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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  TRUE 4-WHEELER - 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By CLAYTON - March 7 - 2:00 am

  bEST 4 WHEELER ON THE PLANET.

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  Love of my wife - 2001 Toyota 4Runner
  By Racer8 - March 7 - 2:00 am

  Purchased new for my wife. Absolutely no problems. We love this truck. I have a little trouble fitting in for long distances (6Â’2 & 230lbs).Weve had it up north in snow and ice and the traction control was excellent.I had my Tacoma out mudding and my wife tried to follow- mistake with the two-wheel drive- it sank to the floor pan. The traction control was the problem, it senses the vehicle is spinning out of control and takes over by shutting down the engine and braking the wheels. But turn off the system and it can manage through unimproved paths easily and rough terrain is ok as long as it is not soft.

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  Sequoia outbeats Escalade - 2004 Toyota Sequoia
  By NYCAT521 - March 7 - 2:00 am

  Far more better comfort and luxury than the Cadillac Escalade - saved $10,000

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  Great Truck for the Reliability - 2004 Toyota Tundra
  By Pirate - March 7 - 2:00 am

  Rides like an expensive car, real smooth and quiet, and perfect handling.

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  fun little car - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By 2004toyotacorolla - March 7 - 2:00 am

  I test drove both the Scion and the Corolla and went with the Corolla because it had more pickup and comfortable handling. I love the fact that the car is taller than most sedan models because I feel almost as tall as the larger SUVs on the road.

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  Prius 2016 - 2016 Toyota Prius
  By Carlos Ortega - March 6 - 6:34 pm

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  Great SUV! - 2001 Toyota 4Runner
  By Joe - March 6 - 2:00 pm

  Bought it with 31K on it, have 85K now,and I am convinvced I will own it with300K. I will never get rid of it! Ilove my 4-runner!

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  Prius 2005 - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By helene - March 6 - 12:16 pm

  Bought this car in April, 2005 after 13- month wait. I was not disappointed. Car is everything claimed to be - fuel efficient (averages about 45 MPG), no repairs at all to date. This Prius is fully equipped with navigation system.

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  Bought this vehicle November 2017 - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By nckhlbrk - March 6 - 11:14 am

  Driver seat is very comfortable for long trips. Truck is smooth riding and quiet on interstate trips. Got model with premium sound and navigation - very nice! Like voice command feature. Navigation is very easy to program and use. 6.1" touch screen is adequately sized. Steering wheel controls for radio and voice command features selections are easy to use. Programming center info panel between tach and speedometer is a bit puzzling but manageable. Literally dozens upon dozens of electronic warning and info signals that can be generated. Has backup camera with warning buzzer. Can easily program about a dozen or so maintenance messages that will pop up at your specified mileage or date settings. Hands free cell phone pairing using bluetooth is great feature. Cruise control is easy to use. Like the power door locks, windows, and exterior mirrors. Three moveable cargo hold downs on each side of bed are very handy. Bed comes with bolt-in liner that covers top rails all around bed. Wish seats were power and that heavy hood had spring loaded hinges that would hold it up. 4WD Hi engages and disengages smoothly on fly. Automatic transmission shifts very smoothly and has a MT like feature that allows selecting and shifting gears. Access cab doors make putting stuff into back easy. Access cab rear seats are totally inadequate for seating. Rear seat headrests block rear view; but, can be lowered easily. Has a button to turn on exterior mirror heater. Touch screen has dozens of programmable features that are reasonably intuitive to find and set. Center console has 3 cup holders plus there are 2 bottle holders on each door.

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  Satisfied so far at 16k+ - 2007 Toyota 4Runner
  By jonzerstyle - March 6 - 11:03 am

  I really love this vehicle. My list of cars I have owned is as follows (for understanding purposes): Chevrolet Citation Toyota 4WD SR4 - with roll bar fun! Mustang 2000 coupe For the first time since owning my toy4wd I really like driving. This vehicle owns the off-road equally with the on-road. I can go off-roading to meet up with friends to shoot shotguns or cruise for malls for the girlfriend to shop at - hehe. Throw your snowboard and snow chains and gear in and go. My average MPG is min of 20. Acceleration is great - when some jerk is blocking - u can actually put the pedal to the metal and get around them. My 1 gripe is the AC controls are slightly annoying.