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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  Greatest Truck on Earth - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By amalgamX - January 23 - 4:03 pm

  Solid. Powerful. Beautiful to behold. 5.7L V8 gas-miser powerhouse. Attention paid to every detail. Can operate all interior controls with heavy work gloves on. Man-size cupholders: man-sized everything. This is the one weve waited for. Clearly superior to the F-150, Ram, Silverado, Titan - you name it. Less expensive too.

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  The return of quality - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By tom champagne - January 23 - 2:53 pm

  Usually after the "honytmoon",(3500 miles), reality sets in: foreign noises, poor mileage,etc. Not the case with the new Camry. Quality built for the long run!

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  Love this car - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By L. Jones - January 23 - 12:06 pm

  I just purchased the Avalon Limited (demo). It has everything (nav, adaptive cruise, custom bluetooth phone integration). Car is definitely worth thousands more. Not only are all components user friendly, the car gets great attention on the road. One complaint is the cheap appearance of the radio and interior plastic.

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  MY 1999 TOYOTA CAMRY - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By addan495 - January 23 - 6:21 am

  i buy my 1999 Toyota Camry 3 years ago and i have not fix anything yet and it drive like the first day (I only change oil and head light and filter only) my car has over 2006037 Millage I would said buy it Toyota Camry not ford or chevy (i would not but any other car)

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  Love my Pruis V - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By robnbill - January 23 - 4:13 am

  We are techies at heart and love our toys. The Prius V with ATP fulfills that and more. While it doesnt speed away from the light like a muscle car, it does have enough power to get on the interstates safely when you need to. The layout of the car and the comfort of the car are superb. We bought the car for a commuter car and It works very well in that role. I can go for at least two weeks without a fill up. We added a VAIS iPod adapter to the vehicle so we could control the iPod from the Nav Unit. This also allows the Sat Nav to still be functional. Our other car is a Lexus GS 350. Both are enjoyable cars to drive, but for commuting, the Prius wins hands down.

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  What A Diamond - 2000 Toyota Avalon
  By rambo - January 23 - 3:13 am

  I work for a Toyota dealership and bought a 1-Owner 2000 Toyota Avalon XLS with 85,000 miles and it has been a pure diamond. I just had the windows tinted and the car doesnt have a scratch on it and has all the service records as well. Im very pleased with this one!

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  Awesome Car!! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By S. M. M. - January 22 - 6:10 pm

  I love my new Camry! Its fast, fun and eye catching! I chose the SE model over the XLE because I love the sporty look that the other models dont have. Its also very roomy for those with families and plenty of safety features! Dont hesitate, go get yours today!!

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  Great commuter car - 2009 Toyota Matrix
  By matrixgirl09 - January 22 - 5:50 pm

  Good gas mileage. Sits higher than other cars but if you come from an SUV then youll like it. Heated side mirrors are great for the ice/snow. Plenty of room inside. Visibility is ok, better than other small cars. Engine is good enough even though its a base model. I am small enough that it turns the airbag off when I get in, so that is a nice safety feature. Very little noise and vibration.

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  Excellent SUV - 2005 Toyota Sequoia
  By momochan - January 22 - 2:16 pm

  Real safe vehicle, rides smooth, sturdy, reliable, handles like a luxury vehicle. The appearance is quite appealing. The thing that attracted me to the Sequoia was the look of it. I already knew about the value in owning a Toyota, the longevity of the engine but since the Sequoia came into production in 2000, I believe, I thought WOW they finally did it. After being impressed with the Land Cruiser, but not its price, Toyota went and duplicated the effort in a 20,000 difference. Im proud to be an owner of the 2005 Toyota Sequoia and hope that this body style doesnt change any time soon, after all why mess with a good thing?

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  Great vehicle Toyota Drops the ball with options - 2016 Toyota RAV4
  By yep - January 22 - 12:37 pm

  "Let me begin with I am a Loyal Toyota Customer. More than 7 new and 4 pre-owned in the past 25 years. The 2016 Rav4 is great looking and drives great. Compared to all the Camrys I have owned we really like the Rav better. However, Do not purchase the Navigation System. The Maps are from Garmin and they are at least 3 - 8 years old. It told me there was no Freeway and to take exits just to tell me to get back on the freeway(there was a Freeway that had been there for a number of years). It got us lost. So save your money and use your phone. Also, the eTune system. In Theory it is great. In reality not so much. When it works we love it you just get in and touch the Pandora and away you go. Then it will tell you theres no connection but the pandora is still playing. Then it may just stop all together. Then you get back in the car and it will tell you that there is no connection. No matter what you do you cant get it back. So, you might as well save money and just take the standard system because you can Blue Tooth it and connect for phone for maps and you get a CD Player. Other than that I love the vehicle but when I contacted Toyota to express my opinions they just said well pass that on. So, my mistake was I did not take the time to look at the Honda, Mazda and Nissan.