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:

• 

  GOOD RELIABLE TRUCK - 1998 Toyota Tacoma
  By DRUIZ - October 1 - 10:00 am

  ONLY MINOR MAINTENANCE TYPE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS

• 

  X-il-R-ating - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By Andy H - October 1 - 10:00 am

  Great commuter car with alot of versatility for errands. Extremely functional, and even though targeted for younger consumers(IE Gen X, Y, & Zers), I have found that it works for me at 42. Nice alternative to an SUV, plus better gas mileage and it still handles in the snow. Fun to drive & both my dogs love it too!

• 

  Very Satisfied Customer - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By njwizard0 - October 1 - 10:00 am

  Bought this car in March 2003 when they just came out. Loved the new features and respected the Toyota quality.

• 

  Unbelievable! - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Terry Cap - October 1 - 10:00 am

  We are approaching the one year mark with our new Sienna and this vehicle is unbelievable! It tows our 3500 lb boat as well as our Durango did, but gets almost twice the gas mileage and has much more room. A high quality vehicle with a lower MSRP, operating and insurance costs!

• 

  GREAT SIENNA - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By simone - October 1 - 10:00 am

  GREAT CAR. I JUST TOOK IT ON AN UNPLANNED 4000 MILE ROAD TRIP AND IT PERFORMED WONDERFULLY THROUGH HEAT, BUGS AND THUNDERSTORMS.

• 

  Excellent Mini Van - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By jcg - October 1 - 10:00 am

  Great ride, great perfomance, good gas millage. This is my second mini van and I am very pleased with it. Toyota has taken a lot of features from all the other mini vans on the road today and made a great car. Plenty of room for seven people, lots of power and perfomance and the gas millage is not bad.

• 

  Nothing wrong with this car - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By muffy - October 1 - 10:00 am

  Theres just nothing wrong with this car. Im sure there are better cars out there at some price but we drove a dozen of the top sellers in the high 20k to mid 30k range and this car gave a very good account of itself in every way. After 15 years of driving a Suburban (kids are gone) its kind of nice to actually be able to park where everybody else parks. After a few years well probably sell this to one of the kids or their cousins and get a "middle age" car like a BMW 530 or something. Well see how it ages. By the way, this is the first Japanese car that we have ever bought.

• 

  High on the Highlander - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By Tracy Chastain - October 1 - 7:07 am

  Just bought it! Love the new design. Technology and safety features unbelievable. Very roomy without being too big.

• 

  Worries of cargo room passenger room... - 2015 Toyota Sienna
  By MR. CONTENT - October 1 - 6:52 am

  ... are over say good buy to SUV. XLE 8 PASSENGER 4 MINI (3.5 6 CYL 6 A) does not include signal lights on there mirrors,say your prayers and hope the gas prices stay low one will pay out of the the pockets,but its worth having plenty of room and such a smooth ride , sienna fits in my garage buy 2 inches ,i had to make room making some adjustments but its all good ,my goal is travel IN USA in my ( RV) sienna lol, glad i made this a purchase i plan to keep mini van for a long time , sienna has reputation on reliability (great).Driving from Florida to NYC with family and friends I overheard them saying it feels like flying in a air plane because of the AC blowing in the rear and the captain seats with comfort and quietness inside made me proud I chose the right vehicle again no regrets even with the Honda mini van odyssey reputation my heart with Sienna 😜 I am content.

• 

  rough ride - 2016 Toyota Corolla
  By Daniel Aguirre - October 1 - 1:20 am

  Take a longer test drive, the car to me seems a little noisy and has a rough ride. Other than that the car is fine.