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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  Tow Package - 2010 Toyota Tacoma
  By Toyota Buyer - September 4 - 11:36 pm

  I purchased a 2010 Tacoma with a tow package as an option. The cost of the package was approximately 500+ dollars. Much to my surprise the package was lacking a tongue to hook up a trailer. Without the tongue the hitch is a useless piece of steel. Buyer beware Toyota is going cheap.

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  Pleasantly surprised with the 2012 over the 2011 - 2012 Toyota Prius
  By chipl - September 4 - 8:18 pm

  Was bargain shopping for a 2011 at a Tysons VA dealer last week. They dissed me on the trade and said to take it to Carmax for the trade. So headed to Laurel MD and glad I did! The 2012 is so much nicer inside than the 2011. Add to that $3900 better on my trade-in! Things people complain about, road noise, the stereo, and such - just arent there in my opinion. The ride/noise is as nice as my old 2003 Baja, maybe better at times except under very hard acceleration. Loving the CVT transmission, such smooth driving; but find myself needing to watch the speedometer more to be sure I am not speeding.

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  236,000 Miles and Counting - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By John - September 4 - 5:43 pm

  I bought this car new and added a trailer hitch for towing. Im using a 5,000 mile oil change schedule and change the air filter regularly. It has 236,000 miles on it and runs like it did when it was new. I have no idea how long I should expect to wait before I can get a new car! It still has the original clutch, even with me pulling a trailer now and then. I have replaced one tie rod that had a little play in it, and an oxygen sensor. Currently the check engine light is on so an oxygen sensor is probably out again.

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  love it - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By siennalover - September 4 - 11:50 am

  Ive spent at least a month between Toyota, Honda and Nissan dealership looking for the best minivan (price, feel, reliability, confort, drive, power, looks....). Weve always been Honda or Toyata owners (accord and camry) so when we decided we needed a minivan we only consider toyota/honda or nissan...too bad that our american brands (GM,Ford etc) are NO match for nissan/honda/toyota....although cheap at first, always a GREAT deal, their quality and reliability reminds me of Yugo cars of the 1980s (also terrible customer service). too bad, they lost us and many others. i love my toyota, drives like a dream, handles great, good milage.

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  Tundra Offroad?? - 2008 Toyota Tundra
  By Dashboard - September 4 - 9:30 am

  Do not buy if you farm, ranch, backroad, camp, hunt, drive in snow, ice or mud. My 2000 TRD Tundra was a dream. I live in Colorado high country & drive in all the worst conditions & environments list above. The truck is a city or highway vehicle. No front tire chains. Clearance too low. Also; if you wear a shoe or boot size larger than Japanese size 8 watch out for the driver-side floor heater duct. My muddy boots (size 12) kept hitting the duct when I applied the brakes. The bed is to high for side access without a step stool.

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  Great Avalon - 2004 Toyota Avalon
  By bigrighter - September 4 - 6:20 am

  I own a 2003 XLS with navigation system. I drive over 30,000 miles per year. Very comfortable car and extremly reliable. I would purchase another one.

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  Buy this one! - 2006 Toyota Sienna
  By Chris - September 3 - 10:40 pm

  This minivan is fantastic! It gives a great ride and it is amazing in the snow. I took a 2 hr trip in the heart of a blizzard that left us w/17 inches of snow and the Sienna never even slipped. I didnt get many options as most things I wanted came standard w/ the AWD package (4 wheel disk brakes, ABS, folding 3rd row seat, etc) Ive only had it a couple weeks but I couldnt be happier w/ it so far.

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  Decent car - 2009 Toyota Matrix
  By Jason - September 3 - 6:23 pm

  As a previous Matrix owner I had certain expectations for the new model. My previous was a 2005 XR, my new model is the larger motor S with a 5 speed auto. The new model has much better pickup and feels more confident on the road. The downside to this is the fuel economy is lackluster. My best mileage when all highway miles was just at 30 mpg. My old matrix I averaged 30 overall with a lot of city driving, and had more than a few 36 mpg tanks. So far after only 5800 miles Ive averaged 23 mpg with this car. For comparison, my old V6 Oldsmobile Alero got better mileage. Im very disappointed in the fuel economy of the larger engine, I keep my tires inflated properly and drive conservatively.

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  Prius great car! - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Laura - September 3 - 2:23 am

  I am in this car sometimes 8 hrs a day two to three days a week. Gave up my Passat W8 for this car ( didnt have to, I chose to) & I do miss my sun roof & power heated leather seats, but this car does have a lot going for it. It has good pick up & is great on curves. saves $ as uses reg gas. Sure wish it had a sunroof & a power driver seat but it is comfortable.

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  Bad ride - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By anm - September 3 - 12:06 am

  I like my new Camry as far as looks, however, I find the ride to be thumpy and a lot of roll and pitch. I feel everything in the road surface. Test driven models seemed OK but the one I actually bought seems to not ride very well. Also, I dont like the head rest leaning so far forward. Really hard to sit in a good ergonomic position w/o having the headrest pushing my head forward. I would like all car manufacturers to have repositionable headrests, like the 1994 Camry had.