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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  I HATE my Prius! - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By llf415 - March 30 - 8:53 am

  We bought a Prius in November, and it does not live up to the hype. The keyless entry system stopped working at 2,500 miles and has required 3 trips to the shop to fix. The seats are VERY uncomfortable on long trips, and everything is just waaay too complicated to operate (audio, temperature, etc.), and I hate doing it all on the screeen--whatever happened to simply turning a knob?!. Finally, the real MPG is nothing even close to that listed on the sticker. Over the life of the car so far, I have averaged 36.6 MPG. Granted, I am in stop and go traffic, but isnt it supposed to workbest in those conditions? All-in-all, I would not recommend this vehicle to anyone.

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  Best SUV I am glad its mine - 2002 Toyota Sequoia
  By Karen - March 30 - 7:10 am

  I wanted a truck that was comfortable so we purchased this vehicle so my husband could travel comfortably due to a back injury. We traveled across country with it and he had no problems at all with his back. The vehicle has given us no problems at all. Women out there I would recommend this vehicle to you. It is high so you can see over the cars ahead of you, its very comfortable, I cant say enough about it I love it and so do my dogs.

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  Rock Solid Performer & a Keeper! - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By RB & PB - March 30 - 2:00 am

  Between my wife and I, we have owned many vehicles. If we had to pick "one" to live with from the many...this would be it. Not flashy (frame/ladder design versus newer design) - dont hear much about it in the media and the limited version is a little pricey. However, this is a safe (full compliment of airbags), reliable, go anywhere, do anything (towing, off road or a wedding), solid performer. We plan on owning this one for a long time - and we can because of reliability. We have had no issues besides routine maintenance (brakes, battery, timing belt change). Sad that Toyota no longer offers this rig w/a V8. Will have to look at the Lexus variant when its time to purchase in the future.

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  LOVE MY "VENZA" - 2010 Toyota Venza
  By wam225 - March 30 - 2:00 am

  What can I say other than I love my Venza! Great car, this is our 4th Toyota purchase and by far the one with ALL the bells and whistles. This car has everything a driver could desire comfort, spacious, trendy, FAST and the list goes on. We drove to NC this weekend and the road trip was great. Gas mileage was good we got 345 miles to a full tank. It handles the road very well. I have the Sunset Bronze and have gotten so many compliments on the color. I must admit it is gorgeous, lol..but true:)

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  Best car ever. - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By mtlund15 - March 30 - 12:58 am

  Im seventeen and I owned a 95 Camry in dark green and let me just say that it was not my first choice in cars, but my parents strongly recommended the car and so I gave in. I bought my car with 165xxx miles and I have had absolutely NO problems with it, there was only one other owner of the car and he said the only thing he had done to the car was realign the front wheels. I fell in LOVE with my Camry because I could always trust it even being almost an 18 year old car. Survived the Minnesota summers and winters flawlessly. I only wish I could still rant about it, but my baby got totaled at 173xxx. I would buy another 95 Camry in a heartbeat!

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  Very poor mileage - 2012 Toyota RAV4
  By ledaebel - March 29 - 11:20 pm

  I have had a problem with poor gas mileage since I first bought the car. I am not happy having to get out of a warm car to put gas in the tank so frequently. I have brought this problem to the dealer, the service dept, the regioal rep, (BTY was very difficult to locate) and finally to phone "caseworker." The best mileage I got was 18.2 MG on the toll road. Now, in the middle of winter 14.2. Toyota says there is nothing wrong with the car. Their reasoning is that I must use bad gas, its winter, its a 6 cyl, the EPA ratings are done under ultimate conditions and I should not expect that yype of mileage Im dumping this gas guzzler. I had better mileage with my2007 6cyl Camry.

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  the best car that i have owned so far - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By dwayne - March 29 - 9:00 pm

  i love this car. it is one of the best cars that i have drove. until i drove it i never considered purchasing a toyota. but now im stuck on it.

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  A Decent Minivan - 2011 Toyota Sienna
  By Will - March 29 - 4:13 pm

  We have 3 kids (12, 10, 9) and turned in an Audi Q7 for the Sienna and the kids could not be happier. SUVs look cool but this car is designed to move people and cargo in comfort with space and amenities. The second row recliners are a treat and storage behind the 3rd row is great in comparison to any SUV beside a Suburban class vehicle. Thus far we are very happy with the minivan except for a few annoying features the XLE seems to be missing.

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  Great all around Vehicle - 2006 Toyota 4Runner
  By rcwing - March 29 - 2:10 pm

  Never have had a repair or adjustment made. Factory tow package easy to use and preforms well. Very steady feel on the road. Handles well at interstate speeds and eats up the open road. Long trips are easy and bad weather driving is secure.

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  Perfect car for everyone - 2012 Toyota Prius
  By Keanerouillard@gmail.com - March 29 - 9:00 am

  My mpg for everyday and every tank was 41mpg. This is combined over many miles. Short city runs get more. I got 50 mpg going to Indiana. On trip in city I got 61 mpg. I bought new and traded it with 73000 miles on it. I replaced tires at 62000 miles. I also need to replace the headlight bulbs once. I think it was year 2 I put bulbs in. Great car. Comfortable quiet and it is peppy. If you are on the fence on buying one. Get off the fence and get it. I bought 11-2012 just traded in on 4-2016