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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  luv my rav - 2005 Toyota RAV4
  By M F - April 2 - 12:30 pm

  I waited a while to switch to an SUV and as soon as I saw the RAV I knew it was the one. I am a loyal Toyota driver but did try other SUVs for comparison and I made a beeline back to the RAV. Toyota also offers very very good customer care. They are real people friendly. My first car was a Toyota Corolla SR5 in 1987 and I am sure my last car will be a Toyota.

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  Park Your Prius - 2001 Toyota Prius
  By peg dietz - April 2 - 10:00 am

  A great city car. Extremely quiet. Incredibly easy to park with its short length and tight turning radius. Also fine on the highway.

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  prerunner - 1999 Toyota Tacoma
  By delawaredrew - April 2 - 10:00 am

  Great truck , but has persistent shake at highway speeds. No work has ever solved it. Still hauls loads, and runs reliably. Sucks on bumps until its moving fast (70 mph +) Never left me stranded in 80000 miles

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  Enter the Matrix - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By btmustang - April 2 - 10:00 am

  Very impressed with my Matrix. Extremely useful for storing pleanty of things, I just moved to grad school from undergrad and it was great.

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  Great Little SUV! - 2004 Toyota RAV4
  By rahoyme - April 2 - 10:00 am

  Have had mid-size SUVs previously, love the RAV4. Traded a Chevy Impala sedan for it. Will like the AWD in the snow, the gas mileage is slightly better than an Impala. The RAV4 sits up higher than a regular sedan. Very comfortable, fun to drive.

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  Bacan - 2004 Toyota RAV4
  By diehard - April 2 - 10:00 am

  All season and all place this capacity is very good

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  This Is My Car - 2003 Toyota RAV4
  By Jenn9919 - April 2 - 10:00 am

  So far my RAV4 has been extremely pleasant to drive, easy to maneuver, and very reliable. I purchased this as my "dream car"-the one I always wanted, and I have not been disappointed, as we often are when we buy something we thought would be better than it is. The easily removable rear seats have made it perfect for taking my dogs camping, and I always have plenty of room for anything I need. I have moved my entire apartment (including all normal furniture, such as bed and sofa) twice in this "little" car. Im exceptionally pleased with it.

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  Fantastic car that has withstood the ultimate test - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Jerry O. - April 2 - 7:32 am

  For the first half of this cars life it lived in the frigid , salt covered wastelands of Western New York... For the second half of its life thus far, it has been broiled by the punishing sun and aid sea salt of Florida. The car hasnt skipped a beat thus far! Major repairs have been as follows: The air conditioning compressor died at 84000 miles. At 155,000 miles it got all new struts and springs. New brakes x 3 thus far. At 111,000 miles the right rear door rotted through on the part adjacent to the window - the central pillar; the same has now occurred on the drivers rear side. Ill chalk thus up to the lovely Buffalo winters though Ive heard that cars routinely exposed to road salt have this as a fail point. In both cases a door from a junk yard with matching paint from a rust free area was found and no one can tell that its not the original except me - because I know.... The headlight covers require periodic maintenance with rubbing compound to keep them clear 2 x per month. Annoying but cheaper than replacing. Other than that maintenance and tires only. For the first 8 years I meticulously changed the oil every 3000 miles. After that I switched to Mobil 1 synthetic and now change it at 5000 mile intervals. I hope to get 300,000+ miles before it gets put out to pasture.

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  06 Prius Owner - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By Patricia - April 2 - 5:40 am

  I admit I have only owned this vehicle for less than 2 months but I love it. The smaller steering wheel took a little while to get used to but now - no problem. The Prius is very responsive and even though I do alot of highway traveling my average mileage is about 45.

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  Fun little Car - 2000 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By rpanjabi - April 2 - 5:00 am

  Ive bought my vehicle when it was not available in the market to see easily. Since then every stop light I stop at I get compliments about my car.