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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  A near perfect balance - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Hybridguy - April 23 - 12:53 am

  So far this car is way more than we expected. We traded in our 99 Audi A6 gas guzzler for what we expected would be a a more frugal but inferior ride. We were surprised to find that our Camry Hybrid is both fuel efficient and a pleasure to drive.

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  Loved my last one! Stepped up to a snazzier model! - 2016 Toyota RAV4
  By TS - April 22 - 2:29 pm

  On a whim I traded up for more style than my 2012 Rav 4 which I loved. My new Rav 4 has some additional safely features to help with back up and blind spot, the technology meets my needs, the ride is smooth and quieter than the past model, and It is more sleek in appearance. Its snazzy!

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  Great Truck - 2006 Toyota Tacoma
  By michael H. Schneider - April 22 - 9:46 am

  I saw a picture and description of the X-Runner in Car & Driver magazine. I liked what I saw - a sharp looking, performance oriented truck with a sports car handling package and a 6-speed manual transmission with ground effects to round out the package. All this and Toyota quality. Also, the interior is excellent including controls, gauges and comfort. Seats are great, stereo system excellent as well. Exterior fit and finish (desert sand pearl) are of the best quality I have seen. Before I purchased this truck I questioned quite a few Tacoma owners and all had positive comments. Thanks for a great truck

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  Wasent Looking - 2002 Toyota Tacoma
  By Diana - April 21 - 8:16 pm

  I wasent considering this truck until I drove it. I must confess my narrowness of mind while shopping and only looking at the full size trucks. I love this truck and I would purchase another one without hesitation. It also fits into my garage easier than the big trucks which was a safety/security concern for me.

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  This car deserves better press! - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By Jon - April 21 - 10:00 am

  A great, well-designed little car. Very comfortable for me (Im 62", 220#) with more headroom than my Dads minivan and more knee room than my friends Mazda 3. As a tall person who usually finds the steering wheel partially blocking the speedometer, I actually found the center-mount speedo an improvement. Have driven the car through Wyoming blizzards and ugly urban commutes and found it pleasant, sturdy and nimble. It also holds a lot, like me, my 2-man crew, 2 tool boxes, & 25 gallons of paint (never thought the Yaris would muscle in on my pick-up!). Best mileage Ive had was 42mpg on a run between S.F. and Reno. The worst was 25 mpg in urban stop & go commuting (using no freeways at all).

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  Excellent Family Vehicle - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By Ketan - April 21 - 4:10 am

  This is one of the best Minivan available.True value for money 3.3L very smooth/comfertable ride . Spacious interior Ideal family vehicle. Lots of storage. very stable ride even in very heavy snowfall

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  Well built car - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By shyam - April 20 - 8:40 pm

  Well built car. Very smooth and responsive. Has sufficient gadgets inside to play around. This car is worth the money.

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  Great SUV - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By excellent quality - April 20 - 7:56 pm

  Bought my v8 4 a year ago and it is the best vehicle we have owned! 129,000 miles and still runs and drives like new! No problems at all and the 4 wheel drive works great in snow! Toyota knows how to build them! Strongly recommend this vehicle!

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  What a car - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By Jimmu - April 20 - 1:30 pm

  I really wanted a car with very simple features and not too complicated to use. This is the car that I have been looking for. I have test drove Acura TL and Lexus ES330, but I have found Avalon to be the car that fits my taste. Simply you dont need to read manual to operate the vehicle and it is that simple to use.

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  After MUCH exhaustive research... - 2008 Toyota Sequoia
  By Yankee - April 20 - 7:13 am

  We needed an SUV for our 3 greyhounds and something to tow our 7500 lb travel trailer - a minivan or a "crossover" were out of the question, so after considering loads of other candidates (Suburban, Durango, Expedition EL) it came down to the Sequoia. With the high gas prices, you can really swing a sweet deal on an SUV, even one of these. Sure a minivan beats it in outright interior space and gets better MPG, but theres no substitute for true V8 power, torque and brawn when you really need it. Very smooth and quiet with more than enough power to handle just about any situation. Right now these seem pretty exclusive - you wont see yourself coming and going like you would in a Suburban.