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:

• 

  Love My Tacoma ! - 2002 Toyota Tacoma
  By mptri - February 10 - 2:00 am

  Great versatility with room for 5 in the cab, but able to haul just about anything in the bed. Its my first truck & I would most certainly buy another Toyota truck product in the future.

• 

  Economy triple plus! - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By Joseph Haury - February 10 - 12:40 am

  I travel 300 miles to visit my son about four times a year, through mountains of NC. Best mileage is 42 mpg. Average for the trip is 40. Round town, not trips is 35 plus. Bought it new and did every recommended service. No problems ever with my check-ups.

• 

  Great car - 2006 Toyota Corolla
  By metaxaide - February 9 - 11:56 pm

  Dependable with great mileage. Routinely get 30-32 around town and 39-41 mpg on highway.

• 

  The best car you can buy for the money! - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By Formigaman - February 9 - 6:40 pm

  Weve only had this car for a week, but we already love it! Its very comfortable and extremely economical. We went almost 100 miles before it moved from the full mark. Weve driven almost 200 miles now and still have 3/4 of a tank of gas. Handling is great, and it has a tire pressure monitoring system. Controls are laid out logically and are easy to operate. Air conditioning will put icicles on your nose! The center gauges are different and take a little time to get accustomed to, but are nice. One word of warning, it doesnt feel like youre going 70 mph, so watch your speed. Great overall car with lots of personality.

• 

  Ripped Off BY Toyota - 2011 Toyota Venza
  By darrell113 - February 9 - 6:34 pm

  This Venza is a piece of CRAP. Have had it for three weeks. You have to rank on the steering wheel back and forth to get the key to turn to start. The key ignition as at a stupid angle. Everything in this Venza is CHEAP. The back up camera is useless. And to top things off Park City Toyota in Medicine Hat, Alberta charged me $ 2,000.00 over the sticker price. They then added on that stupid window etching without my permission. I have to sue them to get my money back that they stole from me. I will NEVER purchase another JUNK Toyota from any of the [violative content deleted] Toyota dealers.

• 

  Reliable and safe! - 1999 Toyota Sienna
  By Scott - February 9 - 6:26 am

  Bought our Sienna used 3 years ago, and have since driven 30K. This van has proven to be more reliable than other manufactures that our neighbors and friends have had. Other than oil changes, weve only replaced the front struts. The tire pressure light was sometimes a bother, but I figured out the reset by reading the manual. Unfortunately, my wife was in a head on collision, and its unknown if our insurance will fix it or not. However, the airbag worked, and she was back to work the next day with only minor bruises. We plan to get another Sienna if we lose this one. Average MPG was 18, but we often get 25-26 on highway trips.

• 

  BEST LOOKING COROLLA!!!! - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By ANNA - February 9 - 6:20 am

  THE 2003 COROLLA TYPE-S HAS A GREAT NEW LOOK!! MY MOTHER HAS A 2000 COROLLA...DOESNT COMPARE AT ALL! THE NEW 2003 HAS MUCH MORE SPACE, SEEMS TO BE BUILT STRONGER (I FEEL MUCH MORE SAFER IN MY CAR THAN MY MOTHERS) AND THE SEATS ARE HIGHER AND A LOT MORE COMFORTABLE..NOT TO MENTION THE NICE SPORTY LOOK IT NOW HAS. I USED TO OWN THE 2000 ECHO AND I REALLY LIKED THE FUEL ECONOMY AND WAS HOPING THE COROLLA WOULD BE THE SAME.....SO FAR IT HAS BEEN!!

• 

  Great gas mileage - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By SOLD! - February 9 - 3:56 am

  Other reviewers commented on the gas mileage being far lower than the sticker. I have had the car for a couple of weeks now and I have not been below 51.5 average commuting. I guess if you drive conservativley, you will get better mileage. The car is very smooth and fun to drive. It has plenty of get-up-and-go if you need to pass. I came from driving a full size pickup (rough and terrible mileage).

• 

  Sienna transmission problem - 2006 Toyota Sienna
  By houston, tx - February 9 - 2:00 am

  2 major problems within 1600 miles: A. Side airbag defect due to exposed wires. Driver seat had to be replaced B. Transmission failed while merging on the freeway - almost got rear-ended. Was very lucky to survive. Dont buy into Toyotas hype. This is my last toyota!

• 

  1999 Camry V6 Auto - keeps running - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By tnt12 - February 8 - 10:38 pm

  similar to my 1995 Avalon, my Camry has 225k now. Still running strong.