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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  Sludgemobile - 2001 Toyota Sienna
  By NewSludgeVictim - July 31 - 2:00 am

  My Sienna developed engine sludge at 80,000 miles and is now at the dealer getting repaired. Unfortunately, they arent replacing the engine so who knows how soon the problem may return. Along with the squealing brakes when you come to a stop, now I have smoke bellowing from my exhaust when I start the engine cold. Im very disappointed with the way Toyota has handled this - first misdiagnosing the problem then trying to blame me. Fortunately I have my receipts showing changes every 4500-5500 miles so they couldnt get away with that on me. But it didnt stop them from trying. It is enough to make me take my business to Honda or Nissan.

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  Not quite a LEMON - 2001 Toyota Tacoma
  By old_jr - July 31 - 2:00 am

  Toyota Tacoma 4WD V6 5SPD extended cab. This pickup is a big disappointment. It has NO power. The drive train is sloppy and the manual transmission "clunks" when shifting from to 1st to 2nd. The differential and transfer case were only half full (checked by private mechanic). This was found after I noticed a high- pitched whine on the highway. Dealer said all fluid levels were okay??? Rear bumper rusted severely first winter. Noisy - cant hear the radio above 45 mph. This Tacoma cant compare at all with the 1987 SR5 4cyl 5spd I owned for eleven years. I made a mistake and bought the 2001 Tacoma based on my experience with the 1987.

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  Like a Rock- not - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By Ranchman - July 29 - 9:56 am

  I bought the extended cab, and have been highly dissapointed. I was attracted to the design, and that did not dissapoint. I have been highly dissapointed otherwise. The engine in this truck is noisy especially when towing. It revs real hig with a load, and despite the commercials, I do not feel confident hauling as I did with my Dodge. Fuel economy is averageing about 11 MPG city/highway. Build quality is substandard. Cracked and loose plastic trim. I hate the instrument panel- very poorly designed but the outside makes up for it. Seats are hard and uncomfortable as is the ride- especailly over rutted pavement and is unbearable on dirt roads. I think this will be my last Toyota.

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  xle 4 cyl. sedan - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By ralph - July 26 - 12:36 am

  I am disappointed at the mileage - about 14-16 city 20-22 highway. Also very noisy engine - sounds like its always struggling, it needs more power. Also anything that makes it look sharper outside is an accessery (bodyside molding, body stripe, mud guards ). Thats why they cost so much. Never again. Poor choice.

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  Waste of Money - 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By sakil - July 11 - 8:52 am

  #1 - Engine lake power . #2- You can not see the radio display during the day time .Have no idea what station you listening to. #3- The back camera poorly build , and to little.hardly can see an object. #4- One power supply for the whole car? #5 -Toyota customer experience fail to offer a solution to the problem. regret buy an FJ Cursor , after less than 1200 miles. #6- The wind shield poorly design , it catches every flying object.

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  Trans is out of whack - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Maldini - June 30 - 1:33 pm

  The transmission cant make up its mind it hesitates to shift. Then there is the rattles. To top it off the MPG is not even close to the stated. I regret buying this car, should have bought the Altima or Mazda. The performance is not that great.

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  Legendary Quality - 2001 Toyota Sequoia
  By CincyJAS - June 25 - 10:00 am

  Legendary Toyota Quality is just that, a legend. I replaced ALL of the following in the first 12 months: 1) Control module for dashboard instruments 2) Front brake pads 3) Front rotors 4) Rear brake pads 5) Rear rotors 6) Hatch window weather seal 7) Hatch window wiper 8) Power steering pump 9) Alternator 10) Battery 11) Handgrips, coat hooks, etc. I replaced the following in year 2: 1) Brake Pads/Rotors on all 4 wheels 2) All 4 tires (between 25K - 30K miles) The on-the-fly 4 wheel drive system takes a LONG time (> 1 min) to engage.

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  My 2014 Camry vibrates makes me seasick - 2014 Toyota Camry
  By ukier - June 24 - 12:14 am

  Purchased new 2014.5 Camry SE automatic. Noticed vibration at light throttle upshifts. Toyota has acknowledged this problem in 2012-2014 Camry automatics and has issued an LSC Limited service campaign to fix software. Took my car back to dealer at 200, 500 and 1300 miles and I keep getting the "normal" story. Well, vibration at upshifts, and for several at low rpm when driving in the 40-50 mph range is not acceptable. Heading to arbitration as I hate driving the car. Be careful when purchasing, take a long test drive. Make sure low rpms doesnt shake test on a smooth stretch of road so you can tell its not just road bumps.

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  Feel every bump on the road - buy sports - 2010 Toyota RAV4
  By Kumar - June 23 - 10:00 am

  Dont buy unless you want to feel every bump on the road - The sports model with Flat-Free tire has a very noticeable bumpy ride. At this it is very annoying, with the vehicle wobbling, driver shaking like he has convulsions. Works well on a smooth and even road, which is not realistic to expect. This ride quality does even come close to 10-year old Camry and 4-year old Sienna.

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  Worst car Ive ever owned - 2001 Toyota Corolla
  By brad_peterson - June 20 - 4:12 pm

  Were scrapping the car today. It made it to 90k miles. It has the following problems: * The motor (1ZZFE) was built with a design flaw, but Toyota kept using it. Hundreds of people on the internet have reported the same thing. It burns oil until it hits a point where every 100 miles it burns 1 quart of oil. The engine went bad and needed a replacement starting at 50k miles * The catalytic converter is dead. * The rotors are bad and braking feels choppy. * The driver door handle simply broke off when I tried to open the door. * The clutch went bad at 50k miles. * Some smaller issues like a leak somewhere that mechanics couldnt find, causing repeated engine lights and EVAP codes.