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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  2009 Toyota Venza Issues after 3 years - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By skyke101 - September 22 - 8:26 am

  I bought my Toyota Venza in 11 with 32K miles on it.... Its a fully loaded V6 AWD, everything except the DVD screen. I wrote a review a couple years ago, here is the updated version... The drive is great, power and get up-n-go are awesome. Gas mileage is not the greatest, about 20-21mpg mostly city driving, but its got almost as much room as a much larger SUV. Love the 20 inch wheels, hate buying tires for them. $1600 for 4 Michelins. Have replaced the sun visors twice now on the driver side and once on the passenger side. Ive read that Im not the only one that has problems with the sun visors. The road noise is terrible at speeds above 50m mph. It sounds as if Im driving with

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  Solid vehicle - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By okc_al - September 22 - 7:03 am

  Bought the 4 cylinder SE 2 months ago and sitting 3000 miles. So far so good. 30 mpg with mixed driving. Both interior and exterior styling much better than previous model. Compared against the Sonata, Fusion, Cruze, Altima and were so glad we went with the Camry.

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  2008 Toyota Prius - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By 1ljsurfer - September 22 - 4:30 am

  My wife and I love driving this car. Its great on gas, averaging 46 - 48mpg, mostly hwy driving. Im able to get my 10 surfboard inside with no problems. We got this thing fully loaded w/pkg 6. Its comfortable, easy to drive and doesnt lack the power to blend onto the freeway.

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  I traded my "Cadillac" in for my "Yaris - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By Portia - September 22 - 3:50 am

  Its the most fun car to drive and the fuel economy is amazing. I gave it a 9 in comfort because power locks and windows should be standard. This is my first Toyota, and I will buy another when this commuter, is done. I drive an average of 30K a year, and it was my parents, Toyota Camry with 340K miles that made my decision to look at the Yaris.

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  Dominos Prius - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By alexx52093 - September 22 - 1:25 am

  I work for my local Dominos Pizza store. Its one of the bigger stores in my area, covering a HUGE area for delivery. My boss has two Priuss as company cars that us drivers get to drive (as well as other vehicles as well). The main Prius we use has been at this store for 3 years now. Its an 04 and was bought with 90K miles on it. It is used all day long every from opening to closing of the store. It now has 186K miles after 3 years of service. There has no been one single problem with it! It is always taken to the dealership for regular maintenance when it is needed. We drivers average about 44-48 MPG when we can. During dinner rushs we can pull around 38 MPG! These things are troopers!

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  Sienna - 2007 Toyota Sienna
  By ocean - September 21 - 8:40 pm

  Our sienna is a well designed minivan, and I am very happy with the 3.5 liter V6 and 266HP. And the 3rd seat is easy to stow and useful.

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  Not for me - 2018 Toyota C-HR
  By Carl - September 21 - 7:07 pm

  The CHR is just "meh" Test drove one at an Indy dealership, bought a Honda HRV EX instead, more interior room, more cargo space, more extras at a lower cost. Also better resale value.

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  Awesome Truck - 2006 Toyota 4Runner
  By C - September 21 - 6:36 pm

  5 years of owning this 4runner, no issues yet, everything still original except for tires, had over 30,000 miles on them. just replaced with new ones. gas mileage: consistently average 25 a gallon, some trips i get 27-30. yes youre reading this correctly, i can get over 30 a gallon with the v6. pros-everything is great cons-NONE!

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  ok by me - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By BC - September 21 - 4:16 pm

  All said I like the 4Runner. It seems to be durable and dependable. I work all over the country, often away for months at a time. Toyota has provided a vehicle that is both comfortable on the highway and rugged enough for the trails and backroads.

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  Very good SUV - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By 1awesomecloser - September 21 - 2:20 pm

  Really good car. Only thing off is the touch screen infotainment center needs to closer to right hand so you dont have to lean foward to reach. Other than that its almost perfect. Great residual values. Super comfy to ride in compared to my 2014 4Runner.