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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  2005 Sienna Disappointed - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By Dave - September 27 - 4:56 am

  Thought Toyota would stand behind their vehicles better. Have had on and off problems with the airbag sensors for 3 years, ultimately cost $3500 to resolve the bad wiring harness. Toyota National said too bad, you arent in warranty and since this is your first Toyota, you are not brand loyal yet. Will go somewhere else on the next vehicle. Disappointed. Hard to believe in this economy they have too many customers and can show that level of disinterest.

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  You get what you pay for! - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By Camry owner - September 27 - 4:15 am

  I purchased the 2015 XLE V6 fully loaded with the technology package. Lots of features to discuss. Performance: Acceleration is strong - this car has LOTS of get up and go! The V6 will not let you down. Just be sure to realize that when youre in the higher gears and drop the pedal, there will be a hesitation as the RPM increase in the engine is translated to the drive train. Speaking of the drivetrain, shifting from gear to gear is very much a non-event - barely noticeable. Dropping it into "manual" shift mode gives you some control over performance, but the car will still shift for you if youre exceeding limits. Steering is softer than Im used to (previous car was 02 Honda Accord). The electric steering is very lightweight and allows some slop in handling, as a result road handling is lessened a bit. Body sway is noticeable on highway entrance ramps. Braking requires more pressure than the Accord. Comfort: All aspects are deemed "OK." Front seats are stiff - not sure yet how theyll be on long road trips. Back seat has plenty of legroom and supportive seating makes the ride comfortable. Exterior noise is minimal, and for the first 1500 miles there have not been any noticeable vibrations (knock on wood). Entering and exiting the car is easy as the doors swing wide open. Careful review of the backseat entrance should be made by anyone with limited mobility. Longer legs will need to be picked up before swinging them out in order to egress the vehicle. Interior: Instrumentation, controls, and design of the interior all get top marks. The car looks like a luxury car! That having been said, the weak spot on this car is the storage. Trunk size is sufficient, but interior storage is limited at best. Coming from an Accord where there was literally storage everywhere you turn, the Camry is sorely lacking in this realm. You get a panel console that doubles as a charging bay, the glove box is pretty much worthless for anything but the owners manuals, and the door storage bins will hold nothing bigger than a small umbrella. The armrest console in the middle is nothing but one big bin. In essence, if you have small cables (phone charging cables), small objects (I carry pens, chewing gum, and my daughters hair accessories), or other items know that theyll end up in the big console without any sort of organization. To find them while driving down the road is nearly impossible, so you either have to plan ahead or just wait until you hit a stop light. As for the quality of materials, the leather used in the seating is fine, but the materials used for the ceiling panel is cheap. The doors are part leather and part hard plastic. Previous Toyota ownership shows that extreme care must be taken with the hard plastic as it scratches easily. Those scratches are permanent and will not come out no matter what you do. For a $30k+ car, I would think that Toyota could afford to finish the doors in leather and provide a better ceiling. Safety: Luckily, I havent had to test out the safety features yet, but from what I can see they will perform as expected. The LED headlights are OUTSTANDING! Vision at night, even rainy nights, is perfect. The LED daytime running lights are bright enough to be seen in the sunniest of days, and on rainy nights help ward off the road glare of oncoming traffic. As mentioned above, I have the technology package on my car which includes the blind spot monitor, lane departure warning, pre-collision alarm system, and adaptive cruise control. The blind spot monitor and lane departure warning work perfectly, the later beeping softly when you get close to leaving the lane without a signal. I have noticed that it will occasionally warn of lane departure when the road markings suddenly end. The pre-collision does work. If youre accelerating when the person ahead of you is braking, the car starts braking and the beeping starts. Obviously, this is useful but it could be a real pain in the rear if you accelerate to change lanes when the car in front of you is slowing down. I have only tried the ACC once and it seems to work well. Technology: The head unit is relatively intuitive to use. Touch screens dominate the interaction between driver and unit. Aside from AM/FM/CD Player options, the unit allows for satellite radio, Bluetooth input from cellphone/music player, USB flash memory, and "Aux" in options. The Entune apps allow for use of cell phone data to play Pandora, IHeartRadio, Slacker Radio, as well as Facebook Places, OpenTable, and MovieTickets. You can also check weather maps and forecasts, review sports scores, check your stocks, and locate the nearest or lowest price gas station. Be aware that use of all of the Entune apps requires use of cell phone data so either have a large data package with your cell phone provider or limit your use of the Entune apps. I was able to change the greeting picture to something more meaningful to me than the Toyota logo,

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  RAV4 - 2008 Toyota RAV4
  By Lene - September 27 - 12:40 am

  V6 is very peppy engine. CONS:Drivers seat does not go back very far. Im only 56" & I would like more leg room. Since getting the car I have always noticed a humming noise whenever Im accelerating & at all speeds, but especially between 40-45 mph. It has never impacted the performance of the car. I just took it into the dealer to address this sound. The dealer confirmed it IS a problem with the Rav4. They will be replacing the L side engine mount, rear engine mount & L side drive axle damper. They said IF that doesnt do the trick it will have to get a new transmission! What a surprise that was! Thank goodness I took it in before the warranty expired! So be aware...and listen.

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  Are you too tall for the Avalon? - 2014 Toyota Avalon Hybrid
  By glen carson - September 26 - 10:36 pm

  Resale value drops like a rock. The car is great once you get in, at a little over 61" it seems low to me and the center console where my knee rests is kind sharp. The size of the trunk and back seat are great, but when you get the Hybrid the rear seat does not lay down! Cant haul anything long!

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  Moving forward - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By frafael - September 26 - 9:13 pm

  I decided give a try for RAV4 after good experience with my wife Siena08. 2009 RAV4 is very roomy and I bought a full load Limited. My previous experience was a much heavier LR Discovery V8, and RAV4 performer better, thanks to light body and very well designed transmission. The interior everything are very well resolved, but the material looks cheaper, even leather trim is not first class. There are excessive noise in cabin, combined from engine and road. Update, combined millage is 21mpg, not bad for a I-4 AWD, but I dont think Ill get promised 27mpg freeway.

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  Great van with a little room for improvement - 2013 Toyota Sienna
  By milans - September 26 - 12:33 pm

  I have to admit that I had my eye on the latest generation Sienna from the day it came out. My 2004 Sienna LE that I still own had been quite a workhorse for me, but it has140k/miles. I liked the tight turning radius and 20-21MPG of the 04. Also the foldable center divider is handy for moving long objects. One of the reasons that I got the Limited was the lack of that ugly piece of plastic that is in the middle of the second row seats for seating 8 people. I like the 2013 very much but wish it got better MPG (I get 18-19 with mixed driving), and had a little tighter turning radius (like 04). The ride is effortless and smooth, seats are first class, and all the warning systems are great!

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  2001 Highlander - 2001 Toyota Highlander
  By Bud - September 25 - 11:20 am

  Very solid vehicle. Good fuel economy. Pulls a trailer well. Comfortable front seats and very roomy back seats - great for family trips. Adequate power. Center console design is not very good. Overall a well built family SUV. Oxygen sensor replacement is the only unscheduled maintenance I have had to do.

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  Unstoppable, Well-Engineered Car - 2000 Toyota Echo
  By sgtofmarines75 - September 25 - 4:48 am

  Bought this car brand new in 2000. 13 years and 220,000 miles later, I have no plans to let it go anytime soon. Replaced the catalytic converter at about 150,000 miles, but no other repairs ever needed - routine maintenance only. It does leak some oil now, but thats to be expected at this age. 34-36 MPG avg. combined, city and hwy. Incredibly roomy interior and trunk, given the cars tiny exterior. Interior features are simple and "plastic-y" but are rugged. Engine has plenty of power and pep, but handling leaves a bit to be desired, especially when taking curves at high speed, or in stiff winds. Hard to beat for simple, reliable, and comfortable transportation

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  Good, reliable truck - 1997 Toyota T100
  By Bob A. - September 24 - 8:33 pm

  Bought new. Only major problem was rebuild of rear axle at 59K miles covered under powertrain warranty. Probably related to pulling boat at close to 5K tow rating limit. Consistantly gets around 19mpg. Seat belt retractors suck, they never worked right from new, but thats the only real complaint. Aftermarket accessories limited compared to American big 3.

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  Neo, we found the matrix - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By zume - September 24 - 2:00 am

  Great car, pick-up is four cylider style, a little weak. But I love the car. Doors are a little hard to close, and sunroof sticks a little. but doesnt matter in the long run.