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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  Outstanding Build - 2005 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By Ivan - April 4 - 1:00 am

  The car drives and runs so smoothly and is so tight and handles so well in all conditions: snow covered roads; pouring rain; highway driving; driving on dirt roads, etc., it really gives me great comfort. The reliability and ruggedness makes me feel like my car will be the last car on the road to break down.

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  @ lesser price, a must for luxury cars - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By jackattack - April 3 - 12:43 pm

  Its a dream car. Rides like a charm, very quiet, good gas mileage and very reliable. The interior space is so roomy and comfortable, with more head room. With a V6 280hp, 3.5 liter engine, it accelerates very smoothly and with authority. The exterior design is so sleek (it was like love at first sight) and its part of the reasons why I bought it. Its a head turner wherever I go. Im very glad I bought this car. For those of you who are into luxury cars, this is the car for you at a much lesser price.

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  02 Celica GT - 2002 Toyota Celica
  By Almazyan - April 3 - 12:53 am

  We bought this car when me and my wife got married with 30,000 miles, the mileage now is 125,000. Since then we never had a single problem all we did its an oil change thats all, it is a wonderful car maintenance wise super reliable and awesome fuel economy, lots of trunk space unusual for the car its size. The things we are not so happy are the rear seats, lack of space even for kids, Horrible cup holder location and blind spots in the rear. Nice car definitely not family car.

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  The Best - 2002 Toyota 4Runner
  By Lynn - April 2 - 10:53 pm

  Toyota performance at its best! This SUV cannot be surpassed for quality and reliability and just plain fun. It never fails to perform and outperform other SUVs in its class. This vehicle has 129,000 miles and is still like new in many ways. If you can find one, buy it!

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  Still Enjoying - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By swisskid2 - April 2 - 9:30 pm

  Owned a 1998 Audi A6 that had lots of bells and whistles, but also lots of quality and reliability issues. The Corolla is no Audi, but for 1/2 the cost it looks good, has many nice features and the gas mileage is the best attribute. It is not the fastest car, but it is not supposed to be. I got used to the steering feel within the first tank and do not have the issue of it tacking straight down the road. I like the looks of the 2009 Corolla, not just a vanilla small car. Drove several others, Elantra, Mazda3 and Civic, but liked the Corolla best for looks and features.

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  minor adjustments - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By paul - April 2 - 3:50 pm

  smooth,quite, fun to drive toyota cust service also gets back to the car owner on the minor adjustments quickly

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  prerunner - 1999 Toyota Tacoma
  By delawaredrew - April 2 - 10:00 am

  Great truck , but has persistent shake at highway speeds. No work has ever solved it. Still hauls loads, and runs reliably. Sucks on bumps until its moving fast (70 mph +) Never left me stranded in 80000 miles

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  Enter the Matrix - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By btmustang - April 2 - 10:00 am

  Very impressed with my Matrix. Extremely useful for storing pleanty of things, I just moved to grad school from undergrad and it was great.

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  Great Little SUV! - 2004 Toyota RAV4
  By rahoyme - April 2 - 10:00 am

  Have had mid-size SUVs previously, love the RAV4. Traded a Chevy Impala sedan for it. Will like the AWD in the snow, the gas mileage is slightly better than an Impala. The RAV4 sits up higher than a regular sedan. Very comfortable, fun to drive.

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  Bacan - 2004 Toyota RAV4
  By diehard - April 2 - 10:00 am

  All season and all place this capacity is very good