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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  Perfect - 2000 Toyota Avalon
  By chicagorob - November 21 - 2:36 am

  This car is great. The electronic stability control, traction control and ABS brakes are perfect for driving in the snow. The interior is SOOOO big I get comments all the time.

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  10k miles in 3 months: reliable but uncomfortable - 2010 Toyota RAV4
  By tunisjs - November 20 - 12:55 pm

  I bought 2010 Rav4 base 4x4 at Carmax on my return from overseas. I needed a reliable, roomy SUV quickly for a long road trip. I love to drive. Fully loaded with stuff, using a/c, 28mpg highway (despite only 4 gears, a happy surprise). Totally reliable, lots of storage room, side swinging rear door ok, full size spare tire a godsend. Grossly uncomfortable driving position for this 62" 210lb male, no lumbar support, my knees rubbed against console and window controls. The worst was the loud, arthritic creaking from all the RAV4s body joints on launches, turns and stops! It sounded like a Yugo. Whats up with Toyota? I traded it in on a used GLK.

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  All Around Great Car! - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Ryan Close - November 20 - 11:06 am

  I compared this car to the Altima, Accord and Mazda 6. The overall quality of the car puts these other cars several notches back! The Camry is not a flashy as the others but I want the best of the best from my cars now! If you are in the market for one of these cars I would suggest you try them all to form your own opinion, but youll find yourself going back to the Camry!

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  Has It All for 7 - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By momof2inla - November 20 - 9:33 am

  After careful research on midsize 7 passenger SUVs, I selected the Highlander. The captains chair option with stowaway middle seat is truly novel and well executed. I have two toddlers so the other vehicles in the category that would force you to take out one of the car seats from the second row to get access to the 3rd row just didnt work for me. It has all the bells and whistles I wanted like the rear camera, nav system and heated seats and is super well though out inside. It looks good outside too. I had a Lexus RX 300 before this that I loved, and this is comparable with the bonus of seating the parents and in-laws when they are in town.

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  Excellent Truck - 2001 Toyota Tundra
  By Jack - November 20 - 7:50 am

  The only mechanical problem I have had with this truck was the odemeter quit working at 300 miles. The Toyota warranty covered this repair and I havent had any other problems with the truck in 61/2 years. I towed a 17 boat for the first 3 years, and never had any problem pulling the 2000 pound boat and trailer through the Black Hills. Normally while towing I could do 62 miles per hour at 3000 RPMs. The toyota Tundras offroad capabilities depend on the tires you choose to put on the truck. I do a lot of off-road driving for work in the Black Hills through a lot of mud and snow. I changed out the factory tires for a set of BF Goodrich All-terrains and have never been stuck.

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  Loved It Until Doors Malfunctioned - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By DadOf4 - November 20 - 7:20 am

  We loved this van until the sliding power doors started giving trouble. The driver side door cable became frayed (at 65K miles) and is on the verge of breaking. After getting a quote of about $1200+ to fix it, we just stopped using the door. Now the passenger side is making popping sounds and it might go soon. We will eventually just use the doors in manual mode. This seems to be a design flaw that troubles a lot of owners. We have always been a Toyota family, but may now consider other brands.

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  Way to go - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By Todd - November 20 - 5:43 am

  This is the first Toyota Ive owned and its great. I have owned them all. This has been trouble free and I work my trucks hard, I now have 35K on the truck and its great so far. I lifted the truck since I live in the mountains and the only thing that changed was the mileage, due to height. I would recommend this truck to anyone. The crewmax I really enjoy because I have the back open most of the time.

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  Overall a very good car - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Sam Ng - November 20 - 4:50 am

  Everything is good with some rooms for improvement: 1. Dash design is nice but lack of flat area to mount other items such as phone holder or dash camera. Windshield seems is the only place to mount , which reduces the visibility. 2. Mpg is not as good as rated. I have 70% local 30% hwy and I get 18 mpg.

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  Like the van... kind of - 2007 Toyota Sienna
  By Raylan - November 20 - 3:10 am

  Nearing one year with 2007 Sienna, 18k miles. Great room for kids and all that comes with them. Drives nice, with lots of power. Handling not so great, breaking a bit scary at times due to the soft break pedal. Interior quality is not so Toyota-like; needs refinement with attention to materials and finish. A/C needs more power to the back seats. I would like to say the gas mileage is better then I thought. Were getting around 22-23 MPG combined and the added power is nice to have during traffic in/outs.

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  Great Truck - 2010 Toyota Tacoma
  By Smolenski7 - November 19 - 11:13 pm

  This is my first truck. Im a teacher by trade, but do a lot of work around the house and my wife drives a minivan that Ive "destroyed," so a pick up was a logical choice for me. I bought the Tacoma simply because it is the safest truck on the market today. Only the Tundra and Ridgeline compare. I also chose it because of the 6.1ft bed. I couldnt purchase a truck with a small bed. Didnt seem to make sense to me. The truck is quiet. In fact, its so quiet and the ride is so smooth, that I dont notice how fast Im going until I look down at the speedometer. The fit and finish is superb, no noises for me. The seats are comfortable, the steering is crisp, and the breaks are smooth.