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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  THANKS FOR NOTHING! - 2017 Toyota Camry
  By Mike W. - February 26 - 5:51 am

  Bought the car in January, then found out the air conditioner did not work in April. Took it in for its 10,000 mile service and the dealer (Brian Bemis in Dekalb, IL) changed the oil and rotated the tires. When I booked the appointment I told them I needed the AC to be diagnosed. I didnt think they would have time to fix it but I wanted to know what was wrong with it. They made me wait 90 minutes then told me that I would have to bring it back because they didnt have time to check the AC. 90 minutes to change the oil and rotate the tires?! No working AC on a brand new car?! Poor dealer support, and a lemon for a brand new car. Just stay away. I am also seeing the low tire pressure light every 2 weeks because they put Firestone tires on the car. These are the worst brand name tires you can get. I hate seeing the warning light on a car with about 10,000 miles on it. It has been a terrible ownership experience. I will never buy another Toyota.

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  Lurch Mobile 2 - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By Parkerf - February 22 - 9:23 am

  I really liked this car until I had to drive it for longer than one month. There is something really wrong with the AWD transmission on these cars. It hesitates about 5 seconds when you need it to accelerate, stopped on a hill, gave a loud "clump" then went up hill. Transmission cannot keep up with computer is my thinking. Toyota will not admit any problems, been to shop twice. Car lurches while trying (slowly) to change gears, can be dangerous while trying to enter a freeway, hope no one gets killed due to this problem. Also, knobs, rubber is falling off, radio bad. Do not Buy!!!

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  Design Flaws - 2013 Toyota Sienna
  By nsilva333 - February 8 - 3:30 am

  I bought a 2013 Toyota Sienna in January 2013. It is currently below 2000 miles. . At 60% weight load capacity, the ground clearance goes down to about 5 inches. I get honked on highway asking me to pull over and check-out the rear. The weight load capacity specified in the Toyota User Manual is 1355lbs. Even the dealer is suggesting me go buy an aftermarket solution to fix the issue. This is a true safety issue. Don’t even think about installing a tow hitch for a bicycle etc. The van’s rear suspension is too weak to handle a tow hitch with the weight of bicycles.

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  "A Golf Car Dressed As A Minivan" - 2017 Toyota Sienna
  By Steve - January 28 - 6:01 am

  Ive been driving a minivan for quite a few years now & tried them all out, I was really looking forward for this new 2017 Sienna XLE until I actually got it... For starters, Its engine is as noisy as a sports car but drives like a Golf Car, the pickup is terrible & I mean "TERRIBLE", Ive owned a Toyota Camry & was very impressed so going into this Sienna I wouldnt think twice, But this was a terrible mistake... But of course theres no backing out once you sign the dotted line.. I would rather drive a 99 Town & Country, Toyota should really be ashamed of themselves for releasing such a vehicle & should recall all of there 2017 Siennas until they figure things out.. Do yourself a favor & stay away from this minivan for now!!!

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  Very Disappointed - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By Bob Burke - January 26 - 8:40 am

  The reason Ive given this vehicle such a low rating is it has left me in an unsafe situation more than once. Twice when I was trying to pull into another lane of traffic the automatic transmission did not downshift, but instead stayed in a higher gear and left me in a scary position with oncoming traffic. This is why I gave it such a low rating in the perfomance, fun to drive, build quality and reliability areas. During the first couple thousand miles the brakes would fade even during the first hard braking. They are better now, but it seems the me larger/better brakes are called for on the vehicle. Gas mileage could be better, but it seems to be improving with mileage.

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  Should have bought the Odyssey - 2011 Toyota Sienna
  By Martin M. - January 24 - 11:50 am

  My wife and I were very excited to be the first on our block to own the new Sienna Limited. But since driving it home, weve experienced a lot of problems for a brand new car. The navi screen has blacked out on warm days and the Toyota dealer cant seem to fix the issue. We found the road noise on the highway is really bad. Fuel economy is about 10 MPG around town and maybe 16 at best on the highway, both my wife and I are irate about this. The dealer says its "Breaking in" (at 4000 miles). I came out to the car last night and it wouldnt start. Toyota Customer Service thinks it could be a security fault and now Im back at the dealer. Im just glad I was at home and not stranded at night!

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  06 Tacoma - 2006 Toyota Tacoma
  By dws246 - January 23 - 3:03 am

  When I first bought the truck I loved it, it was great and just what I wanted. However after about 5k I started to get a bad clutch chatter like you are about to stall only worse. I brought that to the dealers attention, said it was normal. I have been driving stick shift for a while and that is not normal, even after giving it lots of gas the chatter would still happen. The worst part of the whole thing is that at 26k the clutch blew, I had to have it towed to the dealer where they said it was not covered by the warranty and I would have to pay $1400 to fix it-everything was bad in the clutch,even the springs were broken which they said was because I was a bad driver.

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  Worst Corolla ever. What was Toyota thinking. - 2011 Toyota Corolla
  By sajsan - January 22 - 1:44 am

  Test drove 2011 corolla (manual); this would have been my 5th corolla in 20yrs. As a die hard Toyota fan, Toyota has disappointed me beyond belief regarding the steering. It is a major issue; it feels like flexible rubber; it does NOT tighten as expected in any power assisted steering and dangerous at high speeds. It will be more serious with highway winds. There is pronounced body roll. In short, it is NOT safe. I walked away from a great deal because 2007/8 model was superior in safety and handling. I will send back a feedback letter to the president of toyota; they have lost a loyal Corolla customer – 5 corollas in 20 years of drive. Sales person thought i was joking about the car.

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  Poor Engineering - 2011 Toyota Sienna
  By londo1 - January 11 - 12:35 pm

  Poor service, poor engineering = worthless car...We also had issues with unintended acceleration. Our car was in an accident as a result of this, yet Toyota claimed nothing was wrong with the car. We will never buy another Toyota product.

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  Solara - 2003 Toyota Camry Solara
  By sss - January 11 - 10:00 am

  The car is to heavy for its suspension. The drive is too loose and too much power for the brakes.