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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  Foreign Cars are Not Always the Best - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By water7apple - August 26 - 7:46 pm

  I have had this 2005 Toyota Camry XLE V6 for two months now. I am surprised how disappointed I am with the driving experience of the Camry. I had a 1997 Buick LeSabre with a 3.8L V6 engine that got better gas mileage than this car, and it was about 500 lbs HEAVIER. This 3.0L is should get better gas mileage than it does (for me 15 city, 23 hwy). My Buick glided on the road, more bumps with the Camry. And the transmission is the worst. It hesitates going between 20 to 70 mpg. Not good for city traffic. I can hear the wind and outside noises much more than the Buick. I am trying to trade-in for an American car this time, at least for a better performing V6 engine.

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  Very Disappointed - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By GPT - August 26 - 7:36 am

  Dont buy this car. The transmission is terrible. The car now has 1200 miles on it. The dealer says the transmission is operating normally. The car herks and jerks its way up to speed after every stop. This is probably personal but I also find the interior design uncomfortable. The seat is too "high" and the steering wheel is too close to the dashboard. Any body want to buy this car?

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  Great Car - 2007 Toyota Avalon
  By John - August 26 - 4:53 am

  Just about everything about this car is great, at the price paid it should be. It does have a few shortcomings, the trunk lid closes like a piece of tin. The dealer said nothing can be done about it and the back bumper where it fits along the side is a poor fit. Overall the car is joy to drive.

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  Better than the movie - 2009 Toyota Matrix
  By Anthony - August 26 - 4:00 am

  The Matrix has a very cool look. The ride feels very smooth as a boat ride. The main reason why I bought the Matrix was to comfort my legs and so far it has done a very good job. Toyota really did a good job augmenting the standard options like the side airbags, trip meters, maintenance indicator, tire pressure indicator. I like that the driver seat can be adjusted vertically. I like that things are very accessible under the hood. I also appreciate the all wheel disc brakes making it easy for me to replace the brake pads when the time comes. I calculated 22 mpg on mostly mostly city streets and 30 mpg on mostly highway driving.

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  Happy with Camry - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By sammie - August 26 - 2:53 am

  I have been very pleased with this car. Highway mileage is 35-37 mpg; city about 25. Have needed very few repairs that were not covered by warranty. They found a few problems I was not aware of while the car was on warranty. Other than those, Ive only needed regular maintenance. I do have a rattle in front right wheel well, but no one has found a problem. Front seat could be a little higher. Some wear on inside door. Other than that, its a great car.

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  Prius Forever - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By DCraig - August 26 - 1:43 am

  I have been a proud Prius owner for two weeks and I can honestly say this is the best car I have ever owned. I love the way you can monitor how your car is utilizing its energy. I still need some work with my city driving since Im "only" getting 42.0 mpg vs 48.0 for mixed/highway. Its also quiet and fun to drive. With gas prices over $4.00 a gallon in CA, I dont understand why anyone would buy any other car. My husband is now shopping around for his own Prius.

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  I love my Prius - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Nancy - August 26 - 12:26 am

  I have owned my 2008 Prius for a year. I sold an E class Mercedes to do this so I was committed to a "greener" car. I like everything about it except that it "slips" going uphill in the rain. I live in the Pacific Northwest so this is not a good thing. I am going to change the tires and see if that helps. I also had it simply shut down in the middle of a freeway and was interested to read that this has happened to others. I thought I was low on fuel but perhaps there is more to it than I initially thought. I am also curious about the fuel consumption ratings I am seeing for the 2009 models being advertised by Toyota Canada of 72 miles/gallon. Is this true?

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  A great car for the enthusiast - 2001 Toyota Prius
  By cmarslett - August 25 - 10:00 am

  In many ways this is just a nice family car, in spite of its novel design. It uses mostly stock components, so maintenance is less of an issue that you would think. On the other hand, it really is a car for the next century -- a hybrid gasoline/electric design that has great accelleration for a 48 mpg car (but not to be compared with a 360 ci V8, of course). After 2 years Im out $0 other than car payments, gasoline and one set of tires.

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  Reliable and Boring - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By a camry owner - August 25 - 10:00 am

  This Camry is a nice comfortable, reliable pretty boring car! I liked the dashboard design when I got it and I still do. The ride is a bit softer than I prefer. Not what Id call sporty. But, this is a nice reliable vehicle except for one thing. The handling is completely unacceptable in the snow!

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  48 hours later - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By tominutah - August 25 - 10:00 am

  I went to the Toy/Honda dealer looking for a more relaible car than the 300TE Mercedes wagon we now drive. Already have a SUV (Suburban) and sports car (1955 190SL) and a highway cruiser (Volvo 850 wagon). As soon as I pulled into the dealers parking lot and saw the Matrix, I knew that was it.