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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  A Little Disappointed - 2008 Toyota Tacoma
  By Ward - May 11 - 4:53 am

  This is my third Toyota. Although I have been sold on the overall quality of Toyota, I am somewhat disappointed with my present truck. I get vibration in the steering wheel between 55 and 70 MPH. After three trips to the dealership and replacement of two tires,I still have the vibration. Now the metal framework in the seatback on the drivers side is coming out through the fabric. The A/C fan motor would only work on high speed (resistor replacement required). The transmission shifts rough, the door speakers buzz when the bass is turned on step 5 (volume is only at medium). My best gas mileage so far is 20.2 MPG (hwy). Did I mention I only have 5200 miles since purchased new.

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  Avalon is a Lexus in Toyota clothing!! - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By Richard DiMario - May 10 - 6:20 pm

  The Toyota Avalon XLS is a Lexus with a Toyota name. It is a smooth riding, comfortable, quiet, incredibly roomy car with an extremely luxurious interior design and a manageable price tag. It features the same engine as the new Lexus ES 350, a more interesting exterior design and a more spacious interior design. If you want a great luxury car and dont want to show off too much -- this is the one.

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  Pretty Sweet - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By PRF - May 10 - 6:13 am

  Dring the 4Runner is night and day from my last SUV, a Mitsubishi Montero Sport Limited. It handles well and is a pretty quite drive. It does not have much body roll, like many SUVs and trucks out there. I highly recommend the V8.

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  Nice Car - 2006 Toyota Corolla
  By Luis - May 9 - 1:43 pm

  This car is very good on gas mileage for the money, very comfortable and dependable...

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  Loving our new Prius - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By meg - May 8 - 8:03 pm

  We bought a 2006 Prius just this past weekend. I had a scare when I forgot the next morning that you have to have your foot on the brake to power up the car, but a quick look at the manual righted that problem. Also found out that two clicks on the smart key unlocks all the doors, whereas one just unlocks the drivers door. Im sure Ill continue to have questions, but so far Im thrilled. Got an average of 60 mpg this morning driving ten miles to work. At that rate Ill be visiting the gas pump once a month instead of once a week.

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  3 Years later and strong as ever - 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By pjcrage - May 8 - 7:50 pm

  Following up on my post from May of 2011, I can report that this SUV has performed flawlessly and other than a few nits, reliability has been outstanding. The only problem with this situation is that although my heart would love to look at a newer LC my head says no way. This is a durable and solid performer that begs you to keep it till it can take no more and that is likey many many years from now. Nothing more to say, it is the finest vehicle I have ever owned and since this is my 25th vehicle over the past 33 years that is saying a lot.... Its not cheap but ultimately in this case you get what you are willing to pay for.

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  Wow! - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By Chris - May 8 - 12:42 pm

  We traded in our beloved 2007 Highlander for the 2017 because we needed the higher tow capacity. Wow, wow, wow! We feel enveloped in luxury and comfort. The 2017 has a much steadier ride, top quality materials and is more comfortable and roomy. We owned the Sport version previously because I hated the sloppy body roll on the regular 2007 Highlander. The XLE 2017 has a more responsive ride and corners better, it is much smoother and steadier overall and all of the seats are roomier and very comfortable. Love the telescoping steering wheel, front shelf and pop-up hatch window, too. I am struggling with the new technology, but learning to love and appreciate it fast. The Stop Start system works really well once you get the hang of how and when to use it and is almost undetectable in use. Some of the climate controls are not intuitive (update-after owning this vehicle for one month...I am STILL struggling with the climate controls...only thing I can complain about really) and wondering why MPH not digitally displayed. Hoping this new Highlander is as reliable as our 2007! I am 56" husband is 65" and we both find it very comfortable my husband cant stop raving about this vehicle either. Wow! Look forward to every drive now! Update: No issues after a summer of driving and towing. Towing is strong and steady.

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  Better Built and some of the Cadillacs I have owne - 2000 Toyota Avalon
  By John - May 8 - 11:23 am

  I bought it with about 90,000 miles on it and Ill have a hundred and twenty thousand I have had to do some of the normal repairs that you do with the car as outstanding at it performs just like it was advertised to most of the time I get 22 around town and on the road I get more mileage than it says it should get I get 34 on the road and mine I have the V6 300 whatever it is and I have the gold package and I just love the car everyone who rides and it loves my car and several people have wanted to buy it from me

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  One of the best truck ever made - 2008 Toyota Tundra
  By bad ass truck - May 7 - 8:50 pm

  Its a sportcar in a truck body. Gas mileage is good considering the power it has ,comparing other truck same gas mileage . Would recomend to anyone, great breaking and turning radius

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  Great Ride - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By MomandPopCar - May 7 - 6:36 pm

  We did a lot of research on the Venza before buying it. The Pros far out weigh the Cons. We have owned a Ford Edge, which drives like a truck. The Venza drives like a luxury car. We drove both the 4 cyl and the 6 cyl Venza. The 6 cyl has better performance and had a better response time. The engine on the 6 cy is a lot quieter than the 4 cyl. We ordered our Aloe Green model with leather and without the Nav. Our Garman does the trick, we can take it with us when leave the car, and we can update the GPS on our computer.