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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  Highlander - 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By Herb Hagmann - March 17 - 6:23 pm

  Best suv I ever drove, including my former Ford Escape Hybrid

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  Great Everyday Pickup - 2006 Toyota Tundra
  By Andy - March 17 - 5:40 pm

  This truck is a great value for those looking for a balance between work and play. It will easily get your boat to the lake and your landscaping trailer to the job site. It handles moderate payloads comfortably and is comparable to most trucks in its class. The interior fits 5 adults comfortably and the controls are simple and straight forward. It does everything a pickup is supposed to while having a extremely comfortable ride. If you carry a lot of tools and other nic nacs, you will need a tool box due to lack of interior storage. The upside is, the bed is a full half-foot longer than the Titan, F-150, and Silverado Crew Cabs. You wont have to give up a lot of bed space for it.

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  Cockroach - 2002 Toyota RAV4
  By isnide23 - March 17 - 12:57 pm

  I am the 3rd owner. bought it with 60k miles. right now it has 150k miles. all I have done is changed oil and tires. It has been on rough dirt roads, countless snowstorms and numerous road trips of 1000+ miles. I have driven the piss out of this car and taken it on dirt roads it probably should have stayed away from. Toyota knows how to make a reliable motor and powertrain. There is a reason Toyota dominates other companies on reliability. This vehicle is a cockroach that refused to slow down.

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  Vantastic - 2011 Toyota Sienna
  By Bubs - March 17 - 8:23 am

  This van is just great. Acceleration is very surprising for a minivan. Handling is great too. The ride is like a jetliner, very smooth. My kids love it too and want to always ride in it. The satellite radio is fun with lots of choices. Best thing has to be the hands-free Bluetooth connected to my phone. It automatically connects when I get in the car and will lower the radio and ring over the speakers when there is an inbound call. That, combined with the steering wheel controls could make it the best safety feature out there. We DID NOT get the RES or NAV. You dont need it. Kids are happy just watching out the window and talking to you or listening to the radio. Rear-backup camera: awesome

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  I love my Matrix! - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By Ryan - March 17 - 7:10 am

  The car is great. Its everything I need- enough cargo space to haul around my music and A/V gear. Enough passenger space to carry 5 rather large guys to a ballgame. Better than average fuel economy (I live in NYC and get about 28 city and 38+ highway). Ive had no problems with it, and I still love starting it up and driving it. Its really a perfect marriage of form, function, and is extremely well designed.

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  2010 Camry Hybrid - 2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By ew - March 17 - 3:06 am

  I replaced my 1997 Toyota Camry to 2010 Camry Hybrid. I got above 36 MPG in the cold weather. I hope get more MPG when weather becomes warm. Trunk space is small, but the ride is smooth and quiet. I love my new TCH.

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  Never wanted a Mini, but love it. - 2006 Toyota Sienna
  By JDAD - March 17 - 1:36 am

  You dont get much better than the Sienna. I have about 20000 miles on it now and its as tight as the day I bought it. I can get 26 mpg on the highway and 22 mpg pulling my popup camper.

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  5ft 3 in - 2015 Toyota Highlander
  By beancie - March 16 - 8:49 pm

  I am 5ft 3 in tall, this car is way to big for me. I feel like a mini kid, the seats are very large, controls are too far away, the seat will not go high enough for me. the *biggest* problem is I need the seat forward and then to look out the front side windows, the side mirrors are very large and take up some viewing space..... making it very difficult to see if someone is about to cross in front of the car. I have the 2105 Limited. test drive this car in a lot of different areas/roads, check all forward blind spots.... no problem with rear or back side blind spots because it has the blind spot indicator good luck

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  I LOVE MY HIGHLANDER - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By L.B. Rawls - March 15 - 10:06 pm

  I bought the Toyota Highlander for its functionality and cargo space, but find that it is one of the most comfortable cars Ive ever owned, and while not sporty or flashy, it is comfortable beyond expectations, and at my age, that is very important! I wish the gas mileage was better, but you cant have everything!

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  Prius on the Road - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Gordon Peltonen - March 15 - 7:56 pm

  This is an excellent vehicle that is misunderstood by the average public. We find that the performance is much better than some bigger cars that we have had. On a 3000 mile trip through the mountains we felt comfortable in the car and found plenty of power to get us up the grades. The transmission,although lacking a passing gear, gave us more than enough acceleration for passing. We found that in the winter the mileage in the city was less than advertised but was not a factor in our year round driving experience. The only drawback or negative that I find while driving is wind buffeting. The car has a higher profile and is susceptible to more wind buffeting than I am used to.