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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  Mystic Gold 2004 Tacoma - 2004 Toyota Tacoma
  By Toddles - December 7 - 10:00 am

  What a great truck. Just recently traded in my 2002 Two-Door Tacoma for a 2004 Double Cab V6. Definately a great truck.. looks, styling, effcient engine... it has it all! I find myself wanting a second one even though I already have one!

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  Great BUy - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By RF48 - December 7 - 10:00 am

  First of all you can"t beat a Toyota for Dependability. The Highlander is fun to drive and very comfortable.

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  its a cup cake - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By vrginie - December 7 - 10:00 am

  very smooth,quite engine,steering is the best and braking is ver responsive.

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  Review after 7500 miles in 10 months - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By mkousen - December 7 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this minivan because of its ride and 4 wheel drive. Honda could not match either requirement. The support has been quite good, but I am displeased with the lack of power/response both in city and on the road. The city gas milage is 13 mpg and I get 21 on the road. The car keeps down shifting out of 5th gear every time I reach a mild grade when the car is set at 70 mph. Very annoying! This does not happen at 63 mph, so it is related to a lack of power. If I maintain 63 mph, the mpg goes up to 22-23 mpg. However, the turnpike speed is 65. I suspect the decreased power is related to the AWD and probably is bette

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  okay, but dont get too excited - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By no_more_sugar - December 7 - 10:00 am

  Considering it is a minivan, it looks and feels good. it has plenty cargo/passenger space and plenty cup holders. it is built for family usage, so dont expect any excitement from driving it. I wanted to get leather seatings, but they were only available in XLE model.

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  Hesitation is normal - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Wil123 - December 7 - 10:00 am

  Everything about this car is great except for the 5 speed automatic transmission. The transmission cant seem to decide what gear is correct and is always shifting. In addition, the drive-by-wire throttle combined with the transmission causes the car to hesitate when acceleration is needed most. Toyota says that hesitation is the drivers fault and that when the car is driven, the accelerator pedal must not be floored or pressed too quickly otherwise hesitation will result. Toyota told me that they may or may not address this issue in the future, but at the present time I am told that "hesitation is normal for this design".

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  My First Toyota! - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Marissa Buchanan - December 7 - 10:00 am

  This is my first Toyota and being a former Honda owner, I love it.My dealer was the greatest and made the buying process very easy, with compliments to Edmunds.I made my deal with Invoice Pricing, no problem.

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  My new car - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By Belle - December 7 - 5:46 am

  I have been driving a Ford Escort for the past 12 years and need to buy a new car. I like the deals that Toyota was offering and always knew they were great cars and believed with all the hype they would be even better. So I went to look at a car and ended up buying it right then and there!

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  Good car but ? interior quality - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Fred - December 7 - 4:00 am

  Bought it as a dealer owned certified auto with miles. Glad I didnt buy it brand new. It has served us well and is comfortable to drive. The 4 cyl does an acceptable job but is noisy. Biggest complaint is interior fit. I get plastic squeaks from the middle of the dash around the radio on about every bump and when I stress the car with stops, starts and turns. The car has a lot of pluses but not sure if this will be a long term keeper. Performance Toyota dealer did a great job accommodating us during the recall, however I am really disappointed with the loss of quality control with corporate.

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  Very nice car - 2008 Toyota Avalon
  By Marco - December 7 - 3:23 am

  As soon as I saw it, I knew that was the car I wanted. This car has almost everything (except navigation system). The ride is really smooth, you can really relax and ejoying driving even with traffic! All the features are just great and you really enjoy being inside the car! Of course outside looking at the car as well!