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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  Fastest 4 cylinder - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By Dave_PA - August 13 - 11:23 pm

  For less than $19k, I got a larger, comfortable, and pretty fast car. I searched for a black Camry for about 2 months, and I found a STD. The gas mileage is as it states appox 30MPG, unlike other manufacturers that like to round up to 30. I drove an Avalon and a Camry V6. Performances were so similar, the price tag decided.

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  Overall Great Family Sedan - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By jlarry - August 13 - 10:40 pm

  The SE is definitely the better looking Camry amongst the other available choices which are boring, lets be honest.The pick up of the V6 is great and shifts are silky smooth. Handling isnt very sharp though, coming from an 02 Altima, it felt like I was driving a bus. Interior parts should be better, questionable fit and finish inside. Upgraded JBL is not great, the radio in my Nissan had more bass, however there is more detail in the music. The rear deck is all plastic, so expect some buzz when you crank it up. Nav input is slow and USB port is in a bad spot. The seats are SO comfortable, more bolstering would be nice. Its a great car that falls short in some areas, overall I love it.

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  Best car I have ever owned and I am 57 - 2003 Toyota Echo
  By nickel1951 - August 13 - 9:20 pm

  I bought this car used after owning a 2001 Echo for six years. I sold the 2001 to my son who was just graduating from college and bought this car for myself. I have never bought another car that was identical to the one I had had for six years already before but this car is special. I actually made my son promise to sell me the old car back when he wants to get rid of it so I can have a backup. The only thing that was not satisfactory in either car were the floor mats. I have no idea why, but they wore out quite quickly. The dealership even gave me a full replacement after the first year and those wore out as well. I bought some after market ones from Walmart and they have been fine.

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  Disappointed - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Rick Samuels - August 13 - 8:46 pm

  I purchased this vehicle to replace my Toyota Echo. I wanted a competent vehicle that gets good mileage. My Echo got well over 40 mpg. This car is slow in acceleration. The battery makes it heavy, so handling is diappointing. People and cargo room is lacking. I knew the styling was ugly. But, this is not a fun vehicle to drive. Interior is typical Toyota cheap. On the highway, mileage suffers. I dont know if I can recoup the higher sales price in fuel savings. What was I thinking?

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  The Prius moves up in styling and performance. - 2017 Toyota Prius
  By Cliff Detz - August 13 - 8:09 pm

  The cars handling is a major improvement over that of my previous 2005 Prius. The exterior styling is bold and original. It is an improvement over the stale styling of previous model years. The interior passenger space provides a large amount of room for a small car. It is more comfortable than many larger sized vehicles, and for me the seats are comfortable and provide good support. The car is very quiet inside, a major improvement over my older model. The transition from battery mode to gas engine mode and vice versa is seamless and silent.The audio system produces excellent sound and is easily balanced between front and rear. Visibility ,however, could be better. The front windshield posts still result in blind spots in the front corners visibility fields, but a bit less so than in my older model. The head rests on the rear seats obscure visibility out of the back and rear corners. I am thankful for the rear view camera. The basic instrument read outs are conveniently located and easy to read. There are a multiple of views for monitoring fuel economy and other performance parameters which are available by scrolling through a large number of screen views using buttons and arrows an the steering wheel. These are interesting but confusing, and they create a major distraction if one attempts to change views while driving. It is best to find the view you like before starting to drive. The voice recognition technology is very poor, particularly if one is used to Siri or Googles voice recognition. Getting it to provide navigation directions is an exercise in frustration, and I find myself defaulting to the map apps on my mobile phone. Toyotas Ensue applications system is a puzzle at best. One wonders why Toyota did not opt to use Apple Car or another system from a technology provider who knows how to build these systems so that they are convenient, intuitive and helpful. The Navigation app in the car suffers from the poor voice recognition system, and there appears to be no other way to enter information into it. The vehicle comes with a daunting multi inch thick manual which I have yet to crack open. However, I think that the operation of these systems should be intuitive. The car is equipped with lane departure warning which works well. It also has collision and pedestrian avoidance systems. However, for obvious reasons one cannot test these until hey are actually needed. I have not had the car long enough to rate its reliability and service requirements, but based on my previous experience with a Prius and other Toyota models, I am expecting a very high level of reliability

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  Wanted it the first time I saw it! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By GMB - August 13 - 4:23 pm

  I just purchased this car last week and already have 400 miles on it. All I can say is: WOW! I really like the performance of the V-6, enjoy all the features (I traded in a 2000 Dodge Intrepid). I had to wait for the dealer to get one in and I had to put down a deposit. Great handling, great sound, roomy (a must for me as Im 63"). Love the option of 6 speed throw shift or going across the column to the automatic. This is the seventh car Ive owned and my first import. The handling is tremendous like Im riding on rails. Steering has great response. I tried the heated seat option for the first time and that was fantastic as well. Trim is excellent. THANKS, TOYOTA!

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  I love my Toyota T-100 - 1997 Toyota T100
  By Sportwoman - August 13 - 10:00 am

  I purchased my T-100 new in 12/97 and almost 6 years later I love it just as much as I did the day I bought it. I dont know why it wasnt such a hot seller back then because I could have sold mine at least 5 times in the past 2 years. People have actually left me notes on my truck asking me if I want to sell it. I havent had any problems with it. Its excellent in the snow and the bed is big enough to haul whatever I want. My only complaint is the front of the truck is uneven, but youd have to stare at it for awhile to notice this. This is an awesome truck and should definitely have a higher resale value.

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  THE BEST! - 2002 Toyota 4Runner
  By toy4runner - August 13 - 10:00 am

  The 2002 4runner is the sexiest looking SUV in the market. You have to agree with me on that. The 4runner is also the best offroader in the suv lineup. I used to love chevy and ford but when u drive this thing and feel its power its a totally different STORY!

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  THE CAR THAT DOES NOT DRIVE - 2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By LALA - August 13 - 10:00 am

  I HAVE HAD THE SPYDER FOR ABOUT 9 MONTHS AND HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. I HAVE THE SEQUENTIAL SHIFT AND HAVE HAD MAJOR TRANSMISSION ISSUES.

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  We love our ECHO - 2003 Toyota Echo
  By disa2k - August 13 - 10:00 am

  My husband and I drove an ECHO back in 2000 and fell in love with it; however we couldnÂ’t afford one at the time. We just bought a 2003 4dr/manual and we love it. Very roomy and you canÂ’t beat the gas mileage. We do think the manual is a little peppier than the automatic.