeled and entire neighborhood laughed at new truck when backing up. Now has squeal in steering when turning either direction and car only has 7200 miles on it. Hate it already. Dont know what will happen next.

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  Transmission Problems...dont buy! - 2003 Toyota RAV4
  By lmarie0211 - March 22 - 1:40 pm

  I bought my Rav4 new in 2003. It now has 156,000 miles on it, and the transmission needs replaced. I discovered the problem after trying to merge into traffic with sluggish acceleration. After researching online and reading other reviews on here, these problems are due to a faulty ECM. Toyota extended the warranty to 20 years or 150,000 miles. Of course, my car is 6000 miles over the warranty. Now were stuck with a $5000 repair. Sure, I drove my car for 156,000 miles, but Toyota built their reputation on reliability. I expected to drive this car another 50,000 miles. Dont trust Toyota. Their only concern is their bottom line, not the safety of their customer.

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  Horrible visibility - 2010 Toyota Sequoia
  By ctinnell - March 16 - 7:50 am

  Dont buy Toyota. Long story short -- horrible visibility. Drives like a huge box wheels. Toyota nickels and dimes you to death. We had always wondered why the vehicle never drove right. Was told several times it is just the size of the vehicle. Come to find out it was never aligned right. Abnormal tire wear became noticeable after tires rotated twice.

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  Some Bugs - But Good - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By Highlander Owner - March 10 - 3:56 am

  The check engine light kept coming on (Which does not mean much in current automobiles). After three trips to the dealer they finally changed out the entire computer mother board and fixed the problem. Other than that it is an excellent car with great looks and lots of power. After test driving the Highlander all the other SUVs seemed to drive like U-Haul trucks. Definitely get the color coded fender wells, chrome tube step rails, and spoiler, or the truck will look like a minivan.

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  Sell price - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By carolle - March 7 - 11:43 am

  Tell me what is really necessary to maintain the actual warranty, ect. lube oil filter and full service. What is the actual re-sale value my car is actually a 2004 matrix

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  Also-ran - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Dissapointed - March 5 - 11:16 am

  I traded in a Chevy Malibu with over 100,000 miles for this car. I would gladly take it back. I had more issues with this car than in all the years I owned the malibu. The engine made a horrible knocking noise. The factory rep said that is normal for a four cylinder, and if I wanted better performance, I should have got the six. He also accused me of not changing the oil although I had all receipts. The seat is rock hard and not suitable for trips over 50 miles. The car is very harsh on bumps, and the glove box pops open from time to time on them! The car looks good on the outside in terms of design, but fit and finish are horrible. The deck lid almost touched the quarterpanel.

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  Boring but reliable - 2008 Toyota Corolla
  By loved10 - March 5 - 2:00 am

  I have owned this car for going on 3 years and have enjoyed the reliability of it, but it is a very plain and quite boring car. I sure did laugh at the people lining up for gas with their huge vehicles when gas was $4.00 per gallon and I was still cruising on the same tank I had for 2 weeks, however I do usually get only 28 mpg out of it which is less than I expected(lead foot). I hate being afraid that I will not make it fast enough to merge. The 1.8L engine is lagging and leaves a lot to be desired. When the condenser went on my AC it was NOT covered by their extended warranty which was a huge let down and expense. Overall this car gets me from A to B and starts up every morning.

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  Reliable but definite drawbacks. - 2015 Toyota Venza
  By John - March 2 - 10:42 pm

  We are a Toyota family. We bought our Venza new. It is a 2011 model. The drawbacks: much poorer milage than advertised. Our Venza did not come with a back up camera-and there is a definite need for one. Do not buy a Venza unless it has a back up camera. This car also has a somewhat rough ride. We replaced a Camry with this Venza and the Camry had a much better ride. There is manufacturing design flaw. This car car is subject to animals (rodents) getting inside the car going up through the motor area and getting in in the area at the bottom of the windshield. We have had to remove dead rats from the inside of the car and have used all kinds of repellent to keep them out-it is a constant battle. This is the first vehicle I have owned (I am 70 years old and have owned quite a few) that I have had a problem with rodents. The good qualities: Excellent reliability, minimum maintenance requirement, easy to drive, and usually good resale or trade in value.

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  GET YOUR MONEY BACK - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By TOYOTA - February 26 - 10:00 am

  THE 2004 TOYOTA COROLLA S IS A CHEAP CAR. MY BELT AND SOME OTHER CONSUMERS HAVE ALREADY HAVE HAD THEIR BELT SNAP IN HALF- VERY DANGEROUS... THE TOTAL DESIGN CAN EASILY BE DENTED AND SCRATCHED AND THE SMELL OF THE EGGS AND THE NOISE IS VERT ANNYOING. MY CAR IS ALREADY GETTING LEMON LAWED, AND TOYOTA PEOPLE ARE NOT FRIENDLY LIKE THEY USED TO BE, THEY TREAT YOU WITH NO RESPECT, AND THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOU OR YOUR MONEY, NOR CAR....