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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  Students Dream - 2000 Toyota Echo
  By EBarber - March 3 - 10:00 am

  I have had nothing but good things to say about my Toyota Echo. I get excellent gas milage and with gas prices so expensive it is truly wonderful to get 42 miles to the gallon. I am a college student who wanted something affordable as well as dependable.

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  love our toyota - 1998 Toyota Avalon
  By wilsons - March 3 - 10:00 am

  rides smooth, for 4 cylinder has good pick up, good gas mileage around town

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  MATRIX XR....WORTH EVERY PENNY! - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By LeashaNAaron - March 3 - 10:00 am

  Let me tell you! I have never had such a fun car...I get noticed in it all the time and it might have something to do with the Solar Yellow color...but I am telling you its the BEST car I have ever owned...its Sooooo fun to drive, and its unbelievably comfortable too! It is worth every penny! GO GET ONE! Smoooooooooooooth ride!

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  our 2004 4 runner - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By Bowzer - March 3 - 10:00 am

  I love the 4 runner we only had it for about 2 weeks now, but I love it

• 

  No Doubt About It - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By SE 4 US - March 3 - 10:00 am

  In response to Hallowell, we just purchased an 03 Camry SE and it DOES have a tilt steering wheel. The lever is directly underneath the steering column.

• 

  Best Minivan out there - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By dnew - March 3 - 10:00 am

  After driving a Honda Odyssey for several years, we were thrilled when we finally saw the redesigned Toyota Sienna. This is the best Minivan ever made, hands down. Havent been able to test the all-wheel drive in the snow yet, but expect it will be great. A little more expensive than the Honda, but a much better vehicle in my opinion in fact if Honda had all the options that the Toyota did the pricing would probably be on the same. AWD and run flat tires are the main reasons we went with the Toyota but after owning both can think of several other reasons why the Toyota is superior.

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  4000 miles on new tacoma - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By J.P. MANGIONE - March 3 - 9:52 am

  remember this is a truck not a race car. take one to barrow alaska for the arctic challenge in a bone stock truck that is what reliability is all about. MADE IN AMERICA SAYS IT ALL. I WOULD PAY TWICE THE PRICE FOR AMERICAN. NO MEXICAN CHEVYS HERE PLEASE. [non-permissible content removed]

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  I dont think Ill become a fanboy - 2017 Toyota Corolla
  By unsatisfied - March 3 - 5:11 am

  The car is not that good looking to begin with, but it comes in any color you want as long as its white, black, 50 shades of grey, or Christmas tree ornament blue or red, very boring. You get what you pay for, but surprisingly for the price the fit and finish are very good.. The interior does seem to contain a lot of shiny cheap plastic. They also put a lot of emphasis on back seat legroom, but they didnt leave any upfront and that makes the car uncomfortable on a long trip. I have already stopped to stretch my legs so as not to get a DVT. My major complaint is the CV transmission. Im sure this may be an adequate transmission is a state that is flat, or in a snowmobile; but where I live It is very hilly and there is the problem. First it is noisy under acceleration and that acceleration is very poor. It is slower that the 4 speed automatic it replaced and a snail when compared to a manual shift. The engine races when accelerating, and it seems you are always waiting for the transmission to catch up. The RPM are all over the place, and passing can take a long time and be dangerous. Toyota put phony shift points in a transmission that doesnt shift; this is very irritating and it is one more thing to go wrong. I wonder what Toyota was thinking? Has anyone asked why the 2018 Camry started with a clean sheet of paper and they didnt put a CVT in that car? My theory is that this transmission is light duty only. Instead of gears there is a belt between two drums, and unlike a gear that meshes, the belts probably need a high coefficient of friction to function and friction spells wear. I was going to purchase this car until a friend, who is a transmission technician , suggested I lease it because in about 60k-70k miles there is a good chance of transmission failure. Visits to various websites appears to bear that out. If the factory has all this confidence with this gum band transmission why dont they offer a longer FACTORY warranty to give the buyer peace of mind? If there are a lot of problems model wide, resale will suffer. Before you buy one insist on an overnight test drive to see if you can live with it. Why cant Toyota give us options like a 6 speed auto, 5 speed manual, or a dual clutch auto? There really is no alternative except Kia, Hyundai, or Mazda since the Honda civic, Nissan Sentra, and Nissan Altima also have CVTs. I realize that auto companies are being forced into this with CAFE averages, but Im not happy with this transmission and a potential of a $4500+ replacement charge, when it is out of warranty, so they can meet the CAFE and be able to sell a Tundra. This is just my opinion, but if you are buying for the long term maybe you should research CVTs on some websites Other complaints are lack of road feel, visibility is poor, and one has no idea where the front bumper is (maybe they need an upfront camera too), too much pedal travel in the brake, and difficulty getting in and out Other than the transmission, and some minor stuff, this is a very decent car for the price. As mentioned, fit and finish are excellent. It has a five star safety rating. The lane departure is good for those who like that tech. The air is great even though the fan is loud. I think this is my last Corolla especially when the next generation is going to be made in Mexico. Well thats my review, choose wisely.

• 

  I dont think Ill become a fanboy - 2017 Toyota Corolla
  By unsatisfied - March 3 - 5:11 am

  The car is not that good looking to begin with, but it comes in any color you want as long as its white, black, 50 shades of grey, or Christmas tree ornament blue or red, very boring. You get what you pay for, but surprisingly for the price the fit and finish are very good.. The interior does seem to contain a lot of shiny cheap plastic. They also put a lot of emphasis on back seat legroom, but they didnt leave any upfront and that makes the car uncomfortable on a long trip. I have already stopped to stretch my legs so as not to get a DVT. My major complaint is the CV transmission. Im sure this may be an adequate transmission is a state that is flat, or in a snowmobile; but where I live It is very hilly and there is the problem. First it is noisy under acceleration and that acceleration is very poor. It is slower that the 4 speed automatic it replaced and a snail when compared to a manual shift. The engine races when accelerating, and it seems you are always waiting for the transmission to catch up. The RPM are all over the place, and passing can take a long time and be dangerous. Toyota put phony shift points in a transmission that doesnt shift; this is very irritating and it is one more thing to go wrong. I wonder what Toyota was thinking? Has anyone asked why the 2018 Camry started with a clean sheet of paper and they didnt put a CVT in that car? My theory is that this transmission is light duty only. Instead of gears there is a belt between two drums, and unlike a gear that meshes, the belts probably need a high coefficient of friction to function and friction spells wear. I was going to purchase this car until a friend, who is a transmission technician , suggested I lease it because in about 60k-70k miles there is a good chance of transmission failure. Visits to various websites appears to bear that out. If the factory has all this confidence with this gum band transmission why dont they offer a longer FACTORY warranty to give the buyer peace of mind? If there are a lot of problems model wide, resale will suffer. Before you buy one insist on an overnight test drive to see if you can live with it. Why cant Toyota give us options like a 6 speed auto, 5 speed manual, or a dual clutch auto? There really is no alternative except Kia, Hyundai, or Mazda since the Honda civic, Nissan Sentra, and Nissan Altima also have CVTs. I realize that auto companies are being forced into this with CAFE averages, but Im not happy with this transmission and a potential of a $4500+ replacement charge, when it is out of warranty, so they can meet the CAFE and be able to sell a Tundra. This is just my opinion, but if you are buying for the long term maybe you should research CVTs on some websites Other complaints are lack of road feel, visibility is poor, and one has no idea where the front bumper is (maybe they need an upfront camera too), too much pedal travel in the brake, and difficulty getting in and out Other than the transmission, and some minor stuff, this is a very decent car for the price. As mentioned, fit and finish are excellent. It has a five star safety rating. The lane departure is good for those who like that tech. The air is great even though the fan is loud. I think this is my last Corolla especially when the next generation is going to be made in Mexico. Well thats my review, choose wisely.

• 

  Pared Down! - 2010 Toyota 4Runner
  By Mark W - March 3 - 5:10 am

  Lots less from the 06 to the 10 - 1) No steering wheel controls 2) No locking/interior-release gas cap 3) No auto-latching rear door 4) No auto climate control 5) Less power 6) Thinner sheet metal 7) Power seats are now an add-on option 8) Very pricey