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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  A Best Buy - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By pakkadk - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Never get tired of the cars looks botrh inside and out. A peppy 4cyl good economy. Quality of construction is the highest I have seen through many autos. A nice ride for a SUV with a well designed interior.

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  superb vehicle in all respects - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By kjf - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Toyota family. Have owned multiple toyotas over 20 years. Extended family with 4 odysseys and 3 siennas. Have ridden both for 5 years. New sienna simply superb in handling, style, build quality, room, acceleration, smoothness. Love the all wheel drive. This car is the new standardbearer in the "mini" van market. I say "mini" because interior functional space bigger than any SUV Ive driven including highend mercedes and lexus. Sienna is pricey but worth it. See government safety ratings and crash tests. Cost as much as an old camry to insure because of them.

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  Excellent Vehicle - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By jeffweir1 - December 13 - 10:00 am

  Best minivan on the market. Looks great and drive great. Good on gas mileage. Very Stylish.

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  Love our Prius - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By paul5637 - December 13 - 7:50 am

  We have a 2010 Prius III. Loved it from the start. It has as much head room as our mini van or more. We haul it loaded full Illinois to Florida and back Fall and Spring and get on average 48 mpg overall. That surprised me with driving the interstates most of the way at 70 mph a lot. Definitely will get another one for our next car. When I see the price of gas going up it doesnt bother me nearly as much as it used to. With getting over twice the mpg as my previous vehicles, I figure $4/gal gas is like paying $2/gal.

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  Good stuff - 2005 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By rymr2 - December 13 - 1:00 am

  For the money cant be beat. Great handling, very stylish. Excellent build quality and economical. Fun, fun, fun.

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  Now I see why Toyota is so great - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By qchen2008 - December 12 - 5:20 pm

  I am 24 years old and this is like my 5th car and my 2nd brand new car, I barely I had for a year now I am at 18000 miles and loving it. My last couple cars varied from 00 Accent, 94/ 99 devile, 08 cobalt (brand new) to this. This was my college graduation present from my Dad and he forcefully made me choose this over Sonata (which I rented it for 1 week and loved it). However I do not regret getting this car, it was the only LE camry on the lot that had bluetooth also had Sunroof so made up the difference for the lack of bluetooth as standard equipment compare to the Sonata. Anyways I just checked the resale value of my car on Edmunds and I lost maybe about 20% from MSRP

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  Loving it! - 2005 Toyota RAV4
  By Jenns RAV4 - December 12 - 9:53 am

  Ive had my RAV less than a week...but I already love it! I purchased the "L" model with everthing but leather and heated seats. This is a great little suv. The fuel economy is wonderful (Im averaging 25 mpg so far!) and it really is a fun car to drive. Its extremley stylish with room to spare. With Toyotas reliability and great build...how can I not recommend this car?!

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  Great car, but uncomfortable seats - 2009 Toyota Avalon
  By Richard - December 12 - 2:56 am

  Just got the Toyota Avalon limited with cooled seats. There is a design flaw in the seats as they are very uncomfortable with the cooling bars under the padding. I noticed it the next day while driving. Service made an adjustment, but not enough and both sales and service agree that there is a problem. However, it seems to be a design of the seats. I consider it a flaw I am now contacting Toyota to see what can be done about it. The service tech told me Lexus uses the same system but the seats have more padding. I would try out the driver seat for an extended time before purchasing one that has a cooling option for the seats. I wouldnt buy it again because of it.

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  Great for the money compared to others in segment! - 2017 Toyota Camry
  By Ali - December 11 - 9:13 pm

  After test driving several competitors to the Camry (Altima, Fusion and Accord) I decided to get a 2017 xle with the 2.5l 4cyl. While not as engaging to drive as the fusion with the 2.0 eco boost the price (31K vs 38K MSRP similarly equipped) more than compensates for the difference in a segment where most of us need the car to commute to work and for family road trips. The Camry isnt the most engaging to drive or the best looking but for the money and the expected reliability I decided to trade in my 2012 Passat for the Camry. The pros that I see : price, reliability, navigation easy to use and more functional than the accord or Altima. The cons: styling, driving dynamics.

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  Great Truck - 1998 Toyota T100
  By Chris - December 11 - 7:20 pm

  The T-100 is an overall great truck. I have no complaints. Never had anything go wrong at all. Oil changes and tire rotations are all you really need to do. Very smooth ride, quiet engine, stylish look. The acceleration off the go could be a little better, which is the case with the 4Runner as well. My only gripe is that the interior is bland, which is the case with most Toyotas. Due to the fact that gas is now $5 per gallon, Im selling the T-100 to purchase a Camry. I have to say that I am so damn upset about this. The T-100 gets good gas mileage for a truck, but not as good as a commuter car. Gotta do it.