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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  Laughing away from the gas pump - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Button - November 2 - 6:43 pm

  Ive had the car for 6 weeks and love it! Im getting 47 mpg in mixed driving, over twice what I was getting in old car. Great hatch, with no liftover - its easy to get things in and out. Backup camera is a must, difficult to see anything out of rear window. Would not get tan cloth interior again, shows dirt too easy. Would get leather interior, wish they would offer heated seats.

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  little fuel sipper - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By bigdoglover - November 2 - 6:10 pm

  Ive had my Yaris for about a year and a half now and she is comfy and sure sips the fuel. I average about 33 mpg in the winter and about 38 mpg in the summer. I love the cupholders in my little car! I have my backseat down all of the time and my lab jumps right in for her rides. Wish it was more comfy for long trips though.

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  Spoiler is very low - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By Nutan Jha - November 2 - 2:33 pm

  Pros: I bought Toyota Matrix because of its hatchback feature to transport kids back and forth from their college dorm. It is roomy and has lots of space inside. Cons: The spoiler is too low and I always hit and scratch it during parking. Not only that the spoiler is just a clip on and it keeps popping out. I am very disappointed due to that. I was traveling on one of the busiest bridge in New York at night and I felt I drove on something, later when I stopped at a gas station I discovered that the right spoiler was missing and the left spoiler was hanging out. I had to stop at a gas station to tie a string to it.

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  Update - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By Joel Hall - November 2 - 12:03 pm

  This review is to update my previous review. Please take your 2009 Corolla for a highway test drive - I wish I had. Toyota Canada can not fix a vibration / shudder at highway speeds. I have had it in numerous times for repairs - even a team from L.A. could not resolve the problem . Apparently Japan is looking for a "fix". I am picking up my brand new GM product tomorrow - Toyota has lost a customer for life. I was pleased with the effort Toyota made in the repairs but totally disappointed in the end result - they simply left me hanging with a defective car.

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  Excellent Four - Anyone - 2005 Toyota RAV4
  By Haggis - November 2 - 10:30 am

  Traded an 03 Highlander for this Rav4. Con: Less room, not as soft a ride. Pros: Who needs anything larger than this fourbanger ? Peppy, responsive, highly maneuverable and keeps pace on the freeway with the best of the lot. A very fun vehicle to drive (great turning radius for an SUV). Typical Toyota, interior and exterior, fit and finish very well done.

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  Avarage - 2016 Toyota Corolla
  By AJ - November 2 - 4:38 am

  Underpower needs more under the hood

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  Old Reliable - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By Jsmiles - November 2 - 4:13 am

  Ive had my Camry for three months now. This is what I call an everyday sedan, from Japan, so-so styling, comfortable interior, safe, good resale value, and reliable. The car meets all of that and more. This car is one of the most comfortable cars Ive ever owned, and Ive had a newer camry from 2002, and this car handles better than my 2002 camry. Its a normal sedan, not too over the top, and not too boring, its just a good car to get you from point A to point B. I love this car, and will trade up in a couple of years.

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  STALL OUT WHILE DRIVING!!! - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Joe - November 2 - 1:52 am

  This is my 5th Toyota and 3rd TRD off road 4x4. It has stalled out on me 4 times ( once making a left turn and almost got hit) Toyota has had if for a total of 6 weeks of my 10 months of ownership. The last time it was in for 4.5 weeks so the Toyota engineers could look at it and the answer was they tightened some loose connections. I am not feeling real confident with this truck or the Toyota company. Soon as it is lemoned I am most likely buying a Chevy Colorado, only because of Toyota customer service

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  Fun Little Car - 2010 Toyota Matrix
  By Happy Owner - November 1 - 9:36 pm

  This is a peppy little car thats not so little. Lots of room for kids, groceries, or whatever you need to haul around. Its fun to drive, has a great safety rating and it doesnt look like a "mom" vehicle. Tint the windows and even the base model is quite sporty looking.

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  2003 Toyota 4runner Limited V8 4wd - 2003 Toyota 4Runner
  By MTS - November 1 - 6:10 pm

  Great vehicle. I bought it as a dealer demo with 7500 miles on it for about $6k off sticker ($36k). Only a few minor probs, the side mirrors had a weird glare and those were replaced (free warranty), few probs with actuators (free under ext warranty - doors wouldnt lock), a/c clutch relay switch replaced (125 P&L). Blower motor may need to be replaced any day (used heavily/daily). At 105k miles had water pump and timing belt replaced -preventative maintenance only. I put about 22k miles annually on this vehicle and love it. It always starts and goes. Have taken few trips to places from Bay Area to Canada (BC), San Diego, Yosemite, Vegas, Bakersfield, Arizona. Has hauled many things. Good vehicle. 17.4 avg mpg