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- oh what a dissapointment! - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Kevman - September 12 - 12:03 pm

  The new generation Camry has disappointed me 3 months after purchase. The ride is good and somewhat quiet and the base 2.4 4 cylinder is peppy enough around town. The exterior is plain and sort of ugly in the front end treatment. The sides are plain and easily dinged due to Toyotas cheapness in not including bodyside moldings. Visibility to the rear is sometimes compromised and its not always easy to judge the hood when parking. The base engine wheezes on long grades out on the open road or when there are more than 2 people on board and the 5 speed automatic can sometimes hesitate when downshifting. Stability/traction control should be std along with fog lamps if your advertising safety.

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  love the toyota ECHO - 2002 Toyota Echo
  By mongo - September 12 - 10:00 am

  Great little commuter car, very relible vehicle

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  SEQUOIA - 2001 Toyota Sequoia
  By WCPM - September 12 - 10:00 am

  this is how others suvs should be built

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  Owned them all and by far this is #1 - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By donzi2005 - September 12 - 8:40 am

  I speak from experience. Owned 86 SR5 22RET 4x4 (300K+), 91 SR5 4x4 (200K+), 96 T100 4x4, 96 4runner Limited, 95 Tacoma 4x4 (75K), 96 Tacoma 4x4 (75K). 99 Toy 4x4 Ext Cab (100K) As you can see I spent many a miles behind the wheel of a Toyota truck. Bought my 2005 to tow a 22 boat. Already after year and half put 30K miles on it. By far the best looking all around driveable Toyota truck I have ever owned. Towing and overall drivability is above all others. Long-distance HWY trips are now a dream. Reliability is always A+. The only thing I have to do with this truck is change the oil and air filter. See below for my few negative comments.

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  Fun car to drive and easy to own - 2002 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Ray - September 12 - 6:43 am

  I would recommend this car to any buyer. Its extremely reliable, handles great, comfortable ride, power to spare and is just enjoyable to drive it.

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  One helluva car - 2000 Toyota Celica
  By bangin_celica - September 12 - 1:40 am

  i bought this car needing a lot of work 10 years and 166k on her when i got her needed struts a cat. tires brakes and belts alternator and battery replaced for preventative as well but toyotas are tanks so doing all this work in my opinion made economical sense i got a good deal on it (2k less than others around here) and spent 1.7k on what it needed (battery and alternator not needed just preventative) so i got a good deal now that its fixed its a beast i put flowmaster exhaust when cat. was put on it sounds great but i dont know who neglected their maintenance on this car i wanna kick there behind (for the kids reading) bc its a great car and im babying her back 2 life lucas inoil gas tranny and kn filter

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  I love my car! - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By Susan - September 11 - 5:43 pm

  I have just purchased a new car. So far I have enjoyed driving it and the gas I am saving is great. I would recommend this car to everyone.

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  Best SUV By Far! - 2006 Toyota 4Runner
  By mos 4Runner - September 11 - 3:06 am

  This is the best SUV overall. Easy and fun to drive. Great power, reliability, and build quality. Previously owned a range rover, which was just expensive crap. This vehicle has it all.

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  Nice - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By Great - September 11 - 12:36 am

  Just bought this vehicle for my wife to cart around our 2 boys and already love it. Compared to newer American vehicles we test drove, it was built much, MUCH better. I hope it gives us the longevity others say they have. We bought with 50k miles... how sad to say that this vehicle in the test drive had a better ride to it than the 09 American vehicles we test drove? GREAT resale value as well. No junk vehicle here!

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  Pros/Cons - 2008 Toyota Sequoia
  By Paul Dobrovolskis - September 10 - 5:26 am

  I needed a full size SUV that had trailer towing capacity that gave me room to play when towing a boat. I have had Toyotas in the past and though always scant on creature comforts have been extremely well made and reliable. My last clocked in at 450,000 km and only died due to an accident. Issues IPOD connectivity useless to non existent. Dont bother with the Toyota cable. Navigation package useless. Very error laden, extremely user unfriendly, better to buy an aftermarket system. A 150$ garmin will outperform the Toyota navigation. Gas cap has no lock. Oil changes, uses a cartridge filter that few aftermarket dealers have. Dealers even hate doing changes.