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:

• 

  Super Auto - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By Jim - March 9 - 4:00 am

  The best vehicle I have owned during the past forty years. Great style, ride, and all around super auto. I have over 16K on it without any problems to date. Has excellent power, but still has decent gas mileage.

• 

  Now I Want to Drive Just to Drive This - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Kace - March 8 - 5:20 pm

  I have had my Corolla XRS for just over a month and about 1,700 miles. I am very happy with it. If I had known it requires 91 octane before buying, I probably would not have bought it. The shifting took a little getting used to. And the fact that you have to run the engine over 6000 RPM for the real performance to show seems is probably wasted on me, because I rarely race the engine to those extremes. Mine is black and I had the windows tinted with a nice black onyx tint. I think it looks great, very sporty, especially for a Corolla. I have already had to hit the brakes due to a oblivious driver and was happy with my ability to stop. Good braking was a high priority for me.

• 

  I never give 10s - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By sk - March 8 - 1:50 pm

  This is the smoothist car Ive ever driven. Its fast, quick and very responsive. The nav system is a bit hard to figure out, but once you do its great. Ive had no problems at all in my first year and no regrets. This is the first "import" Ive ever bought. I had a near "hit" on the GSP. The car handled better than I ever imagined.

• 

  Great Truck! - 2008 Toyota Tacoma
  By Kyle - March 8 - 7:56 am

  Just bought this to replace my 01 Jeep Cherokee Sport. While it has the TRD Off Road package, it still rides better than the Cherokee did. I love it so far and cant see that that changing anytime soon.

• 

  avalon - 2002 Toyota Avalon
  By milan kurutz - March 8 - 2:00 am

  I am very happy with this car. It is a very quite running car.

• 

  Quality, Performance and Value - 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By Irwin43 - March 8 - 2:00 am

  Ive tried them all (new and used) and finally found a great deal on a loaded 01. I could have purchased a 03 Denali for the same price but there was no comparison. The quality is there everywhere you look and the performance was everything I was looking for. Finally a car purchase that I feel good about and a car that I cant hear depreciating in my garage! Test drive this if you are considering any Large SUV. Buy used and save the $$$.

• 

  95 Camry - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By Ms Toyota USA - March 8 - 2:00 am

  Its only a 4 cylinder, but boy, does it have power. The gas mileage is great! The color.... it hides dirt very well!

• 

  Love This Thang! - 2003 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Rumberger - March 8 - 2:00 am

  Fabulous. Style to the max. Hugs the rode with determination. Great pep. Comfortable. Best leg room in the back seat of any others on the market. Roomy trunk space. Feel like a million bucks at a fair price.

• 

  I LOVE MY CAR! - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By Sarah Lee - March 8 - 2:00 am

  First let me thank all of YOU who have posted on this board, both the negative and positive comments. I have been looking for a vehicle for the last year. This message board definitely helped me make the decision to buy a Toyota Matrix. I used to have a Daewoo Lanos (BIG MISTAKE!!!!! - but lesson learned), and Courtesy Toyota (Winter Park) not only help me out of this car but got me into my new automobile.

• 

  Cant beat the Matrix - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By Esemtee - March 8 - 2:00 am

  After months of looking over the various CUV models out there, we finally test drove our Matrix XR. Wow, we fell in love with this car instantly. Since this was replacing the 94 Mercury Tracer that my wife bought brand new, she test drove it first. As soon as we got back to the dealer, and the salesman answered a few questions of ours, my wife said "well take it". It has all the features we wanted plus some extras that were thrown in, for an unbelievable price. That first week we owned it, we showed all of our family and friends. There was an emphatic "wow" from all the people that we took it to.