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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  My second AVALON - 2003 Toyota Avalon
  By c6owner - June 5 - 7:46 pm

  This is my second Avalon. The only thing that stopped my first was Pontiac at midships. I had 165,000 miles with nothing going wrong. I didnt even need brakes until 130,000 miles. I bought the second and am having the same luck. It is more powerfull but has 28 MPG average Vs 30 on the 1996 version. Passengers still comment on interior room and comfort after now 60,000 miles. I drive for work, and go through a lot of cars. These two have outperfomed and have been more reliable than anything else I have had. If I can stay out of the way of other cars, this one will probably go to 300K miles.

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  2006 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport Manual trans 4X4 - 2006 Toyota Tacoma
  By tomtabil - June 5 - 2:09 pm

  Nice truck, it has a lot of power, leveled, cold air kit, Flow master, goes like a rocket, third gear is the happy spot, youre in a truck that is a ball to drive. Hard to drive with maturity, just begs to light up Nissan, F150s and the ilk. Had to figure out how to grease the grease fittings on the u joints, okay other than you have to pull a little heat shield to get to one on the front propeller shaft (aka front drive line). Be gentle on the clutch, get on it and get off it, they made two clutches, , the L UK on mine was replaced on warranty at 30000 miles. So much power I think it just is too much for the clutch. The 06 used premium, I think it helps.

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  The best mid-size SUV!! - 1997 Toyota 4Runner
  By Paul - June 5 - 12:46 pm

  I purchased my 4-Runner in July of 2003 in Houston with 53,000 miles on the odometer...its now February of 2006 and it has 72,000 miles. I drove it home the same weekend I purchased it to Las Vegas. As you know, it gets blistering hot here in the desert and Im proud to say that the vehicle does great here in Vegas. I try to park it in the garage, but with my FJ40 project going on in there it spends half the time in the driveway. The paint has faded just a bit but I wax it and it still looks great. One of the first things I did was get the windows tinted as dark as possible. It gets over 180 degrees inside but the interiors holding up great..theres one small tear in drivers seat crease

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  I love my Camry - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By Ramon - June 5 - 10:06 am

  Just Bought a new2015 Camry SE and I love the thing. Great ride and Toyota Care covers my oil changes and rotations for 2 years. Great Value.

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  2006 Camry is Fantabulous! - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By Mac - June 5 - 9:20 am

  I compared the Accord to the Camry and decided on the Camry because of the quieter ride and larger interior space. Im 62" and the Accord was a little cramped with less interior space. Both are nice vehicles with proven reliability, but I did like the looks of the Camry a little better too. The Camry also comes standard with steering wheel audio controls.

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  Very pleased - 2014 Toyota Avalon
  By Robert Hunt - June 5 - 2:54 am

  This car is everything as advertised. Runs great, quiet, great radio, navigation system is excellent. Gas mileage is true at 26-28mpg Highway and 21-23 mpg in town. If I could change one thing it would be the back up camera’s vision from Navigation screen. In bright sunny situations it is difficult to see.

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  Sweet Ride - 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By mliga - June 4 - 5:16 pm

  When I found out that I would have to be driving in areas that had a lot of snow I started looking for something in 4x4. I needed something that had a dry storage place since I am a traveling music teacher. The FJ fit the bill perfectly. I can carry all of my materials and it is really fun to drive. I also have a 2005 Tacoma and the FJ drives similar to the Tacoma. The biggest difference is the Tacoma is a little more on the nimble side. But this is a heavy SUV that does not drive like a heavy SUV. I am using regular unleaded and I get between 18 and 20 MPG. That is the same as the Tacoma. And it is cute too.

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  Best 1/2 ton Truck on the Market - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By Chrisco - June 4 - 2:13 pm

  After 6 months of driving this vehicle, I find that it delivers on things like towing and hauling. I guarantee you will not find another truck that has better braking ability and power.

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  Almost Six Years Old - Never a Problem - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By scott - June 4 - 5:20 am

  After almost 6 years and 90k, this car just keeps going without a single problem. I just get scheduled oil changes and tuneups every 30k miles. Other than new tires around 65k miles, thats been it so far. I bought it for Toyotas reliability and my expectations have been exceeded. I love that it runs on regular gas and gets gas mileage (over 30 mpg at highway speeds). The large trunk and roomy back seats come in handy. I dont know if Ill keep this car for 211k miles like another reviewer, but I am looking forward to another 6 years.

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  Love my Highlander! - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By jodi - June 3 - 10:11 pm

  I traded in my Toyota Sienna for the Highlander XLE AWD. I was concerned about losing too much space, but I didnt. I do miss the sliding doors. It was nice not to have doors in the way when youre loading and unloading kids. If youve had a mini man, you will understand that. Drives so smooth. Far less road noise. With my radio going, I feel like Im in my own little world. The broadcast radio doesnt sound super, but when you play from bluetooth or XM, it sounds great! I opted for the black leather interior. its stitched with brown thread and theres also some brown leather accents on the doors and dash. Super stylish, manly enough for my husband, but still very chic for me. Love the screen! Wish I was able to add my own apps to the entune suite (like Spotify) since I already subscribe. You cannot access any of the entune apps without subscription. Bummer. Back up camera is nice has a wide angle. Something very important to me since Ive have had two cervical fusions and my neck does not crank around easily to back up. This is a nice helper and makes me more at ease. Think we got a decent deal and I love it. If I were to change things, theyd be very minor. Happy with my purchase!!