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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  A Great SUV - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By Ryan S - October 31 - 10:00 am

  Weve owned our Hilander for almost 3 years now and had to take to the dealer once because the sunglass holder broke. Other than that this vehicle has been by far the best SUV weve ever owned. We plan on keeping it for several more years, and most likely will by another one, this time with the third row seating.

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  Good decision. - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By CoosBayDave - October 31 - 10:00 am

  Gave my 88 Camry to our daughter with 420,000 miles on the clock, bought a 2003 and love it. We have 72,000 trouble free miles on it. Much more room, more comfortable. Put a hitch on it and often pull a small trailer, mileage goes down to 20, normally its 30mpg. Have had no problems with the car or the 3 Toyota dealerships weve used. You could spend a lot more and not get a better car.

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  Buying The Best - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By CFF - October 31 - 10:00 am

  The Sienna is simply the best Minivan out there as I shopped for a Sienna and an Odyessey. It was close but we are so happy with the Sienna. Unfortunately, our buying experience was not a pleasant one at our local Toyota Dealer but we bought the Sienna in spite of the typical challenging buying experience at a Toyota dealer.

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  Best car for money - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Vic - October 31 - 8:16 am

  Ive had mine only 5 months, but love it so far and consider it to be the most car on the road for the money. It is not a "muscle car" but has more than enough power, handles great, well behaved, and is what I wanted in a sedan. Its a pleasure to drive. I simply cannot think of a single complaint. Id buy it again with no hesitation -- and Im happy with the dealership.

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  Best Small SUV - 2008 Toyota RAV4
  By Tom - October 31 - 5:33 am

  Quiet, smooth, powerful - excellent fit and finish inside and out. Evaluated all other small SUVs on the market and none really came close. Far and away the best engine. Amazing interior capacity. Averaging 25 mpg combined city/highway driving.

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  Cruddy "leather" seat - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By J Carlson - October 30 - 11:53 am

  The side panel of the leather side is vinyl and cracks near the seam. Im on my second replacement. I use the heated seat in the winter that may be causing problems? Also, the drivers side window is difficult to control how far opens.

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  Great vehicle - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By merrel - October 30 - 10:26 am

  All my life I drove large luxury cars for business and pleasure. Now retired and gas over $4 gal, sold my Jaguar and love this tiny car. High quality, 38-40 mpg, well built! Slight adjustment getting used to. Very economical and fun to drive.

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  2006 Toyota Solara - 2006 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Scoobline - October 30 - 10:23 am

  A fun car to drive, and the car handles and responds very well; so far the car handles and responds very well in the snow. The car has power when you need it, and the fuel economy is better than expected: ~24 City (Winter ~19, car needs to warm up) and ~34 Highway. The car is very quiet, and the ride is great, although the suspension is a bit stiffer then Im use too (Im use to driving a sedan).

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  Fantastic! - 2002 Toyota Tacoma
  By Shane Keenan - October 30 - 7:24 am

  This truck was my first car i had a 2002 Tacoma TRD off-road limited and it ran with 258,000 miles on it until i rolled it into a ditch, and even after the accident the cab stayed intact, i landed upside down and all that affected the cab was the center of the windshield and the sunroof bent in a few inches. Would not own any other truck!

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  20 K in 8 mos - 2012 Toyota Corolla
  By 12db - October 29 - 9:39 pm

  Test drove the Elantra, Mazda 3, Sonata, Fusion, and the Mazda 6 before going Corolla again. Eight months old and just hit 20K on the odometer for my 12 base model. The car has zero issues, and is a great commuter with occasional long trips. My other Corolla is a 03. As it should be the 12 is noticeably quieter, comes with ESC and ABS not on the 03. Its basically same engine, but 12 seems tuned for more power -- as the 03 would have noticeable power drop when using AC. Even with more power, regularly getting 33 to 35 average MPG on each tank full on the 2012.