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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  Unhappy ex-owner - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By wysiwyg - September 2 - 2:06 am

  I had the car for 1.5 years and just got rid of it - I couldnt wait to do so. The auto tranny is awful. It hesitates when starting from full stop. Even worse, I had to make way for other cars when going uphill - it doesnt downshift unless floored. The car has big bodyroll when cornering. The steering is so light at high speed and it pulls to the right. Vague steering and a soft suspension make it drive like a boat. Worst of all, if you open the window when theres water on the roof, water drops into the car right on window & door lock buttons - a poor design. Bright spots are great fuel economy and large space. Camry is a pain.

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  Not well designed. - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By Larry - September 1 - 9:40 pm

  I bought the package 6 which has navigation, upgraded audio, and leather. It gets good gas mileage, but not the 52-60 that was on the sticker. Audio system has respectable sound. Ride is uncomfortable on trips, mild winds pushes car around. Manual seats are hard to adjust, spoiler obstructs view, dash lights are hard to see in sunshine and there is a reflection on the windshield, gas gauge readings are not accurate, navigation system awkwardly placed.

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  Check the Reviews BEFORE you purchase!! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Nancy L - September 1 - 8:36 pm

  I have to agree with BCQVETTE, HUGE Mistake. I purchased my used 2007 a couple of months ago and have become increasingly disappointed. After driving it a few days, the interior squeaking and rubbing noises increased so much that I drove to Toyota and had the body shop manager check to see if it had been in a major accident. He didnt feel that it had. The squeaking has progressed to actually being very annoying and now the front end makes strange noises. I also had the leaking roof and the Toyota service dept. charged over $200 to clean the "drain tubing" around the sun roof that became clogged. They attribute this to the previous owner parking under trees. Excessive Paint chipping.

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  Poor quality Camry - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Johnwar - August 30 - 12:20 pm

  I purchased my 2009 Camry LE 4cyl, believing that it would be a good value and quality for the money I am putting in. After bringing it home and made a better look at it, I found out that the carpets were not even tacked to the floor. The rug seams were not even sewn together, and is hidden under the chairs. Looking under, I found the drive shaft were rusting badly and looks as if it is made of cheap steel. It may rust out in another year. I felt I bought a defective merchandise. THEN CAME THE RECALL..

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  Last Toyota Ill buy. - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Debbie E - August 28 - 9:40 pm

  The engine, ride and gas mileage is great. No problem. But the rest of the car is cheaply made. The paint on the bumper started to peel. Dealer had to replace the bumper. The hood has a ring where the paint is so thin it looks silver color. Dealer said they didnt see anything. I have been looking around at other Camrys in the parking lots and notice they have a lot of scratches from thin clear coat and everyone else has funky bumpers. Take a good look at some of them and see what you think. The blue tooth is crap and it cuts out. When I talked to the dealer they said it was my Verizon service and maybe the phone. I have purchased two different phones and it still does it. A big mistake getting it.

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  Entune and Rattles Overshadow Positives - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By Eric - August 28 - 10:49 am

  Entune is absolutely terrible: Navigation is horrible, voice recognition is so frustrating I often feel like its the 80s and people have a difficult time hearing me when phone is connected to Bluetooth - microphone is too far away. Interior started rattling around 6,000 miles and is getting worse with time. I suspect car will be very reliable but aforementioned issues overshadow all positives.....seriously.

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  What happened to comfort? - 2006 Toyota Corolla
  By Ray - August 27 - 12:20 am

  The driver’s seat is extremely uncomfortable and cannot be adjusted for comfort. It has a lump in it that shoves up on the back of the hips, forcing the driver to lean forward and shoving up on the spine. The seat sits far too high – what are they doing, trying to imitate a SUV? The pump on the side of the seat is a joke, more of a gimmick toy than an adjusting tool. The adjustable steering wheel is dangerous as you must remember to shove the locking lever back. I have never had a car that rides so extremely poorly and I have driven 50 years. On smooth pavement it is fine, but you feel every bump in the road otherwise. It rides more like my Wrangler than the car I wanted.

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  260,000 miles, veryy reliable - 1999 Toyota RAV4
  By akxel - August 26 - 7:39 am

  reliable car, good looking on the outside, especially with ski racks black on black paint. 260,000 miles on it and still running on, steering is not that great but hey its a toyota, no a bmw sedan.

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  A Future Recall for Inadvertent Accelaration - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By George Camacho - August 24 - 8:42 pm

  My prior truck was a 2008 4x4 Double Cab Tacoma, which to this day regret trading it in for the 2016 SR5 4x4 Double Cab Tacoma. The 2016 was advertised as an improvement. I believe this model looks better and the interior was an improvement, but the 3.5 engine is a step back from the 4.0 liter engine. Im pretty sure the transmission is not doing the engine justice. And I understand that its a 4x4 therefore its going to perform different, but most of the time I drive on the highway not off road. I dont see any problems with Toyota incorporating the shift points that we are all complaining about when its in 4x4, the technology is there. And yes the engine is very noisy contrary to how its advertised. Gas mileage is no better because I find myself stepping on the gas pedal more just to get out of my own way. But besides re-iterating other reviews, the most alarming problem to me is the inadvertent acceleration while parking, whether its backing up or pulling forward. The engines behaves as if its going to stall then catches itself by fluctuating the RPMs. This is problematic when parking in tight spots.

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  Well keep our superior 2011 Rav4 limited - 2015 Toyota RAV4
  By Tim - August 22 - 5:11 am

  Try before you buy! When we needed more cargo room to take daughter and dorm stuff back to school 100 miles away we killed 2 birds with one stone. Were considering a new Rav but a 10 minute test drive IS NOT enough so we rented a 2016 Rav4 Limited which was hard to find for rent and seemed to ride the same as a 2015 we had driven prior. The car served its purpose in 2 ways: 1: It got the job done. 2: It convinced us to keep our 2011. Why? Ok so if you drive mostly smooth highways its ok. When tooling around/commuting on anything else it rides like a brick (yes tire psi correct) You feel every imperfection on the road.The other annoyance is the 6 speed which in theory makes sense but its annoying as it constantly hunts for gears. The 15/16 just have an overall cheap feel inside and out including fake leather. Our 2011 by comparison feels solid, no gear hunting, not a squeak or rattle, nice ride, real perforated leather and great JBL sound. We have owned many fine Toyotas including our current Rav and 2009 Camry Hybrid but I think corporate greed has caused their quality to decline in recent years including far too many recalls some of which years later STILL dont have a fix which speaks volumes right there.