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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  Entune must go - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Jason Burke - February 14 - 5:22 am

  *ive now had the truck for 10kmiles and while overall I like it, I dont know if Id buy it again. The Entune system is really aweful and does all sorts of odd and annoying things. I usually use my phone for navigation because the build I. System is so bad. The locking tailgate is a nice feature but it requires a separate key and cant be unlocked remotely. The drivers seat is not very adjustable and can be uncomfortable on long drives. --------------—------------------------------------------ Ive had my truck for two months and 4000 miles. The truck looks great drives great and is far more capable than Ill ever need it to be. That said the Entune infotainment system is awful. As in so bad I sometimes regret buying the truck. One common issue is that it will not allow you to type in an address while the car is in motion. That means your passenger cant either. You are supposed to be able to use voice recognition to do it but the voice recognition is so bad that the level of rage it generates in the user negates any safety benefit of not being able to manually enter an address. Btw the nav system is not as good as what you have in your phone. Finding radio stations has been made as complicated as possible. But dont take my word for it, read the online reviews of Entune. Read the App Store reviews. Customers HATE Entune and Toyota doesnt care. Remember there are better options out there right now from Apple and Google that work the way youd expect them to work. I suspect Toyota doesnt want to pay for the use of the software or something. I for one would happily pay for the upgrade!

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  Defective Hood! - 2015 Toyota RAV4
  By Art - February 13 - 3:58 am

  I didnt notice during the test drive because it was almost dark already. The hood is bouncing even at low speed and more on high speed. According to the technician from Toyota USA it is normal because they made the Rav4 body thinner than the previous for more mileage. Biggest mistake of my life but I learned a lot with this experience. Just waiting one more year coz still upside down. I will definitely trade this car.

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  Random problems - 2002 Toyota Sienna
  By mbinpa - February 12 - 2:00 am

  We went with the Toyota because of its reliability reputation. Well, I am researching other vans because for the second time in 2 years weve got major problems. The first time it took 3 trips to the dealership for them to find a cracked fuel tank. They said they have never seen damage like it in a new car. Yesterday it started grinding and whining, Today it wouldnt go into gear and has been towed to the dealership. We think the transmission is shot. Can you say lemon? (should have gone with the honda)

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  Camary Fobia - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Craig D. - February 8 - 10:00 am

  My wife bought the car for her. I never liked it, but I dont like Toyota engineering anyway.The interior was very nice but the outside is ugly. The performace was bland and the driveability very poor. No power, bad shifting, terrible lag to the point of being unsafe to drive. Will not accellerate when needed. I hated it so much we got rid of it.

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  Maybe a CR-V would make me happier - 2011 Toyota RAV4
  By juand1 - February 5 - 1:31 pm

  I bought this 3 weeks ago and have driven it 4000 miles. Here are my grips: My arms and hands hurt at the end of every day of driving, high steering effort. Three spoke steering wheel blocks the most convenient hand placement to rest hands. Car skidding (Slip or VSC off) and Trac Off warning lights occassionally illuminate when driving on dry, level pavement. Trac Off light stays on till the car is turned off. VSC turns on and off randomly. Seats not comfortable. Crap radio on base model. SUV handling. Swinging tailgate inconvenient. Fit&Finish not up to Toyota. A bit noisy. High brake pedal effort, i hope it to subsides w/ break-in.

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  Undecided - 2002 Toyota Sequoia
  By dalex - February 1 - 10:00 am

  While the truck has performed well generally and is great in snow and rain, but there have been inumerable other "minor mechancial failures" such as power locks, windows and antenas all needing repairs as well other other issues. The problem...? These items are out of warantee and should not be breaking on a 2.5 yr old truck and have cost over $2,000 to repair. Toyota should come up with fold flat middle and rear seats. While they fold down, they do not fld flat and are cumbersome to remove from the truck and as a result take up considerable storage room when carrying cargo. Also the engine is slightly under powered.

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  Toyota, go to the next step - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By jakiefnh - January 27 - 8:30 pm

  There is no reason why this car cannot achieve 100+ mpg. Both the batteries and electric motors are underpowered. I would prefer that this be a plug-in electric car with a high-end on-board electric generator. That said, I achieve 40-45 mpg in the winter and 50- 55 mpg in the summer. I do not understand why the electric motor cannot power the car from a dead start without the gas-powered engine having to kick in.

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  Cheap Cheap Cheap - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By firefly67 - January 27 - 8:30 am

  Weve had our 2006 Rav4 Limited 4WD for less than one year - the back seat stitching is already coming apart. Its uncomfortable for both me and my husband to drive more than an hour, no matter how we try to adjust the seat. The plastic dashboard is just cheap - everything about the car, except the price, appears cheap. We love Toyotas but will definitely re-think before we buy toyota again.

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  This is our LAST Toyota - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By Nita - January 25 - 2:50 am

  Weve always owned Toyotas, but the flimsy interior and easily scratchable exterior have convinced me to look elsewhere. I hate the plastic in the cargo area because it cracks and breaks. Our 89 Corolla looked much better inside and out after 16 years than this hunk of cheap junk does after 3 years. Toyota should be ashamed of itself for making this crummy product. I also dislike the engine hesitation, the whistling wind from the closed front passenger window, and the way the electronic window controls broke for no discernible reason.

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  2002 Tacoma - 2003 Toyota Tacoma
  By marc golden - January 24 - 2:00 am

  Traded in my 95 F-150 4x4 for this truck and that was the worst mistake I ever made... Within in the first 2000 miles I had that great dash rattle, door panel loose and other annoying sounds coming from the interior. Had the rear brakes replaced at 3000 miles b/c I was getting a vibration through the steering wheel. The truck is terrible when there is any kind of wind blowing, feels like your gonna be blown off the road. This is also one of the worst trucks I have ever driven in the snow. First and last