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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  Harmonizing - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By Ron Bunn - March 4 - 5:50 am

  My idea of a good vehicle is one you can harmonize with. The Yaris does a pretty good job of that for me providing close to ideal basic transportation. Gets you there fast and does it comfortably at a respectable fuel consumption rate. My biggest disappointment has been no place to hang a couple of clean shirts and pair of slacks. A fairly easy problem to fix but a real annoyance the dealership should have made sure was looked after. Seat belts work better than most cars but you need to make sure they are in place before you begin moving. Ive had mine for 6 months and have 23,000 kilometers on it. Nothing has broken and no rattles.

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  Great Family Vehicle! - 2013 Toyota Highlander
  By NMendoza - March 4 - 4:25 am

  I had been reading reviews on the highlander before purchasing the truck , I am happy to say that we picked the right vehicle. It drives very smooth, the middle seats are reclinable for extra comfort. I can perfectly fit 3 car seats. I live in Texas and weather is very hot and humid so I love that it has AC vents for everybody in the truck, plus its own rear AC. Cons: It has a small cargo space

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  2007 Toyota RAV4 - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By 2007 Toyota RAV4 - March 4 - 1:33 am

  The first things that appealed to me were the styling and pricing for the Limited. At first glance, the interior looks well-designed and human-factored. It is overly plastic though, and that detracts greatly from the quality one would expect in a Toyota product. This RAV provides a great ride and good handling. At the bottom of the list of features, and this comes at a bad time, is gas mileage. Im getting right at 20 mpg with a four cyl. engine around town. Six bangers can do much better than that!

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  2007 Tundra Crew Max - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By Mike - March 4 - 12:16 am

  I purchased this truck to pull a 30 ft 7K lb trl. It does it like a dream. It will out pull my buddies Excursion with a 6.0 diesel, a 2500 dodge with a cummins and a 5.3 chevy pick up. All with shorter and lighter trailers. Here in PA we have quite a few big hills and it handles both sides great. The fuel economy is a little stiff. If the fuel tank were larger this could help out. Too many stops along a trip. I used to have a 96 suburban with a 6.5 turbo diesel. the only thing that was better on it than the new tundra is the size of the fuel tank (40 gal vrs 24.6), I was able to go 5-8 hours of towing with one tank. The new tundra needs to stop every 3-4 hours.

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  Good Car So Far, But Some Downgrades - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Joe B Radio - March 3 - 10:43 pm

  Just traded an 02 Camry I really liked with 102K for 09. Have only put 300 miles on the car so far, but the quality, especially interior, is a notch down from the 02. The inside plastic seems of lesser quality and there are some issues with sections matching up, something I never thought I would see in Toyota. I guess they made changes to keep the price down. On road performance is comparable and ABS is standard. The pickup is about what you expect considering it is a 4 cyl on such a large frame. I hope the car has the reliability of my trouble free 02 Camry.

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  Earth friendly - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By MMA - March 3 - 7:10 pm

  I have owned Honda, Nissan,Toyota and American made cars. The Prius far surpasses all these. I had two wait 6 months for the car. It was worth the wait. Gas mileage and room are excellent.

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  Best Ever - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By Allan Whaite - March 3 - 5:33 pm

  This is my third Avalon and is the best car I have ever owned. Very comfortable and good gas mileage. This is a keeper and in my 74 years have owned a lot of cars

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  Luxury at an affordable price! - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By Len_1 - March 3 - 2:36 pm

  Ive traded my 2003 Nissan Murano AWD and thanks to the Avalon, the transition was smooth. My peers enjoy the riding comfort and options you get for the price.

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  An excellent vehicle - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By M. Andrews - March 3 - 1:53 pm

  Have had the vehicle 3 months and driven it 4,000 miles. No problems. Rides and drives much like our Camry. Looked at a Honda Pilot but when comparing them we selected the Highlander even though it was more expensive. Would highly recommend it for those who want a smooth ride and are not interested in off-road driving.

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  Better Choices in Sub-Compact Market - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By xoquixxoqafxo - March 3 - 12:40 pm

  Bought this car in March 2007 to get something more fuel efficient, I regret it today because I should have went with a 2007 Honda Civic LX which i looked at but choose this because it was 14,500 out the door and the civic was 17,000 out the door. I should have spend the extra 2500 because I am considering selling it and getting a Civic LX-S right now. Gas Mileage is the only strong point, average around 32 MPG combined, have gotten 40 on the hwy but its difficult because the 4 SPD Auto allows the engine to buzz away at 3k at 60 mph. Has crummy handling and unresponsive steering. Honda fit was way more fun to drive with the utility of a hatchback. Its been reliable but thats it.