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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  Good Solid Economy Car - 2008 Toyota Corolla
  By Eric - September 15 - 12:26 pm

  This is my 3rd Toyota (have a Tacoma & traded the Camry). The Corolla S is a sporty looking and handling car, a bit short on the power but what you get in return is good fuel economy. When you close the doors you know you have purchased a good solid automobile. My only complaint is the steering wheel is a bit awkward and uncomfortable as far as hand placement on long drives. Overall, Im completely satisfied with this car so far.

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  Great Package - 2010 Toyota 4Runner
  By SoCalSurfer - September 15 - 6:56 am

  Looked at the MDX, RX350, FX35, Q5, Pathfinder and the 4Runner was the best all-around package. Initial target was another Lexus crossover but stumbled upon this body on frame SUV that drives just as smooth on new roads (no exaggeration) but you remember that you are in a real SUV on bumpy areas (though very impressed that it doesnt bounce like the SR5 — Limited comes with XREAS). For the price and options this was hands down the winner and also the coolest vehicle in the group. The 4Runner is not perfect but hits a sweet spot.

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  Fun car - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By kevin - September 15 - 4:43 am

  Fuel economy is great and you dont have to sacrifice looks to get this in a car. This is a very fun car to drive and I recommend this car to anyone.

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  My Corolla - 2006 Toyota Corolla
  By Pete - September 15 - 4:10 am

  I now have over 6,000 miles on my Corolla, and am still happy with it. Engine performance is more than adequate, in fact it will actually spin the front tires from a stand- still on black top. Shifting is extremely smooth, (automatic trans). Fuel mileage is extremely good. On my second fuel up, but only on highway driving, I achieved 40.3 miles per gallon. I must confess that I was driving "GrandMa style", since the car had very few miles. I was still very impressed. Overall, and typically Toyota, this car is a great value, with Lexus quality. Perfect fit and finish, comfortable seating for 4 adults, with styling that doesnt lift anyones eyebrow. Its a conservative car looking car. I like.

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  Very pleased - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Chris Colbert - September 15 - 3:58 am

  Only owned this new car for a few weeks but are very pleased with everything this car offers. Will be taking our first long road trip in a few weeks.

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  The Best Car I Have Ever Owned - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By T Jensen - September 15 - 2:36 am

  What a great vehicle. The Camry has a ton of style and lots of interior room without being to bulky on the outside. I wasnt looking to buy a Camry. The previous models lacked style, but this year it is modern. The gas milage is great. I have even reached 39 miles per gallon on long road trips.

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  Not so comfortable front seats - 2015 Toyota Sienna
  By Mohan - September 14 - 12:46 pm

  Pros 1.The handling is very nice and doesnt feel that you driving a minivan. 2.I see many users complained about cheap plastic materials, and I personally don’t see that as a big issue. I see lot of interior parts on Ebay and they are not very expensive. Cons: 1. The steering wheel center is not aligned with the center of the front driver side seat. The issue I personally see with that is ,the steering wheel center is little inwards to the seat. While driving ,I was used to holding the steering wheel with my left arm placed on the armrest. Now with this miss alignment, the hand is not conveniently reachable to place it on the armrest while holding the steering wheel. This is a big discomfort while doing the long drives. I am not sure if very tall people will have this problem, but I am 59" and I feel the problem. I am not sure if this is any way related, even the seats are too comfortable for long drives. I used to rent dodge caravan before having this van and I never felt this issue. I also rented Kia Sedona and even those seats are very comfortable. This steering and seat alignment I believe will also be for 2016 and 2017 models since Toyota did not redesign any major physical changes. 2. The Voice recognition is technically useless. My cell phone has much voice recognition system than my 35k van. 3. The USB port cant keep up with the Smartphone charging and its very slow. 4. The gas mileage is not as per the EPA numbers. On the high way I am getting around 23 and that’s 2 below the EPA 25.When checked with the dealer, he told that the mileage ratings were form EPA and they have nothing to do with it. I saw the KIA Sedons EPA ratings and they are different for each model and the highest model has the least rating. I assume it has to do with the extra equipment they added on the vehicle. If that’s the case how come all the Siennas have same EPA ratings irrespective of the sub-model. 5. Quality- My GPS broke in less than a year and its been more than 3 months and the dealer did not replace it yet. 6. The seats are not 100% leather. Only the upper surfaces are leather. I have no issue until that part. But the adjustable hand rests are not in leather and that’s one of the pieces that you would touch a lot. I have a leather wrapped steering and they missed to add this small detail on the adjustable arm rests. 7. Not a big fan for their entune app except for their low fuel prompt and suggesting the nearest gas station. Also their live traffic update system is very slow and sometime its useless. I still rely on google maps for live traffic updates. I wish Toyota has android auto and that was really cool. I used it in an rental Hyundai Sanota and I really liked it. 8. The surround system for their audio is not calibrated correctly. You feel that all the sound is coming from the front speakers. I believe they calibrated it like for a car and ignored the 3rd row seats. I had to adjust the sound more to the back speakers to have that proper surround sound effect. 9. While making the U turn, I could hear a squeaking sound coming from the rear tires. I was not only the one with that issue. My friend went for a test drive and he complained the same and he did not ended buying a sienna. He bought an 4runner instead.

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  What happened to Toyota - 2001 Toyota Sequoia
  By smyroad - September 14 - 3:50 am

  Five years of ownership, 100,000+ miles. Front suspension broke with no warning (not a recall). VSC randomly malfunctions. Rear door handle snapped off. Interior plastic pieces pop off like popcorn. Rear cargo compartment door won’t stay closed. Radio/CD Player sounds like a close-n-play. Emergency brake that requires adjustment every 1,000 miles. Brakes squeal when backing up – Service Department calls it Normal. Constant steering input required to keep it straight ahead – even on calm days. At a stop the transmission kicks forward. Feels like someone bumped the rear. Alarm sounds 50% of the time when unlocking the doors. To many to list here.

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  Fixed in 2016 models?? - 2015 Toyota Tundra
  By Burner_T - September 14 - 3:46 am

  I agree with most of the other reviews - this is an awesome truck! The exhaust...remember the lion roaring at the beginning of movies? Yeah, that is this truck every time you start it. It has a nice rumble all around. I tow a 16 foot enclosed trailer with the ATVs and dirt bikes. It sounds cliche but you would never know it was back there. I came out of a 2007 Suburban that had a hard time pulling a little red wagon so this thing is fantastic. The seats...wish they were leather. The gas tank absolutely sucks on this model year. In a vehicle that only gets 13 mpg you would expect a little bigger tank than a puny 20 gallons. One thing I have not read in any reviews concerns the headlights. They blow. The brights are fine but the normal lights are flat out terrible. Thought maybe it was an alignment thing...but it isnt. Parking this thing takes a little while to get used to as well. I love the back up camera and usually back into the spots. Ive had an Excursion, F150, and Suburban and they were all easier to park than this beast. I freaking love it. So in sum - CONS: headlights, gas tank, and no leather seats PROS: I own one and you dont! :)

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  1 complaint - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By JMo - September 14 - 12:50 am

  I love everything about this car but 1 thing. Everything scratches / stains really easily. My pin strip is pealing off a little but toyota will fix it for free. I have a couple scratches in my glove box already and the floor mats soak up dirt like no tomorrow. I can over look it though because other than that it is completely outstanding!