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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  Smart Choice - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By John74 - May 6 - 4:00 am

  After 5,000 miles in 04, I have to say I love my Camry. It is quiet, confortable, nimble (for a 4 cyl), roomy and very fuel efficient. I use it for my daily commute (80miles/day) and as our main family vehicle. The car averages 29.5mpg/week, half of that being highway miles. Suprisingly, when we traveled from Chicago to Memphis (usually cruising at 75mph) we averaged 38mpg roundtrip! Overall this car has been reliable and a pleasure to drive.

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  Tight and solid quality counts - 2006 Toyota Tundra
  By Stan - May 5 - 10:00 pm

  I love the quality feel and tight solid body of this truck. I owned an 02 Tundra and was very happy, but the 06 is much peppier, with more horsepower and the new 5 speed transmission is beautifully geared to keep the engine in the proper torque range, so it performs very very well. Its extremely quiet - no wind or engine noise. Nice ride. Got 18 mpg driving 200 miles home from dealer, in spite of over an hour idling along in a huge traffic jam. Its not as roomy or comfortable as the Titan or the Ram 1500, wont haul as much. But I haul only occasional light weight trailers, so a 7/8 size truck fits my needs perfectly. Love it

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  True to its Name -Sequoia! - 2006 Toyota Sequoia
  By phimb - May 5 - 1:56 pm

  If you want power, comfort, style and reliability at a price you can afford, Sequoia is it!

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  Bar None best car for your money - 2008 Toyota Corolla
  By texas toyota - May 5 - 4:10 am

  Recently drove from Abilene, tx to Dallas and back. My corolla got 37.5 miles per gallon. And thats with the a/c on. Idling in drive through, my lead foot, and pulling over 10 times on the way there and back. Love how cheap the vehicle was. And it is perfect for my family.

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  Best Value in America - 2007 Toyota Corolla
  By Drewski79 - May 5 - 3:20 am

  I bought my 5 spd corolla in sept 06, and have put on almost 21000 mi already. I drive 80% hwy and avg 41 mpg. Awesome! I have had ZERO problems with this car so far. The 5 spd shifts great and has enough pickup for my needs. A sports car it is not, but for anyone who doesnt need race track thrills, this is simply the best car available. Awesome gas mileage, bulletproof reliability, and it even looks nice! Also, for those of you who work on their cars, there is loads of room under the hood so working on the engine and other components is not a cramped nightmare.

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  So far, a great experience - 2014 Toyota Corolla
  By jmacthethird - May 4 - 11:23 pm

  So far, this has been a great vehicle! Ive only had it a week but noticed gas mileage has actually been better than whats advertised on the sticker. I am averaging 30mpg combined and 40mpg average on the interstate and sometimes it goes even higher according to the gauge. I havent seen anything below 30mpg, even in stop and go. Note that ,on the gauge, the number is the average mpg, where as, the slider is the actual mpg. This is my first Toyota lease experience and the whole thing has been great. I opted for the sport because it seemed the best value, vs options and it comes in the gray color I like. I think this is going to be the start of a great relationship.

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  Great heart in a small package! - 2004 Toyota RAV4
  By Pat Lynch - May 4 - 7:41 pm

  This is a used car thats 13 years old, and Ive had it for 9 of those years. This car has made me a loyal fan of smaller SUVs, and I think Toyota is tops. No major repairs have been made on the car - just oil changes and tires. It has a few little dings and quirks but nothing to get too excited about.

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  Tacoma - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By Jose Rosario - May 4 - 10:46 am

  The Truck has great force. Very comfortable, and rides smoothly even in rain conditions.

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  Great car - 2012 Toyota Prius v
  By mchalmers - May 4 - 10:42 am

  Drives better than expected. Lots of room, smooth transition between electric and gas engine. Kids love the tech features. Coming from an Audi A6 and thought it would be painful but not as difficult as expected as you feel great with a hybrid. the only downside is that with 200 miles on the car the MPG reported from car is 33.8 and I hope this increases as the car gets broken in

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  92 Sequoia - 2003 Toyota Sequoia
  By Jim Smith - May 4 - 10:00 am

  Comfortable to drive. Has a safe and secure feeling when driving down the road. Gives a big vehicle secure atmosphere when operating the Sequoia. Really enjoy the ease which the vehicle can go from 4 wheele drive to 2 wheel drive and back.