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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  Fun car - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By stapler31 - August 2 - 10:00 am

  This car is fun to drive if you have open roads. It seems to be wasted on island driving. Ive had a problem with the paint chipping easily. One of the power window motors failed but was replaced under warranty. Overall though, this is a great car to own.

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  Perfectly refined non-sports car. - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By fastcarz - August 2 - 10:00 am

  Bought my Solara as a Certified Used Vehicle. Upgraded to full-coverage 100,000-mile warranty for cheap! It has been a dream so far. It is the perfect combination of class, refinement, sportiness, and luxury. Considered Accord Coupe, but the Accords ride is harsh and the interior unrefined. The Solaras handling and performance are far better than expected for such a large, smooth car. Its not intended to be a sportscar. It is, however, a great year-round vehicle to please even a car enthusiast when the true sportscars are in the garage.

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  2001 camry LE - 2001 Toyota Camry
  By MtSnow - August 2 - 10:00 am

  Well, this car is pretty reliable. Have not had major problem with it, Except for 3 times the check-engine light came on. The first time was becasue I didt tighten the gas tank gap properly. the 2nd time it went on, have autozone peps check the reason for me, it says something about transmission fault. I dont quite remember what it was. They deleted the code for me, I thought It was just because I didt tighten the gao properly again. but then, 3 days after that, the check engine light came on again. Had to take it to a toyota dealership, they checked and told me they do not know what the problem is and the car is fine. weird!

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  So many problems - 2004 Toyota Tacoma
  By BrianWilliams - August 2 - 10:00 am

  I thought the vehicle (because it was built by the Japanesse) would be of high quality. Complete junk, exterior trim is already peeling off, transmission (torque convertor?) struggles when excelerating and decelerating on the highway with an automatic and if I hear a mechanic at the dealer say "thats a tacoma for ya" one more time Ill smack him. Buyer Beware on this type of engine, all the problems have been engine and exterior, nothing else seems to be wrong. Also getting a pretty bad rattle at 25K and its leaking coolant, back to the dealer again.

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  Fun SUV - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By Love My 4-Runner - August 2 - 10:00 am

  The 4 Runner is fast and handles well on the road. Braking is great. I use to own a Suburban and dont regret lossing cargo room for a better built SUV. I get better gas mileage then the sticker stated, on the Hwy doing 75-80 I get 19.5 - 20.2 miles per gallon. In town I have been getting 18.1. The ride is smooth & very little road noise for a SUV.

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  Versatile vehicle - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By Phil Conners - August 2 - 10:00 am

  So far its been great...easy to drive, spacious, nicely designed.

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  Overrated vehicle - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By nomorecamrys - August 2 - 10:00 am

  After three years and 57k miles with this car I will be trading in this Camry for an 05 Grand Prix. Since I travel up to 400 miles in a day, I need a car that fits my 511", 200lb frame. The Camry seats are in a word terrible! Seat cushion is too short and lacks ANY support. Tires WORE OUT at 25k mi, but no loss, as they were poor performers dry or wet. Even with better tires the Camry NEVER FEELS CONNECTED to the road. Too much body roll. The car is BORING to drive. The interior plastic parts BUZZ on a bumpy road. The car is skittish in crosswinds; keep gas full and ballast in trunk. JBL radio mumbles. Steering wheel hums when turned. Rotten-egg exhaust smell.

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  Great Toyota Experience - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By CLM - August 2 - 10:00 am

  I was trading in my Blazer that Ive had for 7 years and debating the Corolla or Mazda3. I test drove and investigated both and the Corolla was 100x the value. Deciding factor was Culver City Mazda vs Manhattan Beach Toyota experience...like going from hell to heaven. And then the car...what a zippy, fun car! Why have I wasted 7 years in a tank?! I love my Corolla and everyone keeps telling me their "my Toyota has never had problems" stories. I love the burlwood finishes, gives the interior a nicer feel. Low external noise compared to other cars in its class.

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  Needs work - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By meg - August 2 - 6:36 am

  Has been very reliable, gas mileage could def. be better for such a small vehicle. Family of four is comfortable on short travel, bit cramped in long travel. Does have good capacity in hatch to carry things. Many issues with interior, but none mechanically. Very loud street noise and is very rough ride as all Toyotas are in my opinion. Overall have 80,000 miles on it and going strong! No mechanical issues what so ever. Tires were replaced within 1st year. All cars should be standard equipped with back window wiper as it is a huge danger to not have one like me! It stays filthy because of design and mix filth with fog or rain and no wiper and you got problems! Dependability you cant beat!

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  Excellent OVERALL Package - 2014 Toyota Sienna
  By stringattached - August 1 - 5:30 pm

  First minivan and I love it. Im more focused on practicality in our family and after noticing that my 4 year old nephew had issues climbing into our Traverse, I knew it was time to think seriously about a minivan. We owned a 2010 Venza which we traded in after 75,000 miles and other a slight manufacturing defect with the 4-cylinder engine which was repaired under warranty, I took care of that car and it hummed along at 75,000 miles like that day we drove it off the lot. Needless to say I was sold on Toyota and noticed the difference in long-term build quality between it and our Traverse.