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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  2012 Camry XLE at 50k miles - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By Gerry B. - January 6 - 9:04 am

  We bought this car as an early lease turn in with 22k miles. This is our third Camry & it was in excellent condition at the time of purchase. The car has a nice ride with comfortable seating. Leg & headroom in front & back is ample for 6+ foot occupants. The MPG is excellent if you drive moderately. Low MPG is 30 in stop & go traffic. The high MPG is 35+ at 75 MPH. The transmission shifts smoothly & the RPM is typically 2,000 at all set speeds. The speed shifter is handy & smooth allowing early downshifting on steep hills. The engine has reasonable acceleration for a 4 cylinder & is easy to work-on. Most of the negatives are interior related. The center console is an oversized box which is easily solved with a $12 tray purchased online. The entertainment controls are marginal. The band & station selector is sized positioned well on the steering wheel, but changing bands causes the station to revert back to the first preset rather than retaining the ones selected. The AM to FM volume disparity is high requiring that AM stations be boosted by 10. Toyota could not solve either of the previous problems. The rocker type air selector is difficult to use because you must look at the display as you cycle through the selections; a single button for each air selection is safer as they minimize your eye-time off the road. The backup visibility is poor as the trunk is high. Although, a highly rated backup camera can be purchased for $100 & installed by DIYers in a few hours. The windshield has a lot of dashboard glare possibly due to its angle or paint gloss of the dashboard. The visors require updating as the extenders are narrow & do little to block the sun with the visor on the side. Why doesnt Toyota use sliding visors like GM? They have been around for many years & work well. The most serious issue, in this car, is coasting speed. It is a safety issue as the transmission does not slow the car when your foot is lifted from the gas pedal. Maintaining control down big hills requires downshifting & heavy braking. Toyota claims it is done purposely to improve MPG. While this problem may just be with our car but I have not read other reviews with a similar complaint & Toyota could not fix the problem. Only one repair, besides 2 small recalls, was required in our 2.5 years of ownership. A single element, in the rear window defogger, was open which caused radio static with the defogger on. Turns out that the antenna is located in the rear window & was near the open element. The defogger problem was finally diagnosed & it was replaced after multiple complaints. Overall, this year & model Camry has exceptional reliability & is enjoyable to drive. Hopefully, the few problems have been fixed in more recent years.

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  Solid and durable... - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By Scottywsly - January 5 - 6:13 pm

  This is a pleasing to drive near luxury car based SUV. Has been 100% reliable. My only wish is that gas mileage was greater, and styling is a bit more sporty.

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  Camry lives up to reputation - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By joe - January 5 - 9:13 am

  This car runs better now than when it had 20,000 miles. It held its value and I am always being asked if I want to sell it and I cant let it go yet anyway. Great bang for the buck especially in this economy. Buy one youll love it; this 4 cylinder blows away many American 4 and 6 cyl of the same year. You wont regret it.

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  After 7 years, still strong! - 2003 Toyota 4Runner
  By Jason H - January 4 - 9:40 pm

  Just drove 2300 miles from California to Atlanta without a hiccup! No worries on long road trip when you have a reliable Toyota with you. Oh, and this is with 97K total miles.

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  Decent car! - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By rahdirsv - January 4 - 9:20 pm

  Bought this car as a used car a month back and it had 45k miles on it; I have already put in 5000 miles on it (mostly highway) and I get an avg of 36 mpg. Got about 40-42 mpg on a recent long trip. No problems to date; engine quite noisy compared to other imported cars I have owned but great pickup and no problems passing/driving etc. I face a similar problem that a couple of other reviewers have written about: I cant get a comfortable steering wheel hold when the leg length (seat position) is adjusted right. And if I get a good steering hold for my arm length, my legs are too close to the pedals. Probably just needs a telescopic steering column.

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  50K and still going strong - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By dkgoren - January 4 - 3:46 pm

  My 09 Camry Hybrid is approaching 3 years old and just hit 50K miles. The car has been extremely reiliable, with no mechanical failures and just doing basic maintance (oil changes every 5-7K, tire rotations, etc). I live in Maine, so in the winter, the mileage does drop to around 32, but in the summer, it can be as high as about 38 - thats not to say that I cant get above that for shorter amounts of time, but Ive yet to have a full tank average more than about 39MPG......Im still very happy with the mileage, especially with current gas prices.

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  Excellent Car - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Mountainview - January 3 - 10:13 pm

  Gave to our son 2 years ago for College use. Gave another 1999 Camry XLE car to our daughter. Both have very low maintenance, 28 Hwy mpg, 24 city 4-cyl. Very reliable. Only issue with both cars is the low exhaust pipe clearance over the bumps. Suspension system had to be changed in about 2006.

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  My fouteeth toyota - 2003 Toyota Camry Solara
  By robedixon - January 3 - 10:00 am

  Typical of all my Toyotas. Well built. Solid. User friendly. Dealer treated me very well. Had problem with brake rotors right out of the lot. Dealer came and got the car and replaced them without complaint. It is the first time in my purchasing Toyotas I have had a problem within the first 90 days so I am not disappointed.

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  A good truck but for a few nits - 2002 Toyota Tacoma
  By Mywritingdesk - January 3 - 10:00 am

  Tight and well-built. Underpowered, but this may be the fault of the tall tires which raise the effective gear ratio. Driver seat felt weird at first but my bad back loves it, even on long drives. Weird and irritationg motor rap around 2K under light load, sounds like a rod knock, but cant be heard outside the vehicle. Some folks say the 3RZ motor will just keep running regardless. Bought a 100K "wrapper" warranty just in case.

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  Rotten Egg Smell Doesnt go away - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By Neal Patwari - January 3 - 10:00 am

  To the reviewer who said that the rotten egg smell would go away after 5000 miles - no, Im sorry to say, it doesnt. This smell now stinks up my car every single time I drive it, 15000 miles later. Im very disappointed that Toyota continues to deny the problem even though consumers have been complaining for years. Although Im otherwise happy with my vehicle, they might as well sell the car with dead fish in them, as good as it smells.