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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  Phenomenal Gas Mileage - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By M. Evans - September 21 - 8:13 am

  Gas mileage is not nearly what is displayed on the sticker... BUT 48 mpg in the city is not bad. Car is fun to drive and everyone asks about the vehicle and performance.

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  Decent car for the money - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By homerjs - September 21 - 1:36 am

  I bought this car for the expected reliability and comfort for the long commute to work. Surprisingly, this car is not as comfy as a 95 Camry my sister-in-law has. Perhaps its the 17 inch tires and the firmer seats than expected. Road noise is well subdued and the power is good, but any faster than 100, and its floats and bobs more than the Civic and Accord I used to have. The worse thing about the car is the navi which is hard to use with the button. Trying to navigate the keyboard with it and you end up "entering" half of the time. The touch screen in my wifes TL is so much more user friendly. Otherwise it is a great deal.

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  Toyota Nailed It! - 2014 Toyota Highlander
  By newcarguy5 - September 20 - 9:18 pm

  Ive had the car for 5 months so feel like I can give it a proper review. I checked out all of the competitors and narrowed it down to the Acura MDX (basic model with AWD) and the Highlander Limited Platinum AWD. They were close in price, but of course you get more bells and whistles with the Highlander Platinum trim vs MDX base. I actually preferred the ride of the Highlander due to its steering feel in conjunction with a very smooth ride. This car has plenty of power when you need it (unlike Pilot). You will enjoy the ride regardless of the trim, but if you can swing it, you will not be sorry with the Limited Platinum.

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  2010 Toyota Corolla - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By Jen - September 20 - 4:40 pm

  I LOVE this car! Customer Service was EXCELLENT in Wilmington, NC. Every questions imaginable was answered. Very Very Thorough. Drives great. Good features. Comfortable able to move the seats and steering wheel. highly recommend!

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  94 V6 LE - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By scott - September 20 - 2:56 pm

  I bought this car in November of 2004 with 122,000 miles on the odometer. I paid more than book because one-owner Camrys with all the background are hard to find. Ive put 54,000 miles on it and have replaced the timing belt, windshield, brakes, front struts and 2 O2 sensors. It is always reliable and gets between 24 and 27 mpg. I love this car and plan on keeping it until something expensive breaks. It does not use a drop of oil between changes.

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  LOVE MY 2018 4Runner TRD PRO - 2018 Toyota 4Runner
  By Sharon Machicek - September 20 - 12:13 pm

  Ive seen so many mixed reviews on this vehicle, so it was hard for me to finally bite the bullet and order the vehicle sight unseen or before test driving it. Four grueling months later it finally arrives and.........WOW....just WOW!! This truck is awesome, words just cant explain it. I love the simplicity of this vehicle. The big knobs and actual buttons to push is a breath of fresh air. I came from a 2013 Ford Edge Sport that had all the bells & whistles you could want, but most of the time it was a headache. I found myself not even utilizing half the stuff it was able to do. So believe me when I say, I love the simplicity of this truck. A lot of people complain about the 4 runners 6.1 inch screen being to small, but I say its more than sufficient, and thats me coming from a 8 inch screen in my Edge. The screens picture clarity and response to touch is so much better than what I had in my Ford, which was sooooo slowwwww. The visibility out of this thing is great, love the huge back window. A lot of people bit*h about the headlights, but I think there great. Yeah....their not HIDs or LEDs, who cares. What I care about is the amount of light they put out and that I can see at night. The fog lights put out so much light and they reach way into the ditch so I can look out for deer. The ride is very plush & smooth and the seats are so comfortable & durable, love the soft-tex material. My Edge had 22s so I felt every little bump. The 4 runners back seat is very comfortable too, plus the back seats recline for even more comfort. Not a lot of wind/road noise in the cabin, which surprised me because of the all terrain tires and/or sheer size of the truck. I actually had more wind/road noise in my Edge. I even love the sound the doors make when you close them. Its a very soft, muffled sound if that makes any sense. Its the little thinks like that, that make me love this vehicle so much more than any other vehicle I have owned, which is six by the way. I love the sliding rear cargo deck, Ive already used it several times. It really comes in handy and the hidden storage compartment is pretty cool too. This is my first Toyota and Im definitely looking forward to the Toyota reliability. With that said, I do miss 1 thing that my Edge had that my 4 runner does not. And that is the keyless entry. I miss being able to just grab the door and have it unlock automatically. It will take me sometime to get use to pulling keys out of my purse again. Overall I love this vehicle, best quality vehicle Ive ever driven hands down. You have to love it for what it is.....a truck.....and a good truck at that. :)

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  great little car - 2001 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By arr1 - September 20 - 10:53 am

  Like the Beach Boys said - FUN, FUN, FUN. Get up and go, its got, lot of cargo space - not. Great second car for the work commute or the weekend crusing. A looker too, turns heads wherever you go. Must ride with top down, no wind with windows up so its pleasant. 30 mpg so you can fight off the high fuel prices. Top is very easy to put up and down.

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  Worst decision Ive ever made in my life - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By F - September 20 - 7:17 am

  The wind noise from passenger side window in the this car is overwhelming at anything over 30 mph. When I took it into my dealership (Clearwater Toyota in Florida), their Service Advisors advice to me was to "play heavy metal music at loud volumes" to drown out the noise. Nice. This was my first (and will be my VERY LAST) Toyota purchase. Complete garbage. Will be selling this piece of junk at my earliest convience. Avoid this car like the plague, especially at Clearwater Toyota in Clearwater, FL.

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  Corolla Reliability and Toyota Cust Svc - 2006 Toyota Corolla
  By Kan88 - September 20 - 6:33 am

  I bought the toyota corolla in June 2006 and have 21 K miles on this car. The Car suddenly stopped in the middle of the road trip and had to have the car towed to the nearest toyota leadership as it was under warranty. The ECU (computer) broke and the car would not start and there was a backlog delay of several weeks to get the car repaired. I have contacted Toyota Customer Service for assistance and they covered for cost for towing the car to my home city toyota dealer and co-ordinated with the dealership to have my car fixed.

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  Best SUV on the road - 2006 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By Bill - September 20 - 5:50 am

  Great car, no issues. Have owned the car for 2k miles and love every drive I take.