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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  Little Hauler/Commuter - 2007 Toyota Tacoma
  By Robert C - June 21 - 8:43 am

  First Toyota truck Ive owned. Ive owned a Frontier and a Ranger in the past. The Tacoma is a little better than the Frontier and a lot better than the Ranger, if you can get over the price difference. My Access Cab 4 cyl. is good on gas, but is underpowered even with a manual trans. First gear seems to be geared too low and hard to find at times when rolling at lower speeds. The exterior design is OK, with the stock wheels and tires too small for the well area The interior is nicely laid out with plenty of leg room for tall drivers. The radio is a little weak and the access cab area seating is too straight up for a comfortable ride. Overall, quality is good, just needs more 4cyl power.

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  07 LTD - 2007 Toyota Avalon
  By avalonlady - June 20 - 3:14 pm

  Nice luxury ride, great suspension. Seats are not very comfortable, not well padded. Not crazy about the plastic looking controls on the dash. The navigation is not user friendly, its not operational while the car in use and the radio has very poor reception, no Mp3 jack. Outer appearance is lovely, and the inside is beautiful with woodgrain despite the white plastic controls. I average 31 mpg on hwy and it turns heads every where I go. I have the blizzard pearl color. Must admit the back reclining seats are nice and there are lots of rear room.

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  Excellent buy, fine build from Toyota - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By crpbdb - June 20 - 10:00 am

  Purchased at 90K, have put about 6k on it since, including several long drive up I-5. Fuel economy is wonderful, I average more like 30 on the street and 32-35 highway. Of course the interior is a little cheap, but its a Toyota, not a Lexus. The clutch is smooth and so is the transmission, no bearing failures here, despite an abusive previous owner. I have had an issue with the driver side window falling down into the channel: a piece of the window sealing rubber had been pinched inside the channel. Toyota replaced it no problems. The storage capacity is where its at; it is a Camry chassis with 3-4x the amount of storage space. Has been a very reliable and economical ride for myself

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  Love it so far - 2008 Toyota Sienna
  By iJet - June 20 - 10:00 am

  My first used vehicle bought. So I was nervous. This is our first mini van and so far we LOVE it. Good ride, good room. Do have that certain RPM drone in exhaust, but paying 16.9K for an 08 with 34K miles I can deal with it just fine.

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  Paint chipping since day of purchase - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By Kiki - June 20 - 10:00 am

  I have always wanted a toyota and this was my 1st experience. Love all features except the 4WD feature auto turns off once you hit 25 mph. Biggest concern is paint chipping off the hood. Looks like air bubbles that have popped. 1st noticed within 30 days brought back to dealer and all they said was go to a body shop not their problem. Never had this with any other vehicle I have owned. The pain on bumper is fine but now their are pinholes showing rust all over the hood and chips the size of pencil tops . Car has less than 40K miles on it and is rarely driven on dirt/gravel roads. Who can i contact to address this issue, it is obviously a mfg defect.

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  40,000 mile review - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By Greg - June 19 - 6:06 am

  Bought this 06 Camry SE (4cyl) new and have put 40k on. No problems at all. Whenever I have purchased a Toyota or Honda I like them more as the miles rack up. This Camry is no exception. The OEM tires needed replacing @ 40k. They were kind of noisy and didnt do well in wet weather or snow. I replaced them with Good Year Triple Treads... big improvement. The paint is kind of soft so it shows scratches easier. But the ride, quietness, comfort, roominess, MPG and everything else has been great. Yeah the styling is kind of boring but it functions well. I like the simple controls. Cruise at 80 mph is no problem. Lots of interior room front and rear.

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  A simply reliable ride - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Dain - June 19 - 3:19 am

  We have had great success with this purchase. The dealership was not much help and costly but the vehicle has been very reliable for the past 7 years. No major malfunctions. It does use a little oil. Toyota had a recall on this but with a "Toyota Test" they decided it did not use enough oil to warrant a fix. It uses about a quart over 1500 - 2000 miles.

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  WOOOOOOO - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By jacob357 - June 18 - 2:02 am

  Overall it is a great car if you upgrade it a little also dont run it into a mercury like my freind ashton did to his jeep

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  New owner - 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By Monte521 - June 18 - 1:23 am

  I have had the 2008 Highlander Hybrid for only a short time so there are some items I cannot yet address. The car is very comfortable and quiet. Handling is good, but I have not yet had an opportunity to test it in harder driving (twisting roads, etc.). It is much larger, inside and out, than the 2007 model. The biggest shortcoming is rear visibility. The rear window is so darkly tinted that nothing can be seen when backing in the dark. (Obviously, the rear camera helps a lot in this case.) The second is the ugly color choices. I was able to purchase it for a few hunderd dollars under list.

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  Excellent car except for start battery - 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By hallett1 - June 17 - 2:12 pm

  I use this car for everything including towing a 2,000 lb Casita trailer. I have driven several times the length of Baja California with the trailer. The car tows the trailer very well, and there is plenty of power for towing on steep, prolonged mountain passes or for passing. You hardly know the trailer is there. Towing or not, the car consistently gets several MPG better than my former Honda 2004 Odyssey. However, note that MPG GOES DOWN VERY FAST AS YOU INCREASE HIGHWAY SPEED OVER 65 MPH, as you would expect due to wind/tire resistance. The car handles extremely well, great suspension. The only problem encountered is with the small start battery, which frequently goes dead.