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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  Our first Sequoia - 2006 Toyota Sequoia
  By g4zilla - August 17 - 5:50 pm

  Were 500 miles into our 2006 Sequoia, and are very impressed. This rig is smooth, rock solid, and very well appointed. Our kids, both teenagers, love the roominess ("Dad! My knees dont touch your seat!") and I look forward to Toyotas legendary dependability. Though its a large SUV, it handles like a smaller vehicle. I never feel as though Im driving a school bus! Recently, my son and I were traveling on the highway, and he turned to me and said, "Dad, this Sequoia is so quiet!" He was absolutely right. I looked down at the speedometer...oops, 80 mph! And that is my final point: the quiet, smooth ride betrays nothing of your speed.

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  Great Mileage SUV/CUV - 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By ejo1 - August 17 - 12:54 pm

  I needed a good mileage vehicle to pull my Boston Whaler after running a small CUV with decent mileage. Every car and pickup I looked at would get 20 mpg or less a few maybe low 20s when not pulling a boat and as 98% of the time Im not pulling a boat this was not a good option to go from 24 mpg average daily driving to <20mpg. I found this Highlander and now get 26-27 mpg average and easily can pull and launch my boat and when doing so get 21 or more mpg. All this in luxury.

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  First Toyota - 2007 Toyota Avalon
  By Ronb - August 17 - 6:30 am

  Talked to some Avalon owners before making purchase. Have had the car for two years putting 15k on per year. Overall, we are pleased. It has great design, size, ride, performance and comfort expected. Replaced the OEM Michelin tires at about 27K with some Yokahama. The OEM still had tread, but not enough for winter driving. Problem to date is what appears to be a "gap", missing bushing or poorly fitting parts somewhere in the steering assembly. After stopping, there is a slight drop in the steering wheel of about 1/8 inch with a little "klunk" when we start again. Dealer replaced steering assemble shaft, but problem still exists. Having hard time replicating when we take it in.

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  Little worker. - 2002 Toyota RAV4
  By dbenhur - August 16 - 11:36 am

  Comfortable for passengers even carrying four 6 adults. Solid build, reliable. A little underpowered, but adequate. Highly fuel efficient _for_ an SUV. Great traction in light to moderate snow.

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  Highlander Great Buy - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By Douglas - August 16 - 7:00 am

  We purchased a Toyota Highlander the later end of 2004. We looked into several types of vehicles and decided to purchase a Toyota Highlander. The MPG is pretty good given that the vehicle is an SUV. It handles well and the interior is very easy to maintain. My family feels safe and comfortable in the vehicle.

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  Luxury without the obvious luxury name - 2005 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By rbaker - August 15 - 2:30 pm

  Nice car overall. Cons include difficulty accessing CD changer and understanding how to use the DVD player.

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  Good car overall - 2003 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Johnboy - August 15 - 10:00 am

  Very easy to use convertible top. Great handling and responsive tight feel on the road. Feels like a Lexus. Ok, not quite, but darn good. Protective cover that sits on back of convertible sometimes flies off at higher speeds and can be dangerous if you dont pay attention to it. One of its only flaws.

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  Questionable - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By kydna - August 15 - 5:46 am

  Car has had no major problems. Time is showing quality issues. Paint chips very easy. Interior headliner needs replaced. Radio door cover opens 40% of the time. Control panel door for nav. falling off! With just over 30,000 miles not the quality I would expect from Toyota! I will return to MB!

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  2005 Matrix - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By Carol - August 14 - 7:43 pm

  I like the car but was terribly disappointed with the gas mileage, I only get 26 mpg around town and very little more on the Hwy. I have a 1984 Mazda GLC that gets better mileage around town. Also I hit the edge of a patch of black top which had been removed to replace (approx 2") and the car jumped all over the road. Scary! I had hoped to save a lot more on gas and to feel pretty safe, for a small car--I dont. I make many trips to No. California and am back to driving my 4- Runner as the 4 miles a gallon I save is not worth the loss of space and security. And kill the seatbelt warning which goes off every time I have my small dog in the car or a briefcase. well, I wish I had something else

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  11 DC Rock Warrior - 2011 Toyota Tundra
  By mason467 - August 12 - 11:41 pm

  Bought brand new about a year ago to replace 05 GMC 1500 which we use to tow our 30 foot camper. The GMC was a little on the light side...great truck but we needed more. Test drove 11 crew cab f150 xlt first. Nice truck, but both my wife and I agreed that this was just not the truck for us. Next, we drove an 11 Tundra with Rock Warrior package. Unlike the F150 this truck comes with load range "E" tires, perfect for towing. Also, the suspension is nice and firm. Power is exceptional while towing our camper. Stability is also excellent. The transmission always seems to be in the right gear, and it gets anywhere from 8.5-11 MPG pulling out 7500 lbs brick of a camper.