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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  I still love this car! - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By Vickie - July 11 - 4:36 pm

  I bought this car brand new in 2005 and 3 years later I still love this car! Its roomy, drives smooth and is cute! This car is very reliable and even with 143,000 miles on it I know I can still count on my Matrix!

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  BEST OF THE BEST - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By cephasiii - July 11 - 11:30 am

  This truck is the best pickup ever made! If you want a very reliable, good looking, powerful truck, then this is your truck.

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  What did I get into??? - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By ssood - July 10 - 2:29 pm

  I bought a 2010 Barcelona Red SE with 44k for $15,000 thinking this 4cyl would deliver good numbers in city, I get 13-15!!! My 2004 V6 KIA Optima with 285,000 on the odometer delivered 18 in city and 25 on highway. Dash rattles are unbearable! Ride is stiff as hell. My KIA rode better and even with 285k, not a single rattle. Oh, did I mention the blower motor making noise, yes! its the noise under normal mode of operation. I had the dealership clean the blower motor and guess what?? it sounds like that! Wind noise at 55mph?!?! Who designed this thing???? What happened to the concept of wind tunnel???

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  Overall a nice car - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By jon - July 10 - 12:20 pm

  I was all set to buy a Corolla and then read the reviews of the "steering problem" and almost changed my mind. I test drove three more Corollas at different dealers paying close attention to the vagueness that others mentioned and just didnt understand their point as I think of the steering as "effortless" and "smooth". I guess Im just a guy who wants a reliable, fuel efficient car and is not interested in performance issues like "feeling connected" to the road. All in all Im pleased with the car. The drivers comfort is a great improvement over my wifes 08 Corolla with the addition of the telescoping feature. The suspension is also much smoother.

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  Not worth the cost. - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By J. Green - July 10 - 10:21 am

  Purchased the 2016 Toyota Highlander Limited Platinum using reviews and owners feedback and own test drive. Have owned for one year and have been very disappointed from the beginning. Rented a Toyota Highlander XLE because no Limited available to rent. Test drove it for about 2 hours over all different types freeway and road conditions except wet pavement. The vehicle was a excellent ride, quite and refined and engine noise and acceleration very good. However we could not test drive a Limited Platinum as we purchased. What a difference in autos. The Limited platinum rides rough and potholes and even small bumps in the pavement can be felt. The wind noise at normal speeds is very loud and at freeway speeds one cannot hold a conversation with another person. I tried to locate the source of the noise and taped up everything in the end but only slightly reduced the noise. The Dealer did find the source which is the rubber seal where the roof and roof rack meet. There is a gap in the seal that is the source of almost all the wind noise. The dealer has no fix and ask me to let them know if I was able to find a solution. I have taken it to two body shops and ask if they could correct the problem. The body shops will not even take on the repair so I am stuck with coming up with a solution of my own. I have tried different things but have not found a solution yet that will stay in place because all of what I have tried will only adhere to either the rubber seal or the metal but not both. Disappointing because I have owned 6 different 4-Runners and the last three all road and drove as well as the Highlander without the road noise.

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  Happy Owner - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By RonBo - July 10 - 10:00 am

  With demand so high there were few chances to test drive, so I expected some unpleasantness when I got the car. Waited 8 weeks. Driving it for 60 days and I think its great. Avg 52 MPG. Instrument panel is a lot of fun. Nav system is very cool and the sound system is fine. I highly recomend the Prius

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  V-8 Sport - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By Pat84 - July 10 - 10:00 am

  Extremely quiet, well built vehicle. Comfortable on long trips trips to the beach to drive out right to the oceans edge and fish.

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  Garys 2004 LE - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By Ciborphd - July 10 - 10:00 am

  Fun to drive, great mpg, decent performance. Buying on reputation of excellent quality but so far disappointed at 1,400 miles. A/C blower switch and CD door broken already. Love the ride and EZ control panels. Would recommend despite the little things. Difficult to see back when parking. Not as low to exit as the Honda Civic so better ergonomics for those not wanting to rock and spring out of the seat. Love the auto-on light feature, but definitely needs more ways to adjust the driver seat.

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  pound for pound the best car for money - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By Craik - July 10 - 10:00 am

  I have a 1999 corolla and just bought the 2004. You cant beat this car for the money when it comes to build quality, reliability and gas milage.Looked at a Honda..boring..and a Mazda 3 but Mazda wouldnt come down on their price much and it was a 4 to 6 week wait.

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  A Kids Point of View - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By cgelko - July 10 - 10:00 am

  This is the ultimate minivan--no doubt about it. I would consider our model (XLE Limited) the true Lexus of the minivans. It has all the comforts of a luxury car with the people room and cargo capacity of a van. The innovative features are amazing--the intelligent cruise control, intuitive parking assist, high-intensity discharge headlights, and my favorite, the rear seat entertainment system with DVD player.