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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  Surprisingly Awesome - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By GreenMachine - March 9 - 2:36 pm

  My wife and I were looking for a more fuel effecient car but didnt want to sacrifice comfort and space. After comparing the Prius with the Civic we settled on the Prius and Im sure glad we did. Theres a ton of space in this little car. Aside from that, were getting twice the fuel economy we were getting with our old car. Thank you Toyota!

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  Value for money - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By mosha - March 9 - 2:33 pm

  We bought a 2005 Corolla and inspired by its performance went for a 2006 Camry. The vehicle was involved in a serious accident but amazingly the driver walked out practically unscathed. No doubt we went for a 2007 Camry after extensively researching all aspects of the vehicle and its pricing. After driving it for a month we can say this is the best vehicle in its category for the price. Perhaps the best deal is all those fancy features which came as an option before have been made standard in the 2007 model including the all season tires. Another incredible thing is that we paid much less for the 2007 Camry than we did for the identical 2006 model. No wonder we love the car.

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  Like It Better Than I Thought I Would! - 2008 Toyota Sequoia
  By AngiS - March 9 - 10:30 am

  I turned in my BMW X5 SAV and needed a vehicle with a 3rd row of seats that would accommodate someone older than 10. I searched for about two months and finally decided on the 2008 Sequoia Limited. I dont love the changed front end (too Tundra-ish), but I love the interior - from the 2nd row Captains chairs to the power 3rd row roomy bench seat. I upgraded a few things (especially love the woodgrain dash upgrade - makes it infinitely classier looking) and am very pleased that I purchased this vehicle. I truly enjoy it a lot more than I thought I would. I love it!

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  Super Auto - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By Jim - March 9 - 4:00 am

  The best vehicle I have owned during the past forty years. Great style, ride, and all around super auto. I have over 16K on it without any problems to date. Has excellent power, but still has decent gas mileage.

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  reliable but ... - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By young - March 9 - 2:40 am

  It is a reliable car, I guess, since I havent had any problem so far except that recently it is making some spueaking noise from one of the front suspension. However, the seats are extremely uncomfortable for its reputation(the best selling car?). In addition, the handling is far from precise. That makes its cornering highly dangerous sometimes. It gives no fun to drive. It is just a normal family car for people seaking no fun.

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  Now I Want to Drive Just to Drive This - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Kace - March 8 - 5:20 pm

  I have had my Corolla XRS for just over a month and about 1,700 miles. I am very happy with it. If I had known it requires 91 octane before buying, I probably would not have bought it. The shifting took a little getting used to. And the fact that you have to run the engine over 6000 RPM for the real performance to show seems is probably wasted on me, because I rarely race the engine to those extremes. Mine is black and I had the windows tinted with a nice black onyx tint. I think it looks great, very sporty, especially for a Corolla. I have already had to hit the brakes due to a oblivious driver and was happy with my ability to stop. Good braking was a high priority for me.

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  I never give 10s - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By sk - March 8 - 1:50 pm

  This is the smoothist car Ive ever driven. Its fast, quick and very responsive. The nav system is a bit hard to figure out, but once you do its great. Ive had no problems at all in my first year and no regrets. This is the first "import" Ive ever bought. I had a near "hit" on the GSP. The car handled better than I ever imagined.

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  Great Truck! - 2008 Toyota Tacoma
  By Kyle - March 8 - 7:56 am

  Just bought this to replace my 01 Jeep Cherokee Sport. While it has the TRD Off Road package, it still rides better than the Cherokee did. I love it so far and cant see that that changing anytime soon.

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  avalon - 2002 Toyota Avalon
  By milan kurutz - March 8 - 2:00 am

  I am very happy with this car. It is a very quite running car.

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  Quality, Performance and Value - 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By Irwin43 - March 8 - 2:00 am

  Ive tried them all (new and used) and finally found a great deal on a loaded 01. I could have purchased a 03 Denali for the same price but there was no comparison. The quality is there everywhere you look and the performance was everything I was looking for. Finally a car purchase that I feel good about and a car that I cant hear depreciating in my garage! Test drive this if you are considering any Large SUV. Buy used and save the $$$.