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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  its smooth - 2002 Toyota Sequoia
  By treuer - October 9 - 8:53 pm

  took this vehichle to Disney. great comfort, great ride, 21mph on highway. Was able to fit 2 families of 4 comfortably when visiting friends on the way, ample pickup. less bumps than other SUVs. 12k miles and no problems.

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  TBs Tundra - 2006 Toyota Tundra
  By Truck Bubba - October 9 - 6:06 pm

  Drives and rides like a car not a truck... but if you want that ride just change the shocks and tires.

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  The Girl and the Tacoma 2016 - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Jackie Ctz - October 9 - 5:53 pm

  Read all the reviews you want but if you are going outdoors you must be: nimble, reliable and unstoppable .. the Tacoma is the only vehicle that can fit this description. Yes, you can find more comfortable rides but if you are going camping, biking, hiking, or fishing, the vehicle you take should not even be a preparatory consideration, the Tacoma fits this requirement. They sale more and last longer for a reason ( Japanese brand=great quality ). If you want a serious offroad truck that is above the rest in dependability buy a Tacoma.... You will be glad. Tony Delgadillo from Hamer Toyota on sepulveda Blvd is the best option...great guy, easy to talk to very helpful and real with numbers trust me I did my homework before even thinking on showing up to test the Tacoma. Tony D. thank you so much for your help.

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  Impressed - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By impressed - October 9 - 3:03 pm

  Owned a 04 Ltd Dble Cab and traded in for 05 Sport TRD. There is absolutely no comparison in any category. It drives like my wifes 05 4Runner. Test drove 05 Frontier-no comparison at all.

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  noise of 2015 Camry LE - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By 21john - October 9 - 2:20 pm

  purchased Toyota Camry LE 2015, brand new, in the end of May 2015. The only problem is noise.I can hear repetitive noise when the windows are open. The noise is more frequent when speed increases. Dealer said it is the noise of tires. My previous 10 years old car did not have this kind of problems, how could a brand new car have the problem.

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  family car - 2016 Toyota RAV4
  By jeff vercollone - October 9 - 9:25 am

  Acceleration and mpg are disappointing, but only the very reduced mpg was unexpected. Overall, if youre not looking for a crossover that is fun to drive like an X3, its a good family car that has a better ride, interior size and options over the other makers in the mid-priced market (Honda, Mazda, KIA and Hundai). We test drove them all.

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  Love my rav4!!! - 2004 Toyota RAV4
  By MYRAV4 - October 9 - 4:06 am

  Traded in my smaller Corolla(which i loved too!) for something with more storage and head room for child car seats. Also appreciated the AWD! Wanted something with the similar features to my corolla and i got better!

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  great car! - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Laura - October 9 - 1:10 am

  After doing lots of research and test driving, I decided on the Corolla, and its been amazing. I love the way it handles, the manual transmission shifts very smoothly, and other than routine maintenance Ive had no mechanical problems at all. The warranty is hard to beat, and fuel economy is fantastic--anywhere from 32- 40 mpg! Im short, so the size is perfect, but tall people might feel as if the drivers seat doesnt go back far enough.

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  Love my 2005 Black Convertible with Nav! - 2005 Toyota Camry Solara
  By James - October 9 - 12:03 am

  This is ONE fun car to drive, this is my 2nd convertible (had 99 Mustgang GT) and excluding the engine and performance I LOVE this car! I looked for a car and for the money and features no one touches the stlying and quality of this Solara SLE! It is comfortable, quiet and when you drive by people turn and look when the top is DOWN! They need to just change the logo to Lexus and sell it as a lexus and can add $10k to the price and it would sell!

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  OH What a Failing - 2005 Toyota Sequoia
  By ronc - October 8 - 7:30 pm

  Got rid of a Trailblazer. Picked the Sequoia for Toyota reliability. Almost immediately observed a problem with oil pressure. Dealer had no clue ("never seen that before"). Went to arbitration, corporate ultimately claimed - ready for this?- "they all do that." Aside from hoping the engine doesnt seize, its a nice driving vehicle, well suited to its purpose. I want to get rid of it, though. Toyotas are good if you get a good one. If you get a bad one, be advised youre on your own.