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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  The Best Of The Best - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By Jermaine Betancourt - February 26 - 10:00 am

  This car was made with me in mind, in my opinion. Its sport style but elegant look is perfectly balanced.

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  An excellent vehicle - 2003 Toyota RAV4
  By David Scott - February 26 - 9:41 am

  We owned this car for 12 years and it was as trouble-free as a vehicle could be. Basically, you never had to worry about something going wrong. Driver vision was excellent and seating was comfortable. We took it on four around-the-country trips and never had a problem other than a flat tire.

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  A joy to own, a joy to drive - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By wolfcrow - February 26 - 6:16 am

  It was a difficult decision to give up my beloved Lexus, but after watching Al Gores movie, we decided to put our money where our beliefs are.... We tested the available hybrids and chose the Prius for environmentally positive reasons, but were also seduced by the advanced technology, design, and other features. Although we havent had it very long, were completely happy with it; it was easy to start driving although we still have things to learn about the dps system and other advanced features. We went for the top of the line since we liked the add-ons, but friends are happy with the basic, as well.

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  Great wagon from Toyota. Sad to see it discontinue - 2015 Toyota Venza
  By Shawndh - February 26 - 4:38 am

  This is really nicely executed higher riding wagon. Its almost the same length as the Highlander, but priority is given to passenger room and comfort, which I love. Im 62" and I hate having to push my seat up for rear passengers and being cramped with no room in the back when traveling with things in the 2nd row. Its just very roomy and comfortable for long trips. The 20" wheels look great on the car and they keep it well planted and flat in turns, but the ride is a little rough on bumpy stuff. The voice navigation is a nice feature but its extremely slow and rarely accurate. I just use my phone. They bluetooth is nice but a little slow to switching on and off when getting in and out of the car. I did not get JBL audio on mine so the sound system is adequate, but Id love to update the amp and speakers at some point. Its anemic sounding. I really love the overall mix of luxury and simplicity. Women drive in this car a lot and I appreciate the layout of the car but I also appreciate the plastic on the doors. Its just easy to keep clean. Also, doing basic maintenance is really easy. The oil dipstic, transmission dipstick, location of O2 sensors, oil filter and drain plug, ect is all readily accessible if you if youre a DIY person like me. Getting to the rear row of spark plugs on the transverse V6 is another story though. This is all very important to me because I tend to keep cars a long time and newer cars are getting less and less servicable. This is a very nice and practical car that uses regular gas and has good torque in the V6. Its a great deal used but it was a little too pricey new. I like this car so much I want to purchase a 2nd one for work.

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  Best Car Ever! - 1998 Toyota 4Runner
  By trimblerob - February 26 - 3:40 am

  No problems, new tires, oil changes, a tune-up after 5 years, and running perfectly. I have kept it perfect too, very nice body style.

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  Camry Wins Again - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Yale Yurman - February 26 - 1:05 am

  Instrument panel much better than the 2015 version

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  Totally Awesome! - 2001 Toyota Tacoma
  By Rod - February 25 - 10:56 pm

  My 2001 pre-runner is nothing more than amazing. I have over 70,000 miles with no mechanical problems at all. I guess this is why you never see the 01 to 04 on a used car lot. Nobody sells them once they have one!

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  Best Value Luxury Automobile on Market - 2008 Toyota Avalon
  By ac1065001 - February 25 - 10:43 pm

  If you are looking or a true luxury large car with lots of room at a reasonable price, this is it. Not another competitor can come close and you get it with Toyota reliability and quality. Styling could be improved but if Toyota did that then there truly is no reason to buy a Lexus LS. Seems same reasoning went into nav system. Portable GPS has touch screen for less than $200 now. This one doesnt. Lexus GPS does. If Toyota cleaned up a few very low cost details there would be no reason for the Lexus brand. Toyotas challenge is keeping the "goodness" of this product away from their prospective Lexus customers.

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  Great Ride - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By Craig - February 25 - 6:13 pm

  Im really enjoying this truck. The ride is very comfortable and the power of the 5.7 is fabulous. It is the quickest vehicle I have driven in years. There are a couple of annoyances, the seat belts chimes if not buckled and the doors lock automatically. The doors are too large. You need two parking spaces just to get them open. There is plenty of room behind the seat but it could be utilized better for instance hooks to hang bags on. The one clothes hook is behind the drivers seat which blocks your view and there isnt one on the other side which would be the better location. No vanity mirror for passenger. Interior plastics are low end looking. With all that said I love it!

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  take a look at the 2012 Corolla S - 2012 Toyota Corolla
  By padame - February 25 - 5:44 pm

  I did my research. I test drove several cars that I was reading rave reviews about - the Ford Focus, the Chevy Cruze, the Hyundai Elantra, the Nissan Sentra (which was worth considering, although darn it no telescoping steering wheel) and others that didnt get the rave reviews like the Honda Civic, which was overpriced I thought and not too impressive... But I LOVED the Corolla S although you pay more for the S, and then I was almost in Camry territory (and same gas mileage believe it or not) but would have wanted the SE which is @5 more Gs than mine... but look at the Corolla. I love it. And I drove them all. gas mileage is AWESOME! get the sunroof for 400 more... I just trust TOYOTA.