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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  2014 is awesome ! - 2014 Toyota Highlander
  By ronn - May 8 - 11:45 am

  I have owned my new Highlander Limited with platinum package for a week and a half now, and I must say this SUV is totally different from my 2008 Highlander. From the upgraded luxury of materials inside, to the super quiet and smooth ride with the new 6 speed transmission, it is fun to drive. The steering is a favorite improvement..you can feel the road with precise handling and no sloppy feeling to the wheel. The seats are very comfortable, with plenty of room front and back. All of the tech features are great, and a big help. The multi info system is awesome, and it is right between the gauges .The JBL stereo is great, and I enjoy the big screen for Entune and navigation. So many apps!

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  Toyota doesnt disappoint. - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By Brklyndriver - May 8 - 11:13 am

  This is my first SUV. Before it, I owned a 2000 nissan quest. Im trully in love with this vehicle. The suspension is so soft when going over the pothole filled roads of New York streets. It has a decent amount of power and more trunk space then I can ask for. After I let some friends drive it they fell in love with it as well and bought their own. Now theres 3 of us :)

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  MPG - Yay! Everything Else - Meh. - 2012 Toyota Prius
  By missmytsx - May 8 - 9:22 am

  Toyota has made one efficient vehicle here. I achieve 45 - 55 mpg without really trying. In fact, I drive %100 of the time in "PWR" mode just to give this car some small modicum of driving enjoyment. But its very small. This car, simply put, sucks all the enjoyment out of driving. It is painfully slow. Those who claim it is not slow have probably not driven a normal car in a quite a while. It is very loud - lots of road and wind noise. At highway speeds Ive got to crank the radio nearly full blast just to hear the music or speech. If high real-world MPGs is your one and only criterion, then you cant do better than the Prius.

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  Read the Consumer Affairs Complaints Before Buying - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Disappointed Toyota Owner - May 8 - 6:57 am

  I wish I had read the Consumer Affairs complaints before buying my 2016 Toytota Highlander XLE. Ive only owned my car for 30 days and already had an issue with the car starting on its own. Yes! Thats right. I walked up to my car after shopping at WalMart for 40 min. only to find that it had started up by itself, and must have been running while I was in the store with the doors locked. Upon entering the car, a yellow caution light was flashing near the odometer. I read many consumer complaints and found another person complaining of the same problem and was told that it can happen when the remote entry keypad is pushed twice after exiting the vehicle. After reading many other customer complaints about various issues with 2013-2015 brakes not working while driving (Yikes!), driver doors not unlocking, and front seats making loud noises while driving, I wish I had read those complaints before purchasing this vehicle. It sounds like the 2013, 2014, and 2015 may be lemons. Im not sure about the 2016 yet, because the car is too new to know for sure, but Im very concerned about whats to come. I dont feel 100% safe in this car, especially since I have 2 kids. This is my 2nd Toyota. I just sold my 2006 Sienna minivan and it had many defective issues/recalls. I will not be buying a Toyota in the future because they dont stand behind their cars. They only try to blame the customer for their defects. UPDATE after 30 days of driving - The sound system is terrible. My Sienna minivan had a JBL sound system which was great, but the Highlander has a cheap sound system with a horrible muffled sound. After driving the car a little while, you will notice that the interior has many cheap parts!! The floor "carpet" is actually felt, not carpet, and some of the dash has plastic parts. The front seats and angled headrest are very uncomfortable on longer rides. Wish I could trade my new XLE in for a well made car that matches the price I paid. The quality just isnt in the 2016 Highlander for the high price. Still disappointed.

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  HUGE Blind Spot - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By Lee M - May 8 - 5:33 am

  The 2010 model has improved in adding more interior space; however in doing so, a blind spot of 2 feet on both sides of the rear corners were created. Another trouble with visibility is from the bar the rear windshield wiper is attached to. There is a vent in the back corner that cannot be blocked so a passenger cannot use a pillow to lie on. The seats are rock hard, the steering wheel is positioned too far away. The low beam headlights dont shine upward (the beam is cut in half) so it is impossible to view the road in front of you if you are driving up or down a hill. Mileage hangs out at an avg of 47. The blind spot must be fixed in a new model for me to purchase another one.

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  Another happy swagger family! - 2011 Toyota Sienna
  By queentot - May 8 - 4:15 am

  Our family of five outgrew our 2006 Mazda5 (great car) and were we ready for a full-size minivan. We researched, test drove and compared all the top recommended, re-designed vans of 2011, and ultimately decided on the Sienna. We are all so happy with our new minivan! I like that the Sienna 11 is an IIHS top safety pick, and I preferred the exterior appearance to the other top safety pick van. I also really liked that I could get a lot of useful and important features (two rows of sunshades, iPod connectivity and XM) without having to get leather seats (ick, who thinks dead cow is luxury?!) Overall the Sienna was the perfect minivan package for our family - our swagger wagon rules!

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  4Running to the hills - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By NWSkiBum - May 8 - 3:56 am

  Wow! I tested everything (Pilot, Element, Outback, Pathfinder, X3, Explorer), read just about anything I could get my eyes on about mid-sized SUVs, and nothing could beat the 4Runner. Comfort, drivability, looks, price, and overall value - it just really offers the best of on-road and off-road performance. The first week I owned the car I took it on a three hour ski trip through two mountain passes in harsh winter driving conditions. It performed effortlessly in the snow and ice and quite frankly, turned what would have normally been a pretty stressful drive into a fun one! The 4WD and traction system are fantastic.

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  2nd update after 9 months of ownership - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By srm - May 7 - 7:43 pm

  Cannot wait to get rid of this 2016 Tacoma when the lease expires. What a dog. New updates - 1. mileage dropped to 10 mpg when towing; 2. NAV screen goes black at least 1x per day and resets itself; and 3. wind howling noise driver side front window. And off course still the same old lack of responsiveness of the engine-- normally runs at less than 2000 rpm and you have to push accelerator pedal more than 1/2 down before it responds creating a very dangerous condition in traffic. Cmon man.

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  Nice and easy - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By RBUCK - May 7 - 12:20 pm

  This is a great auto that is as roomy as any ball room. And the gas mileage was better than advertised.

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  great vehicle, very poor software implementation - 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
  By Bob - May 7 - 6:35 am

  i was very impressed with this car. living in oregon, i was not expecting the car to reach it’s milage standard (ethanol blend gas) but so far we’re averaging about 34mpg combined. on a road trip to CA the milage was more towards 38mpg. the sound system, handling, styling are all great. the only negative, and it’s a big one, is their entune software system. it’s a “substitute” for apple/android carplay. it just doesn’t work. it doesn’t remember your phone or password and will randomly shut down. it’s time for toyota/lexus to support apple/android carplay and give up on this entune nonsense. reading reviews in the app store will give more than enough info on the subject.