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:

• 

  Best I have ever owned. - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Halfmile - July 10 - 10:00 am

  This car is a total delight to own and drive. The seats were designed for me. I do not get tired driving long distances in this minivan. Everyone in the car rides in comfort. The separate front and rear climate control air conditioning is wonderful. There is plenty of power for my kind of driving. The car can be switched to haul things or people in the blink of an eye. All our senior citizen friends seem to get in and out of this car with much less effort then when we use our second car, a Camry sedan. I have recommended this car to all that will listen.

• 

  Uncomfortable driver seat - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By C. Hanna - July 10 - 10:00 am

  I find the driver seat to be very uncomfortable. To the point that I do not like to drive the car. Lumbar support is like two fists in my kidneys and the seat bottom is very hard. Did not notice this in the short test drive at the dealers. Be sure to sit in this car for 15 + minutes before buying.

• 

  Just what I needed - thanks Toyota - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By Susie - July 10 - 5:33 am

  Love my Rav4! Needed ease of entry for Mother and it is the lowest SUV seat to slide into and not climb down into a car. Love uplift hatch when loading cargo, more available space and easy on back (selling point for me). Easy to attach car seats and load the grandkids. Occasional hesitation on acceleration. Wish it had rear A/C vents. Good handling and easy parking. Good mirrors, but I added convex for side blind spots. Slightly noisy, but expected for SUV. Gas mileage not bad for SUV, but I drive 44 miles roundtrip to work on highway, and should be better than it is (about 20mpg). All said, I dont think I could find anything to fit my needs any better. This was a God blessing!

• 

  Amazing buy - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By zelaya_ed - July 10 - 1:33 am

  Im in college... and the last thing I wanted to have to worry about was my car. So I decided to go with a toyota - having to be on a budget the Yaris was definitely in my price range. Immediately I fell in love with the car, it looked cool, had an ipod jack built in, power everything, and finally I got to the gas station. 20 bucks filled her up, what a buy.

• 

  Oh What a Feeling! - 2009 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By Vstrom-Will - July 10 - 12:43 am

  Simply a magnificent machine! It operates as advertised, and the on road manners are very refined. Off road it lives up to its reputation. The cabin comfort level is unsurpassed IMHO. I truly like the understated exterior styling as it does not draw attention. The Country Club PKG is worth the extra $$. Mileage is exactly as advertised. Can hardly keep the little woman up front as she loves the entertainment system in the back.

• 

  I love my car!!! - 2004 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By Mare94 - July 10 - 12:33 am

  I bought my MR2 used. I love it. It is blue and beautiful!! I especially love the carbon fibre dash work. I entered my car in a few shows and walked away with trophies. It rides great and handles those curves with ease. Great fun to drive!

• 

  The best car ever - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Gary - July 9 - 3:10 pm

  I enoy driving the vehicle. The milage is excellent. I gave up quick acceleration but the mileage is worth the difference. I do not need quick acceleration; Jack rabbit accelerations waste fuel dramatically. The car handles very good. holds curves at highway speeds. The Prius is very roomy inside and confortable.

• 

  Green SUV of the future - 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By SUV_PRO - July 9 - 12:23 pm

  Im an extremely experience & picky SUV driver, Ive spent over 2 months test driving several SUVs in the market which includes BMW X5, BMW X6, Land Rover LR3, Mercedes M-Class, and Porsche Cayenne. Yes, they are nice and fast, but nothing blow me away like Highlander Hybrid, it amazed me by its unconventional and futuristic technology with Synergy drive, VDIM, and CVT. European/American SUVs in the market attract the buyer by putting a bigger engine, bigger disk brakes to achieve better speed and cornering, but none of them put as much work as Toyota on engineering such clean and environmentally friendly vehicle. I am getting 29 MPG with my Highlander Hybrid in mix city/highway.

• 

  Cant Say Enough - 2001 Toyota RAV4
  By DPH - July 9 - 6:50 am

  This has been just a great little car - I still have fun driving it. Even on trips it has provided plenty of comfort, partly because there is so much leg and head room. I cant complain that it lacks power; what would one expect from a 4-cylinder SUV? Snow and up-hill driveway is an issue where we live, and with studded snow tires, this is a little army tank!

• 

  Its OK. - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By Jim Chronister - July 9 - 5:46 am

  High RPM (6000 to 8000) operating performance is impressive, but it over revs quickly. Slow off the line (little torque). Handling is good. Several blind spots. Total fuel economy is 31.6 MPG with 65000 miles.