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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  echo - 2004 Toyota Echo
  By george mcfly - March 14 - 10:00 am

  its a good car!!!!

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  shoulda-been-a-Lexus - 1999 Toyota Camry Solara
  By roester - March 14 - 10:00 am

  Its a very smooth grand touring type car. I had a Mazda MX-6 with a 2.5 L v-6 , the increase in torque of this 3L just makes every day driving more effortless. One thing for sure, the cornering limits are very low. This car needs bigger anti-sway bars, but they arent available. I have the JBL sound system which sound great - as long as you dont brake hard or get into any broken pavement that shakes the car, then "skippy" the CD player jumps all over, it has been out of the car twice and "fixed". This is a $700 unit at the dealer and because it is CD/cassette combo, there are only a couple Butt-ugly aftermarket units to replace it.

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  Why? - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By Jalen72 - March 14 - 10:00 am

  I am the proud owner of a Ford Excursion and a former owner of a Mitsubishi Montero Sport, the latter was wrecked recently and we rented a Toyota Prius, this car is sooooo nice. Did I mention I had an excursion and now I am in something that gets 60 MPG, let me see, 12MPG vs 60 MPG, I can put up with the narrow seats, heck I need to drop a few lbs, I can put up with the slow take off,the excursion cant go over 85 MPH anyway, to make this simple, with the recent situation in the Middle East, I have nothing but praise for this car, I would save a the equivilant of a car note by trading down. Did I mention 60 MPG. Enough said.

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  great car - 2004 Toyota RAV4
  By jwestell - March 14 - 10:00 am

  this car is fun to drive, easy to handle. the only downside is the seat is hard to adjust to the way I like it.

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  toyota rav4 - 2004 Toyota RAV4
  By nat cam - March 14 - 10:00 am

  So far its been a great vehicle, very economical, Usual Toyota fit and finish. I only wish that we didnt have a distributor here in the SouthEast region it was very hard to find the option or color combination we were looking for unless it was installed by this so called distributor which to me sounds like aftermarket. We had to be careful about the options like the remote entry on some vehicles were marked TDS which at first glance looks like a factory option but it isnt, it seems like it should be illegal to market these options unless the customers are told.

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  The best SUV Ive ever owned - 2004 Toyota Sequoia
  By markjenty - March 14 - 10:00 am

  This is a real SUV that a woman could drive comfortably and easily. It drives like a car. Plenty of room for the kids with added bonus of the entertainment system. Never had Toyota before, but think I will never buy anything again. What a better ride than our Ford Explorer. We almost bought the Suburban. Glad we didnt!!!

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  BEST TRUCK EVER - 2004 Toyota Tundra
  By SPYDER - March 14 - 10:00 am

  THE NEW TUNDRA DOUBLE CAB HAS BEEN THE BEST VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED.IT PROVIDES COMFORT AND SAFETY WITHOUT COMPROMISSING STYLE.

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  Stylin and Profilin - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By cgs0409 - March 14 - 10:00 am

  I drove so many cars before I purchased the Solara that I hated to see a car commerical on TV. I finally narrowed it down to two cars...the Solara and the Honda Accord Coupe. I decided the Solara was a cut above the Honda and havent regretted my decision one bit. The only problem I have now is keeping my wife for borrowing it.

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  4Runner Sport -Best SUV - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By el61harley - March 14 - 10:00 am

  The 04 4Runner Sport is simply the best. It replaces a 95 4Runner, which was great. The V8 will change your attitude (if you had one..) about poor SUV performance. Tromp it, and it nails you back in your seat and takes off like a rocket. I also have a Toyota MR2 and have owned high performance spots cars. The gas mileage is much improved too. Im getting 18 mpg hwy/interstate vs the old V6s 12-14. We had the Sports cloth changed to leather, which we love. Drive one, youll see what Im talking about.

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  Great car - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By Gomey - March 14 - 10:00 am

  Great car. great gas milage. i have owned a corolla for 5 years and this is my second.Very classy interior. it has an almost german feal to it.