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 Truck! - 2007 Toyota Tacoma
  By Erik - December 18 - 9:10 am

  Love this truck! The truck only has 320 miles on it, but its been a joy to own so far. Lots of power, handles great, and comfortable. Rides better than my 02 Tacoma 4WD did.

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  2005 Solara - 2005 Toyota Camry Solara
  By notop4me - December 18 - 4:46 am

  Bought when we went into showroom and saw on floor. Took on test drive and fell in love with it. Have had no reason to return to dealer other than service. (oil change, etc). This is a well built car, and if you want a very comfortable highway driver and a convertible to boot, I would recommend this one.

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  So much better than I anticipated - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By ken - December 18 - 4:20 am

  For those of you who have not driven one, you will be surprised. This car has surprising acceleration and lots of space inside. The Bluetooth, MP3 jack and backup camera are a real plus. The downside is the comfort level. The seats have little support, and are not comfortable for drive that goes beyond 45 minutes.

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  Highlander is really a great vehicle - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By Evelyn Griminger - December 18 - 3:41 am

  Shop around for the best deal. Just like the last Highlander, this vehicle is excellent.

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  One of the toughest trucks in the world. - 1998 Toyota Tacoma
  By Eugene - December 17 - 6:20 pm

  I wanted an old Toyota truck ever since I went on a missions trip to Haiti a few years ago. The roads were so bad and the people were so poor there, that the only vehicles that survived were the old Toyota trucks. I bought one with 118k miles, and it has about 150k so far. The truck has been reliable, except it ran poorly for a while due to the timing belt slipping a few teeth. I blame the Toyota dealer, because they replaced the timing belt and water pump right after I got the truck. Now, I do all my own maintenance, and I hope to drive it 300k miles before any major overhaul is needed. There is no rust on the body yet. I get about 21 mpg on the highway, and it has a lot of torque.

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  Two nagging issues - 2006 Toyota Tacoma
  By Bamboo - December 17 - 11:40 am

  This truck looks awesome, the fit and finish is perfect, and for a 2.7L 4 cylinder it has plenty of get up and go. Gas mileage has been on average about 19 MPG combined. My only two complaints; between 55 - 65 MPH theres a noticable steering wheel flutter which occurs intermittantly. When using the A/C the power loss on the engine is agonizing. Enough that you have to gear down to go up any hills you would normally not have to down shift for.

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  New 2011 XLE Sienna - 2011 Toyota Sienna
  By smb224 - December 17 - 10:30 am

  Just bought this van at a great deal (guess they are anxious to move them!) Drives like my Lexus, very smooth and quiet. Had a Odyssey previously and like this van much more. On the XLE model with Navi package, pretty much every feature under the sun.

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  60,000 miles on s-speed manual - 2014 Toyota Corolla
  By Schooby - December 17 - 5:35 am

  I purchased this car brand new in Charleston, SC for $15,600. It features the 6-speed manual trans. I have just hit 60,000 miles and the car runs excellent. I average 41.6 miles per gallon, when the car was brand new it was 41.9 to 42 miles per gallon, mostly highway driving at 60 MPH. I am still on the original factory tires and they still have a decent amount of tread left. I change my oil every 5k miles using the cheapest 0W-20 full synthetic I can find usually at Napa. The main complaint is the Blue Tooth, periodically it will disconnect from my phone for no readily apparent reason. It is not the phones fault as I have had 4 different phones in this car and the blue tooth will disconnect and sometimes take 20 minutes to an hour before connecting again. Also quite frequently while parked the car will not go into reverse. You must inch the car forward in first gear to get the gears to line up for reverse. This happens abut 1 in every 4 times I need to use reverse while stopped. Not a big deal. The cup holders are in between the gear shifter and the center console arm rest, so tall drinks with straws may interfere with your forearm while shifting. I had the cruise control installed aftermarket for $400, both the brake and clutch pedal deactivate the cruise. The car isnt very fast off the line nor is it fast when passing unless you grab a much lower gear and get that engine to rev up higher. This car is designed to be affordable and reliable and it is exactly that. at 41.6 miles per gallon it is very cheap to drive. During the past 60,000 miles I have had no warranty issues at all, the only thing I had the dealership do was adjust the headlights a little bit lower. From the factory they seemed high and I was constantly having other drivers flash their high beams at me thinking I had my brights on. My wife complains that the head rest tilt her head too far forward and she flips them around while driving. I do not have this problem. She is 5ft3in tall I am 5ft8in. This is a timing chain driven engine which is a plus, no timing belts! Driving in the hills of Western NC near Ashville the car did very well on the interstate in 6th gear at 70 MPH, steep grades may require dropping into 5th gear. AC works well in 95+ heat and cools the car rather quickly

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  Great Family Car - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Susan C. Smith - December 17 - 2:10 am

  I love this van! It is perfect for my family of 5. It is fun to drive as well as easy. I commute daily and have taken it on a long road trip and have enjoyed driving it. I thought I wanted a big SUV, I had an Explorer before the Sienna. I am so glad I have this vechicle instead. The mileage is fair, however I am in commuter traffic work days.. .I do get much better mileage than my Explorer. I feel as though it is safe for my children with the built in safeties. I really cant think of a negative to say.

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  2009 Corolla S 4A - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By Chan - December 16 - 10:40 am

  Its a great car for the city and for the highway, and it definitely does draw looks from other drivers. The car picks up very quick, and brakes even quicker, its a little pricey as compared to other compacts but I feel I got my moneys worth.