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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  Fun to Drive - 1996 Toyota Avalon
  By NGustafson - July 21 - 9:33 am

  The most dependable car I have ever owned. Fun to drive and a beautiful car. I hated to part with it and it made me a Toyota loyal person. I loved the spoiler on the car as well.

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  Love it and hate it (gosh darn Toyota - 2002 Toyota Celica
  By TommyB - July 21 - 2:00 am

  This is perhaps the most fun car I have ever owned. Its pretty, quick, and can out corner almost anything else on the road. Who would have thought that on ramps could be so much fun! This was a solid car for the first two years. I had no problem whatsoever. Then, at 190,000 the first motor blew. At 240,000 miles I am on my third motor and second transmission. Replacement part are expensive when you can find what you need. Luckily, all that breaks is the motor and tranny! That said, I drive a lot of miles. I have had two American cars that hit 300k miles with less trouble. Great car, but not if the miles are high. This car is a fling, not a marriage! For most, a great car,

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  Good SUV - Toyota quality - 2010 Toyota Sequoia
  By Craig T. - July 21 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my Sequoia two months ago {9/2010} and it has met my expectations. It has excellent acceleration, great maneuverability for a 6,000 pound truck, great passenger room, and the built quality is consistent with Toyota standards {we have owed GM, Lexus, Nissan, and Toyota}. We have rented a Chevy Tahoe LT for a vacation and although the seats are much more comfortable, I am very pleased with my choice since the overall quality/acceleration/and long term expected durability do not stack up to the Sequoia.At 50k+ in this class, you need to be sure.

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  GPS Problem - 2010 Toyota Highlander
  By JohnW - July 21 - 2:00 am

  When the GPS route Guidance voice comes on when the radio is playing the radio does not cut out. the route guidance and radio are on at the same time. All the cars ive had before the radio volume would cut out when the GPS route guidance came on.

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  A great SUV/MiniVan with extras - 2011 Toyota Sienna
  By trour - July 21 - 2:00 am

  After 3 Ford and 1 Toyota mini-vans, here is what I think about the Sienna. First of all the $2300 down and 299/mo lease promo with 24 mo free maintenance is crazy cheap. As cheap as the numbers for my previous Sienna w 0% 48 mo (minus what it is worth afterwords). The Sienna drives different then my wives Sienna as the all electric steering seems to not be as nimble in the parking lot, but I was on some back rds in Texas yesterday and that steering was tight, easy and very accurate, all the windows are now auto down, the 4 whl dsc and traction control are std, new knee airbag makes the steering wheel not come down as far..but adj and drv seat works for me.

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  excellant - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By T Beatty - July 21 - 1:13 am

  I love my Camry Hybrid! I love to drive it down the road it feels like you are floating. I also love how the car make no sounds when you are stopped it it running on electric and when you go to take off it comes to life. There are so many gadgets it really makes me feel like I am riding in luxary. Smart Key is the best, I never have to worry about setting down my keys and leaving them someplace. The smart key just always stays in my purse. The best of all is I will go 2.5 to 3 weeks on a tank of gas!

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  Hybrid Camry Experience - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Alan G - July 19 - 10:00 pm

  Fuel econonmy on the highway has been better than EPA predictions, while results around town have been lower. The primary reason for the lower fuel economy around town is I drive up and down quite a few long and steep hills (>6% grade). In terms of comfort and general functions, the car has excxeeded my expectations. Im still learning all the navigation and voice recognition features, although, Im not sure how useful this stuff is.

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  1997 Celica GT Convertible Limited Edition - 1997 Toyota Celica
  By dianne714 - July 19 - 7:31 pm

  I love this car so much I just want to drive it all the times. I bought a blue one with 108K miles a few months a go and drove it for 3 months and found another 1997 Limited Edition, black with tan top last week with 135K miles. This one drives like a new car. Everything works nicely and not a tear in the interior. Its beautiful and I am going to enjoy driving this for a long time. I will get the interior cover so that I dont have to raise or lower the top all the time. This is one way to preserve the motors. They are expensive and getting hard to find.

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  The Best Car Ive EVER Owned! - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Gina - July 19 - 6:26 pm

  I love my Corolla. It has been a joy to own this car. Its roomy, fun, comfortable and very reliable not to mention great on gas! I have two teenagers and we went on vacation shortly after buying it. There was plenty of room for everything. We went to the Smokies and had no problem with the cars performance in the mountains even though it was loaded down and the a/c was on. Id recommend it for anyone.

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  Good truck but I still miss my 90 Toy! - 2008 Toyota Tacoma
  By Sparky - July 19 - 2:56 pm

  Weve had this for 6 months now. Had a 90 truck, so the size of this one put me off at first, but Ive adapted and my wife has to the creature comforts lacking in the 90, which is the main reason I HAD to get a new truck! We just finished a 1400 mile trip to the Eastern Sierras. A mix of freeway, hills, mountains and dirt roads. As others mentioned, fifth is pretty weak to maintain freeway speeds on steep inclines, so used 4th for that and everything was fine. As for mileage, got 27.2mpg for the entire trip. Think we could beat that on an all freeway trip to LA. Unless you really think you need 4WD, V6,A/T why haul all that extra weight around? At $4.25 a gallon it all adds up.