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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  2009 Corolla S - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By applecandy - December 19 - 10:53 pm

  Great car for the money, not a sports car but gets some of the best gas mileage in the industry while looking like you are going 200 MPH. 28-35 MPG with the new real 2008 EPA rating system and seats 4 adults. I have owned many BMW 318s and I would take this car any day over them. I wanted a reliable, safe, good on gas car to drive to work, that also looks sporty. I found that and much more. The car comes standard in any trim level with full font and side air bags front/rear and is 5 star rated front and side impact. It even has motors in the seats for active headrest in case you get rear ended. Includes tire pressure sensors. Great, safe, great on gas and looks like a race car!

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  My Solara - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By sdb1rd - December 19 - 1:53 pm

  My Solara really surprised me the first time I had to rapidly accelerate. It took my breath away and the handling is by far one of the best cars I have ever driven. The comfort zone is remarkable. My friends thought it was a small car until we compared it to a Chevy Impala. Toyota hit a home run with this car. The exterior is beautiful with the rakish looking healight assembly and the grill. It is just a flat out fun car to drive or just ride in.

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  The biggest junk i ever lease.. - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By Thomas V Fandino - December 19 - 1:42 pm

  First the windows sound that looks like a air leak. The engine and transmission sound awful for a new car. You can hear all the noise as the vehicle change gears. My dashboard lights go intermittent from time to time. The breaks cry noisy . When you are in cruise control the vehicle calculates the front vehicle speed and slow you down. If the front vehicle change line the Toyota accelerates suddenly but if the front vehicle was close to another the speed safety control delay too much to kick in again making the vehicle unsafe. The 4cyl are a lot different from the 6 cyl. They looks the same but they are not.I can reflect more problems but at this point i feel sorry for myself to buy this peace of bran new jub k..

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  My Solara - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By sdb1rd - December 19 - 1:20 pm

  My Solara really surprised me the first time I had to rapidly accelerate. It took my breath away and the handling is by far one of the best cars I have ever driven. The comfort zone is remarkable. My friends thought it was a small car until we compared it to a Chevy Impala. Toyota hit a home run with this car. The exterior is beautiful with the rakish looking healight assembly and the grill. It is just a flat out fun car to drive or just ride in.

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  FJ rocks!! - 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By scarecrow - December 19 - 12:36 pm

  I just bought my FJ two weeks ago and it has been the best two weeks ever! I could not have asked for a better vehicle. Some people complain about blind spots, but once I drove it for a few days I got used to it.

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  Initial Review - Limited - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By Mark - December 19 - 9:40 am

  A few squeaks and rattles, and at low speeds/traffic, the 5 speed automatic transmission is quirky and can have a problem figuring out which gear to shift into, but this car is a luxury rocket, with great Lexus-type features.

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  RAV4 Review - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By Aja Raye - December 19 - 8:13 am

  The most uncomfortable vehicle Ive ever owned. Seats are very hard. Road noise is so high the music must be loud and passengers cannot talk on cells phones when driving on the highway. Wind in the cab also makes it impossible to cruise with the windows down. One feature I like is the braking system. Very nice.

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  Toyota Quality???????? - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Last Toyota - December 19 - 7:00 am

  I bought this car to replace my Dodge. I liked the styling for a mainstream car, much better than that of the Ford 500 which I was also considering. Unfortunately, the like for this vehicle stopped there. I choose the four cylinder for fuel savings, but I have been dissapointed. Engine is very slow and it is an advanture merging on the freeway- no power for passing. I am avaraging about 18 MPG. Fit and finish are horrible, The molding around the console has popped out, and has some issues with the power windows and locks. Paint (black) looks like it was painted on with a roller especually under the lights. Seats are very uncomforatable and are showing wear after 15,000 miles.

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  Great SUV - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By Vlad - December 19 - 12:36 am

  I bought this car two months ago. Great SUV. Has a lot of leg room for the driver (I am 63), has plenty of room in the bask seat. Lots of storage. Great in snow (I live in Cleveland). Great gas mileage for SUV. I recommend the 6 cylinder as the 4 cylinder is somewhat underpowered (driven the 4 cylinder also) and not much better fuel economy.

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  Definitely NOT the Camrys I have owned previously. - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Dusty Old Man - December 18 - 10:01 pm

  There are a lot of neat bells & whistles that I like, but the overall comfort is not as good as Camrys of a few years ago. The massive front grill is a huge bug catcher that is very hard to clean. The many indentions really trap and hold the bugs! It takes forever to get them out, even with a high pressure wash. I really miss the dual compartment of the center console, and the lower dash storage compartment is not as useable as on the older models. The glove compartment is not as roomy either. The front seat comfort leaves quite a bit to be desired even with all of the adjustments available. The interior door mouldings are a cheap plastic design and the side pockets on the doors are not as roomy as they use to be. I dont know why the Camry designers have seemed to mess up a lot of the quality that was in the older models. I love Toyota s, but I am very disappointed in the new models