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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  Awesome mid-size design! - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By wind_dog - January 6 - 8:10 am

  The larger mid-sized truck is the design compromise IÂ’ve been waiting for. It gets far better mileage than a full-size and itÂ’s definitely easier to park in the ever-shrinking spaces. ItÂ’s a comfortable ride with power to spare driving around town and it has the beef to pull a trailer up the mountains. IÂ’ve added a new fiberglass topper and now I get 19/22 plus mpg. The TRD package provides remarkable factory off-road performance with locking differential, skid plates, ample ground clearance, and suspension. The on-board generator, composite bed, and yes - the cup holders are the attention to detail I expect from a well-built truck. The styling and dark blue color turn heads everywhere I go!

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  Great little workhorse! - 1999 Toyota Corolla
  By Kelley King - January 5 - 9:15 pm

  I am on my 4th Corolla. My 99 was bought in 2009, and is still going strong at 240,000 miles. One of my lower ratings is because of all the plastic parts inside, but this is something I see with many cars, not just Toyotas. Ive had door handles snap off, as well as pieces of the moldings. Cupholders eventually snapped off too but I replaced. So Id like to see stronger parts, and if I had my way, no plastic at all....The most major repair I did was replacing the catalytic converter. The dealer wanted thousands to do this, but I found a local repair shop who did it for much less, back in 2010, and Ive had no problems since. Ive replaced brakes and struts, and of course buy new tires periodically. I do city driving so stop-and-go traffic, hence, the toll it takes on my brakes. Other things Ive replaced are things that simply give out with age. My main concern is the engine and transmission and those are rock solid. When my car is running, people often cant even hear that its running! Even at its old age, I get about 25 mpg. A couple of expensive repairs did occur. The power window stopped working on my driver side which entailed the purchase of a new motor for the door. Pricey. The other day, another door handle snapped off. Mechanic tried to put on new one, only to find the interior mechanism had to be replaced. Ive also done exhaust work but once done, no more problems. No issues with undercarriage like U-joints or anything like that. All my Corollas have gone over 200,000 miles and Im staying with this brand. Im buying my next one nearly-new and since I take excellent care of my cars, and am not rough at all with the interior, I dont expect issues with things ripping and breaking. I love these cars, and when 99s appear on used lots in my area, they are often scooped up within a few days, if the price is right and car is clean.

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  the rav4 is great - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By bgmeto - January 5 - 5:36 pm

  took it up in the mountains, vever got stuck, even when pushing a lot of snow. pull more then its rated. and is one of the fastest vehicles under $40,000

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  Thank you Shay Wilson - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By Joshua Winters - January 5 - 4:26 pm

  My wife and I were looking for a reliable car with excellent gas mileage. We found it. My wife drives about 30,000 miles a year for her job. This car is perfect. It has lots of room and the back seats fold down for our hiking equipment. We love the great gas mileage.

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  Good Body, Very Poor Drivetrain - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Josh - January 5 - 12:33 pm

  The new Tacoma is a great looking truck with a very smooth ride and excellent off road capabilities, but it has one very serious flaw that makes all the good features pointless. The engine and transmission in this truck are terrible. The transmission never selects the correct gear, the engine has zero low end torque and the combination goes together like oil and water. I absolutely hate driving this truck anywhere but on the trail off road. Sure the ride is fantastic and the braking and handling are good but whats the point when you constantly have to smash the throttle to go up any kind of incline. Im not sure what the engineers were smoking when they developed the engine and transmission for this truck but it must have been really good. Dont buy this truck with a V6 and automatic transmission.

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  Love it - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Christy - January 5 - 4:26 am

  I have been very pleased with my van. I would buy another one!

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  Great Truck - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By Steve - January 4 - 3:36 pm

  Ive put over 42,000 miles with no mechanical problems. Spend most of my day on muddy job-sites, pulling trailers, carrying 1,500 to 2,000 lbs of construction supplies and the truck has performed magnificently.

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  My Celica GTS - 2002 Toyota Celica
  By baslash1 - January 4 - 2:13 pm

  I love this car. This is my first Celica, and I couldnt be happier. I have now own it for a little over three years, and still love to drive it. Fuel economy is very good, about 30 mpg in town. I do a lot of city driving in Atlanta, and also a lot of interstate driving... long trips. I have no complaints about this vehicle. At 73,000 miles all I have had to do is change the oil and tires. I have had no incidences of mechanical problems or otherwise. It has a very classic look, mine has the rear spoiler, but none of the trendy optional ground effects, looks like a classic raodster. After 3 years people still say they love this car.

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  Best car ever for me - 1992 Toyota Camry
  By kennyg - January 4 - 11:06 am

  Bought my xle v6 with 60,000 in 1994. It now has 270,000 and in that time have changed brake pads 3 times, CV boots twice, wires and plugs once, two timing belts and struts and other that filters, tires and oil.... That is it ! If I could buy this car new today, I would. Best car I ever owned (I am 60 years old).

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  Peter - 1998 Toyota RAV4
  By Peteriii - January 4 - 8:23 am

  This is one of the best cars I have ever had. It has operated 100% effectively.