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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  Toyota Reliability Rides Again! - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By Tiger Tom - December 27 - 12:20 am

  Have enjoyed driving from the time we drove off the lot. Highway performance is especially good, having driven it in clean, clear conditions and during snow whiteout situation.

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  Excellent investment - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By janine - December 26 - 11:46 pm

  I love this car. It has never disappointed me in any way. If you know how to drive it, you can get 50-60 mpg. Dont let people fool you. Drive one and see. You wont be sorry. Handles good in snow and ice too. Best car I have ever owned and I have had lots of cars. I am 58 years young.

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  Fabulous Car - 2004 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By Glenn Norris - December 26 - 11:03 pm

  Ive had a blast driving this car! It drives and handles like a bullet. I once had a 1965 GTO and this car is faster! Its best to have a daily driver in addition to this one because it doesnt have much storage space, but hay, who cares? I normally keep it in the garage and only drive it in warm weather with no rain. If you want to get a lot of attention, this is the one! The front end looks like a Porsche, but you have the quality of a Toyota. I told my son, hell be inheriting this car. The car is extremely tight with no squeaks or rattles of any kind.

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  2000 Echo Sedan - 2005 Toyota Echo
  By Frank - December 26 - 8:23 pm

  I bought my manual transmission equipped Echo to tow on the ground behind my motorhome because of its light weight and Toyotas known reliability and I have not been disappointed.

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  Love it!!!!! - 2003 Toyota 4Runner
  By Jent1217 - December 26 - 2:53 pm

  I had the 02 Tacoma and upgraded to the 4Runner....I love it!!!! The comfort, the gas mileage, everything. We had traveled quite extensively in ours (over 33,000 miles and havent had it 2 years yet) and you cant beat the comfort. I will definitely buy another one when its time to trade in.

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  Haunting for gear transmission - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Joe D. - December 26 - 2:39 pm

  I have owned mine for about 14 months and 8400 miles now. I do mostly highway driving. With annoying shiftdowns from 6 to 5 during 70 mph highway cruising speed, I decided to shift to manual or S mode and leave it in 5th gear. At 70-72 mph, in 6th gear, RPM is at 1900. in 5 gear, it is at 2200. There is very slight more engine noise in 5th but a lot better than constant down shifting. I am not sure this 3.5 V-6 is that great. I really dont care about its port injection, direct injection, and its Adkin cycle engine technology . This truck gas mileage is the same as my 2003 Ford Explorer with its ancient 4.0L V-6 engine. I can only see complexity under the hood without tangible benefit. The rest of the truck is excellent. The engine/transmission are NOT what I expected from Toyota. My 2009 Mercedes E350 with its 7 speed transmission never down shifts at 70mph. I sure hope Toyota comes up with some transmission programming update so it does not hunt for right gear all the time.

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  MY BIG BEAST - 2003 Toyota Sequoia
  By skippy - December 26 - 10:00 am

  ITS A GREAT VEHICLE, PROBABLY MORE THAN WE NEED BUT IM NOT GONNA GIVE IT UP...

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  It Keeps On Going & Going & Going. . . - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By tgraves - December 26 - 10:00 am

  My Camary has been driven 150,000 miles so far. Everyday it cranks, drives and purrs just like the day we bought it. It has never required any major repairs. Our friend is a master tech mechanic and he said we can count on this car to reach 300,000 miles.

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  I love this car - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By perd - December 26 - 10:00 am

  We absolutely love this car. I wish Id bought two in 1995. It is unbelievably reliable.

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  What A Feeling! - 2001 Toyota Tacoma
  By Stasho - December 26 - 10:00 am

  Bought the truck one year old with 34,000kms on it. Compared it with a Tundra but found the 4 doors on the Tacoma much easier to use. Dont recall having this much fun driving any other vehicle! Interior comfy, but without frills. Powertrain is a beauty with legendary Toyota reliability.