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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  Economical and fun! - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Dan H - October 5 - 1:23 pm

  Weve only driven the Prius for 5000 miles, but love it more every day. We chose option pkg 4 to get the safety items. Now that the weather is getting warmer in Pittsburgh and the car is getting broken in, were averaging 48 in combined (congested) suburban/ highway driving. Our only concern is the FWD in our winters, but we kept a Subaru as a snow car.

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  UNBELIEVABLE MACHINE - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By SnoopBman - October 5 - 2:33 am

  Ive owned my Solara for 4+ years now and I have nothing but positive words for this car. I currently have around 165K on the car, primarily highway miles and it still runs as soft, smooth and quietly as it did the first day I purchased it. Im amazed at what Toyota has done with this machine. Ive only had minor repair issues in the past mainly due to my excessive driving. Only had to replace driver side window regulator because it was broken into and regulator was damaged. And I have an AC leak which I hope wont be too much of a repair before this summer hits.

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  Best Car I have EVER Owned - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Dena - October 4 - 10:03 pm

  In St. Thomas, we have mountains, curves, scarcely a level highway on the island. The Prius maneuvers all this as well as my Buick LeSabre, but I fill the tank only once a month, instead of three times a month. Gas mileage here is around 32 mpg. I love my Prius.

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  We Love It!!! - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By warnerjm - October 4 - 4:46 pm

  We love this car. We drove the Accord, CR-V, and RAV4 and this car had them all trumped in nearly every category. It is smoother, quieter, more energetic, the headlights illuminate better, the seats are more comfortable, the trunk and the fuel tank are larger than the others. Even the horn sounds "adult" - no wimpy "bleat". Weve had the car only two months so I dont have a handle on MPG but it appears to be in the 23-30 range(V6!).

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  Three day review - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By 140Mandak262Jamuna - October 4 - 12:26 pm

  Level 6 options. Bought it out of state and drove 500 miles on highway bringing it home. 48 MPG at 65 mph mostly. Within the city highway driving at 55 mph gives about 52 mpg. Hoping to get 60 MPG within the city at mostly 40 mph and 35 mph driving. Will report later. Lots of features, would take me a week to find all the features and test them.

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  Will be my favorite.. 2.2 auto 4dr LE - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By Evan - October 4 - 7:23 am

  80,000 miles, 14 years old, and still going strong. The Toyota Camry, one of the best cars ever made. Very quiet drive, smooth transmission, lots of space for people and stuff, the 4 cylinder engine can handle this 1.5 ton car remarkably well. I get about 27-29 MPG with a lot of town driving and a little highway. This car gets its primary power around 4,000 to 5,500 RPM. Good torque for being a 4 cylinder compared to its horsepower. Even over 100mph, there were not vibrations and everything was smooth and in control. Overall this car has a comfortable and quiet drive, and has the reliability of a Toyota to get you there.

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  Love my 2005 Tundra - 2005 Toyota Tundra
  By Steve Dahlgren - October 4 - 12:38 am

  This car will probably never wear out! The upholstery will go first because mechanically its bulletproof and I drive like a grandpa

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  Great Value - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Bill - October 3 - 6:50 pm

  I have owned several Toyota models- this one has all the others beat as respects the overall quality, easy driveability, gas mileage and reliability. The 158 horsepower is more than adequate for the every day driver.

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  This car is a pleasure - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By Jerseygirl - October 3 - 3:00 pm

  Id like to know where the people who claim their Corolla doesnt drive well in wind live? We recently had a windy day (up tp 60 mph gusts) and I was driving on the highway doing 60+..NO PROBLEMS!! I used to have a truck and let me tell you this car is a pleasure, no steering problems..drives just fine in wind, and rain. Maybe you just bought a lemon?

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  Refined motoring - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By phillipg2 - October 3 - 11:48 am

  This is the third Camry I have owned, a 93 LE, 141,000; 02 XLE ,149,000 and now a 09 XLE. This is by far the smoothest riding and comfortable edition of these word class sedans. I see no drop off of the fit and finish, I get great gas mileage (4 cyc) and the engine is so quiet. A Lexsus without the additional $10,0000 cost and reg gas, to boot!