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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  Indigo Inkin - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By inki - June 17 - 2:00 am

  This car was made for me! I waited through the Focus, Civic, PT Cruiser -- Toyota wins the hatchback revival contest with this one.

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  XRS great car but it uses premium gas - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By tdvr - June 17 - 2:00 am

  The XRS is very stylish. It has a lot of power for hills. Interior features are great. Note, when you get this vehicle that it uses premium gas (octane > 91). The ride, with the "sport tuned suspension" is a bit choppy on the highway.

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  Lovin It So Far! - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By MatrixGotMe - June 17 - 2:00 am

  Just bought the Matrix XR over the weekend and I must say that I really like it. I got the FWD automatic because shifting bites in DC traffic and because its intended to be the "family car". I would have gotten the XRS but I figure if I wanted a bigger engine then I would have gotten a sports car. People look at the car everywhere I go and its because its a great looking car.

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  Hard to beat - 2002 Toyota Tacoma
  By RoDilander - June 17 - 2:00 am

  I sat in all the available 4 door small pickups - both front AND back. Im 62 and the Toyota was the only one I was comfortable in. Ive since ridden long distances in the back with no problems. I could not bare the look of the Nissan truck - too much styling going on there. Ford SportTrac- theres something really wrong with the way that truck looks. Chevrolet -well its a GM. This was my first Toyota and foreign car purchase.

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  Loaded Highlander Limited - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By Tony B. - June 17 - 2:00 am

  I have now had my 2002 Highlander Limited for 1 week and am absolutely impressed with the ride, build quality and performance of this car. Six months ago I traded our 99 Lexus RX300 for another car for my wife. The Highlander is our second car and I see many similarities between it and the RX300. This truely surpised me considering a new RX will cost around $40k and I paid invoice of $29k for my Highlander! I cannot say enough good things about the 2002 Highlander Limited!

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  My Second Corolla - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By Dottie Mitchell - June 17 - 2:00 am

  I now have 740 miles on my 2003 LE Corolla. I am very happy with the car. So far there have been no problems with anything on the car. It drives like a luxury car; has a great stereo system; handles beautifully and is a great choice for anyone with a family.

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  Lexus Quality at a Toyota price - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By kris moyce - June 17 - 2:00 am

  This new 2003 Corolla has all the room I need. It has a great ride, quick, great on gas and the fit and the best fit and finish I have ever seen on a car of this price point. I know it will last our 1989 went 531,000 before we gave it to the kid next door and he still drives it. Great job Toyota.

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  Great car - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By en - June 17 - 2:00 am

  We had our Corolla for 4 years now ( its a 2000MY VE 5 speed ) and we put 65000km on it, it never let us down.There was never any problems with it, it still runs on original tires and brakes. I have a feeling that this car will run forever even after 4 years it feels as solid as new. However these cars lack the driving excitment mainly because of the the soft suspension, it makes the car dance on highway with strong winds and body roll is big.

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  Blind spots - 2010 Toyota Sienna
  By Valerie - June 16 - 7:43 pm

  I sorely regret trading in my 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan Sport for this car. The visibility in the caravan was excellent. The Toyota Sienna has a large blind spot on the left. I have had more close calls in this car than I did in 10 years in the Caravan. Also, the trim between the windshield and the right window is wide and creates another blind spot. A third blind spot is created when it is snowing and the windshield wipers do not clear the far sides of the windshield. It is also difficult to see out of the rear window. I regret not having the Caravan accessed by a garage before trading it in. It was a mistake for me to lose the Caravan for this car. I feel unsafe.

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  Love my RAV4! - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By bright_eyes - June 16 - 6:36 pm

  My RAV4 is so fun to drive. It has enough oomph getting on freeway ramps even with the four-cylinder model. Ive had great mileage; 22 in town and 27 on the highway. Of course, anything has to be better than the 1997 Mercury Mountaineer I had before. :-) Even with FWD, living in the snowy Midwest, although its a little squirrelly, Ive been able to get around just fine.