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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  Theirs a reason they are expensive! - 2003 Toyota Tacoma
  By jc9995 - May 12 - 2:00 am

  Please, if you are buying on price alone, dont buy! I started down this road (no pun intended) of purchasing a new truck with the mindset of lowering my monthly payment. Well, I did that, and I didnt have to settle for a Ranger either. Toyota offers an amazing number of creative finance options, all designed to get you into the truck of your dreams, at a payment you can afford. Yes, they are expensive, but then again, the manufacturer should know what their product is worth. The fact that this is the ONLY four wheel drive truck recommended by Consumer Reports to purchased as used says enough to me.

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  The best van on the planet... - 2007 Toyota Sienna
  By UCB - May 12 - 12:03 am

  I reluctantly entered the mini-van world last year. I thought that my life had lost all meaning. However, the Toyota quickly restored my faith. I have always had Hondas and Toyotas and the Sienna is by far the nicest riding vehicle that I have ever owned. Most comforting, given this difficult transition from car to van, was that the Sienna is also the fastest minivan on the planet by a long shot - 0-60 mph in a little over 7 seconds is not too shabby-leave Honda and Nissan owners in the dust. Surprisingly good fuel economy for a vehicle this size (25mpg average). Toyota build quality is the best. Only service problem we have had was that the digital clock.

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  The Best Buick that Buick never made - 2007 Toyota Avalon
  By Russ Day - May 11 - 10:00 pm

  The 2007 Cassis Pearl Avalon purchased in September, 06 is wonderful car to drive. Highway fuel economy regularly exceeds 28 MPG with overall fuel economy always better than 24 MPG. The Touring edition has a suspension suited to my driving style. I have had no problems to date with just over 5,000 miles. I replaced a 2000 Avalon XLS and the 2007 Touring model is larger, more powerful, and gets better fuel economy.

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  I love this vehicle, except... - 2014 Toyota 4Runner
  By Angela Mac - May 11 - 9:05 pm

  The windshield tint or glass causes eye strain, dizziness & headaches on long trips or when commuting daily. I loved everything about this car so much the first 3 months I owned it until I began commuting an hour to work every day and realized that there is something about the windshield that extremely bothers my eyes. My local dealership had a technician drive it and they agreed that it seemed to have a warp to it that made his head hurt while driving it. They replaced it with another factory glass windshield, but it continues to bother me and they say that there is nothing left they can do. I never would have noticed it had I not been driving it so long everyday. Around town or short trips seem completely fine. Other than that its an amazing SUV that I really love driving! Much roomier than the older 4runners inside. Cant wait until I can get this issue fixed or Toyota recalls the windshield!

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  i hate hub caps - 2006 Toyota Matrix
  By dangading - May 11 - 6:50 pm

  Ive had my Matrix going on 4 years now and although its been really great, I have recently run into a couple of problems. For 1, it hasnt had hub caps for years! They fall off too easily. After reading this, Im sure youll see plenty of non xr models with no hubs. Also, the accelerators are cableless and if something goes wrong with it, you have to replace the whole system ($1000 for the part). Why not use cables? At least you can afford to fix it when it fails! Seems like planned obselescence to me.

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  Cant buy a better truck - 2001 Toyota Tacoma
  By Mark - May 11 - 4:20 pm

  One solid reliable truck. I had an 89 2dr toyota truck with 180K and only changed a fuel pump. When I upgraded to the 2001 I couldnt be happier. I could use a little more leg room. Ive take it out in some heavy snows and tried to get it stuck, cant do it!

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  The v6 is super fast! - 2010 Toyota RAV4
  By glennm76 - May 11 - 5:52 am

  I brought the 2010 rav4 limited v6 awd brand new on a lease. I owned it for almost three years and have put 26,000 miles on it. The v6 engine is amazing, super fast and can pass anyone. The JBL stereo system is awesome. The bluetooth works good. The rav4 doesnt like corners and takes longer to break then most small suvs. If you open the moon roof while you are on the freeway, there is too much noise. The leather seats are not very comfortable. But other than that, great car and Toyota sells the best cars out there. I never had a problem.

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  Awful Suspension - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Loaded4th - May 10 - 11:10 pm

  The Highlander used to be one of the best rides around, however, the latest version is a real kidney shaker. This may be fine for those who wish to tear around corners, but its brutal on a long distance drive. Although the Limited version has better suspension, it still falls short of the earlier models.

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  brakes? - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By edbear - May 10 - 8:43 pm

  ended up with leather for the first time, not sure how that will work in the south texas sun!~!

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  Dont be fooled - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By Dan - May 10 - 3:43 pm

  My father always said, never buy the first year of a new model or redesigned model and I didnt listen to him. This truck has had so many problems I cant even count them. It has been in the shop repeatedly since day one. To this day, I still cant get anyone to admit that the exhaust sounds like it has a leak. I thought I was buying quality, but I was fooled. Dont be. Buy a 2007 or later. By all they have learned about mine, those next years should be great!