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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  Big SUV, drives like a sedan - 2008 Toyota Sequoia
  By soonersok - December 14 - 10:26 pm

  When I first looked at the new Sequoias I thought that they would drive like a monster, however, when I test drove it, it was so smooth and the transmission shifted without me even noticing it. You could tell that this vehicle was well engineered and geared towards people who want a large SUV but without the "truck like" feel to it. The Sequoia is driven primarily by my wife but I always find excuses to drive it on the weekends and we do all of our trips in it. Its a great vehicle and I strongly recommend it.

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  Truely awesome pickup! - 2010 Toyota Tacoma
  By JBad - December 14 - 6:16 pm

  Steering: A+ response is very accurate, precise and sensitive. Suspension: A+ The TRD off road suspension handles great & provides comfort regardless of the speed or road surface. The clearance height is a perfect compromise. Engine: B Dependable & strong. I towed a 3.5k lbs boom no problem. Also handled several payloads of brick just fine. Highway merging speed could be better. Fuel economy is decent but could be better. Interior: A+ Looks cool, seems very practical in function & layout. Good materials. Brakes: C- Brakes are important, & each time I towed or had a payload I worried a bit. Without a load theyre adequate for a safe driver. Composite Bed: A+ innovative, practical, best in class!

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  You Drive It, You Love It - 6cyl AWD - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By Glen Harper - December 14 - 3:53 pm

  I read about the "sticks" in the steering but I have not seen it on the 6cyl model. It has enough power for me. I had a Tacoma 4x4 for 11 years and the ride of this Venza cannot be compared to the ride of a truck and the 20" wheels help to smooth out the ride.

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  Im hooked. - 2002 Toyota Tacoma
  By T.J. Turrisi - December 14 - 2:06 pm

  Ive had my Tacoma for two years and have done nothing but rotate the tires and change the oil. Ive almost gotten it stuck twice — once on the edge of a swamp and once in three feet of snow — but the posi-track rear end and rear differential lock saved the day in both instances. I will be getting the truck inspected tomorrow morning, and my only complaint, if you want to call it that, is a squeaky belt at nearly 70,000 miles. I will most likely be purchasing Toyota trucks for the rest of my life, unless someone comes out with something better and that could take a while, and I doubt I will be buying very many. Be it a Tundra, Tacoma or Land Cruiser, I will be getting the best for my money.

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  Great Value, Fantastic at What it Does - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By StGabriel - December 14 - 4:33 am

  I had a Toyota Yaris hatchback and I loved it. I dont think there is a better value on the market. I am 65 and the car was very comfortable and could handle 3 passengers just fine (the car is way roomier than it looks). Gas mileage is fantastic (consistently 34+ mpg) and the cost-to-own is the lowest youre going to get. It wont set any speed records but I found that the car could easily get up to good freeway speeds and was fun to drive. I love the distinctive look. I got a lot of appreciative looks and positive comments. Also, I was impressed by how well the car absorbed the impact of a high speed collision.

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  Its a winner! - 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Dallassite - December 13 - 9:30 pm

  Ive had my 2008 Hybrid for about 2 months. I avged 33.5 mpg for first few tanks; last tank 35.6 mpg. I drive pretty quick. Mix of city/suburban/freeway driving. Im 63" and I am very comfortable driving. It is quiet, surprisingly quick and really a nice car.

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  2008 Prius: 151k miles, no problems ever - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Neil Lifson - December 13 - 4:03 pm

  Good car, can carry loads of cargo, never needs repairs, needs snow tires for better traction, esp. for getting out of icy driveway with slight uphill slant, great traction with snow tires, front seats (cloth) not too comfortable for long road trips but perfectly OK for day-to-day driving, newer Prius versions have better seats, we get about 44 mpg overall consistently but originally got 46 mpg with original tires, original tires wore out very quickly (15k miles) but got good gas mileage, annoying that the doors tend to all lock by themselves when you shut off car (except for drivers door), lacks a pivoting sun visor (only goes in 2 directions), newer models have more up-front leg room, power window buttons and door lock buttons do not light up, very safe car for head-on collisions ( experienced head-on collision in 2004 Prius, which is of the same generation as 2008 Prius, and survived in quite good condition with just a few broken ribs and some vertibrea with slight cracks that had to be kept immobilized for 2-3 months just in case (2004 Prius was totalled). We finally traded it in at 159,500 miles -- the only reason being that the front seats were not too comfortable for long drives. Other than that, this car has been fantastic. Nothing ever broke. Did replace the struts/shocks at some point -- maybe 85,000 miles (cant remember). Never did any brake work that I can recall. Changed the oil every 5k miles, and rotated tires every 5k miles (mostly). Added a tow rack (for carrying a bike rack) -- which was a very easy DIY project. Changed the 2 headlights myself (there was actually a recall on this, but I changed before the recall was issued.) Not very easy to change these bulbs unless you have tiny, tiny hands. Did not try out new Prius, but did try out 2017 Prius V. The seats are much more comfortable on the new Prius V, and the height of the seats is at least 3" higher than on the 2008 Prius. (Not sure how this compares to the standard 2017 Prius.) The entire Prius V is about 6" taller than our 2008 Prius. Ultimately, we decided to go with a Rav4 Hybrid as the replacement vehicle -- mainly due to the seat comfort issues, but also due to the fact that we would not have to have a separate set of snow tires -- since it is AWD. Also, it can tow. (The Prius V was very close in comfort, though, to the Rav4, and would likely be happy to drive on long road trips with the V -- but, we only tried the faux leather seats, as the material has a major impact on comfort. We got the faux leather seats in the Rav4.

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  Nice Car - 2014 Toyota Avalon Hybrid
  By FJ - December 13 - 10:06 am

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  Great Little Car - 2004 Toyota Echo
  By rk_man99 - December 13 - 10:00 am

  A nice car with a good fuel economy, (rated top 10 in fuel economy, including hybrids) a lot of interrior storage and adequate trunk space.

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  My opinion - 2004 Toyota Celica
  By boston boy - December 13 - 10:00 am

  i like pretty much everything about my celica it has the power and control i like while still having the safety controls that are needed.