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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  Better than the rest - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By steven davis - October 20 - 10:00 am

  Compared to sentra and civic,The Corolla wins hands down.Bigger more powerful engine,Roomier,Larger stance and tires.Timing chain opposed to civics belt is why I purchased it.A freind has a sentra he popped his hood We compared engines My corolla engine was simple to look at.His sentra was a mess of hoses and wires.We couldnt even find the oil filter!

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  CANT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By JOHNNY NEWELL - October 20 - 10:00 am

  I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT OUR 2003 TOYOTA COROLLA LE. SO FAR NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. THE CAR GETS GREAT GAS MILAGE, HAS A COMFORTABLE, QUIET RIDE AND MY WIFE AND I LOVE THE NEW STYLING. FROM THE TIME THE 2003 COROLLA CAME OUT I WANTED ONE, SO IN AUGUST 2002 I BOUGHT ONE AND I DONT REGRET IT AT ALL.

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  do they get any better, just a bit - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By sleeper - October 20 - 10:00 am

  when i bought this van my big concern was cargo room behind third row seats, and this toy has that in spades. when i went to buy i took four vans out for a drive; the pontiac, the toyota, the dodge grand and the honda. on the twisty road that i chose to drive none could stack up to the toy. the dipstick tube however left a brown gritty deposit on the end of the dipstick, i had the toyota people replace the tube but the new tube left the same deposits. i was assured that this substance was not rust and was nothing to worry abought...i dont know. my other beef is that when i bought it the fitted rubber floor mats were not availible.

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  Beware of dealers - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By abused - October 20 - 10:00 am

  The sienna drives nicely on even pavement. It can get bumpy/bouncy on regular roads. It has great sites to see cars in the usual blind spots. The carpet mats are chincy for such an expensive minivan. The air vents are either to cold or not cool enough-- maybe too close to the driver. The side opening doors are great and rear hatch. The sensors are great too. The engineer did a good job building the minivan. The dealerships need to get a grip and not be so arrogant and abusive to customers. Maybe headquarters should take over.

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  Nothing Like it - 1998 Toyota 4Runner
  By Oceanwave38 - October 19 - 2:16 pm

  I purchased this vehicle with 160,000 miles just because it is a Toyota and I know they will run forever! Vehicle drives excellent and handles well. The only problem I have encountered that I was told that is a common defect that should have been recalled by Toyota is the rear axle. The rear axle had to be totally removed and new bearings, brake shoes etc had to be replaced. I was told that this could be very very dangerous as fluid from the axle had leaked out over the brake shoes. I was told that had I had to apply the brakes very hard at sometime that they could have locked up causing the vehicle to go out of control. Toyota dropped the ball on this one for not recalling as is common prob

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  Everything is perfect - 2013 Toyota Highlander
  By manny52 - October 19 - 11:55 am

  We purchased this vehicle for 9 months and are totally satisfied. We tried the Ford Explorer, the Honda Pilot and the Nissan Pathfinder but they all had one or more irritating aspect. The Highlander was perfect; everything was just right: the horsepower, steering, suspension, seats. It drives like a car and can transport 6 or 7 people (but not their luggage).

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  Good Car - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By graphical87 - October 19 - 2:58 am

  Ive had my Toyota highlander for about 5 months now. When I first got it it had almost 216,000 miles. Its a great SUV and pretty reliable with decent gas mileage. At about 218,000 miles the temperature gauge started going up , almost to red. It would go up and then down to normal and repeat. Turned out I blew a head gasket. While it was at the shop being repaired they found that the head bolts were stripped which is a known problem with this year ,make and type of engine my highlander has. Ended up paying $3,700 to get fixed. Despite the major repair I havent had any other problems with it. Im at 222,000 miles and it runs great. Im hoping on making it to 300,000 + miles.

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  10+ yrs, 100+ miles - still going strong - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By thc - October 18 - 7:36 pm

  Since March, weve been looking to buy a new car to replace this 10 yo Camry. However, after months of search, we decided to keep it until it breaks. This car has been unbelievably reliable. After 10+ yrs and 100K, the V6 is still running strong exactly like the day I drove it off the dealer lot. The front brake pads are still the original ones. There are still no rattles or squeaks. It has better interior material than the 07 Camry. I am still getting approx. 23-25 MPG which is inline with (the old) EPA est. We only paid for one unexpected repair for the leaking rack and pinion. Its gonna take a miracle for its replacement to beat this record.

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  Very pleased - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Kevin - October 18 - 5:43 pm

  I have a 2005 Camry with 215,000 miles only thing has been brake caliper went out, now starting to have transmission problems but now 215,000 that a lot of miles.

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  love it! - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By gtsai2 - October 18 - 6:30 am

  You can not find a better car / suv than toyota highlander, Its make by lexus, good quality all around. best car /suv i have ener had. Drive one and youll love it. better than BMW m5.