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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  Great Car - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By first time buyer - June 6 - 2:00 am

  Great Car I have been pleasently suprised. keep up the good work Toyota.

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  Rav 4 sucks - 2010 Toyota RAV4
  By rav4_sucks - June 6 - 1:27 am

  I have had this car for a year and a half. Toyota is the worst company to deal with. After 7,000 miles the brakes made a garggiling sound and would not come to a complete stop. I have my wife and kids in the car up in the mountains on a sunday afternoon. Called Toyota and they wanted to charge me $500.00 to tow the car to a dealership. Towing NOT covered under bumper to bumper. Also the tires on the car only lasted 22,000 miles. The radio will turn its self off for no reason. All the dash lites go on and off then the car dies. BIGGEST PIECE EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would not [non-permissible content removed] with a Toyota driver manual. (it wont get the job done) MAJOR FAIL TOYOTA

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  Toyotas Best - 2000 Toyota 4Runner
  By George Suggs - June 6 - 12:46 am

  This has been a very reliable and enjoyable car for us. Weve towed over 5000 lbs of payload... had to replace disk brakes, but no other problems. A very well made vehicle.

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  Great truck! - 2003 Toyota Tundra
  By Ken - June 5 - 9:30 pm

  It is the most comfortable truck I ever owned! The power from the 4.7 V8 is the most UNREAL powerhouse I have ever seen! The only thing I dont like is the quality of the seats. The foam inside the seat feels cheap and seems to feel worn out prematurely.

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  excellent car - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By cutedh - June 5 - 11:46 am

  This car is a true beauty. Had it for little over a month and its so smooth and luxurious. My neighbors are jealous. Love the leather interior and the simulated wood....makes it look so refined and expensive.

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  Love the ride - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By Ragsny - June 4 - 10:06 pm

  I have had this car for almost 3 yrs and i love it. i have 3 small kids and a dog and we often drive down to myrtle beach and it holds all of us with no problem. My wife has a town and country mini van and she likes the way the highlander drives better. it has plenty of power and it gets pretty good gas mileage and is very good in the snow.

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  Echos got Zoom - 2000 Toyota Echo
  By wasabiJo - June 4 - 9:56 pm

  My little red Echo spoils me - incredible fuel economy, roomy interior, peppy attitude, and very durable (mine has been rebuilt twice from two accidents - I just didnt want to get rid of it). Ive used mine for zipping around town and cross-country trips (over 2,000 miles at a time), and hauling my junk to and from colleges for years. My friends (and some mechanics) think Im nuts when I say I plan to run this car into the ground before I buy another one. As long as you keep up with the regular maintenance, nothing short of a collision with a semi will destroy it.

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  Holy Moly: Headlights! - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By M. Gomez - June 4 - 7:56 pm

  I have an 05 Avalon that I bought (traded in my 01 Avy) and Im less than thrilled. The thing has had some some problems that the dealer cant seem to fix: groans, engine hesitation, rattles. My mileage is much worse than my old Avalon. I like the new power but, come on, Im 58 years old! I dont race. I wish you could get a smaller more efficient motor. But heres the big bummer. I hit a deer one morning two weeks ago. I have the HID lights. One headlight was broken. The headlight cost close to $1,000!!!! My insurance company picked up half the tab (I have a 500 deductable) but oh my, I dont look forward to replacing these lights in the future when they burn out -- or I hit another deer.

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  Not as nice as youd expect - 2006 Toyota Camry Solara
  By TonyV - June 4 - 10:46 am

  Youd expect more from Toyota. After a month check engine light came on and the dealer determined that cylinder 3 misfires (it had erratic idling and would not accelerate properly). All they did was reset the computer. 2 weeks after they did it, check engine light came on again. Feels like the same problem. The car has 1400 miles on it. Also the door does not always close right away. This is due to the fact that there is no frame around the glass. Also even when it does close, there is excessive noise from the wind when driving at 50 mph. You have to pull the window down and then close it again for the wind to go away. Taking it to the dealer again tomorrow...

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  "Why purchase a Lexus" - 2008 Toyota Avalon
  By Craig - June 4 - 10:30 am

  I just recently purchased a 2008 Avalon Limited and I just love it. The car rides very smooth. The interior is very sleek and modern looking with its brushed chrome compartments and stylish dashboard and gauges. The leather seats are also very plush and comfortable. Easily the Toyota Avalon has a huge advantage when comparing everything that comes standard that would have cost thousands more on a Lexus ES. I searched for over a year and there was no other vehicle I found that offered the interior room and standard features for such an affordable price. Thanks Toyota for building my dream car.