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 near perfect balance - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Hybridguy - April 23 - 12:53 am

  So far this car is way more than we expected. We traded in our 99 Audi A6 gas guzzler for what we expected would be a a more frugal but inferior ride. We were surprised to find that our Camry Hybrid is both fuel efficient and a pleasure to drive.

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  Loved my last one! Stepped up to a snazzier model! - 2016 Toyota RAV4
  By TS - April 22 - 2:29 pm

  On a whim I traded up for more style than my 2012 Rav 4 which I loved. My new Rav 4 has some additional safely features to help with back up and blind spot, the technology meets my needs, the ride is smooth and quieter than the past model, and It is more sleek in appearance. Its snazzy!

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  Great Truck - 2006 Toyota Tacoma
  By michael H. Schneider - April 22 - 9:46 am

  I saw a picture and description of the X-Runner in Car & Driver magazine. I liked what I saw - a sharp looking, performance oriented truck with a sports car handling package and a 6-speed manual transmission with ground effects to round out the package. All this and Toyota quality. Also, the interior is excellent including controls, gauges and comfort. Seats are great, stereo system excellent as well. Exterior fit and finish (desert sand pearl) are of the best quality I have seen. Before I purchased this truck I questioned quite a few Tacoma owners and all had positive comments. Thanks for a great truck

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  Almost Perfect - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Pat - April 22 - 7:33 am

  It was a toss up between Corolla and Civic. Both have documented quality, comparable MPG and priced competitively. The Corolla won out and Ive been very pleased since. I have 27,000 miles so far with only minor complaints. Overall the Corolla is tight, surprisingly quiet for an economy car and the best gas mileage short of a hybrid. Ive noticed the prices have gone up considerably since I purchased mine, but its still a great car for the price. If youre a "bang for the buck" kind of person, this is the car for you.

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  Its been perfect - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Sara - April 22 - 1:53 am

  Ive been driving my 2004 Camry for 4.5 years now and have never had a single problem with any part of the car. I see another Camry in my future!

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  Wasent Looking - 2002 Toyota Tacoma
  By Diana - April 21 - 8:16 pm

  I wasent considering this truck until I drove it. I must confess my narrowness of mind while shopping and only looking at the full size trucks. I love this truck and I would purchase another one without hesitation. It also fits into my garage easier than the big trucks which was a safety/security concern for me.

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  This car deserves better press! - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By Jon - April 21 - 10:00 am

  A great, well-designed little car. Very comfortable for me (Im 62", 220#) with more headroom than my Dads minivan and more knee room than my friends Mazda 3. As a tall person who usually finds the steering wheel partially blocking the speedometer, I actually found the center-mount speedo an improvement. Have driven the car through Wyoming blizzards and ugly urban commutes and found it pleasant, sturdy and nimble. It also holds a lot, like me, my 2-man crew, 2 tool boxes, & 25 gallons of paint (never thought the Yaris would muscle in on my pick-up!). Best mileage Ive had was 42mpg on a run between S.F. and Reno. The worst was 25 mpg in urban stop & go commuting (using no freeways at all).

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  Its good enough so far - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By Duder - April 21 - 10:00 am

  I bought the little hatch back because I needed its versatility and high fuel economy. The seat isnt exactly comfortable but supports my back better than the competition. I like its French Styling with its typical center mounted speedometer. All the storage bins are great and so is the extensible sun visor. The optional arm rest is well positioned for me and I like that the center console doesnt rob knee room. The thing that irritates me the most are all the rattles and vibrations that come and go. The good side of this annoyance is that it keeps me just irritated enough on long trips to keep me wide awake. In this respect the rattles add to the safety of the car.

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  Great SUV, but hybrid may not be worth it - 2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By Michael - April 21 - 4:45 am

  The Highlander Hybrid is comfortable and looks great inside and out. The "hybrid" part so far is a big disappointment in terms of performance and gas mileage. On long drives, we have simply decided to forego Eco Mode and avoid what feels like a battle between car and driver otherwise. Our gas mileage so far has been 25.5mpg at best and 19mpg at worst during a long trip between northern and southern California. Eco mode on the long trip only improved this by 2mpg. So, unless you need to cross the 6,000gvwr for business reasons, I don;t see any advantage to the hybrid.

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  Excellent Family Vehicle - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By Ketan - April 21 - 4:10 am

  This is one of the best Minivan available.True value for money 3.3L very smooth/comfertable ride . Spacious interior Ideal family vehicle. Lots of storage. very stable ride even in very heavy snowfall