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 ride - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By RICH - March 29 - 4:46 pm

  So far so good. Even my 15 yr old daughter and her friends love this car. I have the Limited. Great stereo. Almost as good as my TLs 5.1. The only problem I have is that the dual exhust dosent seem to match the other side. One is higher. One is set out more... Great ride....

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  1997 Toyota Celica Convertible - 1997 Toyota Celica
  By albo - March 29 - 10:43 am

  I purchased this car for fun and am very much enjoying it. It has only 71k mi. and is very clean. It handles great. I feel 18 again with the top down. I have always liked this model and have not been sorry.

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  Tried and true - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By LP - March 29 - 9:38 am

  Equivalent to high end luxury without the high end price tag. My car has been a gem after owning for nine years. It is still an enjoyable ride and drive.

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  It is GOOD! - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By DJ - March 29 - 7:23 am

  Great vehicle! Could have left off the ashtray--no smoking in my vehicle! Great ride, very roomy and well designed.Would like to consider the Hybrid except for the big price difference--hard to make up that much even by saving on gas at $2gal. Would highly recommend the vehicle but as with all cars the purchase process is a pain.

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  Rear Hatch has flaws - 2004 Toyota Sequoia
  By Nicole - March 29 - 6:56 am

  I was disappointed with this vehicle. I had always heard how wonderful Toyota was and actually I liked my jeep grand cherokee much better. I only traded it because I needed a bigger vehicle. The rear liftgate has been stuck shut 7 times and this seems to be a common problem. Also - the rear window stopped working after about 50K miles. When the seats are folded up, they slam backwards and can catch a kids hand or foot if youre not careful. I also think for the price, the passenger side should have a power lumbar (like the Chevys and Jeeps have). Overall - the seats are stiff and not comfortable - when I trade I will be going back to Jeep or to a Suburban.

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  What a mileage - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Bikram - March 29 - 5:43 am

  With storage space and leg space as much as a Camry, Prius is superb car. Dont expect V6 performance, but what more do you want once you see that the average mpg is 41. excellent egronomic design, and expect questions posed to you about the car in the parking lots.

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  Love it - 2009 Toyota Matrix
  By mvw - March 28 - 11:36 pm

  Bought the 2009 Matrix S a month ago with 10K on it. I love it so far. We traded in 2003 Kia spectra LS, and felt the KiaÂ’s interior is built better with better materials. Some of the interior rattles and feels like cheap plastic. The engine of the 2.4 has great pick up. I am concerned about the paint on the car, it appears to chip fairly easy. This is the first Toyota I have owned so I do not have much to compare it to.

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  So far, so good - 2006 Toyota Tundra
  By FunPro - March 28 - 1:26 pm

  I purchased my 2006 SR5 (4dr) in December. It has more than enough power, better than average comfort for a truck, and I like the look. It would be easy to complain about the mileage, but I do not believe anyone ever purchased a full size truck because it got good gas mileage. Therefore, I only have two concerns. When idling down a hill, almost any hill, it often shifts into a lower gear and the RPMs jump up to 3000+! The local dealership admitted to receiving complaints about this, but claimed there is no fix. Also, as others have stated, the turning radius is poor. If you are attempting a u-turn, make sure you have MORE than 2 lanes to your left.

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  2011 XLE V-6 - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By LBC - March 28 - 12:06 am

  Replacing a 1998 Accord EX with 97k. Love the quietness, features, and the price. Got it for 28900, including extra value package (heated seats, smart key), spoiler, carpet set, body side molding and mud flaps. Smart key is awesome, Blue Tooth is convenient and easy, awesome JBL, rear sunshade/reclining seats/reading lamps remind passengers of a swanky hotel. Great pickup and passing power with the V-6. Looked at a 2010 Accord (too many buttons, dont care for the styling)and the new Hyundai Sonata. Its about $2,000 less (they are not moving much on the price), some nice features, but IMHO the dash, HVAC and front fender trim are ugly. The Camry is proven and my $278 lease can hardly be beat.

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  New Toyota guy - 2016 Toyota Sienna
  By Steve Machalek - March 27 - 8:30 pm

  Prior to owning a Toyota sienna I owned a Honda Odyssey for 11 years. There was always one thing that bugged me about my 2005 Odyssey. There was a whistling noise that came through the front defroster vents when driving at high speeds. I learned to live with it. Other than that the car was fantastic. I am now the owner of a 2016 Toyota Sienna XLE 8 passenger. The car has been great. I like the look of the vehicle and it is comfortable and handles well. I did notice one thing on this car that bugs me and I guess Im going to have to live with it. Every time I go over a bump there is a squeaking noise that comes from the rear drivers side seat. I assume it happens because the 8th seat is not connected although I havent checked that out yet. 99 percent of the time I will not be using the extra seat. To be honest both the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey are about the same. The reason I went with the Toyota Sienna was the outside appearance of the car and the interior layout. Plus I think the idea of putting a vacuum it the Odyssey was a stupid idea. Waste of space. In the Sienna you can store the extra seat in that space so you dont have to bring it in and out of the car when you want to use it. Update to Review: This weekend I put the 8th seat (jump seat) in the car. Squeaking stopped. Im not that happy that Ill have to listen to all that squeaking since I usually do not leave the extra seat in place. Anybody else have the same issue?