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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  Great car - needs better tires. - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By acm015 - August 6 - 10:00 am

  Really great car very roomy fun and fast only thing needed are better tires right from the factory - i often spin them even when gently taking of and when i step on it they scream for a few seconds.

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  An excellent vehicle. - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Aibolit - August 6 - 10:00 am

  Weve had it for about a month. We love it.

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  Fun and Fast! - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By Karen - August 5 - 11:30 pm

  I test drove crv, hyndai both tuscon and santa fe, liberty, escape. The Rav4 outperformed them all. The v6 is the fastest with its 269 horsepower, idles smooth. Good gas mileage for a v6. Some of the other makes had better features but the perfomance and safety of this car and reliability of toyota is what sold me. The outside styling is pretty cool, kind of a cross between the matrix and lexus. Just a fun car to drive. Would buy this car again.

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  Great Car! - 2007 Toyota Matrix
  By Bill C. - August 5 - 9:20 pm

  The Toyota Matrix is a great car for both versatility and fuel mileage. The hatchback is very convenient, great for hauling the family around and a trip to the hardware store. I generally get 27 to 29 MPG averaging 40 miles an hour to and from work. Highway is better, city is a little worse. Car has great pickup and is definitely fun to drive. Looks great too. I would strongly recommend the premium package with sunroof as it is a great deal for the money. Have driven almost 21,000 miles in less than a year and still love the car and plan on keeping for a long time. Road noise can be a problem but you get used to it. It is very hard to find other faults with this car. Handles nice too.

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  The Epitome of Reliability! - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By Camrys for Life! - August 5 - 8:53 pm

  Our Camry is now 13 years old and is still uber-reliable with plenty of power thanks to its silky smooth V6. Still on the original A/C and no problems except some rust. The car always starts on the first turn of the key and it just keeps going and going. When it came time to purchase a second family car, we bought an 05 Camry 4-cylinder. You know what? The 95 compares favorably in terms of comfort and ride quality! We added reverse sensors and an aftermarket radio and the car is downright perfect. Still looks like new (I detail it every other week) and one guy offered to buy it as he walked by! We love both our Camrys equally.

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  The best buy available today - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Thomas - August 5 - 6:40 pm

  Once I decided to trade-in my 2009 Accord due to the annoying amount of road noise and front brake issues I test drove every thing in the $20-30k segment. I may have gone with the Fusion if it were not for the cheap interior. I really liked the Sonata however I didnt want to risk the poor resale value. I chose the Camry as I was willing to give up some handling for fit and finish and ride. The mpgs are great too. This is the first Toyota Ive owned and couldnt be happier. Like the Accord there are a lot of Camrys out on the road but I dont feel it takes away from its underrated looks. I think the exterior design is very fluid and could have easily been a more expensive car.

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  Great Suv - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By toyota44 - August 5 - 1:36 pm

  Great Suv no problems at all. We actually had someone crash into the passenger door and did $3500 damage, no one injured, the door absorbed all the impact. Has loads of power and gets great gas mileage, 26-27 highway and about 25 in town. Im about 64 and have great headroom even with the sunroof. Highly recommended!!

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  TRD edition Rocks - 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By kbl1224 - August 5 - 10:56 am

  Ive had my FJ for a little over a week and over 500 miles. All Black TRD handles like a sporty little truck on the backroads and highway but takes speedbumps and curbs without hardly much of a shaking! Sounds great with the TRD exhaust too! I have had two 4-runners prior to this (89 and 98) and they were so reliable and tough off road, the FJ had the be the only choice. I tell all my friends who dont already have one or plan on getting one that this should be their next car!

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  130,000 miles and still going! - 2006 Toyota 4Runner
  By t b - August 5 - 9:12 am

  Its a Toyota, that means longevity. You dont get lots of bells and whistles with this model but reliability all day long.

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  I love my Camry! - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Momof2 - August 4 - 4:20 pm

  We bought this Camry one year old. It has 112,500 miles now. I plan to keep it at least a few more years because it is so reliable. Catalytic converter failed in 2009 in a different state but the Camry got us home! That is the only major repair. This year we drove it 13 hours one way on vacation and got 36 mpg with a full trunk, 2 adults & 2 kids!