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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  Gas Millage is Not Good. - 2013 Toyota Camry
  By surge3 - December 25 - 7:51 pm

  Purchased the SE 4 cyl. This car has only given me an average of 350 miles for a full tank of gas. The most I have ever got was about 400 MPG on cruse control (about 70 mph) at midnight from Las Vegas to Southern California, yes I purposely filled-up the tank and measured it, with no traffic. I drive the car with a light foot on the gas to try and get the most MPG out of it and still only about 21-22mpg. I also fill it up with the highest octane but only 21-22 mpg. I also dont hit much traffic since I drive on the freeway before and after traffic hours. I have taken it back to Toyota and they just tell me that nothing is wrong with the car. I plan on following-up again with them.

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  Moonstone Dashboard is Glaringly Bright - 2016 Toyota Prius
  By m r - December 14 - 12:46 pm

  I have been waiting for the 2016 Prius in hopes of buying one. I test drove one, and the dashboard was so brightly colored that it hurt my eyes. I dont like black interiors so I dont know what to buy now since these are the only 2 options. I hope that the dashboard color can be toned down to the color of the older models. My 2011 Prius with the gray interior is perfect. It would also be good to have fog lights on Prius 2 models. They are only available on the Touring 3 and 4 models.

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  Rented for 600 miles in 3 days - 2007 Toyota Matrix
  By saidiadude - December 12 - 9:00 pm

  Rented a brand new 06 Matrix (1K miles) on a vacation trip. We were thinking of buying one, so it was a great to test one out for an extended period of time. Gas mileage was great, but it lacked power (was very loud as it kicked into lower gears on hills - 2 people and luggage), accelerator was very sensitive, and the interior felt very cheap. Seats were comfortable for a few hours but sagged after a while. Should be OK for local commutes. Exterior shape is pleasing to the eye but put together cheaply. We hit a small pothole at low speed (5mph) and one side of the front air dam popped off. Found out that it was held together by plastic screws when I went to snap it back together!

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  not good for this price car - 1999 Toyota Avalon
  By Don como - December 12 - 10:00 am

  I have had an oil leak, emergency brake that sticks and never has been fixed properly, in fact it has to be adjusted again after they installed a new one, I have a side mldg falling off, the windshield motors and linkage had to be replaced, I have had the air bag light stay on and come on while riding in the car. Right now their is a metal clanging noise in the motor. The car has only 27,000 miles on it. For the price paid for this car I would rate as a picece of junk. My problem is not with the dealer, it is the quality of the car, they talk about Toyota quality, not with this car.

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  Plastic Door Handles - 1999 Toyota Sienna
  By PlasticToyotas - December 7 - 2:33 am

  Why on Earth would ANY car company use plastic door handles that break continuously? We are extremely gentle on the handles since we discovered this scam that Toyota has. The handles still break. Since buying this van all of the door handles have been broken at least once and some have broken more than once. Again, we are very gentle with the door handles and they still break. This is such an issue with me that I will NOT buy another Toyota that has plastic parts that are pulled on. My drivers door handle just cost $125 (parts only) at the dealership, the only place locally to get the parts. I have no plans to ever buy a Toyota again because of this.

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  Fuel economy sucks! - 2015 Toyota RAV4
  By John C. - December 2 - 1:07 pm

  First and foremost, you will NEVER EVER see anything close to 30mpg. If the wind is pushing you from behind and you are going down a large mountain slope you may get 27. But I average close to 23 mpg highway. Maybe 24 mpg on a good day if the wind is just right. However 50-60 mph seems to be its sweetspot, you will average 35 or better, but for whatever reason once you hit the highway doing 70+ its all over. So on that end you are better off buying something with a V-8. Power is adequate but if you want to pass somebody it takes a while. The brakes are noisey especially if it sits outside for more than 12 hours, the rotors rust up very fast, but the noise goes away after 10 minutes of driving. Had an issue with a window leak the first day of my lease. Interior is roomy, very easy to get in and out of. Older friends getting in and out of the back seat sing praises. Back seats recline which is nice and also fold down for much needed room when moving large items. Dirt and road salt seem to find its way easily under the door trim which tells me in a few years you can count on rust issues. The 4wd is nice. It does what its supposed to. Gives you the confidence to drive in almost any driving conditon. Overall, the LE model is basic transportation. Nothing flashy. Nothing to brag about, it just gets you to your destination and back. If it truly got 30mpg, I would like it much more and Id probably keep it, but the fuel economy is what kills it for me.

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  Great design, poor quality - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Gabriel - November 28 - 3:03 pm

  The design is excellent, but since the very beginning I have had numerous qualtiy problems. Battery dead twice. Sliding door did not work (spring broken), despite many repairs, sun roof auto feature does not work, air conditioning broke down (car two and a half weeks in shop), back panel of driver seat fell off, heated driver seat did not work, also one or two recalls.

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  Wow, not what I had expected - 2006 Toyota Tundra
  By Zack - November 23 - 11:26 am

  Not sure what Ive got myself into. Im on the verge of chalking this one up as a huge disappointment. The exhaust sounds like it has a leak and is consistently loud at low speeds. The brakes dont act right, stop fine, but front to back seem to engage at different times. Have noticed a slight lean in the rear of the bed. Front end ride was nice and firm at first, but getting sloppy and coarse - worse with loads. What I had expected was a no frills, solidly built, refined truck. I really cant say thats what I got. Now I have the headache of dealing with the dealership to try to address these problems. Bought new w/7miles on OD. 91 oct reqd 4 quiet engine.

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  Toyotas Complacency and Arrogance hurts - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By Dave - November 22 - 6:10 am

  Im VERY disappointed. Not as refined as it should be. The strange dash design is different for no purpose other than novelty. It is neither functionally nor space- efficient. Any departure from "normal" in something like a car where there is a huge does of safety involved, by golly better offer HUGE benefits, and the Prius doesnt. Not enough tactile identification and feedback on the dash controls. Thankfully they kept Toyotas "best in the world" cruise control multi-function stalk. The ride is harsher than need be, and the seats are extremely hard and uncomfortable. And no power adjustments? This is 2010! Outward visibility is poor. Too many distractions, including a split rear window.

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  10k miles in 3 months: reliable but uncomfortable - 2010 Toyota RAV4
  By tunisjs - November 20 - 12:55 pm

  I bought 2010 Rav4 base 4x4 at Carmax on my return from overseas. I needed a reliable, roomy SUV quickly for a long road trip. I love to drive. Fully loaded with stuff, using a/c, 28mpg highway (despite only 4 gears, a happy surprise). Totally reliable, lots of storage room, side swinging rear door ok, full size spare tire a godsend. Grossly uncomfortable driving position for this 62" 210lb male, no lumbar support, my knees rubbed against console and window controls. The worst was the loud, arthritic creaking from all the RAV4s body joints on launches, turns and stops! It sounded like a Yugo. Whats up with Toyota? I traded it in on a used GLK.