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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  Irreplaceable - 2003 Toyota RAV4
  By seewun - January 8 - 10:00 am

  I have had this car for 7 + years and 82,000 miles. I have replaced tires and battery, but no problems, except starting to get a few rattles. Runs great. I like the styling of this car and its comfortable ride. I want to upgrade some of the features like keyless entry, variable speed intermittent wipers, fog lights, and some other comfort items, but I dont like the design of the newer models. They lose out on looks and dont have AWD. My choice seems to be enjoy this car until it doesnt run any more and live without the perks, or change to a new kind of car altogether.

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  love it - 2013 Toyota Prius c
  By jummy - January 8 - 7:55 am

  Ive only had it for 3 days, but Im in love with it because of the gas mileage. This is my first hybrid, and Im kicking myself for not getting one sooner. I drive about 120 miles a day, and Ive been averaging close to 60 MPG local, and have been right at 50 MPG highway. These are the mileage numbers from the onboard display; Ill check them when I fill the tank, but if theyre anywhere close Ill be saving about $100 / month in gas compared to my current car. The Prius C cost about $1500 more than the Honda Civic I was considering, so Ill break even on price in about a year and a half; sooner if gas prices go up. As a plus I get to drive in the HOV lane on the NJ Turnpike.

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  Just wont die - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By L C V - January 7 - 8:54 am

  Engine was replaced before I got it, needs new struts and I broke off the passenger side mirror but who cares, theyre $20 online. This is my second camry (upgraded from a 1997). Only reason I had to replace the car was my previous camry got rear ended. V4 runs better than the v6 (at least the camrys I had). Im not sure why its listed as having only 20mpg - I fill my tank up once every 10 days driving 40 miles 5 days a week. I get as much mileage if not better than my 06 elantra did. Car insurance is low, car taxes are low (yes, Im in one of the states that taxes cars) and I havent had a car payment in 4 years. Ive done 0 repairs on this car in 10 months, just spent about $30 on oil (bit of a leak I suppose). Meanwhile my husbands hyundai needed $800 worth of work at 80k miles. Cons: the moon roof allows for leakage when it rains, which really sucks. Large coconut smelling yankee candle scented thing covers that, though. Seat is so old it hurts so I had to get a seat cushion. And the tape player has a loud rickety-rack (this was in both my camrys) - it doesnt play tapes that well, but a tape adapter + smartphone works just fine. But these are superficial issues and once I get the strut and mirror fixed thatll be $600 of work Ive had to do in a year (compare that to a $200+/mo car payment!!)

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  Awesome car, if you like rattles - 2011 Toyota Prius
  By waterweb1 - January 7 - 2:19 am

  I love my Prius for many reasons, The back seat has a ton of room, I get between 40 -46 MPG depdning on weather and it is a really fun car to drive in. I call it my "space ship car". The downside is the rattles! I know it is not a luxury car but i think that Toyota can do a much better job preventing these rattles. I am not sure I would have bought this car if I had known about this issue. It does NOT get 48 mpg either. It gets about 40 in wet and up to 46 in dry weather. That is city/mixed driving in rush hour traffic. I think the dash board lay out can use some improvement as well. After driving for a couple of years, I still find myself searching for buttons

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  Well designed and built, but underpowered - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Dave in Arkansas - January 6 - 12:51 pm

  Truck is solidly built. No rattles or squeaks, good audio, comfortable and quiet at highway speeds. However, the engine lacks low- end torque and this issue is exacerbated by very poor software mapping for the transmission. In an apparent effort to improve mileage, the transmission shifts quickly to keep the RPMs low as a result, the engine is always out of its powerband, making it feel even more sluggish. You can overcome this annoyance to some degree by putting it in Sport mode, or selecting the ECT mode. But you shouldnt have to do this. It drives like a slug unless youre very aggressive on the throttle. At highway speeds, the transmission is always hunting for the right gear. The engine is very noisy at all speeds. This is apparently normal and is due to its injectors and Atkinson Cycle function. It sounds like a diesel with 500k miles on it. Very annoying and disappointing for a truck this expensive.

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  Great Little Car - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By Morgan - January 5 - 7:23 pm

  I Bought my Matrix as a replacement for my 99 Tacoma which Toyota bought back for 150% of its worth due to warranty. The car was paid for in cash. Was my first non truck it had plenty of space and good power as long as you dont go up any steep hills. My only 2 probs were that the car would sometimes crank for 30-40 seconds before starting to solve the problem the dealership replaced the fuel pump and it worked for about a month and started doing it again. and when it was totaled a year later I got $5000 less than I paid for it the year before.

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  Straightforward Toyota - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By Ed - January 5 - 5:06 pm

  This has been an excellent car so far. I bought it with 40k on it, and I have 56k on it now, and it has had no problems whatsoever. I just do my routine maintenance and it keeps going every time I need it. It is like any Toyota: not exciting in any way, but it does the job without any problems.

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  Great car - 2017 Toyota Camry
  By Rodney - January 5 - 2:56 am

  If you want a dependable, good looking car at a value 2017 camry 2.5 se. No crappy cvt transmission. This car handles great and has surprisingly good get up and go.

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  My 1998 Toyota 4Runner SR5 - 1998 Toyota 4Runner
  By Bandit13 - January 3 - 10:50 am

  Ive had this SUV since new. The only thing needing replacement was the Antenna Mast. (TWICE} I just cant imagine with all the quality of this vehicle, the the Antenna Mast is a piece of junk. I know Im not alone, because I belong to a few Toyota 4Runner SR5 sites and almost every person has had at least one or more Antenna Mast replacements. For a 6 cyl. engine it has great power. And comfortable ride. But for a 6 cyl. the MPG. is terrible. 15MPG City 23MPG Hwy. Ive never towed anything with this SUV. Im sure it would hold up to the task. Every 3 years I have the Transmission Fluid Drained and Filled thru the Coolant lines in and out of the radiator. I live in very hot climate.

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  Wispy little car, but how about a turbo! - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By bkcox - January 2 - 10:00 am

  You know, I truly love this new corolla. I never liked the Corolla model until the 2003 where there was a huge improvement in just about every area except the engine. The only thing I would love more would to have a turbo on this thing and some more horsepower. Think of the Subuaru Impreza WRX. 200+ horsepower out of a 4 cylinder engine and still good gas mileage. Please, please, please Toyota!