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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  Land Cruiser Legend - 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By Maximiliano Valencia - October 21 - 5:46 pm

  Im from Venezuela, and this is the best suv you can have in this country, it manages everything, here a normal street is an off road challenge, but the land cruiser pass through it. Excellent for hard conditions, you can find this suv from Africa to south america. From asia to middle east, is just great. You can never go wrong with a land cruiser.

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  Best Minivan out there - 2008 Toyota Sienna
  By Holajn - October 21 - 4:33 pm

  I come from a family of minivan users. Of all, the Toyota Sienna is probably the best one we have driven yet. It was priced cheaper than common competitors like the Honda Odyssey and Nissan Quest. The Sienna has outstanding power, it can get to 60 mph no problem (under 7 seconds to be exact!). Unfortunately, my family was involved in a severe accident in February 2009 with this minivan. We rolled over at 40 mph, thankfully nobody was injured. This car is incredibly safe. The stabilizer bars in the roof and doors kept the car very sturdy during the rollover.

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  2008 Toyota Corolla - 2008 Toyota Corolla
  By Suddhatma Mukherjee - October 21 - 8:10 am

  The Toyota Corolla is not a fast car but is powerful enough for daily city drives and occasional holiday outing. It is more of a touring car rather than a racer or a rally car. The steering is superb with fine cornering abilities. Only the power for engine is a small let down. City driven mileage is 9.86 kmpl but highway driven mileage is 11.0 kmpl.

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  Love it - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By CamryBuff - October 21 - 7:43 am

  This car has 223k on it and it runs great. Leaks a little bit of oil and the engine has a small problem but that can only be expected after so long. I am looking to upgrade to a newer Camry as I am just waiting for this one to die. Dont understand why Toyota doesnt still make these though.

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  A Classic - 1993 Toyota Camry
  By Alice - October 21 - 5:22 am

  This soon to be antique is still a good reliable daily drive 23 years out. Toyota built a luxury comfortable car with all the bells and whistles that is sturdy and reliable like a work horse

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  toy cutie - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By toyoters - October 21 - 1:26 am

  Outstanding car to have. Better than my BMW X5 in terms of quality and cost to drive

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  Great Truck - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By Walterj7 - October 20 - 1:53 pm

  The 4 dr instead of access cab is such an improvement that along with the extended cab and 66" bed I feel that I truly have the best of both worlds. While its the small V8, I have never felt underpowered and actually have to watch it from over accelerating and burning rubber. Along with the looks, driving is a great rush. I would advise anyone to take a hard look at the Tundra DC 4.7,4WD, its not too shabby. Cant believe how nice this truck is, even my wife loves it.

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  A truck to depend on - 2003 Toyota Tundra
  By muvico - October 20 - 12:43 pm

  This truck has been reliable 100%. Its been used and abused, but still runs like new. The bad: the engineer that designed the back seat was probably 4 feet short, fuel efficiency, this truck was not designed with fuel efficiency in mind. But If you dont have a big family is ok. My dogs love the back seat. Im looking forward for many more years of driving this truck.

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  Two Months now - 2009 Toyota Matrix
  By JC - October 20 - 9:23 am

  I brought this after having a Toyota Camry wagon for years, and a Subaru Outback for past 7 years. In two months I have put only 1500 on it. I love this car, got 34 with NO AC on a longer trip, getting 20-22 around town. Both above EPA estimates for this 2.4 auto. Love the handling and pep, the styling is distinctive and attractive, many compliments. On the practical side, hey I never buy a vehicle I cant sleep in, and this is no exception with lots of room, love the folding FPassenger seat. Roofrack is study for bike. Its a sporty hatchback/small wagon, and a welcome change from poor mileage with Subaru AWD, which I do not need in Central Virginia.

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  The best car that Ive ever owned! - 1992 Toyota Camry
  By Minnesota - October 19 - 10:16 pm

  My 1992 Toyota Camry is the best car that Ive ever owned. I have over 166,000 miles on it and its still as reliable as when it was new. Its a 4 cylinder that gets great gas mileage plus it starts even on a cold Minnesota winter day.