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:

• 

  Toyota - Need I say more? - 1997 Toyota 4Runner
  By Wild_Bill - January 2 - 10:00 am

  It just doesnt get any better than this. If youre shopping for a used one you definitely want to look for a rear locker if plan on off-roading.

• 

  No problems... - 2002 Toyota RAV4
  By BigEd - January 2 - 10:00 am

  Ive had this car for a little over 2 months now and am very pleased with it. Its fun to drive, handles well, and gets great gas mileage (for an SUV). Recommended!

• 

  Love my SECOND Sequoia - 2002 Toyota Sequoia
  By linde1969 - January 2 - 10:00 am

  This is the second Sequoia for me. I have a 2001 Limited 4Xr and a 2002 Limited 4X4. I bought these trucks for one reason... Toughness!!! I go "mudding" every weekend and those monsters have gotten me out of some pretty touch situation. As you might imagine. I beat the heck out of those trucks. To date, the only problem that I have had is scratched paint!!

• 

  Best 4Door Compact Crew (IMHO) - 2002 Toyota Tacoma
  By wsnoble - January 2 - 10:00 am

  The truck is great. The only thing I think Toyota can do is consider more HP from the V6 and use better quality seat fabric. Other than that this thing is great. This truck is teh swiss army knives on compact trucks and with Toyota build quality and reliability, it it quite clearly the best choice in the segment

• 

  Body shaping - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By dealer - January 2 - 10:00 am

  The car is very nice to drive, excellent engine and really impressive interior design.

• 

  Highlander sets the standard bar "high" - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By tjvatsa - January 2 - 10:00 am

  Highlander looks very elegant from outside as well as inside. The VVTI V6 engine is really peppy and powerful. At low speeds @15 mph or so, there is an ocassional rattle type sound coming from the steering wheel column. At highway speeds the wind noise is high.

• 

  A great find!! - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By lfmbhm29 - January 2 - 6:36 am

  I picked up my car on 3/30. My dealer had to trade for the color I wanted, Gray Metallic. I rode along with the transporter to make sure he kept the speed under 65. He was wonderful, and kept it under 60. I had the opportunity to listen and watch as he drove. At most times you had a hard time knowing if the car had not stalled, since it was so quiet. We drove 100 miles back to the dealer and it averaged 38 mpg. On my drive home, it averaged 41 mpg. It had little road noice since it comes with Michelin Energy MXV4-S8s. I also have a 2006 Camry Solara SLE Convt. I will never again buy anything but Toyota!!

• 

  Excellent Truck - 2008 Toyota Tacoma
  By Northerner - January 2 - 4:46 am

  Overall very happy I bought this truck - Ive wanted it since I was 16, so its about time! After 2k miles, averaging 18 mpg, w/ a range of 15.5 to 21 for city/highway driving. Definitely rides like a truck. Very happy with 4x4 performance - safely got me & my friends to the mountain w/o any problems. Double cab rocks. Great engine. Not very comfortable on long highway rides - a 4 hour trip to Boston was not comfortable. A minor complaint: my right toe almost always hits the wiring harness directly above the brack pedal when I switch my foot from gas to brake (size 9.5 boot)...FYI. Again, though, very happy I bought this truck - it IS the vehicle that drives by you that you wish you had.

• 

  still going strong - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By KunkyMonkey - January 2 - 4:30 am

  Had been a truck person my whole life but took a new job with a lot of miles on the road and couldnt handle to cost of gas with my pickup. I bought this car with 60k on it and have it up too 209k now. Motor and trans run super strong and I get about 35 mpg on the freeway. Very reliable and drive about 5-600 miles a week on it. I change the oil regularly with ease and havent had one problem with the motor. Only problem is the driver door handle on the inside broke and have to roll down the window to open the door from the outside. Also replaced the rear struts at 190k but did it myself with ease. I highly recommend this car to anyone that wants a great car with great mpg

• 

  Great Car - decided to keep driving it - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By Happy Camper - January 2 - 4:26 am

  I purchased my !st Corolla in 1989 (a 1984 for 3K with 45k miles on it) That car lasted me for 7 years with no problems. It finally died in 1996. I would have been happy if it lasted 3 years. Then I owned a Honda Accord from 1996 to 2004. I can not remember the problems but I was not nearly as satisfied with my Honda. I went back to the Toyota Corolla in 2004 and have been happy ever since. I purchased the car used with 12k miles. It now has 123k and I have not had a single problem. Just routine maintenance, replaced tires, oil, transmission fluid, batteries. I just love the great gas mileage. With gas at 3.00/gal, I fill it up for about 25 and go almost all week.