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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  Nice Car... Too Expensive - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By hammonddave - July 19 - 6:23 pm

  The new Camry Hybrid offers a great deal of wonderful acessories including the ability to extend your MPG with its new Synergy drive. The car has plenty of power to get up to highway speed. However, once you reach 70MPH the car has a tendancy to lunge forward searching for a comfortable speed. The steering is dicy at these speeds which is also quite disconcerting. The interior materials look and feel cheap. Too much plastic! Even with the upgraded leather it is hard to believe that this car costs over $30,000. Toyota needs to get real when if comes to their pricing. The batteries form a wall between the trunk and the fold down rear seats which makes it impractical to load long objects.

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  "A Great Truck" Revisited-2 Months Later - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By Nick - July 19 - 4:13 pm

  I reviewed this on 12/24, but I want to update. Since then, the truck has developed many problems. First was a serious rattle from the rear of the truck that occurs when the temperature drops below freezing. Supposedly, Toyota is aware of this problem, as it affects alot of trucks, but doesnt know how to fix it yet. Next was severe paint loss after driving only once in the snow, for about 15 miles. All of the paint along the rocker panels and rear fenders is coming off. This is happening to alot of trucks too, but so far, Toyota is not acknowledging its defective paint. Other problems include shuddering while accelerating and braking, and a noisy creaking dash and headboard.

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  My Corolla - 2001 Toyota Corolla
  By hunt d - July 17 - 10:00 am

  This is the most reliable car I have owned and the first foreign car. I will buy another Toyota again.

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  I wish I could afford to drive it. - 2004 Toyota Tundra
  By 4jblund - July 17 - 10:00 am

  This is the nicest pickup Ive ever driven and really enjoy driving it. I just wish I could afford to drive it more. It gets real bad gas mileage (16mpg) is the best Ive achieved so far. Im guessing Toyota put the 4.08 rearend in it to compensate for the less horsepower than the competition. They could have improved this by putting more horses in the motor (Ive seen the racing cars, I know they can) then put a 3.50-3.73 rear in it. If I were pulling something big I wouldnt have bought it, I would have gone diesel. They arent catering to their buyers. It does what I wanted just the mileage is sad.

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  amazing car!!!!!! - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By stephanie - July 16 - 3:30 pm

  Ive had this car for 2 years now, and all Ive had to do is change the oil. Ive put 32k miles on it. I used it for delivery driving for a while. It was great. I pretty much love everything about this car. I do miss not getting the power package. I get usually 28-37 mpg on average. I love driving it around town!

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  Good SUV! - 2008 Toyota 4Runner
  By pt - July 15 - 5:03 am

  Good SUV! More comfortable than previous years. Handling is very good compare to other Toyota models, specially the new Highlander.

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  No Fuel Economy Here - 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By jnb2001 - July 14 - 9:20 pm

  Major disappointment when it comes to gas mileage. After 7,000 miles I can only average 24.8 mpg vs the 30+ stated by the dealer. This Highlander is maxed out with all the options and we love it. The navigation system is great as are the rest of the toys. Wood trim sets it off just right. Performance and handling is excellent. We were truly expecting the 30+ mpg with a hybrid and are very disappointed with this one item. Other than that, its a great little vehicle.

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  Critic of tundra - 2008 Toyota Tundra
  By bill case - July 14 - 2:00 pm

  My last truck was a 1500 gmc and while it was a decent pick-up this truck is heads and shoulders above it.The 5.7 is powerful and the 6 speed transmission is real smooth. I have a 24 travel trailer that weighs 5800 lbs loaded and it pulls it with no effort at all. Dislikes: I dont like the way it revs when you first start it cold. Its almost 2000 rpms and holds for about 10 to 15 seconds. The gas gauge reads 1/2 full and only takes 8 gallons of fuel and the oil gauge holds slightly below the 1/2 mark. Ive never had a car or truck that didnt hold a least 30 lbs oil pressure when driving, but Im being told that this is normal. Im keeping an eye on it and hopefully it wont go lower.

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  I Like My Toyota Yaris - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By Greg Warmoth - July 14 - 1:06 pm

  My Yaris is the 2 door hatchback, red with the 1.5 liter engine. It drives nice and smooth with little road noise. It seats 5 but more like 4. Dont expect to haul a lot of baggage but this is more for the commuters than hauling anything. Fuel economy is around 39 on the road, about what Toyota shows it at. The stereo is simple but works well. The gauges are in the middle of the dash so if anyone doesnt like the instruments being to their right to look at the speedometer than this wouldnt be the car for you. This is an economy car, no bells and whistles, but its reliable at a cheaper price. Price of the car and gas mileage.

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  Reliable Camry - 1993 Toyota Camry
  By Veldboom - July 14 - 2:00 am

  This car has been outstanding except for sunroof wind noise. Since the dealer indicated such noise was normal, I could not even get it fixed under warrantee.