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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  Stunning build quality. Unmatched driving experience! - 2010 Toyota Tundra
  By Golddust - February 23 - 4:41 pm

  So many of the 5.7L reviews acknowledge the monster horsepower and torque of this exceptional drivetrain. Toyota, however, has managed to combine the power with an overall unmatched driving experience. Climb into the cab of the Tundra, buckle up and get ready to experience the best drive of your life. The Tundra imparts a feeling of control, confidence and well being that only happens with one or two vehicles in a lifetime. Remember that one you wished you had never sold? The Tundra is that one again and now. It will make you look forward to the local Home Depot trip as much as the two week, two thousand mile vacation jaunt. At this price level, nothing out there comes anywhere close.

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  low cost E 320 - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By mayur - February 23 - 3:00 pm

  Our third camry V6 XLE, A huge improvement over the 1992 model. The navigation system is great. Gentle ride to the point where you dont feel like you want to race this car. Roomy interior.

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  I love it! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Love it - February 23 - 11:30 am

  I am not having all the other issues everyone else is, not sure if its because mine is a manual transmission but I cant say how much I love it. I drove several cars before deciding on this one; it outdid the Altima and I had my heart set on buy a Nissan! Even with less horsepower than the Altima I find mine will definitely get up and go for little 4 cyl. I have owned 3 Saturns before this and I have to say I think I was missing out. I went from a V6 Vue to the 4 cyl manual Camry and couldnt be happier! Wish the keyless came with the CE but I made the dealer throw it in for free or else I was walking out. They did and they had me sold!

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  Great Car So Far...Like The New Look - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By jay - February 23 - 5:36 am

  Just picked up this vehicle the other day...tested the accord and legacy and probably would have bought the accord but the new camry design sold me along with its reliabilty record.

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  Ecomomy car with luxury features - 2017 Toyota Corolla
  By Dr E Cohen MD - February 22 - 9:30 pm

  This car handles great with excellentgas mileage. This is a lot of car for the money. Safety features and performance You would expect from a much more expensive car. Love my new Corolla LE!!!

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  So far so good! - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By Claire Waters - February 22 - 6:06 pm

  I traded in my 02 Taurus (which stink) for the 09 Corolla. So far I enjoy this car. The seat fabric on the S model is really nice. I have a dog and it is easy to vacuum. I drive mostly highway and so far with about 1000 miles I have gotten 34.5 MPG according to the cars calculation. One suggestion I have for all new owners is to immediately armorall the plastic on the interior of the car. It scratches pretty easily but the armorall takes care of that and makes it look a lot better! I love this car!

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  This car deserves a second look! - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By Bob - February 22 - 3:33 pm

  I mainly chose the Toyota Yaris for the fuel economy. I have averaged almost 60mpg on highway runs, and about 40mpg around town (much better than my other car)! The seating is comfortable and the interior is easy to keep clean (charcoal gray). It handles beautifully at higher speeds, even around corners! The newly redesigned headlight assembly allow great light dispersion, for improved visibility, especially if you add the Sylvania Ulta Star headlamps! Most oncoming traffic think I am running my high beams, yet I am not! The fuel tank capacity is 11.1 gallons, and I can squeeze 600 miles out of it! If you try it, you will buy it! Really deserves a second look!

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  You got to get one of these! - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By rseynaev - February 20 - 11:56 pm

  I just picked up my fully loaded 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid 2 days ago (the first one off the dealers lot). I still cant get the smile off my face. The TCH is awesome. I never seriously considered the Toyota Prius - too small for my family. I test drove a Ford Escape Hybrid and overall was disappointed with it. The TCH is the perfect vehicle for us. There is plenty of room for our family of 4, it got all the gadgets and performance for me (Dad), it saves the planet for Mom, and the kids think its really cool too!

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  Lexus like - 2008 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Gene - February 20 - 11:30 pm

  The test drive in the rain with the top up impressed me. The quietness and the solid, confidence inspiring handling were very impressive. Love the gauge illumination at night too. The 6s performance seems fine to me and great gas mileage too! Car trip with only 200 miles on the odo got 30+ mostly highway mpg at 70. Top down on the highway is fine too- not too much wind and able to talk in a normal tone w/o windscreen. The nav system is not as intuitive as my Garmin Nuvi but does have its pluses. Voice activation commands with the top down is iffy. Luckily this can be done manually. Radio is nice, rear visibility is ok with mirrors and seat adjusted properly. Tilt & tele wheel is great.

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  Better Trade Than I Thought - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By Stephen - February 20 - 8:46 pm

  I traded down to an Avalon Limited from a BMW 330I. As it turns out it wasnt that far down. Im actually seeing more and more that this car has a lot going for it. Better gas mileage, no premium gas, its pretty quick and a good sound system.