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 First Non-American Auto - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By bill - July 16 - 10:50 pm

  This car has great gas mileage, handling, performance, style. Forget the frills the Chevy equinox has and buy with confidence. When I purchased the car the dealer said see you first oil change. To my surprise that was the only time I needed the service dept. I own 3-5 vehicles for years and this is the first where I did not become friends with service adviser fixing warranty problems. My son and daughter got rid of their Chevy and Pontiac and they are glad they did also. My gas mileage is 24 to work and 28 on trips.

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  Thought I did my homework - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Bella Car - July 16 - 10:46 pm

  My first Toyota, everyone raves about these cars. I cant seem to get more than 18 mpg in the city in this car. I have a short distance commute but I should be able to break 20. Car is going to dealership. HATE the tranny, bad shifting in low gears, drags between 1-2-3 gears. Fine after you hit 40 mph. Car stereo is the pits. Does not get good reception. Was told to upgrade would cost >$1,000 for basically the same unit. Needs new steering wheel computer for new stereo. Aftermarket stereos would disable steering wheel controls. Miss my 1998 Nissan Altima that I traded in; I passed by an 04 Infiniti I35 because of the gas mileage. With gas at $3.50 I am trading this in before summer.

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  Great car: New Style, Drives nice, Modern - 2013 Toyota RAV4
  By gsrav4 - July 16 - 5:21 pm

  I used Edmunds (among other sites for comparison) to help me do research for a new car, before I went out and test drove them. I dislike going to car dealerships, but I can say with confidence that I have improved with how to deal with them. Plus I had done my own research beforehand, and knew what to look at and expect (as well as knowing when a dealer was lying to me). Well here is my review of this lovely car after having it for about 4 months now, and some improvements that I think should be made for the future.

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  Performance and Reliability - 2008 Toyota Tacoma
  By demonoid123 - July 16 - 3:38 pm

  MPG: 18 gal=370 miles city maximum. (Never gone past 3 gallon reserve to test out full mileage.) 18gal=400 highway maximum. 18 gal=~$60@$3.40-85octane(w/15%ethanol-Costco) I add LUCAS gas treatment also. Cons: Interior has cheap look and feel. Small spacing for legs. Paint scratches and chips easily. Frame rusts easily. ( Even after power-wash every time exposed to salty roads) Pros: Performance: Will do the job on any terrain(Even with the crappy tires sold by manufacturer: Firestone Destination LE) Engine is reliable and OK Design (accessibility-wise) Bottom line: Not fancy interior but great exterior look and performance.

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  Buy it again - 2000 Toyota Sienna
  By sold one - July 16 - 1:20 pm

  Owned our Sienna for 8/ 1/2 years, was a great car, 100% reliable, always dealer serviced and never any mechanical issues. Well done. Hated to see it go, but needed a bigger rig.

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  Best BANG for the buck! - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By azghsthntr - July 16 - 1:06 pm

  I traded in my 2001 Nissan Xterra for a 2010 Toyota Corolla for $13.2 with 39k miles two weeks ago. I wasnt too excited about it at first as I love trucks, but going from filling up every four days to once a week, I cant beat that! I am averaging about 32 mpg with 90% freeway driving. The digital dash options to view avg mpg, temp, time, and current mpg is nice. A/C blows excellent which is a must in this Arizona heat. Radio sound is nice. Motor runs strong for this little four banger. Interior looks and feels cheap, but I can sacrifice that for a more dependable engine any day of the week! We will be taking it for our first road trip this Memorial Day, should be fun and nice drive.

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  My whole family loves the minivan - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By Herbert Liu - July 16 - 10:50 am

  The Sienna is truly best overall minivan for (big) family. It is the roomiest among all and with tasteful and functional interior. The powerful 3.3L is very capable of handling highway passing. Its handling is almost as good as the best in class Odyssey.

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  OCEAN MATRIX - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By tim bannister - July 16 - 9:10 am

  FUN CAR TO DRIVE, REALLY ROOMY EXCEPT IN THE FRONT SEAT

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  Hype - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By Ron - July 16 - 1:10 am

  My wifes 4Runner was showing a fault message so she took it to the dealer, the message has been removed but now the windows dont work. So much for the hype about Toyota Quality. The fuse panel is very low and doesnt have a fuse puller so back to the shop again, at least its still under warranty. The layout of the acessories is awful, its a safety issue to try to find things and drive. Pull off the road before selecting the defroster of looking for the cruise control. Fuel economy is really poor, under 9 mpg towing a lightweight trailer on flat ground. The 4.7L engine sure isnt up to the challenge.

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  Nice Ride - 2008 Toyota Avalon
  By Cardriverdavid - July 15 - 5:33 pm

  The car has a nice ride, but in the 6 months of ownership, the dash has several rattles, and I have noticed several misaligned panels. I wish the dash was not so far forward or large, the front seat area needs to be larger for longer trips. I love the controls, but not the gray paint of the hidden radio panel. The ride is the best feature. I drove a 2008 ford taurus recently, and the ride felt more solid and flat, like a german car, and was just as nice as the toyota. Wish I knew about that car earlier.