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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  4Runner Sport V8 - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By Mary - December 10 - 9:16 am

  The 2005 4Runner Sport V8 (all wheel drive) is a wonderful SUV. We had previously purchased the 2003 V6 SR5 4Runner and have like it so much that we have now purchased the new 2005 V8 Sport edition. Toyota reliability just cant be beat and the new 4Runners are fun to drive. Id highly recommend the 4Runner.

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  Great Value and Comfortable Commuter - 2008 Toyota Corolla
  By Chris S - December 10 - 7:20 am

  I purchased the Sport to replace a bare-bones 02 CE and absolutely love it. I could find no comparison in the mileage and value and feel spoiled. I see a new side of the Econo-box, you can get a fully loaded comfortable car for a good price. I commute 200 miles each day and love the ride quality and comfort. There is little road noise and so far with just over 7k miles I average 37-38mpg in a mix of highway and N. VA traffic, about 390 miles before the reminder light comes on, trying for 400. I sometimes wish for more horsepower but the motor is still smooth and able and for the mileage I suppose there has to be some give.

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  wouldnt drive anything but a toyota - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By KarenMac - December 10 - 6:26 am

  I love my toyota, little pricey but worth every penny. The solidness of this vehicle is remarkable. Suv that gives a ride like a car

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  Pretty good car overall - 2006 Toyota Matrix
  By Stefan - December 9 - 11:53 pm

  Fuel economy is great and I can carry lot of things in the back. Good exterior look. Reliable mechanics.

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  2008 XLE V6 Camry - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By Kirby Thomson - December 9 - 7:30 pm

  A really good car that really shines the more we drive. Both a good car for in city driving and getting 25 mpg or better with A/C in summer driving. Best on highway was 34 mpg with no A/C in cooler weather. Ultra smooth 6-speed auto trans with the V6 makes a car jump on the highway with a breeze. Just wish had the handling of our previous Acura TL but we love not having to purchase premium fuel. Size is perfect for wife taste and big enough for the 6-2 foot son in back seat. A good buy for us with our needs and hope to keep a long time so reliability was important.

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  First Toyota but may be my last - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Billy Day - December 9 - 1:43 pm

  I bought my Toyota Highlander in Jan 2016 New, but it is a 2015 model year. The Car has excellent performance and power , in fact, it almost has too much for a front wheel drive car. However, when getting in traffic I have pushed the accelerator slightly then let up and quickly push again but the engine computer seems to be confused and does not respond as it should. I have talked with Toyota, but they tell me it is all in my mind as they dont see anything wrong. This of course, annoys me but I guess it is typical of many service departments, since they are taught to say these things so they can avoid warranty issues. The steering is nice,firm, and stable. The interior is very roomy and informative with an attractive dash, etc. Seats are comfortable especially around town, but on long drives (300 mi) they tend to get hard and stiff. I have noticed too much wind noise above 60 mph, and this is a big disappointment to me because of Toyotas reputation. The Toyota infotainment is impressive at first, but it become difficult to use the Apps while driving and it seems to have way too many steps to go through just to get what you are looking for. The Navigation is not always accurate or easy to use, so I tend to use google on my I phone and I rarely use the Toyota Nav any longer. The infotainment voice command is difficult and slow, plus it is annoying to use as it makes you wait for a beep sound before you can speak and many times I will talk over the computer and it will not understand what I want. It would be great if they could fix the long delay in the voice command for sure. Overall, the Highlander is a roomy car inside, but the third row seats are really only for small children. I bought this car because of Toyotas reputation for quality but the above negatives have caused me to question all of the quality I was expecting. In fact, at this point I am not sure I will be buying another Toyota Highlander. I have recently driven the New Mazda CX-9 and it seems to really be nice and it offers much more value, interior quality, and it is a very good looking car as well. In fact, I have considered trading my 2 year old Highlander in on the CX-9.

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  Id buy it again - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Patie - December 8 - 7:20 pm

  I affectionately call this my golf cart since at slower speeds, cornering, it feels so easy to drive and is so quiet. Like no other car Ive owned. It has good pick up on hills which are abundant where I live. It accelerates to acceptable speed quickly when getting on the freeway. Its a fun car. Speakers/sound isnt that full or great so if you want great sound, go buy a new sound system. If your phobic about fingerprints, this car is not for you. The dash area and touch screen always look smudgy no matter how many times you try and keep it clean. The handling is excellent though and Ive overlooked the other areas because of this.

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  It loves to go off-road - 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By sawtoothboy - December 8 - 4:40 pm

  This thing loves to drive off-road. It goes through washboard like butter. Our other vehicle is a V8 Tundra, so at times the FJ seems slightly lacking in power. If you plan to do a moderate amount of off road driving, seriously consider the manual transmission (if you can find one). Why? One word - control. Driving this vehicle is the most fun Ive had with my clothes on. Go ahead, drive it in the dirt and mud HARD, thats what it was designed for.

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  Nice replacement for our 2010 Honda Ody EX-L - 2015 Toyota Sienna
  By Allan A Rinzel - December 8 - 11:40 am

  I came off of troubles with our 2010 Odyssey that made me consider it unreliable with only 25,000 miles logged. The variable cylinder management system was a trouble maker. We had excessive oil consumption and fouling of spark plugs. That is the end of buying Honda products for this family, especially any equipped with their VCM six cylinder engine. The primary reason for our buying the XLE version is that we wanted leather and needed the Auto Access Seat for our handicapped daughter. The alternative was to buy the SE version and spend about $9500 more to have a retrofit done. With the factory-installed Auto Access Seat, the upholstery matches and the seat system is well-integrated with the vehicle, plus, of course, with the factory installation, one gets the 36 month warranty. We included the navigation package that works very well. The backup camera and other electronic gadgets assist greatly with backing and lane changes, albeit, visibility outward is great. This vehicle is much quieter than the 2010 Honda Ody, has much, much better brakes and has a very smooth engine and transmission combination. The Ody often shifted a bit roughly, despite a recall for reprogramming the transmission. The seats in the Sienna are also significantly more comfortable. The engine is considerably more powerful and responsive than that in the 2010 Odyssey, however, the suspension in the Sienna is not as compliant. The electric steering in the Sienna does not have the great feedback afforded by the Odyssey. This vehicle is used for a lot of short trips, most under 25 miles. In spite of that, our overall fuel mileage is just about exactly 20 mpg. The only issue we have had so far is rattling of the driver side window. I have taken it to the dealer for correction, so far we do not have a fully satisfactory repair. The dealer claims that they all do that. I went through one recall, that being campaign GO4 involving the electric door system. That was addressed in September 2017, it taking about four hours of dealer time to do the needed electrical work. Overall, this is a great vehicle that we expect to own much longer than our 2010 Honda Ody.

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  Id rather have my Buick back - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By TRT - December 8 - 7:53 am

  This Camry supposedly has a drive by wire accelerator which is supposedly a better system.This car stumbles around corners and when trying to accelerate, the transmission down shifts sometimes resulting in lurches and unwanted high speed. The driving experience in town is very poor. Highway driving is little better as the car seems to lose power at higher cruise speeds.