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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  Nice Car - 2006 Toyota Corolla
  By Mily - October 27 - 11:50 pm

  Im really happy with my purchase. I love the quality of Toyota. The ride is smooth, with nice pep to the engine. Car is also roomy for a four person family.

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  Little Blue 2016 Camry - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Velton Cummings - October 27 - 4:49 am

  It is a great car at a good price, a little loud on the highway, and gets fair gas mileage.

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  Domestic auto makers take note! - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By David Wilson - October 26 - 6:23 pm

  I have been a die hard Ford fan for nearly 20 years. My last vehicle was a 1999 Ford F150 supercab. I loved that truck until after a 100k miles it cost me approx. $5000. in repairs. I purchased a reman transmission and it failed me 2 times in approx. 3 weeks. I decided to purchase a 2005 Toyato Tacoma, because of the rave reviews! I am very pleased with the appearance of the truck, the room of the interior is much better than the Ford. The gas mileage is great, I have had the truck for almost a month now, and love looking down at the trip odometer when I have put 220 miles on a tank and still have 3/8 left, my ford would already need fuel. I believe that I could not of made a better choice!

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  CE camry!! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Juan - October 26 - 2:06 pm

  Surprisingly agile for a 4 cyl, auto transmission requires manual downshift for quick instant power. Should be ok for normal driving. Loaded with safety features (tire pressure indicator is cool). Very roomy in comparison with other midsizes, outstanding leg room for back passengers and trunk. Very smooth, quiet ride for the most part, a little bit of engine noise at high RPM but not annoying in the least. New design is very upscale looking, more appealing to the younger crowd (24). Road grip is good, brakes are great. Suspension even on base model is great on bumpy roads. AC very cold, all controls easy to identify and use. High quality inside/outside finish

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  Toyota Radio - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By BobV - October 26 - 2:03 am

  I truly like my new 2005 Camry LE. But I cannot believe Toyota would build such a good car and put such a cheap radio/speakers in it. I searched everywhere to find the specs as I would like to figure out what I replace to improve the sound. The dealership didnt have the info - I finally found it through the Toyota Website. If you have a "Toyota" radio with the first number in the model beginning with a "1" you have a Fujitsu-Ten radio. And the Specs are: RMS peak power 15 watts (comment: minimal - should be 18+).Preamp output volts:.5 (yes, .5 very poor) and CD signal to noise ratio: 65db (noisey). Speakers - cannot fine specs. If you feel same - complain to Toyota - hope they change

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  Great Car for Awesome Price - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Julia - October 25 - 11:03 pm

  I bought my 2005 Camry SE and I love it. It has a definite sporty suspension and is very fun to drive. I am getting great gas mileage and the sunroof and 6 CD disc changer is great. Plus the manual transmission makes it even more fun.

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  Awesome, AWESOME car - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By Lisbeth - October 25 - 3:16 pm

  Hi, I just bought an Avalon. It is, without doubt, the smoothest, nicest car I have ever owned. I feel like I am riding on a soft cloud,while driving it. I love the feel, the interior design and those delicious heated seats. Toyota has outdone itself. I have always had Camrys -- but, this Avalon tops it all.

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  Better than Honda Civic - 2014 Toyota Corolla
  By hookshot - October 25 - 12:53 am

  I purchased this car for my wife in Evergreen exterior with amber seats. It looks weird in pictures but really good in person. The current Honda civics are ugly and the interior materials are subpar. Toyota really hit a home run with this car. Exterior is sleek and handsome, while the interior is well thought out and handsome. There are still actual knobs for volume and AC. AC blows cold. Power is really good, especially for climbing hills. The CVT is really good and smooth, I dont hear any whine at all. I find the LE ECO is the best value, since it already has a backup camera and hiighest MPG. Dont need any fancy wheels to reduce my MPG. Car is relatively quiet.

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  Excellent Car for a Large Family - 2008 Toyota Sequoia
  By Derek - October 24 - 6:40 pm

  We just purchased our Sequoia two weeks ago and love it. We shopped around and took a look at the Tahoe and Escalade to compare it to. The Escalade was about $25k more and a lot worse on the mpg. Workmanship of the Tahoe had a poor feel and look to it, not to mention poor resale value. We had a 2004 Toyota 4 Runner and loved it, but were running out of space and decided to move up to the big boy. We can actually fit 3 more adults into the Sequoia over the 4 Runner comfortably. We opted for the SR5 4 X 4 with most of the options that come on the Limited edition, but without the additional $$$. We actually paid a little less for the Sequoia then we did for the 4 Runner almost 5 years ago.

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  Good so far - 2009 Toyota Matrix
  By Pleased so far - October 24 - 3:23 pm

  Ive had this car for a year now and have put 10,000 miles on it. I have been pleased so far. Paid $16,500 for base model with auto, air and power windows. Getting over 30 MPG in mixed highway/city driving. Keeping between 60-65 I can get about 38mpg on the highway. With the back seats down and the front seats up, a twin size air mattress will fit in back. The back seats have plenty of room for 2 adults. Handles relatively well in the snow. Despite all the news about recalls Ive had no problems with quality so far.