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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  281k and still going - 2003 Toyota Echo
  By Doug - May 29 - 2:00 am

  Bought this car in 2007 with 213k miles, driven daily since and now at 281k miles. Doesnt use oil, needed few repairs, gets great mileage, and is comfortable enough to take on a trip.

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  good overall - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Jim - May 29 - 2:00 am

  the winter drop is beyond expected 5-7 mpg,comfort for 62" but agree lumbar support needed, nav is a waste in this day of cell phone nav,dont buy, got 63k on oe tires,some alignment issues, would like to see lineup expanded, apparently in works,have never achieved over 49.5 on highway 70 mph, no some getting 55 mpg at 55 mph

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  poor transmission - 2006 Toyota Highlander
  By karen18 - May 29 - 1:20 am

  V6 AWD automatic drives like a manual transmission driven by someone who doesnt know how to shift. Toyota says all is within specifications and transmission will "learn" how I drive. Hasnt yet. Hesitation, overreving, underreving, hard shifting. Console area leaves a lot to be desired. Not enough spaces to put things. Speedometer should only go to 110mph; half of it is never used. Lumbar support is nice. Vehicle has a good amount of room. Wouldnt buy again.

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  Love it!!!! - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By Rolo - May 28 - 9:06 pm

  My first Toyota and I am delighted by the way it drives (hwy or city). Very economical and a joy driving a manual once more. Toyota makes it easy for young or old (me) it is a fun vehicle that can kick when you need it to. It has all the small details anyone needs from clock, MPG, outside temp. gas mileage from trip to trip and many others. You name it, it has it, and the one I bought was the simple package with no options what so ever. On the freeway it is comfortable and a delight to the wallet (37.9 MPG) in the city 29.8 mpg. It has 2,100 plus mile on it now and I doubt I will buy another car. If I do, itll be one like this one!

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  Smiles per miles - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By ALH - May 28 - 8:03 pm

  I love cars. I commute about 70 minutes to work, 80/20 highway/traffic. Regardless of what car I drove, my commute was getting to be a dull grind compounded by a growing guilt about the gas and pollution involved. Since getting my 2004 Prius 2 Years ago, all that changed. Now I enjoy my commute. Every trip is like a game. Every trip is an inspiration to my sense of innovation and thoughtful execution (I am a professional Mechanical Engineer and design industrial machinery). Sure my mileage does not match EPA, no cars do. The point is that, for me, this car is perfect: reliable, comfortable, roomy, safe, cost effective, fun, progressive, inspiring and, oh yes and easier on the environment.

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  2010 Corolla, king of compact - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By classic454 - May 28 - 8:56 am

  I have owned my 2010 corolla for almost a half a year now. I am extremely happy with it. The performance is more from what you would expect, its quiet, and comfortable. Im glad i spent the extra money in buying my corolla. Its fun to drive too. But it is a compact car. For 2 people, it has a lot of room, (Im 62) But when you have 5 people in the car, you should keep you point a to point b trip under an hour. The mileage is great, a hair lower than i expected, but the power is great. Great buy.

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  Almost a Perfect Car! - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By BigMac2000 - May 28 - 7:06 am

  I drive a lot for a living and the need for a large comfortable car with good gas mileage was key. The Toyota Avalon was the solution. It is a great car! Ton of room, great ride, quiet (for the most part), great gas mileage, stylish but... The front seat is not the most comfortable (I bought an additional lumbar support), the transmission has a very defined sticking point or "jerk" as one writter put it, between 1st and 2nd gear, the stereo needs to have a little more zest (I wanna rock!). But all in all a great car!

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  The Economy Car that Will Last - 2001 Toyota Corolla
  By Mike - May 28 - 6:46 am

  I own a 2001 Toyota Corolla S model with 60,000 miles on it, and the car runs like brand new. The only alteration I did was put a cold air intake, and a universal Injen Muffler on it, and the car is faster than it appears. 25% more horse power, and even better on fuel economy. Not to say it was bad before, but I needed more power from the 135 that I had before. Overall quality and reliability is what I get from this car. You never have to worry about it breaking down on the side of the road. If you ever get this car new the only negative thing is that the manufactures tires are not very good, make sure you spend some good money on some good tires, and this car will make you very happy!

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  Top of the line its not - 2012 Toyota Tacoma
  By kmann51 - May 28 - 4:27 am

  Ive had this about 10 months now and get more aggravated with it each time I drive it. First, you get neither power or fuel economy. Traded an FJ for this which had gobs of power to this that seems woefully underpowered and it gets 15-17 mpg while driving it like miss Daisy is my passenger. Mine is the TRD crew cab, and it has no heated mirrors, many of the interior switches are not back-lit so driving at night or in cold weather the truck is a pain in the neck. The most recent insult was the ENTUNE update they sent on a USB drive. Now none of the functions are working even though my phone shows a good bluetooth connection.

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  no regrets - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By sublimesipping - May 28 - 2:08 am

  coming up on the 5 year anniversary of this big purchase for us- we thought long and hard about the investment on so many levels. happy to say 5 years later we have no regrets and are very happy with this car. Reliability has been outstanding. Only routine maintenance with the exception of a leaking water pump caught by the dealer doing routine oil change and repaired under warrranty at no cost to us.