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:

• 

  "Okay" car overall, but wouldnt buy again - 2010 Toyota Venza
  By burrowsb - October 6 - 2:43 am

  pros: edgy body style, roomy interior, auto-up/down on all windows, fun "gadgets" (i.e. push-button start, voice activated phone, remote open/close rear hatch, touch-lock door handles), panoramic roof, reclining rear seats. cons: pretty bad rear and side/rear visibility when changing lanes/passing (a consequence of the edgy body style mentioned above). Blind spots have led to close calls more than once. This alone is enough to make me regret my purchase. Rear view camera is too limited to be of much help. Mileage is pretty poopy. No rear dome light when you open rear hatch in the dark (very odd oversight).

• 

  Too many problems! - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By discgem - September 25 - 2:00 am

  While I expected alot from Toyota, I did not expect to have the constant noisy brakes. I have replaced the brake pads at 60,000 and had one rotor turned at a cost of $400. I had to replace a fuel oxygen valve-=$200. And now I have to replace bad front shock block pads, as well as turning rod axles and boots at a cost of $1500!! This car is turning out to be a lemon.

• 

  What a poor car! - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Immed - September 25 - 2:00 am

  2002 Camry SE V6 has a good exterior, lots of power & acceleration and a reasonable price, but.. From the begining its had a front end vibration that has not been diagnosed. There is a clunking in the transmission and the car will not accelerate when the engine is cold. Theres no response from the engine or the car starts then stops then starts, etc. on acceleration. Throttle housing has a defect & I must run it 15 minutes in park when its cold to get it to move. Throttle response gets worse worse as the car ages. Zero traction in wet or snowy weather. Steering is "wobbly". The power seat no longer adjusts properly.

• 

  Not the best choice - 2000 Toyota Avalon
  By Jim - September 25 - 1:06 am

  Over the years the car has not done well, time to sell - the VSC is OFF, light on dash - will cost $600 to fix a $600 option, the gas gauge stops at 1/4 tank. 8 years of below average, constantly small items - trouble w/ stereo, woofer blew out, squeaks, had interoir parts replaced. In 2nd year of ownership, the leather peeled off steering wheel. That was replaced under warranty. Hopefully they got better, disappointed overall.

• 

  Oh what a feeling? - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By SubVet - September 22 - 2:10 am

  Have had the car little over two and a half years. Honestly the first and only one I will ever have. About every 20K have to lube steering column, have done 2 four wheel alignments, now on third set of tires. Scrubbed curb and did $1000 damage to suspension alone. Ride is fair at best. Yea, I guess I could weld the hood shut my expenses have all be under the car. Will not ever consider one again.

• 

  Disappointed - 2005 Toyota Tundra
  By Jeff - September 15 - 1:56 am

  I want to start out by saying that my family and I have owned several Toyota vehicles. All have been super reliable, great gas economy (much better than sticker) and Toyota has stood behind their product, until now. The dealership I dealt with is being very nice, but my fuel economy has been very poor (taken to the dealership 4 times) and constant supension and alignment issues (dealer visits 3 times for this). The Toyota Master Technician and my sales rep have called my problems abnormal, unusual and uncommon, and I have followed all of Toyotas recommendations (tire pressure, gas choice and grade, driving conditions) and nothing has changed. Important to note: no towing or large loads.

• 

  Poor gas Mileage - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By Sameer - September 10 - 8:22 am

  I recently bought 2015 Camry-SE 4-cyl. Most of my drive during the week is 90% on freeways/highways and about 10% in the city. I have consistently observed the gas mileage around 28, which is well below the claims. Previously, my Honda accord 2001 with the same kind of drive used to give me close to 35. I expected that the new camry should be atleast that much fuel efficient, but am disappointed and this is my biggest concern when the fuel costs are high. Toyota customer service tried to blame it on the weather and road conditions, which is not an acceptable explanation. Another observation is that the dashboard indicators do not have good contrast and are difficult to see.

• 

  I love Avolon - 2004 Toyota Avalon
  By Peter Farell - September 8 - 10:00 am

  Toyota is a very fun car to ride in.It is a real family or older peoples car. It is vert safe yet comfertable and reliable

• 

  Tundra Offroad?? - 2008 Toyota Tundra
  By Dashboard - September 4 - 9:30 am

  Do not buy if you farm, ranch, backroad, camp, hunt, drive in snow, ice or mud. My 2000 TRD Tundra was a dream. I live in Colorado high country & drive in all the worst conditions & environments list above. The truck is a city or highway vehicle. No front tire chains. Clearance too low. Also; if you wear a shoe or boot size larger than Japanese size 8 watch out for the driver-side floor heater duct. My muddy boots (size 12) kept hitting the duct when I applied the brakes. The bed is to high for side access without a step stool.

• 

  Bad ride - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By anm - September 3 - 12:06 am

  I like my new Camry as far as looks, however, I find the ride to be thumpy and a lot of roll and pitch. I feel everything in the road surface. Test driven models seemed OK but the one I actually bought seems to not ride very well. Also, I dont like the head rest leaning so far forward. Really hard to sit in a good ergonomic position w/o having the headrest pushing my head forward. I would like all car manufacturers to have repositionable headrests, like the 1994 Camry had.