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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  I love it! So much room to haul! - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By JFKinDC - November 26 - 12:33 am

  Fold down the seats of this baby and you can haul almost anything! My dog loves this car, too. I pop the back hatch window and hes got a great perch. I also love the fact that the front passenger seat folds down into a flat desk. Great for long trips when I want to be flipping through CDs.

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  Great Car for the Money - 2005 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Mike - November 25 - 10:40 pm

  This car was a lot of firsts for me. It was my first Toyota, it was my first car I ever paid full list for and it was the first car my wife and I agreed upon from the get-go. It has been a great car. With the top up you dont know youer in a convertible - its that solid and quiet. With the top down it rates a 10/10 on the fun meter. It has been a trouble free ride and we both enjoy it. After three Chrysler Sebrings in a row, which were not bad, this was a real eye opener as to just how good a moderately priced car could really be. With the quality and luxury features, they could have put a Lexus badge on it and charged another $10K.

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  AIR NOISE - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By Pistol Pete - November 25 - 10:30 pm

  Very noisy vehicle. Air noise around the door seals, plus a lot of road noise, they need to correct these things. When driving in a crosswind you can listen to the radio or talk, but you cant have both. The passenger side front window visor blocks vision when turned down and turned to the side window.Tilt wheel is almost useless, needs more flexibility. It doesnt do what its intended to do. 20 mph winds cause the vehicle to be somewhat unstable on the highway, you kind of sway around more than normal. Other than that its a OK car

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  Always carry jumper cables - 2006 Toyota Sienna
  By Rick - November 25 - 7:56 pm

  Excellent vehicle overall and would highly recommend except for the battery. Ive lost track how many times weve had to jump start it for the most minor or unknown reasons; e.g. just using the cd player for an hour while waiting in line for a ferry or leaving the rear hatch door not completely engaged (easy to do) will result in a no start in just a couple days. Ive never owned a car this sensitive to battery discharge.

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  Toyota Camrys Rock - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By Brooke Moore - November 25 - 7:06 pm

  The only thing I have ever had to do with my car is change the brakes. It has been the most reliable car I know of. It is comfortable and gets wonderful gas mileage. When or if I trade it in or sell it I will only renew it for another Camry.

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  Good To Go - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Jessica - November 24 - 7:56 pm

  I recently bought my car in march 05. I have had several cars throughout the years even a new kia. I feel this car is a steal for the money. By the time the loan is over your car will still be worth plenty. For once I have made a good choice in cars. No regrets. I do not think it was one bit over priced. Not for what you will get out of it in return.

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  Good choice - 2004 Toyota Sequoia
  By Shane - November 24 - 12:53 pm

  Leg room for driver is an issue if over 6. Overall this is a quality vehicle. Having driven all other SUVs, this is the winner. Leather is a MUST if you have kids, also if Toyota could put backseat controls for driver to use when kids fall asleep. Great buy!

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  Disappointing unreliability - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By Phoebe - November 24 - 11:40 am

  While the body is solid on the 2004 Highlander, the trim is shoddy. Wipers have scored both front and back windows; seat belt retractors leave belts dangling to get caught in doors; visors are floppy; broken filter rack fell out from under the dash. Yaw sensor went out as soon as the warranty did. Acceleration from a stop is sluggish; mileage is only average. Because it is built on a Tacoma platform, it handles like a truck.

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  My first and Last Toyota Highlander - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By Ron - November 24 - 10:12 am

  The things that am disappointed in with the "Toyota Highlander are: (1) Getting in and out of the car is very difficult as I am constantly hitting my head when entering the car. (2) Wind noise is very high especially on the passenger side and my dealer says nothing can be done to help. (3) The seat belt alarm is VERY irritating and loud. (a warning is fine but constant loud noise makes me dislike this car). (4) The car is very hard to program and much too hard for me to even begin to explore the options available. (5) I cannot find any way to have more than one cell phone connected at a time, so I am unable to have both my phone and my wifes phone connected (one or the other at a time). (6) The feature that shuts down the engine while at a stop light is very agitating and should be a option to either always on or always off. Lastly I would like to comment on the dealership. I was very disappointed in the dealer in my city as I felt like I was being forced into buying things I did not want to buy and almost (should have) walked out during the finance meeting. Over all, because of the road and wind noise, along with the difficulty getting in and out of the car, I would not recommend this car.

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  Corolla XRS - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Pointman7 - November 24 - 8:40 am

  I had the car for 3000 miles now and over all its been a great car. The other car I was considering other than the XRS was the Nissan Sentra SE-R Vspec. I have to admit the Sentra was more performance oriented but I checked out the cars reliability within the past few years and Im not that impressed with it. Also I dont like the interior with the Sentra too so pretty much I ended up choosing the Corolla XRS.