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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  Almost bought one.... but in the end, had to pass - 2018 Toyota Camry
  By Chad Shephard - April 18 - 6:27 pm

  Overall we were ok with the car despite 8 gear some what clunky shift. But in the end we realize not having CarPlay is a deal breaker. We used it with other rentals and found out how important this feature was. We just cant see ourselves stuck with this car without the feature for 5+ years.

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  Disappointed - 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By Patticakes - April 15 - 2:00 pm

  We bought this car with "being green" in mind, and turned out to be a big disappointment. Gas mileage is not what was expected. Battery has failed three times. Seat heaters are mediocre. Horrible noise in car when back seat windows are down or cracked. Where is the Bluetooth option? IPod option? Third seat is for pets -- not sized for humans. Will not own another one.

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  Should have stuck with Civic - 2013 Toyota Corolla
  By berkshirebabe - April 15 - 1:50 pm

  I had a 2008 Civic sedan and was getting itchy for a new car. I looked at the 2013 Civics first and almost bought one, but had trouble with the dealership. So Toyota had 0% financing and I went to look at Corollas. I loved the new red SE--cute and more stylish than the 2013 Civic. I test drove it and it was smaller than the Civic and rode OK, but the controls seemed a little "cheap" and there was not much in-dash storage for things like CDs. I ended up buying the car because I made a great deal on it. Well, 2 weeks later--I miss my Civic like CRAZY! I really feel like I took step down in quality and space. The car is super-tiny inside (and I am only 5 feet tall).

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  HORRIBLE DRIVETRAIN - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Don Cain - April 14 - 6:28 am

  The 2016 Tacoma with the v6 is horrible when using cruise control. When traveling 75mph or higher with cruise control on transmission does not want to shift out of 4th gear most of the time which results in poor fuel economy. It will shift into 5th sometimes but usually stays in 4th gear. I drove from Omaha, ne. to Denver Co. mostly in 4th gear because it would not shift into a higher gear, I got a whopping 14.6 miles to the gallon. I cant believe I traded my 2015 Tacoma for a 2016 Tacoma. I was told by a Toyota Service Mgr. that this truck needs a turbo charger because it lacks so much power. I have called Toyota Corp. I have had the truck in twice once in Denver and once in Omaha and was told this is how the truck is suppose to run. I called Toyota Corp. They were no help what so ever. Toyota knows this drivetrain is terrible but will not do anything about it.

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  softex seats - 2013 Toyota RAV4
  By edward_001 - April 11 - 1:24 pm

  my ratings for the vehicle are based heavily on what I believe to be inferior seats for the extra money that is paid for the limited. there is a big price jump from the ex-l to limited and they try to justify some of it with the softex seats. if you are want good quality leather seats, these will fall way short. when you are doing test drives, pay particular attention to how the seat feels. compare it to the leather seats in the Honda crv or mazda cx-5. you will feel the difference. if seat comfort is not that important to you and you dont mind spending the extra $3000 for limited, then you can disregard this review.

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  Reformed Toyota Buyer - 1998 Toyota 4Runner
  By Run Away - April 10 - 10:00 am

  Mine needed an engine rebuild with less than 60,000 miles on it. The car was gently driven and well-maintained, using only synthetic oil. I was on a road trip, seven months pregnant, and I got stuck 750 miles from home with few options. The dealership charged me $5500 to replace the short block - $4000 in parts alone. There is more to say about the conduct of the dealer, but I dont have the space. When I called Toyota to complain, the company told me I was welcome to take my business elsewhere. Toyota would not stand by its product and did not care about how the dealership treated me. I have owned Toyotas all of my life but will never buy another.

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  Dont have a problem or else - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Toyotapan - April 10 - 10:00 am

  Our car had a transmission failure at 3,500 miles. Transmission was replaced and then still had serious safety issues. Dealer tried to fix but to no avail. Toyota region declared a lemon and then insisted that at a time when 2005s are out we had to take an identical 2004 after waiting and inconvenience for 3 months. They were never concerned about our inconvenience or that my familys safety was at risk while they tried to fix it. Toyota customer service is no better and perhaps worse than others!!!

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  UNDER POWERED BIG TIME - 1997 Toyota RAV4
  By stargazer32 - April 7 - 2:00 am

  This SUV has been reliable the gas milage varies 21-25 avg. It is very noisy when the engines revs high going up hills the trans works hard with many down shifts as the engine comes within a 100 RPMs of redline, very under powered.

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  Is OK ..Just Ok - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By pointswest - April 5 - 8:52 am

  This was a replacement to years of minivans.. I was surprised that reliability has not been as good as I expected from what I was told of Toyota ( good marketing I guess),and some repair items under warranty required discussion elevated to dealer manager before issue was resolved. To the question , Will I buy another Toyota ? probably not

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  I hate this car more than anything. - 2012 Toyota Prius c
  By lspeed1983 - April 3 - 5:02 am

  My fiance just bought this car a few months ago and claims to love it. Despite this she still always finds a reason to take my 2012 Golf TDI rather than her Pruis C. Way to often I get stuck with her loud, annoying, joyless, unrefined, hopelessly slow, dork box of a car. Im a car guy not a Prius guy, so I dont and never will understand.