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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  Love it! - 2008 Toyota Camry Solara
  By mister_chunko - April 12 - 7:33 am

  Have owned for one month. Love the car. There are blind spots, however. The interior is luxurious and spacious. The trunk is huge!! The layout of the interior is very nice and easy to use. I love the bluetooth and the built in garage opener. The car is sporty and fun to drive. Ive had many compliments on it.

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  Like it so far - 2002 Toyota RAV4
  By Dave Gogebic - April 12 - 6:30 am

  Just purchased it. Fit and finish is excellent - but did have a cowling rattle that needed to be fixed. Really fun to drive and very quiet. I have the 5 speed which matches up great with the spunky engine. Handling is awesome! Interior room is great and loads of head room. It drives like a sports car but has an incredible amount of interior room for such a small vehicle.

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  2005 prius - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By jeff winter - April 11 - 10:30 pm

  lots of power, good acceleration, better performance than expected. Braking is good, but could be better. Incredible mileage, when observing the speed limit, I have gotten outstanding fuel economy. 56 mpg highway. It is comfortable, enjoyable, and well thought out, great cargo and passenger space.

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  Toyota Tundra Double Cab - 2005 Toyota Tundra
  By MAB - April 11 - 2:43 pm

  Just purchased a new Double Cab Tundra. The truck is amazing and best riding truck I have owned. I traded in a 99 Chevy Z71, which was a good truck, but the Tundra drives much nicer than the Chevy. I find the truck has plenty of power, despite other complaints on lack of horse power. I also test drove the Tocoma, but highly recommend the Tundra over the Tocoma. You can get a lot more options with the Tundra and only pay $1000.00 more.

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  Great Value - 2010 Toyota Highlander
  By Charles - April 11 - 11:53 am

  This is the second Highlander we have own. This car has a very smooth ride and is very quite. The engine is strong and the transmission is very smooth shifting. The interior and exterior fit and finish is excellent. The nag system is a good feature, although it requires some work to understand its operation.

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  My third Toyota is the best ever! - 2006 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Elizabeth - April 11 - 8:16 am

  Love this car! Beautiful to the eye, inside and out and smooth ride. Easy handling. Nicely appointed interior. I enjoy all the extras as I spend alot of time on the road. One negative is a blind spot to cars approaching from the rear.All in all this is a Great Car!

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  Happydriver1 - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By edlee - April 11 - 4:43 am

  I have owned a 04 prius for about o month & have put about 5000 kl on it.I drove to from Winnipeg to Calgary about 1400 kl(875 miles) I traveled from appox. 100 to 110 kl per hour, (62 t0 68 ) mile phr,The best part is in the rolling hilled I had it on criuse and it stay exactly at 100, not 99 or 101, I did not take of criuse control, something that I was never able to do before even with V8s, gas milage averaged about (4.5 ltrs per 100 kls) (62 miles per imperal gallongal. emile

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  Might not buy a tundra again - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By jamie johnson - April 11 - 3:53 am

  Our Tundra is fun to drive and we seem to be getting better gas mileage than most others. We average 18-19 on the road and 16-17 in town. The factory tires are junk, as they needed replaced at 30,000 even though the air pressure was always monitored and the tires were rotated every 6,000 miles. Ours has buckets seats and both needed replaced due to rattles and squeaks. Just yesterday, the radio went crazy. There is no volume control, it only plays at maximum volumn so cant be used, all the presets quit working, etc. The dealer said this happens fairly often. The radio just shorts out and they will replace it. Wondering if this truck will turn into a spendy lemon when out of warranty.

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  Great car - 2007 Toyota Corolla
  By Hap - April 11 - 12:00 am

  I have had my car a little under a year, and I love it. It handles real nice. Winter driving is ok, if you drive smart. The best part is gas mileage. I get about 40 MPG. Thats great with the gas prices up right now.

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  My Toyota Prius - 2001 Toyota Prius
  By Lindley - April 10 - 2:00 am

  Even though Ive only had my Prius for a relatively short term, I know already that I made the right choice.