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 toy - 2005 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By Mia Andrews - March 27 - 11:30 am

  Its a great car. so much fun. the only thing i would change on it is the suspension. needs to be tighter. i guess it would be a lot more fun too if it had a little more ponies in the "trunk" if you will.

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  Great Handling - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By Al - March 27 - 9:36 am

  We replaced My wifes 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee with our new RAV4. We live in the Hills in Connecticut and our 2.5L 4-cyl climbs the hills very well - so much better then our previous Jeep. Handling is superb. Gas mileage has been averaging 22.5 mpg, which is a little bit disappointing. Would highly recommend the mud guards which are about $58.00 at dealers cost. They prevent road grime being tossed up the side of the vehicle. Also they are easy to install. Overall this vehicle is a great buy for the money.

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  Great Buy...Most reliable car! - 2006 Toyota Matrix
  By mn1vikfan - March 27 - 6:50 am

  The 2006 Toyota Matrix XR has been the best purchase I have ever made. I enjoy climbing into my Matrix and driving the busy streets of Chicago. I find its acceleration to be very impressive for a wagon its size. The shifting is very smooth. Most of all, I think I like the sharp, crisp handling of the 2006 Matrix XR. This car just has such attitude when driving a aggressive road. It seems to laugh at the competition. Overall, I give the Toyota Matrix XR a grade of A++! Great job Toyota, and keep up the good work with these new sharp looking models you are introducing. P.S.- Let me know if you need help test driving any models...I love these rides!

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  Great Truck - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By shock93 - March 27 - 4:20 am

  Bought the 2005 Toyota Tacoma Base with A/C and 15" wheels, have not owned it long but a great truck. I had a 1985 Toyota Truck bought new and put 150k on the clock. If you a looking for an inexpensive vehicle for a homeowner this is it.

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  Exception Sport Edition - 2007 Toyota 4Runner
  By JonInWA - March 27 - 3:56 am

  As a Realtor, I needed a vehicle that can get into interesting places, regardless of weather, be safe and reliable, and also present a good professional image. I deliberately chose the mid-level Sport Edition - I liked the larger disc brake rotors, the X-REAS suspension, the cloth seats, and the side tube steps. We special ordered ours. I wanted the navigation system, side airbags and sunroof primarily. The 4Runner is the ONLY vehicle that Ive had (including Jaguar, Mercedes, Mazda, Volvo, Honda and Nissan that was (and has been) absolutely flawless. Great driver and 4WD system.

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  fun ride - 2010 Toyota Venza
  By jade97 - March 27 - 3:36 am

  just bought my 2010 venza. Love the style outside. Im not to fond of the plastic on top of the dashboard. I went for the 4 cylinder because I dont need too much power. ITs really a fun ride. Love the bluetooth hands free. Sales people and delivery people wonderful! Great lease deal too

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  Amazing! - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Brian - March 26 - 7:56 pm

  I just bought my 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid! I am so excited! This car is amazing, I love sitting at a red light and hearing nothing! No noise at all! Dead silence. I love trying to see how long I can go on the battery motor. I had mine built with specific options, leather/nav/moon roof. I also had added by the manf. (not dealer installed) side moldings, spoiler, and sat. radio. I would highly suggest getting this added by manf. not dealer. It looks great! Black on tan. I highly suggest you buy this car.

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  2nd one, and love it more! - 2011 Toyota Avalon
  By ncee - March 26 - 12:59 pm

  Well my 2008 Touring Model was nice, but bot, this 2011 Limited Edition is just great. I would have never expected it to be that much smoother, quieter, more comfortable then the 08, but man IT IS! Now I had been considering a used LS 460 L, and if they had come to my terms, I would be owning one. Not sure if this would have been a bad / good thing. The LS L was a 2008 with 22,000 miles (45,000 less then my Avalon), and a great car, but a bit more and I had a budget I was going to stay with. Now the local Toyota dealer had just purchased a lot of promotional / print matter from us, so it did sway me a bit. Bottom line, right now I Love the car. Is there things Id like changed - yes

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  Just right (almost) - 2010 Toyota 4Runner
  By Mr. Eclectic - March 26 - 5:20 am

  I was looking for a body-on-frame SUV with excellent reliability and good mileage. So far, so good! The ride quality is great for a truck and road/wind noise is low. I find the driver comfort high, but suspect that it could be a challenge for those over 62". Vehicle handling is very good for a tall, truck-based platform. Worst feature - the iPod control is a joke. Scrolling through songs/artists is done in chunks, each set taking about 2 seconds! Further, it goes back to the "A" position after you start a song. I quickly abandoned that route and use the iPod through the AUX input. The Toyota software developers should be ashamed of themselves.

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  2004 Land Cruiser - A Winner! - 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By monkey man - March 26 - 2:00 am

  This is our fourth Land Cruiser and I can not speak well enough about it. What you notice first is the engineering. Everything in the Land Cruiser is well engineered and quality. Performance is good with the V8, ride is excellent both in town and on the Interstate. Breaking is outstanding. Handling is very good at low speeds with cornering a bit mushy as hou would expect in a vehicle of this size. Overall creature comforts are excellent. We did remove the third row seats as we need the space for equipment. The off road ability of the Land Cruiser is amazing as its handling in bad weather and snow.