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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  Disappointed - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By welz - December 15 - 12:46 pm

  The RAV runs great, but rides like a light little toy, too much road noise, maybe the tires? The hood looks likes its going to fly off going down the freeway, my front bumper popped out a couple of times, cheap plastic clips that melted in the Arizona sun. The right mirror rattled so much they had to replace the whole assembly. My latest disappointment is that my air compressor just went out! Not a good thing in the middle of summer in AZ.

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  Cannot help but like it - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By RF in Ohio - December 15 - 9:46 am

  Wife wanted one. I drive it on weekends and have taken it on a few road trips. Other car is V6 Accord and until Prius were always Honda people. When we bought the Prius, we gave 03 Civic Hybrid to one of our kids. Typical Toyota steering feel, soft, unlike the Hondas so many of us like. Beyond that, great car. Unbelievably spacious, excellent sound system, runs very well at highway speeds, and gets very good gas mileage. I check mpg manually with regularity. The gauge mpg readout can be right on, or off as much as 5% high or low. Same with Civic but not as bad. Have gotten as much as 53 on highway, typically 41-43 in mixed, lower in dead of winter. Would not hesitate to buy another one.

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  OVERALL EXCELLENT and easy to customize - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By superflykhaeyo - December 15 - 1:39 am

  Bought this car in 01/2014, it is 7/24/2014 and had to do NOTHING, but an oil change,, ERROR FREE. love the sequential shift. this car handles GREAT in the snow,however the seats are UNCOMFORTABLE The transmission shifts HARD when you release gas at highway speeds, but this transmission is VERY responsive and gets very sporty when you drive agressively, it is very helpfull but the handling sucks because the steering is SLOW, and sooo UN-ATHLETIC, but changing lights(interior) are very easy, everything normally pops out with a screwdriver and headlight are simple too

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  Echo maintains Toyotas good reputation - 2001 Toyota Echo
  By Strother - December 15 - 1:00 am

  I thought that the Echo looked interesting, and wasnt as "everyman" as a Corolla or a Camry was at the time. All in all, this is a great car for folks that want Toyota quality, sharp, original looks, economical upkeep and FUN driving for a relatively low cost. My Echo, which had everything on it that I could get, cost $12,500. Not bad. Im so sold that Ive even encouraged a friend to buy one, and they love it too. Spread the word!

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  Jerky disappointment - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By phoward47 - December 13 - 7:20 pm

  The transmission shifts jerky at low speed. Slow down to 8-10 mph (like at a yield) and press the gas normal and the car will jerk hard as it downshifts from second to first. Think of a young kid learning to drive a clutch. That is the best way to describe this. The bigger problem comes when passing on the freeway. You see a gap and floor it but nothing happens for 3-5 seconds. I think this is because there is no longer a cable from the gas pedal to the engine... its all done by computer now. My 99 Camry with 160,000 miles had better throttle response and shifted smoother than this car does!

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  1999 ToyTacomaReview by PJM - 1999 Toyota Tacoma
  By taco1999 - December 13 - 2:28 pm

  I bought my Tacoma used nine years ago, and I have done all of the required maintenance. The only thing that has ever required replacing due to failure was the mass air flow sensor. It went out about a year after I bought the Tacoma. The engine still worked with the blown mass air flow sensor; it just would not accelerate smoothly. These 3.4 Liter V6 engines are great motors as far as power and reliability, but they do not get good gas mileage. Mine gets anywhere between 17-19 miles per gallon depending on where and how I am driving it. Anybody who says they are getting above 20 miles per gallon is driving down hill with their ignition off or dropping it out of an airplane.

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  Just an average car - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By ebisayako - December 12 - 10:30 pm

  Upon buying this car I was so impressed with the quality of the material, the fit and finish especially the quietness of the ride. Until this last few months when the doors start to rattle and the mpg is not great enough as a hybrid, average 30 mpg.

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  05 Toyota Sienna - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By happy r/c - December 12 - 8:10 pm

  After my horror reliability experience with a 04 Nissan Quest minivan, I replaced it with a 05 Toyota Sienna. Its not trouble free but at least the fixes get fixed the first time UNLIKE Nissan. MINOR ISSUES: - crack in drivers side mirror - broken flip-out drawer below stereo - side-moulding came off due to a bad 2-sided tape MAJOR ISSUES: - Drivers door recalled due to bad weld - 4 yrs/65k miles, rack and pinion steering broke(my cost $1400) - 4 yrs/65k miles, the sliding doors hinge sagged (dealer wanted $1100 for just parts but I bought the $100 part and independent bodyshop replaced it for less) - interior light drains battery when doors left open so we keep lights off

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  Cool little car - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By Phil - December 12 - 12:30 am

  This is an exceptional little car. Nimble, smooth, comfortable and quiet. Peppy at city speeds and adequate on the freeway. Engine noise typical for the class, but road and wind noise are hushed. Front seats very comfortable, though steering wheel a bit too far from driver. Large trunk. Adequate leg room in back seat for a 6-footer. Center gauges not a problem. Stylish interior. We liked the Honda Fit, but thunderous road noise and slow acceleration were deal breakers. Yaris somehow felt more solid and substantial. Professional car reviewers are enthusiasts and write reviews from that perspective. We found many of their complaints to be exaggerated or bogus. Give this car a test drive.

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  Give it a try - 2006 Toyota Camry Solara
  By novie - December 11 - 1:14 pm