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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  Overpriced, poorly built - 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By Rick62 - January 30 - 5:23 am

  I am not impressed with my purchase. I get 24mpg in town which is horrible. I have had some issues with my power window motors that have been dropping. They dont build them like they used to.

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  RELIABILTY AT ISSUE NOW-BEWARE FOLKS! - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By Steve Johnson - January 27 - 4:50 pm

  Toyotas bigger 4 cylinder engines have a higher frequency of a problem now. The issue is called a "COLD START RATTLE". Because our EPA has mandated cleaner & more efficient vehicles, the top end of these motors have many more moving parts (VVTI) The common problem now (with other brands too-Honda, etc) is a 1 second metal on metal "rattle" that occurs only at cold start (lack of oil to small moving parts in the VVT). Its loud /very noticeable and makes one wonder how long before the rattle progresses or wears out internal moving parts (ruins the top end or all of the engine). My Camry has this problem. My dealer acknowledged the problem and was instructed to replace (1) cam and did.. It did NOT solve the problem. Took it in again (Vancouver, Wa Toyota) , they kept it for a week (agreed it was still an issue) and sent me home with my Camry that still has the same pronounced cold start rattle. Dealer should have done the right thing and backed a customer in my opinion. Ours is a 2012 model with the 2.5liter & 40k on the car. Rattle started about 25k mi. Im original owner and car has been serviced better than recommended. No changes made to engine on the new model/2015-exact same design. I submitted a Lemon Law claim to the factory and they simply denied my claim with no reasoning stated. So, needless to say, Im an unhappy camper. Cant sell it in good conscience, cant keep a car with a flawed engine. Read the forums, its a fairly common problem on the 2.4 liter, 2.5 liter and 2.7 liter. So, I cant recommend the car. I do recommend the hybrid Camry however and should have bought one-fabulous car, different config. Thanks, a seasoned Engineer

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  Not what they used to be - 2004 Toyota Avalon
  By Bill Martin - January 24 - 3:40 am

  I must say I am very disappointed in this car. I know the service writer on a personal basis. A transmission at 15,000, 2 power window motors, an engine computer, and waterpump at 19,000. That is plain out bad engineering.

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  Toyota Highlander is a Gas Guzzler - 2010 Toyota Highlander
  By Chandara - January 22 - 6:46 pm

  I bought this car because I believed the stats as fact. I read that this SUV give you about 18 miles/gallon in the city. But my 2010 toyota highlander got me only 13 to 14 miles per gallon. I only got 750 miles on my SUV right now, but I had to fill up 4 times already. Each time cost me about $45.00. I am spending about $850.00 (car payment, insurance and gas)per month just to drive this car! Totally not worth it!

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  Engine Trouble - I feel misled - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By Jerry Browning - January 15 - 9:53 am

  Im one of the unlucky few (or many) with the 5.7 engine trouble. I hope Toyota recalls this engine. I feel misled by Edmunds.com for raving about this truck almost guaranteeing reliability because its a Toyota. Guess what. Toyota reliability is overated, now I know. I need to mention that this truck left me stranded out on the freeway. I had to wait 4 hours for a tow truck.

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  2005 Camry Safety Hazzard - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By stackowi - January 10 - 1:03 am

  In the fall of 2009 I purchased a used 2005 Camry LE. This has turned out to be the most unsafe car that I have ever owned. To begin with there have been multiple occurrences of unexpected acceleration which seems to be due to a design flaw in the brake pedal. It is too small and located too close to the accelerator which causes me to trounce on the gas when I intend to apply the brakes. I am very fortunate that I have not struck someone or something as this is a dangerous situation. I have taken it back to the dealer to adjust the brakes which has not helped and Toyota wants me to take it back for further examination, a process which would mean that I would have to spend money for this

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  Poor Quality - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By t1 - January 8 - 6:40 pm

  One was led to believe that toyota was higher quality, but since the start nothing but problems and at 82,000 miles fuel injectors problems on 5.7L engine. Major repair over $ 3,600. Never had a truck with this major repair with less that 100,000 miles. Not built to stand up to heavy duty use.

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  HR-V is far Superior - 2018 Toyota C-HR
  By Mitchell - January 8 - 1:15 am

  Test drove the C-HR and was completely underwhelmed - specifically with the power train, driving dynamics, and tech. Engine is completely uninspiring and the CVT technology seems like it is from 2010. I would not trust safely passing anyone in this car on a two lane road. Steering feel is numb and light, which I expected for a Toyota. Handling was OK, the car felt somewhat secure going around turns when trying to drive with some gusto (very difficult to do that due to the weak powertrain). No Carplay or Android auto is unacceptable for a 2018 model and onboard infotainment is nothing to write home about. Truly a shame because the exterior styling of the car is attractive! I test drove a Honda HR-V after this and found that it is a superior car in every category - I ended up purchasing it later that day! My opinion - dont buy this car until you test drive an HR-V.

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  Disappointed in 2012 - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By seaview7 - January 7 - 5:50 am

  For those of you that have not owned an older Camry, you will not realize how much Toyota has "cheapened" the quality of the new cars. (Even the mechanics at my dealer have told me so. And those guys know!) My other Camry is a 2005 model, and I cant believe how much better the interior looks and feels when compared to the new 2012. The new 2012 seats are smaller, tighter, thinner, harder... and the low quality plastic on the dashboard and door panels is an embarrassment! Even the steering wheel is worse. Open the 2012 door, and you immediately notice how "light" and cheap it feels. My 2005 door is solid, heavy, and closes with a "thunk." Not so on the new 2012.

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  Overall really poor quality for a Toyota - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Michael Gala - January 7 - 2:11 am

  Really really poor quality for a Toyota product as I have owned or driven them for large parts of my life. So lets start with the exterior. Very crappy paint, as it is very easy to scratch, have a new scratch just from my summer coat sleeve, and one from just leaning my fishing pole against the side for a second to close the tailgate, in some ways its almost like it didnt get a clear coat. The metal exterior shell is flimsy and the doors sound hallow when you close them, and just seem extremely cheap construction. So on to the interior: From the start the heating/AC system made a really high pitched almost squealing sound for the first 5-7 minutes each time you start using it then would go away. During the first heavy rain the Truck started leaking water into the passenger side thru the passenger handle which has an airbag in it, after inspection at least 1 seem on that side of the vehicle was not welded at the factory. Which the dealer said will take a bit of time to fix and would need to keep the truck. Which want to then charge me for the rental for a MFG defect. This is all in the first just over 3 months of owning the new Tacoma. I would not recommend it to anyone until they 1 upgrade the crappy materials and construction to include a better quality control system at factory. Though I do like the new overall look and additions both inside and out of the 2016 Tacoma, the quality is completely void in this years model.