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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  Very happy - 2003 Toyota Tundra
  By john henry - May 22 - 2:00 am

  Very smooth and quite ride. Plenty of power for my needs. I pull a 21" boat and have no problems with it at all. I have always bought Chevy but this beats any Chevy I have been in and there have been several.

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  The Corolla-S Is Built Like An Accura!! - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By Jim Mueller - May 22 - 2:00 am

  I got a great deal on a Silver 03 Corolla-s loaded with automatic, Sunroof, alloy wheels, spoiler, etc etc. The Corolla has incredibley high build quality. This is great car that rides, handles, and looks fantastic. Its reall my wifes car but we both love it!!

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  2003 Camry Maintaining the trend - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By MikePettigrew - May 22 - 2:00 am

  Excellent road feel, comfort and interior room. Ergonomic and intelligent design and a very large trunk.

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  Toyota cant be beat - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Anthony - May 21 - 8:36 pm

  This is car is far above anything in its class. Toyota showed out with this model. It is so much better than the previous model. There is a reason Toyota is about to be the #1 car maker in the world this year, because they make cars like the Camry. Everybody else needs to sit back and watch how the best do it.

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  Dependable - 2004 Toyota RAV4
  By C G - May 21 - 3:27 pm

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  From V6 to I4, no regret yet - 2012 Toyota RAV4
  By lanpingd - May 21 - 2:27 pm

  I "downgraded" myself from a V6 2006 Escape to this I4 2012 RAV4 and so far so good. I am living in NC bay area but purchased my RAV4 from a dealer near LA downtown during my July 4th trip (a totally unplanned purchase but David in Buena Park Toyota gave me a great price plus reasonable trade-in, highly recommended). Two weeks with two tanks of gas, hwy/local 50/50, the avg mileage is ~24, which is way better than the previous Escapes (17-18). The Escape is really a reliable small SUV which gave me zero problem, but with the increasing live expense in bay area, some trade-off has to be made.

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  Stealth Lexus with Toyota badge - 2008 Toyota Avalon
  By Al in Central Fla. - May 21 - 12:46 pm

  We are a a family of 5 & needed more room. Traded a 2006 Honda Accord Hybrid in for our loaded Avalon after 2 years of trouble-free Honda ownership. The Avalon isnt nearly as fun to drive, and youre not quite as "connected" to the driving experience, but its the clear winner for our family. Lots of room to stretch out, excellent stereo, great mileage, huge trunk, tons of value for the price and legendary Toyota quality. I often wonder why anyone would pay the extra money to buy a Lexus GS 350 when this car really seems to have everything you could possibly want in a sedan. I shopped both before making the decision to buy the Avalon. I do prefer the rear styling of the Lexus over this car.

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  In Canada - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Serge Bergeron - May 21 - 12:20 pm

  No problem starting in -30 degree celsius weather. Very good fuel, receive 55 mpg so far after 5,000 miles. Some glare on windshield from dashboard high beam blue light indicator and flasher lights at night when very dark outside. Very comfortable seats. Sound system very ordinary. Very happy so far. Garage not too much experience - with hybrid. Have difficulty programming locking system. would have liked a third key but was too expensive at $400 Can.

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  jasons hybrid - 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By Jason - May 21 - 4:53 am

  It is strange driving such a quite car. also no shifting is amazing. this car is qick of the line. when driving in slow traffic it only uses the batter power. great for traffic jams.

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  Avalon - A luxury but affordable full size sedan - 2013 Toyota Avalon
  By francisr12 - May 21 - 2:24 am

  Before anything else, let me say this "this is the third Toyota I owned and drove more than 160,000 on my previous two without any breakdown or problem even a minor one. I looked for a comfortable full size sedan for my family with two kids instead of a minivan or SUV due to MPG issue. I decided to purchase an Avalon XLE after test drive of Ford Taurus, Nissan Maxima & Infinity G37..So far I confidently say I made a right choice. The car handling may not be as sporty as the Infinity, inside its cabin we can really enjoy the quality of the Bluetooth audio system because it is so quite thanks to the use of noise reduction glass & its air drag coefficient of 0.28.