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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  Great smaller car! - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By allipaw - May 6 - 10:00 am

  This is the first brand-new car Ive owned. I love it. Ive taken it to the store, on the 25-mile trip to work, and on a 1,000 mile road trip, and everything in between. I wanted a car that would allow an adult to sit comfortably in the back seat. Im 59" and I had to sit partially sideways in the back of the Civic I test drove. Not so with the Corolla. Two adults, both taller than me, sat comfortably in the back of my Corolla on a round trip of several hundred miles!

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  Excellent Car - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By Tylercom87 - May 6 - 10:00 am

  I bought a new 2004 Impulse Red CE and I am very happy with my decision. The exterior styling is great. The interior is luxurious compared to the Honda Civic. If you compare the interior and exterior dimensions to those of the Honda, the Corolla takes it across the board. The car feels as fast as our 2001 Honda Accord dual exhaust V6. Brisk acceleration without going above 3,000 rpm. It cruises at 70 mph at a low 2,300 rpm. I mainly bought it for the way it looks as compared to the other 10 or so cars in its class. It also has the lowest ADVERTISED mileage. Build quality and paint is really good.

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  fabulous - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By cgn49 - May 6 - 10:00 am

  after suffering in a ford taurus; i finally bought a real car.

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  Best Minivan on the Market - 2006 Toyota Sienna
  By akrika - May 5 - 9:33 pm

  I think I bought the best minivan on the market. I compared it to the Honda odyssey and there is no comparison. I have the fully loaded one and I am impressed with the handling. Neither rain nor ice hinders its performance. The DVD and NAV help too.

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  At 100,000 miles, its still awesome!!! - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By 2Bizarre - May 5 - 11:00 am

  My Prius just turned 100,000 miles. With little over four years of ownership, the only thing I had to do periodically was change the oil and replace a few air filters. All mechanical systems have held up - I still have the original brake pads, muffler, and everything else. My Prius has been extremely cheap to keep and I highly recommend it as a primary family car. As far as tires go, Im still on the second set!!

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  Buy it - 2006 Toyota Corolla
  By charleym3 - May 5 - 9:59 am

  Got the base model, no electric anything. Only added option was cruise control. After 115K miles, the only thing that has gone wrong is the CC switch for 80$. Tires dont last as long as I would like. I do all of the required maintenance and it keeps going and going. Im getting better mileage than EPA extimates, 37-38 in city driving.

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  Love my car - 1994 Toyota Corolla
  By Andrew C. - May 4 - 10:50 pm

  I love my Corolla. It has stood the test of time. Still getting 30 plus mpg, my car cannot be beat. I have done a few things (exhaust manifold, cold air intake, regular tune ups) to keep my car at its peak and the power of the car has not suffered at all in the past 14 years. Toyota reliability cannot be beat.

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  Toyota Matrix = College Students Dream - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By Alex - May 4 - 7:00 pm

  I live in Upstate NY, and I must say that the AWD Matrix handles winter weather exceptionally well. Also, as a college student, the space the Matrix provides (especially when the seats fold down) is extremely accommodating. I practically fit my whole dorm room into this wagon! I love the Matrix so much that if I was ever to purchase a new car, it would definitely be a newer version of the Matrix, I cannot see myself driving any other car that fits my needs. The gas mileage for an AWD car is amazing: I drove from Oneonta, NY to Rochester, NY on a full tank of gas and I had above a half a tank still available. Ive also found it to be very fun car to drive and the seats are very comfortable!

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  Great Car!! Highly Recommand.. - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Nokia-Samsung - May 4 - 4:20 pm

  Hi Friends,Ive been driving this car about a 1yrnow..Great Car, very quite, V-4 stillruns like v-6, great gas milage, I useit mostly for long travel, roughly about32.5 mpg, Its very comfy, I used totavel same distance in my old HondaCivic it was horrible by the time Ireach my destination I was so tired, nowin this car, I dont feel thing when Idrive 125 mile in the morning..Justgreat overall car..I love it..

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  Great Car - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By Bill Bryant - May 4 - 10:13 am

  The 2005 Avalon is a super car. It runs very quiet and is very economical to run. My only negative comment would be that the odometer is sometimes hard to see during daylight. I am very happy with my recent choice.