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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  Great little car - 2002 Toyota Prius
  By spock42 - July 31 - 2:00 am

  This car has the smallest turn radius of any car Ive ever driven--smaller even then our miata. Tooling around in electric mode with the continuously variable transmission is a lot of fun. Parking it is a dream as well--reverse gear is all electric and you have such fine control of the acceleration on the electric, not anything like the surge from a gas engine.

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  The Corollinator as shes well known as. - 1997 Toyota Corolla
  By Jon Austin - July 31 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car out of college cause it was a decent looking car and it had all the options extra options I was looking for like CD, power roof, alloy wheels, spoiler, wood trim, etc. at 12, 000 mi. I detailed cars for a living through school and she gets a good hows your father once a summer. It now has 93,000 and Ive only had to put one set of front brakes and tires on it. Thats it. I took it in for brakes at 60k and they told me "Nah, you got another 20 some odd thousand left on them. To this day, the car has a great finish, one crack in the vinyl on the side of the drivers seat. If you want a decent car that runs like a tank....Corollinator!

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  NICE RIDE - 1999 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Dawk Weed - July 31 - 2:00 am

  I have had great success with my 1999 Toyota Solara SLE. I change the oil every 3500 miles and I only deal with Toyota for servicing my vehicle. The car is a dream to drive and it looks sharp too! I have leather power seats, moon roof, side air bags, nice cd player and an excellent resale value on it. Very nice car

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  Love my convertible!!! - 2003 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Cmeotalia@aol.com - July 31 - 2:00 am

  I cant find one thing I do not thouroughly enjoy about this car. It is smooth running, heavy feeling, great power and makes me feel good to drive. I always wanted a convertible and am so glad I choose this one.

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  Fabulous car - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By yankeeddl - July 31 - 2:00 am

  This car is just a joy to drive. Its a mix of suv, car and station wagon. Very distinctive styling.

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  Oh, what a feeling - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By AlnVilma - July 31 - 2:00 am

  Toyota quality comes shining through in fit, finish and function. Everything seems so well thought out. If you are not afraid to be a little different, this car wont disappoint you. After a few miles, everything feels pretty natural. For me, it makes driving fun again w/o the need for raw performance or volume (noise). All the gadgets, "greenness" and fantastic mileage are frosting on the cake.

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  Toyota prius 2004 - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By palsal301 - July 31 - 2:00 am

  Ive only had it for 3 weeks, but know its the mjost fun to drive of any car Ive had.

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  Sludgemobile - 2001 Toyota Sienna
  By NewSludgeVictim - July 31 - 2:00 am

  My Sienna developed engine sludge at 80,000 miles and is now at the dealer getting repaired. Unfortunately, they arent replacing the engine so who knows how soon the problem may return. Along with the squealing brakes when you come to a stop, now I have smoke bellowing from my exhaust when I start the engine cold. Im very disappointed with the way Toyota has handled this - first misdiagnosing the problem then trying to blame me. Fortunately I have my receipts showing changes every 4500-5500 miles so they couldnt get away with that on me. But it didnt stop them from trying. It is enough to make me take my business to Honda or Nissan.

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  Brake Trouble? - 2000 Toyota Tundra
  By scattytarheel - July 31 - 2:00 am

  Ive gone through 2 sets of disk brakes due to poor design of brake components by Toyota - or some other unknown reason. My Tundra was repaired at 29,000, but the service department had received a "bulletin" that this problem (vibration in steering wheel during braking) would possibly occur. My previous truck was a different make, but I was able to drive 98k miles on the original manufactures brakes.

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  Good Commuter - 2004 Toyota RAV4
  By AlJ - July 31 - 2:00 am

  Good handling, milege, breaks. Vehicle stability control and traction control terrific for this class vehicle. Wold prefer a six, not because it does not have enough pep but because it wouldnt have to work as hard. Interior is a little tight. If room in back is paramont, you can probably make a better choice.