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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  Great Looking Reliable Car - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By Bob Curry - February 26 - 10:10 pm

  Solid car with great looks and performs flawlessly. I have a Camry and didnt need another large car for me to go to work in. This has a lot of bells and like them all. Drives great but dont really like the steering, maybe wider tires will help, you have to correct a lot while driving straight. Brakes work well but have more brake pedal travel than I like. Liked the car so well I decided to sell my S and ordered an XRS. No problems selling my 09 and getting a very good price for it. Just waiting on my XRS now.

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  My First Car - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Luella - February 26 - 9:33 pm

  I love my 2005 Toyota Camry, it is an amazing car. It has a smooth comfortable ride, stylish exterior and interior, and just about everything else I could want for such a reasonable price. It easily beats its competitors (like the Honda Accord) on price. It is so easy to drive, and know I rather enjoy going through L.A. traffic (if that is possible). The one qualm I had before buying this car was that it was a "granny car," this problem was fixed for me at least by the bonus of a 6 cd disc changer and the sunroof (I highly recommend the convenience B package). I would recommend this car to anyone looking for a mid-size sedan.

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  Its been a great first two weeks - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Anand - February 26 - 9:20 pm

  I was debating between a Honda Civic and a Camry and decided on the Camry since we are expecting a child and roominess and the quiet ride of the Camry sold me on it. The gas mileage is great, the first tank gave me 29.75/gallon (491 on 16.5), and this included a lot of traffic driving. Filled up again and it was a surprising 36/gallon (208.3 on 5.6). Although I admit I was careful accelerating and not going beyond 70mph, but drove upto 80mph. Definitely has the power when you need it. Impressed with the quiet engine. The VVT-i is solid, smooth transmission not too jerky when switching gears on an uphill.

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  I like it - 2003 Toyota Tacoma
  By Mark - February 26 - 2:40 pm

  This is the 4th Toyota truck Ive owned. It has been highly reliable; no surprise repairs. I would not consider another truck. My only complaint is unstable feeling at high speeds; this goes away with weight in the bed and I have taken to hauling a few bags of sand around.

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  Looks and Reliability - 1999 Toyota 4Runner
  By tekparasite - February 26 - 10:00 am

  I bought my 99Â’ 4Runner for two reasons: 1) Looks and Reliability. I bought it with 160 miles from a dealership. 115,000 miles later, I am not disappointed. All the maintenance I have done to this truck is change the oil (every 7K miles). I havenÂ’t had ANY problems with it. This truck was build to last. Engine is solid with respect to reliability.

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  Prius means - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By edges - February 26 - 10:00 am

  I bought mine off the internet, sight unseen in September, 2003. Why? Look at the thing, it looks like the future! There are some laws that autos have to obey: the law of aerodynamics is expressed in drag coefficience, and Prius has the lowest of ANY production automobile. That means air slips around the car, even the fully covered undercarriage, and provides less drag= better gas mileage. There is alot of talk about hybrid gas/electric autos coming along this summer in SUVs. Yeah, but unless/until they reshape the vehicle and reduce the weight, they will never match the Prius for working WITH the laws of physics.

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  The Perfect Car - 2004 Toyota RAV4
  By canyongirl - February 26 - 10:00 am

  I love it. I have had it for a month now. 1,120 miles and I love it more everyday. I have th L pkg with Leather, moon roof the works it is awesome. I live in the Bay area and traffic is insane. The visabilty make changing lanes much easier. I no longer mind ( well not as much) sitting in endless traffic. I also travel out of town for work I use to enjoy renting cars. Now i just miss my car.,

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  2004 AWD Sienna - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By mb in NY - February 26 - 10:00 am

  Weve had our Sienna about a month, and just got back from a 2000 mile trip - very comfortable, no problems. Gas mileage is less than toyota estimates (21-22 HWY), but should get better as engine ages, I hope. I find it very odd, and not just a little annoying, that the steering wheel is not centered over the display panel. Why not? Didnt notice when test driving. Otherwise, a great car.

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  Best Van on the Market - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Northwest Driver - February 26 - 10:00 am

  Outstanding in every way. Legendary Toyota quality and reliability in a high performaning and comfortable vehicle. We upgraded to this van having driven a 1994 Dodge Grand Caravan LE for 10 years. We narrowed our choices to Sienna, Odyssey, and Caravan, and the Sienna won hands down. Great ride, short turn radius, very manuverable, and sytlish. We chose the desert sand mica because it does not show the dirt.

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  Love the Echo - 2001 Toyota Echo
  By CAT - February 26 - 9:36 am

  Bought my 5 speed stick shift, Indigo Ink Blue Echo, new. New it got 45 mpg/highway -- down to about 39 mpg/highway with 165,000 on it. The first tires lasted 65,000 miles. The battery lasted 7 years. Did the first tune-up at 145,000 miles just because it had never had one, NOT because it was running badly. Faithfully change the full synthetic oil & filter every 3000 miles, other filters as recommended. Loved this one so much, now own two (bought a 2005 Echo to replace a 1995 mini van).