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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  Sun visors - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By john - September 5 - 10:43 am

  I love this car. There are two things I would like changed, mirrors that retract and an extension on the sunvisor to use on the drivers door side. The car runs great, the ride is very comfortable, and the gas mileage is great considering its size and power. The pickup is unbelievable.

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  Which Hybrid to choose.... - 2014 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By basictek - September 5 - 10:14 am

  So I did tons of research that included the new fusion, sonata/optima, new accord, and toyotas own lexus/avalon. I would have preferred a kewler/sportier fusion but the slow and unproven hybrid system turned me off, the sonata/optima are lacking in mileage, reliability, build quality, and more (my last car was 2011 sonata SE). The avalon.Lexus charge too much for the exact same engine plus better styling, more standard features, and roomier interior (which the camry is plenty big enough). This left only the new accord, which has quite a few new features never before tried on a hybrid, and a price tag about 5K more. If I had more to spend I probably would have gone this route...

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  Best Toyota - 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By d4david7 - September 4 - 9:36 pm

  Excellent quality and ride, very fun to drive. I was impressed by the power and suspension. Also, noise level is outstanding.

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  2005 4 Runner V6 SR5 - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By Sam Collie - September 4 - 4:50 pm

  I drive this SUV in 3 western states covering my sales territory. Its good balance of comfort, 4 wheel drive option, and mid-sized capability. No real complaints. Im not in love with the body style but...

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  2013 trd sport - 2013 Toyota Tacoma
  By joeguy - September 4 - 2:50 pm

  bought it certified pre owned; with 13k miles, and 100k warranty, saved 30%. mine is not a 4x4; but, Im not an off roader. No, it isnt a Tundra deluxe, but I like it. very comfortable ride; better than an SUV, great truck for those who want the best of both worlds. I dont do much hauling; if you want heavy duty, look for a Tundra, but for every day family use and utility; this is great.

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  Confirming what everyone is saying! - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By brian - September 4 - 12:26 pm

  Well, Ive waited about 5,000 miles to write this. I love the truck! The looks of the Sport Ed. is awesome. Love the 6-spoke rims! Smooth, solid, quiet ride. This thing handles excellent for an SUV and the steering feel is so tight! Brakes are good, V6 is pretty quick. Gas mileage has been about 19-20 MPG, but my last trip with 4 snowboards on the rack got me ~16 mpg. Only driven in a few inches of snow, but it handled good. Cant wait to get rid of the Dunlops tho. Best vehicle buying decision EVER!

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  I love what you do for me! Moving forward - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By 4Runner G-Black - September 4 - 8:43 am

  I have just had my 4Runner for under a week. I already love it. When I drive it I already feel the quality behind it. Maybe it has something to do with my current studies behind the legendary Toyota manufacturing process. I also like the fact that the cars parts are 95% Japanese. I feel like Im driving a luxury SUV, but then again I havent test driven the Lexus GX which costs almost twice as much! (Pretty much the same car). At any rate, I couldnt be more happy with my purchase. Too bad it seems like everyone else is buying a new 4Runner as well.

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  Best truck Ive ever had - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By martin - September 4 - 6:40 am

  I bought this truck new in December 04. It is fun to offroad in, gives me about 18 mpg. This is a way better truck than any Chevy Dodge or Ford. Ive only had 1 problem with it and it was the transmission. The transmission went bad because of bad driving habits. The Toyota dealer replaced it for free and gave me a free rental until it was complete. I tow a trailer full of dirt bikes up the mountains with no problem.

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  Reliable and - 2006 Toyota Corolla
  By drg - September 4 - 6:03 am

  By far the best engineered compact vehicle. Makes my former Ford Focus a charity case.

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  Not the Toyota I thought it would be - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By Mike D - September 4 - 4:29 am

  Having owned a few Camrys (97, 03) and Avalons (05, 08) over the years, my expectation was one of Toyota quality, however I am disappointed. Overall the SUV has two really good highlights. The first is plenty of power...plenty. This thing gets up and goes (as long as you manually take it out of "economy mode" default which causes it to run like a 4 cyl). Second is fuel economy (auto start and stop feature is annoying but all cars have it now). I travel about 30,000 miles a year and am averaging about 23 mpg. vs. 19 mpg in past Enclave (15) and 18 mpg in Explorers (12,14) I have owned. Overall fit and finish is good as with most Toyotas but here are the really frustrating things, in no particular order: 1. Whistling wind noise driving at highway speeds from passenger side window/mirror. 2. Front USB chargers are very poorly placed tucked way under the gimmicky "shelf" on dash which is not as cool as you think it would be. 3. The touch screen is too far to reach from driving position. Have to lean forward each time to make changes to audio etc. 4. Blue tooth voice command feature is very clunky, not intuitive and odd in comparison to Enclave and Explorer or any newer cars. You have to speak way too loud and give way too many commands just to make a phone call only to have them all reconfirmed in detail before dialing. 5. Sound system quality is mediocre in comparison to the Bose in Enclave mid priced model and base model system in Explorers. Volume always seems too low. 6. Tailgate is a joke. It beeps like 5 times and then begins the 5 minute opening journey. Closing is same. 5 beeps warning everyone around you your tailgate is going to close and then it takes 5 minutes to close. They seem to have countered it with the ability to open the back window as on older SUVs, but I would rather the tailgate to open and close faster. I am not just being picky, I am comparing it to a bunch of other vehicles including my sister in laws Escalade, friends X5, neighbors Q7 etc. All fast open and close. 6. Drivers seat will not go low enough for a over 6 tall driver. Thus, if you sit in normal driving position you tend to look out of the top third of the windshield. To counter, you need to lean seat back making it even more difficult to stretch to reach dash controls/touch screen. 7. "Safety sense" features are also very gimmicky. They do work, however I find myself overwhelmed by all the beeps, lights and warnings. They could get away with the side sensor lane changing lights in mirrors and the rear end collision avoidance and it would be fine. Biggest problem: when it snows, the front radar sensor and camera in grill become covered with snow, the entire dash lights up like a Christmas tree and continues to flash with warnings all over the place to make sure you pull over to clean grille and front of car clearing off safety sensors. Warning lights can not be overridden or turned off until the sensors are cleaned off. I would think it would be far more dangerous to pull over on the side of the highway in a snow storm to clean the sensors to enable the safety features on the car than it would be to drive without them. I have driven this car on two trips in the snow and both times it happened. POOR design. 8. When stopping at school or soccer practice to wait for my daughter, most recent cars I have had allow you to turn the car off and continue bluetooth phone call/listen to radio/roll down window etc until you open the door. This car cuts you off as soon as you shut it off. Very annoying. I hope this gives you some insight. Had I known about these items, I probably would have gone in a different direction. Seems Toyota has lost its edge.