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:

• 

  Stripped Head-Bolts - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By lsthkr - February 5 - 3:42 pm

  Never had a problem with this vehicle until Jan 25 2011 as I was driving across town. Coolant leak brought me to a dead stop. I discovered a common problem with this engine (2.4L 4cyl). Just Google Highlander stripped head-bolts to see how many of these engines are dying and how expensive the fix is. Mine had only 126,000 miles on it. I am the original owner. The dealer will not help with repair costs even though this is a manufacturing and or design issue.

• 

  4Runner owners beware of Transmission - 1997 Toyota 4Runner
  By Disappointed - February 2 - 1:56 am

  Purchased 4Runner used (w/ 75K miles) from a dealership with high expectations regarding the quality and realibity of a Toyota. At 146K the Transmission went out which is not much better than the Ford Taurus we owned. The cost to replace the Transmission was $4500, OUCH! We decided to rebuild instead which cost around $1800.

• 

  20 years of RAV4s - 2015 Toyota RAV4
  By Chris K - January 31 - 2:47 pm

  I owned an original 1996 RAV4 as my first car and was curious to drive the newest version 20 years later. The original RAV4 was like all the other small SUVs of the day. Cute, compact, good mileage and a fair amount of utility. Mine was the forest green, but the hood paint was flaking off for whatever reason. The radio only worked in one speaker and I couldnt tune too high on the radio dial or I got static. If I floored it, not a whole lot happened and I had to carry around a can of WD40 in the winter, because the locks froze open. But it ran like a champ for the most part and was cheap to maintain. My wife and I got a 2015 Toyota RAV4 AWD XLE on loan from our local dealer thanks to a recall on my wifes 2008 Scion TC. So naturally, I was curious. How did 20 years of evolution measure up to the original? The new one is a lot bigger than the old one. I was impressed with the space in my RAV, but this car has to be twice as big. Its really wide too and the driving position is a lot higher. It almost feels like youre sitting on a milk crate, with a wide view of the road and your surroundings. The load floor in the back is still low and I imagine there isnt much you cant fit in the back. Theres some neat cubbie holes in the dashboard and console as well. The acceleration is definitely better than the original, thanks to about 50 more HP, but a bigger car carries more heft and you can feel it. From the numbers, its dropped about 1.5 seconds in 0-60, but it could use more oomph. The handling leaves something to be desired too. The new RAV4 is easy over bumps, stops well, is very quiet on the road and the wheel is light and easy. But man, is it boring. Sport mode just means a feeling of more power, but nothing else. My old RAV4 was mostly unremarkable. It had its flaws, but for the most part it got me where I needed to go with minimal issues. I put 145k miles on it and only traded in because the AC failed and would have cost more than the car was worth to fix it. I saw it a couple of weeks ago actually and has to be well over 200k in miles by now. Its great great grandson seems poised to do more of the same. Makes sense as thats what Toyotas are these days for the most part. If you want something to get you to where you need to go with minimal effort, this is the car for you. If you need something that moves the needle a little more and gives you some driving excitement, this may not be the best choice. Perhaps thats why I traded in the old RAV4 for a Subaru.

• 

  Boring but good - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By HuskyMD - January 31 - 2:00 am

  The camry has been a good car--once we got rid of those General tires that slid into corners and replaced them with some Yokohama Aegis touring tires. My main complaint is the low gas mileage (average around 24) and the paint job. The paint is coming off the front grill and the front bumper. It is flaking off all over the place. Not the quality I expected from Toyota. Mechanically I havent had many problems. The wiper motors seem to have gotten messed up by an ice storm though.

• 

  Traded a civic HCH - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By Yup - January 29 - 10:10 pm

  Owned a Civic hybrid for 2 years, this is a better car in every way, features, function, mileage, and room.

• 

  deffening noise when driving rear windows down - 2013 Toyota RAV4
  By glen_r_mobley - January 26 - 12:50 pm

  I baught my 2013 rav 4 and everything was fine until I decided to open the back windows, while going down the highway. the noise hurt my ears. and I mean really hurt. I contacted the dealer. and he told me he new about the problem. and suggested that I shouldnt open my windows ??? I then contacted Toyota and explained the problem to them. they told me to go on a ride with the service manager, to show me that they all have that problem. But offered no remedy. I guess if thats the case! the windows arent meant to be opened while driving!!!

• 

  No yours is not the only one! - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By paulette - January 26 - 10:00 am

  Bought the XR 2wd. Sluggish steering response MoonRoof LEAKS! Rattles....all over the dash, glove compartment. Overall quality feels cheap. Buttons on radio wobble, park brake lever wobbles, wires in steering column can be seen. Front cup holder is awkward, rear holder is flimsy. Red dashboard lights can be difficult to read.

• 

  2006 Toyota Avalon Touring - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By PATRICIA FLOWERS - January 21 - 9:46 am

  I purchase my 2006 Toyota Avalon in 2005, it was ok for about 2 years. When driving sometime my steering wheel would adjust it self to its lowest level with out me doing anything for it to happen which is not safe, I took it back to the dealer and they said they didnt see anything wrong with it and as of today it still dose it,it seems to be something with the steering level on the steering wheel. About a year ago I also had and oil leak up under my car and this year my alternator went out on me in the middle of the Dan Ryan Express Way, a scary situation and I had my ten year old grand daughter in the car with me.

• 

  Vibrates on the Highway - 2010 Toyota RAV4
  By BJ - January 18 - 10:00 am

  I bought the Base Rav4 in August, 2010. Everything is great, except it vibrates a lot and is very noticeable, especially at speeds greater than 50. The Dealership tried to help and rebalanced the wheels for me. It did not help. At the dealership, the service manager and I test drove another new Rav4 and it did the same thing. Called Customer Care at Toyota, and their expert said that they are just made that way and to get used to it. So, I am looking to trade it in soon. And our 2005 Camry vibrated if the wheels were not perfectly balance. This will be my last Toyota. They have gotten way too big and quality issues are popping up and they and really dont care.

• 

  Disappointed in Sluggish Gas Guzzling performance - 2018 Toyota 4Runner
  By Warren - January 16 - 4:27 pm

  Im a first time Toyota owner. Have always loved the 4runner look and finally decided to trade my F-150 and try one. I went with the TRD off road model because I really like the sportier all black trim on the inside and the rims. I probably wont do a lot of off-roading but I do have use for the 4 wheel drive in the winter and I love the "truck" feel. Not many SUVs left like it. Also, Im not a tech guy so the lack of tech options that many reviews talk about doesnt bother me. So, Ive had my new 4runner for a few weeks now and have my first 1,000 miles on it. About half of those are highway miles. There is a lot that I really like about it. Love the way it looks, love the stance, interior is comfortable but not too plush, ride is quite nice for an off-roader, quality seems great, no squeaks or rattles which I cant stand. I have to sadly say though, that Im very disappointed with the engine performance. It feels extremely sluggish and non-responsive to the gas pedal. I noticed this even on test drive but figured It was just different from what I was used to and since all the reviews I read pegged the 0-60 at 7.5-8 seconds, I didnt think it would be an issue and Id quickly get used to it. Unfortunately, not the case. The sluggishness is a continual disappointment. In fact, I have tested the 0-60 myself about a half dozen times and I cant get to 60 in under 10 seconds. Thats nailed to the floor 100%. If I actually drove like that, I think I would get about 5 mpg! Normal accelerator use takes FOREVER to get to normal highway speed. That leads me to my second real disappointment which is the fuel consumption. I knew from reviews that these were not great with gas mileage but mine in considerably worse even then the estimate ratings. They are rated 17 city - 21 hwy (avg 18). As I noted above, I drive about a 50/50 mix and my avg mpg after 1,000 miles has topped out at only 15.7 mpg! Even being very "gentle" with the accelerator, I cant get it to creep up any higher than that. I should say that Im not trying to nit-pic. I REALLY wanted to love this vehicle. Im just really struggling to get past the poor performance issues. I wonder, are the 0-60 ratings and mpg ratings just overly generous/overstated, or could there possibly actually be some kind of a problem with my engine? And I wonder if any other owners share these disappointments? Anyway, if these issues are of concern to you, youre definitely not going to be pleasantly surprised by the 4runner.