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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  Breaking in car - new discoveries - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By pearlmomma - June 29 - 5:03 am

  Bought Matrix new. Have 21,000 mi on car today. Mostly city driving with occasional road trip. Beginning to see minor degradation on interior moving parts - the "cheap" is revealing itself. Out-of-control acceleration happened to me 2 times. The accelerator just slams to the floorboard and wont let up. The first time in 70+ mph traffic - the second time 45+ traffic. Terrified me. Panic! Had to yank emergency handle and turn car off. It is a real experience and the dealer cant explain. I think its a defective chip in the master brain of some cars.

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  Beware of inherent problems - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By Lonnie Thibodeaux - June 28 - 5:16 pm

  Only fairly fun to drive. Dissatisfied with the way it is affected by slight wind which destabilizes the car. The steering wheel is to short and the car reguires constant redirection to maintain a straight path. As an owner of a Yaris, I would not recommend it.

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  SR5 V6 - 1995 Toyota 4Runner
  By Son - June 28 - 10:00 am

  This is a great car. I bought it new and it still runs greatat over 120,000 miles. Had a tune-up at 65K and the cd player ate a cd in the first week. Those are the only problems ever. I would recommend again. Now I am looking at the Sequoa for the reliability and value.

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  Best buy - 2001 Toyota Sequoia
  By kalloo - June 28 - 10:00 am

  Overall very comfortable. Inspite of its size, handles well even at high speeds and in hilly areas. Not too difficult to parallel park. Gives 17-19mpg on Highway. about 15 in city of boise Had to replace tires at 20,000 and front brakes are already gone with just over 21000 miles.

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  Best of the segment - 2003 Toyota 4Runner
  By ffuser2001 - June 28 - 10:00 am

  Have owned the 2003 4Runner since last November, and have continually been impressed with it. The price was fair, its built closer the way a SUV is supposed to be built (solid frame, sold axle(s), ground clearance, low range, limited slip, etc), and it can tow a decent amount. Ive been off-road a few times, and it performs well. Ive towed a good number of times, usually about 3500 pounds, and it does so without complaint. Its a highly recommended vehicle on my list. It should be noted that we did experience a length list of early- production problems.

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  I like my Toyota - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By Pat Thetic - June 28 - 10:00 am

  I have had a good 7 months with my Toyota. The only problem I have had is bird droppings on the red paint has left dark spots. I have washed it many times and as of yet have not been able to get rid of the stains.

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  Sienna wheel bearing woes - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By B a C - June 28 - 12:33 am

  Owned Sienna for 4+ years now. Only 120,000 kms on vehicle and both front and rear bearings simply worn out. Very expensive to replace, as both bearings and hubs replaced same time. ($ thousands). No help from Toyota to date, but I continue to ask. Tires were an issue, but they did replace under recall. All toyota AWD vans seem to chew the tires off their rims! We had AWD Previa before and same problem with tires. Power window fell off track and over $400.00 to replace. This is an extremely expensive van to buy, and maintain. Paid over 45,000 taxes in, and still forking out thousands to keep it on road after only 4 years. Most parts are only available through dealer.

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  Love My Sienna! - 2006 Toyota Sienna
  By love my sienna - June 27 - 1:40 pm

  I love my sienna. Its roomy, drives very smooth, very little road noise, controls are built with quality, user friendly. I approximate about 24 mpg around town. I have had some problems with the airbag light on dash staying lit. Its been checked out and reset, but then lights up again for no apparent reason a few weeks later. I love the 8th seat. Lots of cubbies, and kids ride very comfortable out of arms reach of each other... LOL. All the power features are fantastic. Very well built and constructed car.

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  Fantastic Car - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By jayhawker1983 - June 26 - 2:08 am

  I have a 2005 Corolla CE that just turned over 170,000 miles. I have done nothing to it except routine maintenance. Runs just like it did when it was new. I plan on keeping it until the engine falls out of it.

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  Crappy Transmission - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By Dezra - June 24 - 3:46 pm

  Car vibrates when driving up a slight incline at 40-43 MPH, keeping speed steady. Was told by non Toyota mechanic that it is the torque converter and Toyota themselves say "its a normal characteristic of this car". WHATEVER!!! Pretty scary huh? Could harm me while driving someday. It also shifts hard sometimes and revs up when I am not accelerating. Also, my cd player will play a song or so then stop completely and keep my cd, and wont give it back until the stereo cools down! Other than that, I love the car!