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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  Great little car. - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By Tim Holt - May 18 - 2:00 am

  Comming from a Honda Accord this is quite a rewarding experience. The Corolla sits higher than the Honda for better visibality and has a very positive steering feel to it. My wife loves it because she is a short person. It is quiet riding for such a small car and is fun to drive. Comfort and amenities for this price range are excellent. The reliability of this car speaks for itself. I thought I was stepping down to a lower price range, but was pleasently supprised.

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  Camry Ratings - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By DbC - May 18 - 2:00 am

  This is an awesome car to drive. I feel very confident driving it. Never lets you down.

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  Super Truck - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By Spydersd - May 17 - 8:30 pm

  Best pickup truck Ive ever owned! Sold my SUV after I got this truck, it does everything as well or better than my old SUV.

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  Awesome Car! - 2010 Toyota Venza
  By zack. g - May 17 - 6:30 pm

  I had a Venza as a rental car And I fell in love with it. So I bought one shortly after that. I Love the way it looks, runs, and drives! What a great V6 this car has! Decent gas mileage around 20-ish in the city and 26-28 on highway. Nice 20 in. alloy wheels! Great leather! Really nice quality! Great reliability so far! Great room in the trunk area. Nice to have a i-pod/Mp3 dock in your car. Everyone I know loves the styling. Was a little nevus buying a Toyota after the massive recall but Im so happy I did. Best car ever! Would Highly recommend it. This is my first Toyota And most likely not the last.

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  Youve Gotta Love It! - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By Elenalo - May 17 - 4:53 pm

  We have been wanting to buy a hybrid for a couple of years. When we were shopping for a hybrid, we also considered the Honda Civic Hybrid but ended up buying the Prius due to its interior room and extra gas mileage. Since buying the Prius in August, we have put over 13,000 miles on it. This car has been our primary vehicle replacing our need to drive our 4-Runner as much. Contrary to what many drivers think this little car does have fairly good pick up, We love watching the MPG surpass 51 but we have been averaging 47-49 MPG. We also love the navigation and sound system but we do not like the back-up alarm. All in all we would love to have another Prius if it werent so expensive.

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  Almost perfect - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Erik & Carol - May 17 - 2:16 pm

  In addition to the awesome mileage (avg 47 mpg!), we are impressed with the smooth and very quiet ride. The Prius has lots of room inside; it is great as a commuter and is superb on long trips. We find ourselves cruising at 80 mph before we realize it. We enjoy watching the dash display switch from gas to electric engine and we really enjoy watching only the battery work when we are sitting in traffic. The CVT takes some getting used to and can be annoying sometimes, but we dont mind anymore. If you purchase the nav system, ask about the cost of map updates; it is set by the dealer. Overall we love this car... it is a great car to "go green" in.

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  Looks Good to Me - 2002 Toyota Celica
  By Mr. Car - May 17 - 10:00 am

  this car is truly a pleasure to drive. a real eye catcher.

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  THEE best SUV out there - 2002 Toyota Sequoia
  By Biggy - May 17 - 10:00 am

  This SUV is all out. It can do anything you want it to. If you are a slow driver it can go slow, if your a fast driver, it goes faster than you can handle. It has the most room in the back row. Dont you see how after this car came out, all the other fullsize SUVs and midsize SUVs came out with the third row? I dont know but I lov this car and it is thee bomb.

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  Awesome Car!!! - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By J.T. - May 17 - 10:00 am

  This car is fun to drive. It looks good and has a great feel to it. I just drove it on a 600 mile trip and it handled great. I noticed I had driven 140 miles and the needle was on 3/4 of a tank. Wow!

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  Fabulous Camry - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Fred Motorhead - May 17 - 10:00 am

  Toyota has really outdone itself with the all new 2002 Camry. The car rides wonderfully, handles well, and is extremely quiet in even the four cylinder model. The Camry has lots of room and luggage space. The gas mileage is great.