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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  May be my favorite vehicle yet! - 2006 Toyota Sienna
  By Lynnie - October 2 - 4:46 pm

  Ive only had my 2006 Sienna for three days but already LOVE IT! I traded in a 2002 Acura MDX that I loved so was worried going to a "van" again. (Owned a Chrysler Sport Mini-Van back in 1996) We own a Lexus GX (our third Lexus SUV) and our new Sienna is SO much like our Lexus in its quality, features and feel. We have five kids with LOTS of stuff so having all the extra room throughout this van is a dream. The sound system (JBL) is honestly the best of any car weve owned! (Lexus, Saab, Audi, Infiniti, Jeep, Chrysler) And although the MDX Navigation System was wonderful, the Navigation system in the Sienna is fast becoming my favorite as well.

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  Not What I Expected - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By veltonc - October 2 - 4:00 pm

  I have been driving my Camry LE 4 cyl. for a little over two years and have 70,000 miles on it. Basically, it is over valued and over praised. I have a rear main oil leak which unusual for such a new car. I have found that road noise is atrocious, also, there is wind noise. The car doesnt hold the road well, and there is hesitation when I start to accelerate when I first start driving. I am a big person, 250/lbs., and the drives seat is not holding up and the rest of the seats are hard to keep clean. Also, the suspension is terrible and fills like you hit a brick on every bump. The front end is too low and scrapes on small dips. Overall, I would give this car an F rating and I love Toyota.

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  A Hollow Promise - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By dk - October 2 - 7:50 am

  Maybe its reliable, maybe the 2006-07 redesign is good. But I hate the drive, its atrocious.The windnoise is extreme, so not like a Camry. The 4 cylinder is a shame. The size of the car increased and the hp remained the same. Dont know about V6 but the I4 is not for real drivers.

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  Best car I have ever owned - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By terry martin - October 2 - 5:13 am

  I have owned approximately thirty cars and trucks. This little but practical and roomy family car is the best. I can flip down the back seats and haul as much as I did in my small chevy truck! My family loves the car and the gas mileage makes my commute to work possible with todays high fuel prices! I would recommend the Toyata Prius to anyone!

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  Buy the limited - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By John - October 2 - 4:00 am

  This is a great vehicle. The Limited has comfy, heated leather seats, and they heat up fast. Heated mirrors. The sun roof is nice, and wind noise through it is actually worse at slower speeds. Go figure. It seems a little worse than some vehicles at that head crushing in-and-out pressure effect when just the rear windows are open. Its worse with just one rear window open. The all-wheel- drive and electronically controlled traction are a huge plus in winter. Power seat adjustments are very nice, but its a little hard to get to the controls with the doors closed. Lumbar support actually does the job. On-wheel radio controls are intuitive while controlling different functions for radio and CD.

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  Good car for the price - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By Corners - October 1 - 2:40 pm

  Leased a 2010 Corolla S (auto) to have reliable, trouble free, safe transportation for the next 3 years. I have a second kid on the way, and while my car is not the "family" car (wife drives a Sienna), there are still times we need to use my car, and the Mustang just isnt going to work with a rear facing car seat. ;) Anyways, the car is very comfortable to drive, but in no way exciting. Its basic transportation, and does well at this. The looks are sporty, but thats as far as the sportiness goes. Power is adequate, but lacking. The 4 speed transmission is outdated compared to the competition. The rated city fuel economy is optimistic. 24 mpg city is reality.

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  They do it again - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By cdinc1 - October 1 - 10:16 am

  After driving the ford, chevy, and nissan, I knew that none had the feel and/or power the Tundra had. After driving GM products for the past few years I could see a huge difference. Comfort, road noise, and a soild feel coupled with enough towing to pull the house down is all I was looking for. The Tundra is over built and will problably last forever.

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  Loving It - 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By Loving it - October 1 - 8:43 am

  Im loving my Highlander Hybrid. Gas mileage has been great, between 27-29 mpg so far. I have about 4,000 miles on it. Plenty of pep, handles beautifully, looks good, decent cargo space (I used to own a minivan so its definitely smaller), safe. Its not nearly as good on the gas mileage if you are on the highway riding over 75 mph or stomping on the gas around town. But if you ride smooth you should easily get 27 mpg or even up to 29 mpg. I read a lot of comments previously that it was hard to reach this. Piece of cake.

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  Scotts 4-runner - 1999 Toyota 4Runner
  By Scotts Truck - October 1 - 6:53 am

  Overall - excellent vehicle. Could use more horse power and torque to handle the weight.

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  2012 Highlander 2.7L 4 Cyl w/ Tech Package & Leather - 2012 Toyota Highlander
  By txag1995 - October 1 - 2:22 am

  We just bought a 2012 Highlander with the 4cyl engine. We chose the Tech Package and then had the dealer add leather interior. Our priorities on this purchase were 1. Reliability 2. Fuel Efficiency 3. 3rd Row 4. Value 5. Comfort/Style We cross shopped with Ford Edge, Explorer, Pilot, Venza, Crosstour, Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, CX-9, CPO RX-350, and 4Runner. We really liked the Buick Enclave but it was expensive and real world gas mileage was under 20 avg. The Pilot EX-L was cheaper, had more features but was noisy and rode rough. The Venza, Crosstour, and Edge were too small. 4Runner was awesome just not good enough gas mileage. In the end it was between the RX-350 and Highlander.