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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  Another happy Prius owner - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By Lowell - June 10 - 2:33 am

  We traded a 1995 Cadillac Seville, SLS, for our Prius, and have never been sorry a minute. The interior is exceptionally well designed, and the electronics are superb. Good air conditioning, easy to read instruments, good storage space, and comfortable for 4 adults. Weve been pleasantly surprised on its long trip capabilities, having taken it on two trips of over 2,000 miles. Our friends say, "Thats what we all should be driving".

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  Best Truck Ever! - 2006 Toyota Tacoma
  By healthylaugh - June 9 - 8:46 pm

  This is my 4th Toyota in over 20 years - they are so well-built, that I havent needed to shop much! This is a beautiful truck and I love how fast and powerful it is when you need the extra merging power/get up and go. I havent had one stitch of trouble with it and not a single factory defect, either. My Prius gas mileage is missed, but I really needed a truck, so the Tacoma was the natural choice.

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  tires and oil line - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By gbrown1067 - June 9 - 6:53 pm

  the tires on the sport model are horrible. Look at tire rack review. The are a accident waiting to happen. Why put out a awd with poor tires. Only two mfg makes them. There is a oil line to the valve train area that is accident waiting to happen after 45K miles.Look up toyota oil leaks. Blue tooth operation is horrible. You must program phone #s into the car system

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  Lowest ownership costs of any car!! - 2009 Toyota Yaris
  By Roger - June 9 - 6:46 pm

  Great little car. I bought it to commute to work in and it fits perfect. Best low cost to gas mileage car out there. zips around very nice.I added keyless entry for 150 aftermarket and it is now fully loaded!

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  DEFECTIVE new 2017 Toyota Camry!! - 2017 Toyota Camry
  By Christine - June 9 - 6:28 pm

  DEFECTIVE new 2017 Toyota Camry!! On November 18, 2016, we bought a new 2017 Toyota Camry. We bought Toyota because of its reputation in reliability and quality. But it turns out this car is defective and made with a bad transmission. Because of this major defect, we have reason to believe there’s extremely poor quality control of the production process of this entire car if not other 2017 Camry’s. We weren’t given a chance to test drive the new car by our dealer. On our way back home on 11/18, we noticed that the car jerked forward abnormally every time when we pressed on the brake. We took our car back to the dealer on 11/22 after try driving it multiple times at dealer’s recommendation. It took the dealer 4 hours to fix it. They adjusted the fluid level within the transmission according to the paperwork. We haven’t had a chance driving the car again until 12/5 because of a flu in the family. On 12/5, the car won’t reverse and showed a warning message “Check Vehicle Stability Control System”. On 12/6/16, Toyota sent a toll truck and took our car back to the dealer’s service department. This time the service department replaced the defective new transmission with a re-manufactured (non-new) transmission. In two weeks after we had this car, the car has gone through 2 repairs on transmission and included the replacement of transmission on a brand new car. We paid for a brand new Toyota Camry XLE, now 2 weeks later, the transmission is broken and replaced with a refurbished transmission. It might be a better choice to just buy a used car with much less price. This is a terrible new car experience for us and we have to warn other consumers about it. There should be something special about owning a new car. Toyota destroyed our experience by giving us a defective car and wants us to go through a lengthy process to get a refund or replacement. Stay away from 2017 Toyota Camry!!

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  Fred Brooks - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Toyota Camery - June 9 - 3:13 pm

  Purchased new, enjoy the car. Only reason I am trading is it is getting old and I want a new Camry. There is nothing wrong with the car. Have it serviced at dealership on regular basis. Interior is like new as well as outside. Kept in garage when not in use.

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  Like a Lexus, only less out the pocket! - 2006 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Happy SE Sport owner - June 9 - 1:20 pm

  I have this car for a week...Love it! Very powerful with the V6 and the sequential shift is amazing. When I test drove this car I thought I was in a Lexus. I test drove the IS 300 and the ride/acceleration is no different.

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  Best car I have ever owned - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By Gene - June 9 - 11:40 am

  I have owned over an estimated fifty (50) cars in my life time and this Avalon is the best. My last seven have been Toyota including three (3) trucks. This car is an engineering marvel. I love the ride, gas mileage, rooming, security, everything is easy to get at. Folks, Toyota has done it again, THE BEST.

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  07 Crewmax 5.7 6A - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By Ken Taco - June 9 - 9:03 am

  I traded in my 06 Tacoma Double Cab Prerunner longbed w/TRD Sport Pkg. I chose the Crewmax w/5.7 6AT SR5 because I liked how smooth it drove, and I wanted the interior space to accomodate my family on road trips from Vegas to Southern Cal. I love the seating position in the Crewmax. In the Tacoma, the seating was comfortable, but you had to sit low like in a sports car. There were also no option for any kind of seat height adjustments. I also like the power on tap when I need it, and the braking power. Turning radius is pretty tight for a truck this size. Its too soon to see MPG, but I hope to get 16 city.

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  Great Value - 1998 Toyota Corolla
  By gasparma - June 9 - 2:00 am

  This car has been an incredibly reliable, low maintenance vehicle that has performed as well as I expect a Toyota to perform. Other than the routine maintenance, only had one problem (throttle control valve) that was replaced by the dealership. This is a great car for those whose egos dont need to be soothed by driving the biggest, fastest, etc. vehicle out there.