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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  Wife Loves Car - 1996 Toyota Avalon
  By lee harvey - June 25 - 10:00 am

  This 1996 Toyota Avalon has been an excellent vehicle. Bought it new in 96 and have had no problems with the car except those inflicted by the Toyota dealer service dept. Leather seats/ergonomics are very comfortable, can drive for 10 hours without getting stiff. Car is very peppy and enjoyable to drive. Want to buy another one when this one wears out, but it only has 160,000 miles and seems to have plenty of life left. This car had the same battery and brakes for the first 120,000 miles. All other parts still original other than required maint. like timing belt. The paint and interior have held up like a much more expensive car.

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  best car ever - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By willizannah - June 25 - 10:00 am

  In my 40 years of car ownership I have without question never had such a wonderful car. And at 215,000 miles it is still going strong. My mechanic said that this particular engine simply does not wear out. Not only is quality what one would expect from Toyota, but the power and handling are far above what you would expect from a wagon...and an old one at that. If you have a chance to get one of these, buy it before it gets away.

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  old blue - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By hamilton - June 25 - 10:00 am

  this car is fun to drive,great MPG. its kinda slugish on the pick up but i wanted a car thats gonna last for at least 10 yrs. i just bought it the other day but i owned a toyota celica 91 and i put well over 100K on that car & never a problem and i have faith in this one too.

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  My car for the next 15 years - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By 4runner lover - June 25 - 10:00 am

  I love this truck. It has off-road capability, but it handles and rides on the road like a dream. I bought the sport model and the build quality and the way it feels is well worth the price. It doesnt have as much room as the others in its class, but I can still take the wife, kid and dog and tons of stuff. This is going to replace a 98 explorer. Granted the explorer is 6 years old, I didnt have the confidence for safety, quality and reliability in the Ford as I do in this Toyota. When people found out I had one, everyone had a story about the incredible reliability and its apparent in the way this car drives and feels. Tons of standard advanced features, check out toyotas site.

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  Disapointed - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Gep - June 25 - 10:00 am

  My 2004 does not ride as smooth as my 2001 Town & Country, is is much noiser inside and not as good fuel milage. It also lacks many of the luxury features such as Pasenger power seat and memory seat. When using Cruise it seems to always downshift on slight grades which I believe accounts for the milage problem

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  A few minor problems - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Lee Cavender - June 25 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my Corolla 4 months/7000 miles ago. I had narrowed my choices down to this & a Mazda 3. The Toyota dealership ended up giving me a better deal so I went with them (not to mention the Mazda dealership couldnt tell me when the 3 would be in). Im getting awesome mpg. On a few highway road trips, I getting up to 41 mpg. In the city I usually get about 34 mpg - both better than advertised! This car is comfortable enough to sleep in and fun to drive. I have had a few problems, which I need to have checked out. If I start the car after it has been off for ~30-90 minutes, it takes several turns to start up. The windshield has a minor warp in one spot. The moonroof rattles.

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  Radio Lost Volume - 2012 Toyota Corolla
  By SKD - June 25 - 4:49 am

  My 2012 Toyota Corolla S lost sound three weeks ago and suddenly. Noting works - radio, CD, or connecting Iphone to the system. The center console is working fine - I can navigate, change FM channels, insert disc - but there is no sound. Took it to the Toyota dealer in Boston (car is being driven in Boston since last November). I was told that that radio has to be replaced at materiel + labor cost of $700. I did ask how can it happen - answer was that it may be due to the heat. Boston has been facing temperature of 92F for the last couple of weeks. I did point out that my other cars in Atlanta - Honda Pilot and VW CC Executive have not faced the same problem though the Atlanta temperature has been 98F and above for the last months. The gentleman did not have any answer. I just walked out without committing to the repair. If that is true, then I will really urge consumers to rethink about buying Toyota Corolla. This problem is widely reported on the internet. One pays lower price compared to the Honda cars with similar engine. But, if the repair cost is going to be like this for Toyota as opposed to Honda, then it is better one buys Honda car. At least it gives you a peace of mind. One does not have to deal with this kind of repair, leave your work and take care of it

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  Great truck - 2009 Toyota Tacoma
  By MRK - June 24 - 9:50 am

  This is the truck that I could not buy 40 years ago when I was 22. The sport seat was designed for that butt, not the one I have now, but it is still pretty comfortable on long road trips. Mostly drive it around town or short golf trips. Rides well, handles well. Better MPG than I expected. Have had it 6 months now and no complaints. Damn good looking truck with the sport package.

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  Would Do It Again - 2006 Toyota Corolla
  By Mike S - June 24 - 9:30 am

  My wife and I just got our new Corolla and we love it. If I had one word to describe it the word would be value. We also have a 2002 Mazda Protege and we like it too but the Toyota seems to be superior in quality, ride, and mpg.

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  MPG - 2007 Toyota Corolla
  By devaro - June 24 - 9:06 am

  I just have to make a quick remark about MPG. I see that Edmunds put it at 29 MPG, my experience is 32 in city and 36 on Highway and this at 80+.