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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  Love this car - 2016 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Ellen Bader - December 16 - 11:18 am

  Ive only had this car for three weeks, but love it so far. Great gas mileage, smooth ride, no complaints!

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  FJ - Great Truck - 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By Italia317 - December 15 - 11:16 pm

  Purchased my Silver FJ Cruiser on 02/04/07. I did a lot of research on Edmunds as well as other sites before buying. The truck is def. a head turner, big, powerful, different. The interior has a lot of room, big knobs, stereo isnt too bad, a lot of compartments. Sideview mirrors are a little tough to get used to, but not too bad. As for the outside, I love it. Older drivers might have a tough time getting in w/o running boards, but its def a younger persons car. Gas mileage is ok, but its a truck so you cant expect much. Overall, I think its a great buy... powerful, fast, durable, and an attention getter. I would recommend it to anyone in the 25-35 year range.

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  Excellent Choice Overall - only minor issues - 2014 Toyota Highlander
  By ellisjeff - December 15 - 9:38 pm

  Had the 2014 Highlander XLE AWD for almost one year. Bought it in Feb 2014. I like the vehicle overall. Very comfortable, wide vehicle makes handling really sharp, but long reach to the glove box. Great interior and exterior finish and appointments. Large touchscreen display is outstanding but here is the big negative. The voice command system is very poor. Lets put it this way...If you have SIRI that would grade A+ and this voice system would grade F- Just does not undertand me. Sometimes the voice recognition recognizes me sometimes not....mostly not. That said excellent overall, mileage, power, safety, braking, reliable. I plan on getting Car-Play.

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  Excellent SUV - 2003 Toyota Sequoia
  By ABCd - December 15 - 10:00 am

  Very nice and smooth powertrain. Inside is very nice, and comfortable. If you want to purchase Toyota backed extend warranty at the dealer, make sure you start the neg. by knocking down $400 off the price they quote you! The dealer will always try to take advantage of you first. Watch out!!You can find out the MSRP for those extended warranty on toyotas website under finance.

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  Decent SUV - 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By paul02 - December 15 - 10:00 am

  This SUV fits in with others in its class. Howver, the overall construction of the vehicle can leave a sour taste in the mouth of a trendy consumer.

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  Should have stayed with my Tacoma - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By sshifflett - December 15 - 8:49 am

  My Tundra has been nice, interior is very light colored and shows any dirt. I am experiencing some transmission problems with 4wd high and low, multiple service and dash lights on and issues with reverse lights on while driving fwd. Already had more than one trip to the dealership regarding 4wd issues. The stereo issues happen only in the spring when the temp in the cab goes up and down a lot in one day.

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  Hard seats and ride leave me stiff - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By Herb - December 14 - 2:40 am

  Toyota has turned Avalon into another sport sedan. Gone is the cushy suspension and soft leather seats of the last version. Now you feel and hear every bump on the road. The drivers seat is very hard and uncomfortable. Im squirming after 15 minutes. There are many wonderful improvements in the new Avalon. But the navigation system is poor. It is archaic with the joystick and its linked to vehicle information. You must change the screen for each type of info. The information is in very small print. For my tastes, I wish the comfort level matched the quality in the rest of the car. Suspension is a matter of taste, but Toyota doesnt provide that option. It is hard or harder.

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  Nice vehicle but NOISY - 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By Patti Hoffman - December 11 - 9:40 pm

  It took me a while to get used to the slow acceleration. The vehicle is comfortable but feels more like a truck than an SUV. Most disappointing is how noisy it is; the wind sound surrounding the car while driving is annoying enough that I have to turn the radio up. I dont know if perhaps its seal problem but I would definitely inquire at the dealership. I bought my vehicle after it sat on the lot for over 6 months so perhaps some of the seal integrity was compromised.

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  Wife loves it - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By DAKOTAS DAD - December 11 - 8:13 pm

  I am handicapped and wife does all the driving. She loves everything about it! She just finds it fun and the least tiring of our other toyotas (four 6 cyl Camrys) We are on our 4th Toyota (I used to drive) and this is the best ever. It drives better with a full load, 4-5 people. The only thing I added is a wind/bug deflector.

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  94 4-Door XLE V6 - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By Civil - December 11 - 3:46 pm

  This has been an absolutely wonderful car. It has 167k miles on it, and it just did a cross country trip yesterday getting 29 MPG. Not much more to say than its been a wonderful car!