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:

• 

  Dont buy a 2011 Avalon - 2011 Toyota Avalon
  By Gordon - April 3 - 10:00 am

  My 2011 Avalon has problems with the rear window sun screen, heater/AC, and windshield wipers, the GPS is useless and the wind noise is worse than any car I a have ever owned. The dealer admits the problems, contacted Toyota, and Toyota will do nothing about any of them and neither will the dealer. Do not buy this vehicle.

• 

  Problems Problems Problems - 2006 Toyota Tacoma
  By Nikki - April 1 - 6:43 am

  I bought my 2006 Tacoma pre-runner V6 brand new, have had nothing but issues. First, breaks, if you try to break on any uneven surface they lock and you slide took it to my dealership they said "thats how abs works". On top of that my motor mount just happened to break (I looked into this&tons of people with tacomas 05-07 motor mounts have mysteriously broke).

• 

  So So Sedan - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By marym - March 30 - 2:00 am

  I thought the Camary was going to be a good car having owned a Celica previously. The car is making clunking noises from the rear. Having taken it into the dealership for them to check it out they said there is NOTHING wrong with it and they heard nothing...hard to believe. It is starting to make a noise in the front left wheel now. I am looking into a Nissan Altima for my next purchase.

• 

  Not as good as I expected - 1998 Toyota Corolla
  By Johnatyahoo - March 22 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car two years ago. It caused me a lot of troubles. First the battery became bad, I changed that. The the alternator was broken. The came the brake. It has some problems with starting. I changed the plus wires, it did not help at all. I wish I had never bought this troublesome car.

• 

  False mpg claims - 2011 Toyota Corolla
  By smithy6 - March 11 - 5:18 pm

  I have had this car for 6 months. The mpg/epa fuel economy stated on the original sticker is way too high. I am lucky to get 17 mpg city driving; not on hwys. much at this time. Two local dealers service reps. said they have heard similar, it is a national issue. The national call center is checking with them, but said not all of their cars will achieve even the minimum 21 mpg. One dealer reset the computer and tire pressure, still no difference. Both dealers said I have to drive it 5,000 mi. to see any better performance. That wasnt on the contract and I wont drive that much for the next 6 months. Plus the tank only holds max. 12 gallons.

• 

  Lemon 1999 Camry - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Linda McCleary - February 28 - 10:00 am

  I have had numerous problems with this car. The check engine light keeps going on and off. Numerouse things have been identified and "fixed" at very high costs. It still does it. The brakes needed replacing at 41000 miles, At the same time a front tie rod needed replacing even though I live in the city and do not drive on rough roads. The CD player skips. I bought the car for its quality, but they seem to have left that part out.

• 

  2008 Highlander Engine Problems - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By abecker - February 25 - 6:55 pm

  2008 Highlander has problematic engine. Oil sludge buildup, despite routine oil changes, caused damage and needed engine replacement at 80+k miles. Would not every buy Toyota again.

• 

  I agree - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By Roxy101 - February 25 - 2:20 am

  I agree the seats are very uncomfortable after driving for about 1 hour. I am 57 and I feel cramped. When I test droved I felt comfortable. This is not a good car for long trips. I plan to trade this car. Ive only had it for 1 month not satisfied. I read the reviews and did not believe about the loud noise with the rear windows down. The noise is terrible. So from now on out I will believe and add car reviews from consumers on this post. I have the 4cyc. gas mileage is better than the Ford explorer I traded but gas mileage is not what promised. I will keep checking and adding and dividing my gas mileage. Can not get good epa I have to run the air. Due to noise with windows down

• 

  The worst car Ive ever driven - 2010 Toyota Yaris
  By jokl - February 16 - 4:03 am

  Not enough power to go up hill. Dash in the middle is not intuitive to look at. $16k car still use hubcaps. With the same price there are much better cars from competitors.

• 

  One of the worst Toyotas built - 2001 Toyota Avalon
  By Harris - February 5 - 3:30 pm

  Toyota really shot down their reputation with this car. Ive been a mechanic for eight years and never saw a Toyota with such poor quality and reliability. It was a great car until it hit 20k. The couple of sensors were going bad; burning way to rich, alternator, compressor and power steering pump. My 87 7MGE Supra had less problems then this car. This was my 6th Toyota and my last. Toyota isnt building the cars like they used to.