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:

• 

  Amazing gas mileage for suv - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By 04Hldrluvit - March 13 - 5:00 am

  When I first picked this up, I knew I would be paying a lot for gas, but little did I know how great this thing was on the highway, where 95%of my driving is. With the scan gauge tool, I was getting 28 mpg at 63 mph cruise. Interior is very car like and comfortable, buttons are all huge and simple. The awd is not even noticeable. Standard stability and traction control and abs is just why Toyota is dominating domestics.

• 

  140K miles and still rockin!!!! - 2000 Toyota Sienna
  By Mark - March 13 - 2:56 am

  After 140K miles, this Toyota is still doing great. Have not had any major problems with this van at all. In fact this van gets better gas mileage than any vehicle we have ever driven and owned which includes a 4 cyl PT cruiser!! This vehicle has been in 3 wrecks and still was very affordable to replace the parts that needed replacing. It still looks good too! It drives very well even after the 3 wrecks. Ill keep this van and keep putting money in it to keep it going. It is worth it.

• 

  2007 Toyota Prius - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By Arizonan - March 12 - 1:33 pm

  This is a remarkable car. Whoever designed it took into consideration many elements, not just gas economy and exterior appearance, that provide convenience and comfort. Smartkey is only one of them. Controls on the steering wheel -- wow! Backup camera -- dont let anyone tell you that this is a stupid feature. It may save you hitting a person or vehicle in a parking lot. Weve even been able to take a long road trip in the Prius and feel quite comfortable. Highly recommend the Prius even if you prefer 15 mpg!

• 

  Great Car! - 2006 Toyota Matrix
  By dkadwell - March 12 - 10:35 am

  We bought this car in 2007 with 6000 miles already on it. We were replacing our Hyundai Elantra which gave us nothing but problems. We love this car. It folds down flat very easily and we have hauled everything in it from trees to our daughters complete nursery. We love it. It have never once given us an issue. It is a little tight with car seats, but still works for us at this point in our lives. It gets about 32/33 mpg city and closer to 36/37 highway. It has been great in these rising gas prices. We have about 104k miles on it and it is still running strong! Highly recommend this car if you want a little more than Sedan but dont dont need more than 5 seats!

• 

  Owner for 2 weeks - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By Kristen - March 12 - 9:03 am

  We purchased our new Rav4 two weeks ago. I love it. One thing I did notice was that when I was driving on the highway and opened just the two back windows and not the front, the interior of the auto sounded like a freight train. It was very loud and the pressure actually hurt my ear drums.

• 

  Fabulous collision safety - 2015 Toyota Sienna
  By John Cavaluchy - March 11 - 9:27 am

  2 weeks after purchasing the car we were T-boned by a driver go full speed thru a stop sign without attempting to stop. The 40 mph impact smashed both passenger side doors but protected all the occupants from injury. The side impact beams were a Godsend. Although we compared the Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna, we gave the edge to the Sienna because of the styling. Everything was too close to call.

• 

  Pruis 10 after 2 months - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By GoinGreen - March 10 - 5:06 am

  Definitely an engineers dream car. Very high tech and well finished. Significantly better than 2009-- especially the interior and additional power. The handling and braking is exceptional. And the scheduled maintenance is as close to none as possible. It does take some time to get use to and its almost 500 page manual does a good job explaining the differences of driving a hybrid.

• 

  Surprisingly Awesome - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By GreenMachine - March 9 - 2:36 pm

  My wife and I were looking for a more fuel effecient car but didnt want to sacrifice comfort and space. After comparing the Prius with the Civic we settled on the Prius and Im sure glad we did. Theres a ton of space in this little car. Aside from that, were getting twice the fuel economy we were getting with our old car. Thank you Toyota!

• 

  Value for money - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By mosha - March 9 - 2:33 pm

  We bought a 2005 Corolla and inspired by its performance went for a 2006 Camry. The vehicle was involved in a serious accident but amazingly the driver walked out practically unscathed. No doubt we went for a 2007 Camry after extensively researching all aspects of the vehicle and its pricing. After driving it for a month we can say this is the best vehicle in its category for the price. Perhaps the best deal is all those fancy features which came as an option before have been made standard in the 2007 model including the all season tires. Another incredible thing is that we paid much less for the 2007 Camry than we did for the identical 2006 model. No wonder we love the car.

• 

  Like It Better Than I Thought I Would! - 2008 Toyota Sequoia
  By AngiS - March 9 - 10:30 am

  I turned in my BMW X5 SAV and needed a vehicle with a 3rd row of seats that would accommodate someone older than 10. I searched for about two months and finally decided on the 2008 Sequoia Limited. I dont love the changed front end (too Tundra-ish), but I love the interior - from the 2nd row Captains chairs to the power 3rd row roomy bench seat. I upgraded a few things (especially love the woodgrain dash upgrade - makes it infinitely classier looking) and am very pleased that I purchased this vehicle. I truly enjoy it a lot more than I thought I would. I love it!