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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  love it! - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By court811 - August 2 - 2:00 am

  This is the fourth toyota I have purchased and my second 4 runner. the improvements over the old 4 runner are HUGE! the ride is as smooth as the 2002 Highlander I had before and the gas mileage is just as good. I love this car!!

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  Toyota 4 Runner 2004 - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By Tinerbell - August 2 - 2:00 am

  Have 5000 miles to date an have enjoyed it very much. Solid firm ride,great in snow & reasonably quiet.

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  Wifes choice - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By aljafljkl - August 2 - 2:00 am

  Very nice vehicle. Lexus quality; Toyota price. Smooth, quiet ride. 3rd row seating has already come in handy. 4 cylinder is a little sluggish, but not a problem. Gas mileage should be good for this medium sized SUV. We went from a 2000 Honda CRV, what a difference! The Toyota just feels more solid and gets better gas mileage, just no comparison between the two.

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  2003 Toyota Corolla CE - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By Tigga454 - August 2 - 2:00 am

  I have always owned American made cars my whole life. I bought my Corolla almost 10 months ago, and I still love to drive it. I drive almost 100 miles a day and the car is so comfortable and handles great. I will never buy another American car again.

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  Comfortable but with a major problem - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By lskris - August 2 - 2:00 am

  Major Disappointment and problem. I would have been happy with my first Camry XLE except less than one month after purchasing, the car was leaking oil from the transmission/trans oil pan. After many visits and rental cars later the transmission etc. was replaced. Also, when braking quickly it feels like the brakes lock and the car slides without stopping. Scary!

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  Could be a lot better - 2008 Toyota Sienna
  By graysienna - August 2 - 12:42 am

  We bought this used model (2008) from the Toyota dealer with 70K on it. The price was reasonable. The interior is poor. The rear passenger air turns on and off intermittently without anyone turning on. I read a lot of similar complaints on the ToyotaSienna online forum. The dealer said it is what it is (as is condition). I tried to look up for the solution, no solution found. The seats are poor quality. The hand rest for all seats are poorly built. It is really not so convenient for the driver to use the hand rest (Right). The center console between the driver and passenger could have been made better (which I suppose is now taken care in the new model). Poor quality seat belts.

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  Prius Gen 2 - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By poolpaul - August 2 - 12:33 am

  Great car! Its a little sluggish on two lane passing, but other than that it has great handling. Mileage drops a lot in the winter. Better engine compartment insulation would undoubtedly help this as the engine runs a lot just to provide heat.

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  Great truck - 2000 Toyota Tundra
  By MrAdaMrAda - August 1 - 8:26 pm

  This is a great truck, could stand to have more power. Overall I think it is a winner.

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  great car with some flaws - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By yskesa - August 1 - 7:46 pm

  Fun to drive. Used to drive Honda. Changed to prius. Main reason to buy, fuel economy. But I am getting only 42 I have driven only 1000 miles till now. Trip meter shows 45 but I am getting only 42 when doing maths. But over all good car. May be fuel will improve with some more driving

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  Never Again - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By SPD - August 1 - 7:25 pm

  We decided to purchase an SUV and looked at just about everything. Since we own a Lexus (ES330)) and never had a problem so we decided we would go with a Toyota. If we had an opportunity to drive the Highlander for a day or two prior to making a decision we would have never bought it. First the "Chrometec" wheels are nothing but glorified hub caps. When you purchase the top model you expect to get real wheels. We cant use/tilt the moon roof because of road noise. We suspect it has to do with the aerodynamics of the tilt and cross bar of the luggage rack but someone eat Toyota should have tested that out. Here nor there its too loud to use. The positioning of the navigation screen is horrible. Most of the time there is such a glare on the screen its unusable - this was a really poorly thought out design. In addition the system shuts off and reboots for no reason - it appears we are not the only ones experiencing this. If you are using the Navigation and it shuts down your are out of luck until it reboots. We also have the vented seats but on the cooling mode you can hear the fan noise over your left shoulder if you are the driver - ridiculous. Lastly the floor in nothing more then felt. Looking at trading it in and only had it for a few months..worst vehicle I have ever owned. Cheaply made..