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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  Worst Van Ever - 2000 Toyota Sienna
  By W - June 21 - 5:43 am

  Our Sienna XLE developed an oil sludge problem despite oil changes every 3200 miles. The oil changes werent made at the dealership, however, so Toyota initially denied warranty. Toyota also denied sludge problem with their engines. We spent thousands in repairs. Fortunately, an honest repairman at another dealership saw to it that we were comped a rebuilt engine. It also was a lemon, and the rebuilt one was replaced by the initial dealership. Nissan gave us $8700 on trade in, and we LOVE our Nissan. After 5 Toyotas and Lexus ... never again.

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  Cheap Parts, No Service - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By Gerald Peal - June 18 - 2:00 am

  Ive put over 20K miles on this car, driving it over 100 miles daily. It zips through traffic and handles satisfactory. I am disappointed in Toyota build quality and the service you get from a dealership. CD player went out almost immediately. Brakes wore out (and we dont ride them) too early. The cheap tires are unreal! Impressed with safety tests. Would recommend this car to young set.

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  Not bad - 2002 Toyota Tundra
  By Billinin - June 17 - 10:26 pm

  Ive been a Toyota guy for the past 20+ years. I was looking for a vehicle to pull a mid-size fishing boat. Got the base 6 cyl long bed. Its been an okay truck but not on par with other Toyotas Ive had. No serious problems-- just not as nice. Ive had it for 7 years and its served us well. Getting about 15 mpg in town...21 on hwy

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  Not what I paid for/lemon - 2008 Toyota Avalon
  By carlosjay - June 13 - 7:26 pm

  Since day one I am having transmission problems. The dealer keeps on saying there is nothing wrong with the vehicle, but there is. It slows down too quickly when your foot is removed from the gas pedal. Sooner or later I will be rear-ended. I am in arbitration now. I was told by a Toyota the tech to drive aggressively. That is against the law. As of now I am due for an arbitration hearing.

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  Rav4 - 1997 Toyota RAV4
  By ndrav - June 13 - 10:00 am

  The rav tends to be a ok car for what you pay for. Very loud on the road and has developed a lot of sqeakes and rattles. Underpowered and anemic when trying to pass. Gas mileage varys between 18 to 25. Car has a tendency to eat windshilds 1 per 15k miles avg. Mechanical reliablility has not been particularly good averageing between 1500 and 2k dollars a year in maint. Car currently has 170k miles on it and it will not be makeing 200k without a major engine overhaul. Decent offroad capability and hard to beat on snow and ice.

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  Never Again! - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By donor - June 11 - 8:46 am

  I would never buy a RAV4 again. I had problems with the steering that took 2 dealerships to repair. I also hate the cup holders which allow everything to flip out of them. The lights automatically shutoff after 30 when you are unloading it, especially annoying in the winter! The tires have not lasted 20,000 miles! There are 3 bad blindspots. The car has slid since day one in rain, snow, sleet, doesnt matter!

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  The uncomfortable seats have ruined the RAV4 for me :-( - 2012 Toyota RAV4
  By tnaubie - June 3 - 4:00 pm

  Warning for potential RAV4 buyers.....Most uncomfortable seats in a car....EVER! I like almost everything about this vehicle but if it is uncomfortable to sit in then what use is it. Just took a 1000+ mile trip in our new 2012 RAV4 over 7 days and had a miserable experience in the passenger front seat (driver seat and back seats are just as bad). When test driving the car, I noticed the seats were firm, but did not know just how bad they were going to be until this trip. Too bad it took paying a gazillion dollars to find out how uncomfortable a ride this car is. If I had it to do over again, I would not purchase this vehicle based on the seats. I have owned 2 Corollas (1992 & 2006)and a Camry (2002) and loved all of them including the seats (that is why we returned to Toyota for another vehicle). What happened Toyota? Why change a good thing that has been working for many years? Not only are the seats beyond pitiful, but the upholstery is made of a hard feeling material. Cutting corners to save a dollar, I assume. The dark charcoal-colored material in the door panels and the dashboard show dirt and dust easily. I would prefer a one-tone lighter color like the gray that is used as the complementary color in my vehicle. I also do not care for the orange glow that Toyota has incorporated into the instrument panel on the dashboard. My 2006 Corolla has all white colored lights which is easy on the eyes, but the orange in the 2012 RAV4 is very distracting at night. The leg room and storage in the RAV4 is good. I especially like the storage bin under the back floorboard. I would like a couple more cubby hole type storage compartments in the front for the driver. My cell phone does not fit in the cell phone holder so I have to put it in the cup holder. The headrests are not adjustable. They can go only up or down and not in between. The back seat adjustment handles are VERY inconvenient....located on the top side of the seat back. Would prefer them to be located on the bottom side of the seat like most all car seats I have sat in. If you are already sitting in the seat and need to adjust the back up or down, then it is impossible to reach the handle without getting out of the seat. There are no adjustment handles for the seat height like in my Corolla. Wish there were. We got good gas mileage on our trip....27-28 mpg. The RAV4 handles easily and rides pretty smooth. But, like I said before, the uncomfortable seats outweigh any positive characteristics in this vehicle. Going on a long trip at the end of the summer in our RAV4 and not looking forward to it.

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  Used to be a great car - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By Jennifer Harris - May 29 - 5:36 pm

  I bought this car to replace my 98 Camry, and I must say that compared to that one, this car is disappointing. Although I like the looks of this one better, the quality of the interior is poor. Too many rattles and squeaks coming from the doors, the dash and the moonroof. I have not had any transmission problems like some of the other complaints.

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  Top of the line its not - 2012 Toyota Tacoma
  By kmann51 - May 28 - 4:27 am

  Ive had this about 10 months now and get more aggravated with it each time I drive it. First, you get neither power or fuel economy. Traded an FJ for this which had gobs of power to this that seems woefully underpowered and it gets 15-17 mpg while driving it like miss Daisy is my passenger. Mine is the TRD crew cab, and it has no heated mirrors, many of the interior switches are not back-lit so driving at night or in cold weather the truck is a pain in the neck. The most recent insult was the ENTUNE update they sent on a USB drive. Now none of the functions are working even though my phone shows a good bluetooth connection.

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  Too Americanized - 2009 Toyota Yaris
  By viztor - May 26 - 8:13 am

  Great car except for driving. Poor handling, steering imprecise at highway speeds, shifting into 5th is clunky, visibility out of vehicle poor (thick door posts, headrests block lines of sight), bigger blind spot than my old car. Our old 1978 or 1981 Civics would eat the Yaris alive and spit out the pieces. Driving is now a chore, not an enjoyable experience. No ash tray (good for storing insurance card, etc.), no external antenna (degrades reception), speedometer needle hard to see when wearing sunglasses, have to check proper operation, but rear seat seat belts seem to be obstacles when the seat is down.