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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  Really like it - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Lucretia Franklin - June 27 - 5:33 am

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  Verry happy with the car - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By matrixownerinPA - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Ive had the car for around 2 months/3000 miles, and am very happy with it. For sure its not the quickest thing on the road, and I kinda miss my 5-speed, but its still fun to drive, ride in, and look at. The AWD system works well, and adds some confidence on wet roads (still waiting for the first big snowfall to try it in the snow!). The back seat is really roomy -- and the tall doors make it easy to get the baby in and out of the car seat without anyones head getting bumped (his or mine...).

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  Our Trix - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By T&K - June 27 - 2:00 am

  fun lil car ,roomy

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  Youll just have to wait :) - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By Chris T (20-17) - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Its roomy. It turns heads. Its super cheap to run. Theres a waitlist as long as your arm. Ive got one of the few, and Im very happy with it. Fuel economy is great. It corners well, and is sufficiently quick off the mark to keep pace with aggressive SUV drivers. But you may not want to. This is a very relaxing car. I just have no desire to drive it hard (although it responds well enough.) And that for me is the major benefit. Commuting is no longer the misery it was

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  Our 2000 - 2004 Toyota Sequoia
  By T&K - June 27 - 2:00 am

  We got ours in 2000 , and love it we also get better gas mileage than most at 20 to 23 for one of the largest Suvs. It was also funny when we moved to Hawaii the dealer did not no what it was.LOL

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  o.k. but??? - 2001 Toyota Tacoma
  By rob368 - June 27 - 2:00 am

  I bought the truck for reliability and better mileage, hopefully for a truck. So far the best I can get is 18 mpg aver. I have done all maintenance including a tune-up and the six still does not idle smooth. power steering pump is noisy, and there is a delay in trans shifting in overdrive. seems to slip a bit when off and on gas when at freeway speed. positive is no leaks, very tight. Overall an ok. truck, but not the quality I expected it to be especially after my friend now has 180k on his 86 with no problems. I feel toyotas quality has gone down hill, cutting corners to save money. Give me old quality with modern looks and I would give nothing but 10s.

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  Best SUV for the money 2004 model - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By lovethiscar - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Rides like a car, fantastic stereo, smooth quiet ride, good power comfortable seats (front and rear), easy to use controls, good quality leather great cargo capacity

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  What a ride! - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Twain - June 27 - 2:00 am

  After looking at the Quest and Freestar, we decided on this car. It had the most luxury features and AWD, which is important in the winter. This car - which we got with the HO pkg - has so many features that were still trying to figure them out. The styling is much better than previous models and we have had 2 other Toyotas so we knew we would be getting a car of the highest quality. Only drawbacks were the wait -- nearly 3 months -- and the fact that there isnt much of a discount on this car off MSRP (but shop around!). And it drives GREAT in the snow.

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  Is this a ship? Fun to drive - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Bhupi - June 27 - 2:00 am

  After following all the vans. This van had all the features I wanted. Split folding seats. Rear Window miror fold down. A nice peppy engine. This is much more bigger than what it looks. Barely fits into my garage. Enjoy it.

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  Tough to beat - 2003 Toyota Tundra
  By rdambroso - June 26 - 11:46 pm

  The only strike in my mind, is the back seats. They are almost 90 degrees straight up. I am also not crazy about the suicide doors. I believe the 05 and newer corrected both issues... so its now the perfect truck!