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:

• 

  Wish I hadnt bought it - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By VerySorry - May 13 - 6:23 am

  This car looks great and the build quality is good. It is relatively comfortable inside. But it has a severe hesitation problem on acceleration and my Toyota dealer wont acknowledge it or do anything about it. And Ive never gotten close to the EPA estimated MPG - the first time I can say that for any car Ive owned. Its rated for 34 on the highway and the best Ive ever gotten is about 29. Unacceptable for a car thats as much of a dog as this one. I get better mileage with my BMW 325i. Though this car will last many years, Im suffering from serious buyers remorse.

• 

  Toyota 4_Runner - 2002 Toyota 4Runner
  By RJ Rose - May 11 - 10:00 am

  First 10 months with 2002 4-Runner have been exceptional. Fuel mileage on long trips averages at 20.5 mpg travelling at 70-75 mph (where speed limits and conditions permit). Reliability has been perfect in the first 10,000 miles.

• 

  Perry Como - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Arnold - May 11 - 6:30 am

  The car is slow as a slug when starting out. I have had 4 cylinder Grand AMs with 40 less horsepower that accelerated better than this car. I took the car back for the service bulletin fix but the recalibration of the computer did not help the acceleration problem. If you slow down then give it the gas it takes a second to respond. I have almost been rear ended on two occasions this month. I really wanted to love the car but I am merely satisfied with it because of this problem. This car replaced my 2001 Ford Taurus that had only 8 more hp, but it felt like it was an Indy car compared to Perry Como the nickname for my Camry - smooth but slow.

• 

  Good family hauler - 2008 Toyota RAV4
  By tireguy - May 11 - 4:53 am

  No surprises with the RAV4. I dove into this purchase with extensive research, and optioned it precisely to suit my familys needs (well, mostly my needs): Limited, V6, 4wd, leather, JBL, 3rd row, tow package. On paper, its exactly what a family of 5 needs to motor about the local area (with three kids in car seats) in a bit of style. What this vehicle lacks (unbeknownst to the spec-sheet analyst) is any serious personality. Its fast, but handles like a van. Its a suitable light-medium duty tow vehicle; I frequently tow a 2,000 lb enclosed trailer and barely know its there. The interior is laid out fine. Exteriorwise, the front is nice, but the back bumper is just plain ugly.

• 

  Dont believe all bad reviews. - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By s bonom - May 10 - 7:20 am

  Ive owned my black camry se 4 cyl for 4 yrs now, and its been a very good car overall. Drives good, quiet engine with power I didnt expect from a 4 cyl. Good gas mileage - 30 in city. Turns low rpms due to 6 speed trans. Not so good - Plastic interior, and fake leather, but durable. Interior really doesnt look that bad. Exterior paint chips & scratches off easily - thats my biggest complaint.

• 

  Great car with Options - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By jnealy87 - May 9 - 6:35 pm

  I previously left my review back in 2012 and now its 2015 and its been better and I had the transmission serviced and now have no issues with the car at all im at 98000 miles and its running strong and the build quality has improved and looks a lot better now that the recalls on dashboard has been done and it fixed a lot of mismatches with the pillars and things and now my car is fully cleaned and detailed and its great to have a car that I trust on the road my car does not burn any oil and thats with me changing the oil every 3000 miles and I havent missed a oil change and I get 28 to 30 hwy and city I get 25.8 so I havent gotten 31 mpg yet and I drive the car once a week straight hwy ....

• 

  not perfect, but pretty good - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By David - May 9 - 4:43 am

  Never owned a Toyota, I was looking forward to it, I heard the stories(the cars never die). I believe that may be the case with this van,though it has not been with out flaws. Cons: Its underpowered compared to other vans I have driven, A loose body panel? Come on its a toyota, that shouldnt happen! At 53K the Radiator sprung a leak (Because of the design it cant be fixed by radiator shops,had to be replaced, $500! not good).mileage is below average (we never get over 19mpg on a tank) Pros: This sucker rides better than ANY luxury car I have been in (4200 lbs!) AWD is awesome, Interior is very solid & functional,great seats, it has 83k and drives like its showroom new. Hard to find a better Van.

• 

  Bastard child - 2010 Toyota 4Runner
  By 4Runner5thGen - May 9 - 4:03 am

  Do you know what you get when you cross the FJ Cruiser and the 4th generation 4Runner? The 5th generation 4Runner. I affectionately call it the "bastard child" regarding its new look. A combination of each. I understand Toyota is discontinuing the FJ and I believe they intentionally designed the new 4Runner to reflect both looks to appeal to both buyers. I just traded my 2004 Sport V8 AWD for this new guy and yes it has a few shortcomings in comparison but I hope I love it in the long run as I have my 04.

• 

  What more could you ask for? - 2002 Toyota Prius
  By USMC - May 8 - 9:30 pm

  This car has everything you could want from a sedan--reliability, unreal MPG, and low maintenance costs. Its definitely not the sexiest thing out there, but the money saved on fuel could be spent on YOU instead of some oil execs salary. The seats are a bit on the proletariat side, and youll defeinitely notice their stiffness on longer commutes if youre used to leather seats. Overall, I love this car, and would reccommend it to anyone.

• 

  Great Car but... - 2013 Toyota Avalon
  By jpaul5 - May 8 - 3:24 pm

  2013 Avalon Limited with every option. I really enjoy my Avalon. I would put it at 4 out of five stars for about every category. Overall, this car represents value for the money. It is sporty yet refined, pretty fun to drive if you never push the limits and has enough technology built in. It has its faults like every car and Toyota. Its no sports car. And for a Toyota I am not impressed with the build quality. Surprising problems with a falling headliner and rattling door with the stereo playing. I havent had the rear view or dash glare problems that some have complained about. I mostly think those are bogus. Toyotas Entune works sporadically with my iPhone 4 and I am disappointed with it