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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  Good SUV - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By cheng ming li - March 10 - 6:10 pm

  Its a nice SUV, fun to drive and good reliability. The performance is good. The redesigned interior are better fit people needs.

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  Love my new 2011 Camry LE! - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By ericklaseca - March 9 - 4:10 pm

  The Toyota Camry LE drives like and looks like a luxury car. The manual/automatic transmission is ingenious and useful. The trunk is huge as is the interior cabin. You feel like youre riding on a cloud and theres no road or engine noise.

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  Love it - 2002 Toyota 4Runner
  By RLJSlick - March 9 - 4:00 pm

  This is a great rideing truck that some tough enough to take a licking!

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  2006 Avalon - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By Lou - March 9 - 1:53 pm

  Suprising power and gas mileage excellent.

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  A Nice, sporty, compact car - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Bruce - March 9 - 10:43 am

  Have had the car for 5 weeks now. No problems, appox. 26.5 mpg city and close to 30 - with more highway use. I would highly recommend the Corolla S to anyone wanting "sporty value". I added tinted windows and a chrome exhaust tip which make the car look even better!

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  Typical Toyota - 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By swizzlestick - March 8 - 8:40 pm

  In a nutshell, this Toyota is like all the others I have owned... bulletproof. It excels in every aspect except for fuel economy, which is still better than non-hybrid models. I get 25.5 mpgs in the summer and 23 mpg in the winter in mountain driving.

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  2000 Toyota Solara - 2000 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Gordon Beach - March 8 - 8:07 pm

  I bought my 2000 Solara with 64,000 miles on it in 2002. I am still driving it today with 330,000 miles on it in harsh winters and hole riddled roads of Michigan. All I have had to do is basic routine maintenance, and replace the some suspension parts as they have wore due to all the mileage. I drive it back and forth to work (80miles round trip) every day, I could not have asked for a better car. I have had nothing but issues in the past with american cars, so I just bought my 16yr old a 1999 Solara with miles on it for school work and then college. Best car I have ever owned!

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  10K Miles and No Complaints - 2013 Toyota Camry
  By rurod - March 8 - 4:58 pm

  I bought my Barcelona Red 2013 Camry SE last August and have enjoyed the car immensely! I recently went in for the 10K Service, which so far services for the first two years of the car are paid by Toyota. The cars ride is excellent, however the car does not absorb some of the badder bumps on the road due to the sports suspension. Handling is good, not too much lean in turns, and goes where you point it. I drove the other non SE Camry models and the ride in those was too soft and mushy. I fully expect this car to be reliable and long lasting - I tend to keep my cars forever.

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  Happy car purchase - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By Arb - March 8 - 12:30 pm

  I trade cars every 2 years and this was the first car I bought that I felt good about. The Prius is a techno machine that will have a gadget head reeling with all the simple yet sophisticated features. It reminds me of when I purchased my first iPod. It makes you wonder why other devices in the genre cant deliver upon your expectations. I enjoy not using a key in the traditonal sense via the SmartKey feature. The dynamic way the car displays its usage of energy has an effect on your driving style. You become smoother on the accelerator, which leads to greater fuel economy. Sure, I havent hit 60 mpg avg. on a tank of gas, but 48 mpg is great. Thats a 100% improvement over my old vehicle.

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  Our Second FJ - 2009 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By jomeenen - March 8 - 2:06 am

  We bought our first FJ in May 2009. Four months later, towing our 24 foot travel trailer along Rt 84 in PA the trailer was caught by a gust of wind and we started to fishtail. My husband gently applied the trailer breaks in an effort to get it to stop swinging but it was too far gone. The trailer flipped, and with it went my brand new FJ containing my husband, our two dogs and me. I remember being upside down, then on our side, skidding along the highway, then somehow, back on all 4 tires and stopped. Only one window broke, the passenger side view mirror folded in and broke the passenger side window. Aside from scrapes and bruises, were all shook up and perfectly ok.