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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  Toyota Quality??? Yeah Right - 2003 Toyota RAV4
  By neveratoyota - September 10 - 10:00 am

  Biggest piece of junk ever produced. Wish I had driven it longer than the test drive. Nothing but problems. Underpowered, overpriced, holier than thou attitude at the dealer. Conned into buying one because of claimed reliability. Traded it in for a Saturn Vue V6 AWD a far better car in every respect.

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  Disappointed is putting it mildly!! - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Gary - September 7 - 7:50 pm

  This is absolutely the worse car mfr. It hesitates like crazy at low speeds and mis-shifts. It has been doing it from day one. After many times back to the dealer for this problem all they have to say is that the computer has no codes. We cant fix a problem without a code registering. I was told call Toyota directly and register a complaint with area rep. Which also turns out to be a complete waste of time.

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  Overrated - 2011 Toyota Highlander
  By Bradley Bean - September 2 - 10:30 am

  After years of owning domestic vehicles, I antied up and paid the big bucks for a Toyota. What a disappointment. The vehicle seemed great at first, but we didnt notice that it rode like a truck until our first road trip. The 3rd row seats are a joke - none of our kids will sit back there so long trips became a nightmare with 3 kids. The navigation feature was klunky and we battled leaks around the moonroof. We also noted that it lacked features like convenient charging ports for devices. MPG was less than reported, but that is typical. The vehicle starts / stops and ran reliably, but for $40K, you expect a lot more. We were so happy to trade out of it!

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  Very Disappointed.... - 2016 Toyota RAV4
  By Don Robitaille - September 2 - 7:17 am

  Do your homework and dont trust the brochures. First of all this is a hybrid XLE. I was the proud and happy owner of 2 Camry hybrid XLEs since 2006. Both of the Camrys had automatic headlights. The brochure stated that the 2016 RAV 4 also had automatic headlights and I also expected that in the XLE model. To make a long story short it doesnt have automatic headlights. The gas mileage is horrible for a hybrid at 24-25 mpg. The on board computer shows 27.2 mpg. But when you divide total mileage by gallons of gas at a fill up it comes out to 25 mpg give or take a few tenths of a gallon. Never comes close to the alleged mpg on the display. The road noise at 50+ mph is very poor. I have to keep checking that all the windows are tightly closed and they are. The contacts in the telephone display disappear at random, usually once a month and I have to reset my phone to the vehicle via bluetooth. Toyota did an update to fix the problem and a month later all my contacts disappeared again. There are other problems, but this is enough for now. I loved my Camry Hybrids and I cant wait to get rid of this RAV 4. I dont think I would even buy another Toyota after this experience and I was their best ambassador as a Camry owner.

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  Watch out! Hybrid Inverter Failure - 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By dmr500 - August 24 - 12:58 pm

  I loved my beautiful 2007 Highlander Hybrid SUV until the inverter failed immediately after the 100,000 mile warranty. The part costs close to $7000. It is a sealed part - no customer maintenance required. Not something youd expect to fail after just 100,000 miles. Toyota Customer Care says its my problem. Internet research shows that this is a bigger and more widespread problem than Toyota is willing to admit. Heres the clincher. The car completely stalled out while I was driving at about 40 miles per hour. I had to coast to the side of the road. It was harrowing. This is a dangerous problem - I am getting rid of this car. I would not recommend a Toyota hybrid of any sort.

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  Rear suspension Noise - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Dissatisfied Custome - August 23 - 10:00 am

  The right rear suspension has a thumping noise that is very loud on washboard types of roads. The city streets of PA are not always the best but there is no excuse for having this much suspension noise. This is only on the right rear and usually when the left wheel hits a bump. A thumping noise seems to emanate from the stabilizer bar and right rear strut. Three times to the dealer and no repair or relief.. they tell me that other Camrys have the problem and they are waiting on Toyota to come up with a repair for this noise. I do not expect a new car to have this kind of noise. It was so noisy on one section of roard that my grandson asked if it is safe.

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  Seriously cheap and junky feeling - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Peter - August 21 - 1:23 am

  Went to test drive a Tacoma.. What a piece of cheap feeling junk! The fenders are chintzy and flex, the knobs on the interior are loose and the door panels flex horribly. The interior is cramped. Toyota still cant figure out how to make a decent seat height and for 40K you would expect height adjustable seats. The instruments look like fisher price designed them and the knobs feel like they are going to fall off. My GFs 2016 Toyota Corolla at half the price, feels like 3x the quality. Doors on the Taco close like they are made of paper.. Doesnt inspire confidence. What a shame. What are these idiots thinking? Dont bother.

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  Not what I was expecting - 2014 Toyota Corolla
  By scottr32 - August 17 - 3:11 pm

  I drove the car for a few weeks before I had to get rid of it, power was horrible, fuel mileage was subpar even compared to my v8 camaro. The weight was too light for safe driving in any road conditions, consistently hydroplaned in the rain and had to fight it to drive straight while passing another vehicle. The power is extremely poor and the interior looked mixed together. The only good thing was the exterior appearance and I even found that lacking. The ride quality was very poor too, had to get out of the car after thirty minutes to stretch because the seats lacked poor support.

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  Dont let toyota fool you anymore! - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By a_mechanic_001 - August 17 - 1:53 pm

  I worked for a dealership, and now I own a Toyota. I have to tell you, this car is the cheapest pile of garbage they have ever produced!! Recalls on computers, serpentine belt tensioners that fail, belts that make noise, intake manifold gaskets that crack and leak..

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  Average In Every Way - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By D103 - August 17 - 10:00 am

  Went from a Chrysler (bad transmission) to Toyota because of reliability reputation. Have found it to be slightly above average in reliability, but mostly below average in most other aspects. Namely, exterior design is very bland - sheet metal so thin a fly can dent the hood, aluminum wheels discolor rapidly. The interior is also just average in most respects (this is an XLE). Factor in the relative frequency of service visits (PS - very hard to get appointments, and costly), and all of a sudden I long to own a quality product such as Chrysler again. For the price - NOT A GOOD VALUE.