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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  good car - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By pranjivan - August 14 - 10:00 am

  The interior and exterior has been improved to a great extent. However the engine is the same as a 2002 corolla. I would have loved it more if had some power in it. Theres practically no difference between a CE and an LE except the power windows. Everything else is anyways optional. I think the car is a bit overpriced.

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  Mark C - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By 55idive - August 13 - 9:13 am

  Love It! The red is red, drives great in the wind, cool add ons, My wife loves it!!

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  My First new car - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By spindry - August 12 - 2:36 pm

  Firstly, my last car was a 95 minivan. The HL handles better than the minivan, its mileage, however, is about the same: 14 mpg city (NYC) and 20 mpg HW. I do not accelerate quickly. It brakes and control is far superior!!

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  2005 Tundra Double Cab - 2005 Toyota Tundra
  By MM - August 12 - 8:50 am

  I love my new 2005 Tundra. It has plenty of power, looks great, smooth transmission, quiet cabin. I chose the SR5 because you get more choices on colors and I like the Chrome bumpers, mirrors and grill. Chrome isnt available on the Limited. I had the dealer put in the wood interior finish, navigation system, leather seats, heated seats, 17" wheels and tires. I tried to make it as much a limited as possible and saved some money too.

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  Love the Dependability of Ride, BUT NOT the Brakes - 2016 Toyota Sequoia
  By G. R. Ferris - August 11 - 11:50 pm

  This model is in serious need of updating. The style is old & outdated. We were going to potentially purchase a new, Platinum model, but we dont want the old style/look. If Toyota doesnt produce a serious update , well probably purchase some other SUV. Biggest complaint: The brakes. We have constantly had to replace the pads and rotors all TOO often. Corporate office doesnt seem to care about the issue. They need to use vented rotors, to reduce the heat build up. But, thats expensive too. Weve driven across the country a few times and this vehicle has been VERY reliable. The navigation system is in desperate need of updating. Its way behind the times. Radio reception is horrible, compared to our Lexus.

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  Great truck, poor gas mileage - 2017 Toyota Tacoma
  By Art - August 11 - 12:58 am

  This is my first truck, after owning bars and small SUV. I have a model with manual transmission. Im getting only 18 mpg on the highway. I expected a little bit better. I bought good stuffed tires and took the truck on snowed in mountain passes. In 4wd it holds the road like a champ. I have a full confidence in it. In 2wd it gets some fishtailing that is immediately corrected by traction control (I didnt have any weight in the bed). Breaking is great. I could feel ABS activating only once, when doing aggressive breaking from 60 mph on sheer ice. It partially may be thanks to good winter tires. Low beam headlights are good, high beam--best Ive seen. Build quality seems to be OK. I found cross-threaded bolt holding belly pan. I have yet to address it with the dealer. I think materials used on dashboard could be better. My wife has 2010 Subaru Impreza and it feels much more refined, although cost just over 1/2 of a price for Tacoma. Telescopic steering wheel is a joke. I cant lift it high enough to comfortably get out of truck. It traps my right thigh between the wheel and the seat. The truck is also missing drivers side handle to assist in getting in and out of the cab (Im fairly fit in late thirties). The biggest gripe I have is the fact that heated seats come only as part of $2000 package. I dont need parking sensors or moonroof, heated seats are nice to have in cold climate. All in all, Im happy with the truck.

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  rav4 my friend - 2004 Toyota RAV4
  By mark r - August 10 - 10:51 am

  bought an 04 awd for 6500 with 80,000 miles- black with moonroof. It looks great. I bought bc the acceleration was fast and Toyota is a reliable car. I did hours of reading on consumer reports and opted for the 04 model bc the 01-03 model has ecm issues. Upon getting the vehicle I had to replace the rotors and pads, as well as an 02 sensor. I had an 06 outback trubo fully loaded and it died around 110,000 miles due to a failed turbo- never buy a car with a turbo. The front seats are not comfortable in the rav4 so I bought a lumbar pillow. I have a low mileage one and will keep up with the maintenacen schedule. it is fun to drive and Im glad I have awd here in new England. Almost bought a lexus but the having awd small suv was better than fwd sedan. Im excited and hope this car lasts a long time. I use premium gas only. I was also considering a crv but the 2004 crv looks to square and the 04 rav4 looks new still.

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  disappointed - 2004 Toyota Celica
  By frisco - August 10 - 10:00 am

  fun to drive but advertised 180 horse power is over rated. good gas milage 36 on long trips transmission 6 speed manual gears are hard to find

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  Toyota Tundra - 2004 Toyota Tundra
  By Robert Mansfield - August 10 - 10:00 am

  Drove off the lot and heard a rattle in the steering colum. Turned out to be a miissing bolt in the steering colum. The back window leaked. The Driver window "when partially opened" rattles a lot.

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  It wasnt as good as my last 2 Corollas - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By ksconway - August 10 - 10:00 am

  When I bought my 2003, it was the 3rd Corolla I had owned, and Id always loved them. That changed after the first time I drove it on the highway a month later. When the wind blew, the car was pushed a bit, the car was not entirely stable at 55 mph, and it was especially not stable at speeds in excess of 55 mph. I was actually afraid to drive the Corolla on the highway, especially the day we were having snow squalls and wind, and although I was only going 45 mph on the highway, the car was blown a couple of lanes over and I almost went into a truck. At that point I decided to buy a new car. I was very disappointed.