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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  Perfect size for me - 2004 Toyota Tacoma
  By Ron Shaw - September 17 - 2:43 am

  I bought this truck used in 06. I wanted this smaller size, not the larger size the Tacoma has become. Mine is a fairly basic truck, standard cab with air and stereo. Nothing else. It has turned out to be just what I expected. A simple truck that is very capable, with the Toyota reliability I have come to expect. I have loaded it down with 1500 pounds of bamboo flooring, and the 4 cyl 5 spd manual was not taxed at all. This truck gives you the feeling that it will do whatever you ask it to do.

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  The Good The Bad and The Ugly - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By Sorun - September 17 - 1:30 am

  Lets start with the ugly. Road noise is high, if you do not like road noise then do not buy this car! Very loud on anything but smooth pavement.

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  I hate the electric steering!! - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By braymondg - September 16 - 8:53 pm

  I bought this as a second car for my wife because she wanted a reliable vehicle and opted for the Corolla. Now I wish I would have convinced her to buy a Civic. I just deplore the electric steering. No feel whatsoever! Highway passing is a venture in itself. I found myself adjusting in the lane because of a dead spot in the wheel. Reminded me of the old Chev truck my father drove back in the sixties. Terrible! Another thing is the ride. I hate it. All this is good for is going to the grocery store. Good thing its only a few blocks away.

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  Just purchased Tacoma and Love it - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By Phillips - September 16 - 7:46 pm

  We just traded in our leased 2002 Tacoma for the 2005 model and WOW! what a huge difference in design, ride and size. The ride is like a luxury vehicle and the seats are very comfortable with the lumbar supports. My only complaint so far would be the gearshift (automatic) seems similar to that of a manual transmission with the over-down, down-over, movements to change from park/drive/etc. I imagine it just takes getting used to.

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  All the features at half the price! - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By AHTripp - September 16 - 12:26 pm

  I drive over 40k miles per year. One of the best I have every driven, with all the comfort and convenience features of cars that are $30k+. Mileage is a steady 31.5 over all kinds of terrain. Very comfortable, and no problems at 20k miles in five months. More storage room than several larger models, and very comfortable for 4 adults.

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  First owned car! - 2001 Toyota RAV4
  By Evan "Rudy" - September 16 - 9:40 am

  We bought our silver, 5-speed, L series beauty-of-a-car on Mothers Day of this year. So far we ABSOLUTLY love it! We got it with 70,311 miles and it drives like brand new! and it has 73,423 miles (as of 7/20/05) now. We havent actually tried the AWD the way it was built yet, but some friends of ours that have one says that "it drives as if there werent any snow" do Im anxious to try it out! Ive notice a hair-line crack where the plastic aluminum on the drivers door handle is. The sound is --okay. Over all Id give the car... well lets just say that Im gonna be buying another one someday! :) Its a BIG step up from 2000s model, it looks sexy!

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  My new car - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Lisa - September 16 - 7:53 am

  I love my car.It has a great body and I love the features like spoiler,alloy wheels, leather steering wheel, beautiful color (indigo ink)and I like the fuel economy. It could be better or worse but I am not complaining.I do think they should improve on the interior space.I also think they could improve on the pick-up speed of the car.It moves kinda slow but it is ok once you get going.All in all I love this car and would reccommend it to anyone.

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  Great Car - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By Brian - September 16 - 5:10 am

  This could be the best car I have ever owned if it is reliable over time. Second Hybrid for me -- first 2003 Civic Hybrid 165K miles w/ not ever a single service problem when I sold it. 2010 Prius smooth, quiet, great Bluetooth, roomy cabin, great JBL system, very sound steering and ride. I only have about 325 miles of mixed driving so far but gauge says 51.5 MPG and just under 1/2 tank.

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  Sport Truck - 2002 Toyota Tacoma
  By 01Srunner - September 16 - 5:06 am

  From the start its been a blast to drive. It handles very well, eventhough it has more body lean than I want. Still better that my previous truck. It gets 21MPG in city/highway driving, pretty much the same as my 98 Frontier. The interior is well appointed, but the clock placement is very bad. You cant see it from the drivers seat. The sport seats a very comfertable, and offer very good support for spirited driving. I wish that it had power mirrors, and a complete set of gauges.

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  epa mileage ultra conservative - 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid
  By mizzenman - September 16 - 3:28 am

  Expecting 40 mpg on my third day of ownershio I changed my style of driving to more suit the personality of the car. With three passengers achieved 43+mpg. Today, travelling rojte 9 NJ achieved 52+ mpg. Frigging amazing as I was travelling with the flow of traffic and at times accelerating beyond the lastpod. This is far superior to diesel poqedered vehicles. My comparison is based on driving from New York to Florida in a VW diesel Passat. So far, totally impressed. This is the sleeper of the century!!!