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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  Happydriver1 - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By edlee - April 11 - 4:43 am

  I have owned a 04 prius for about o month & have put about 5000 kl on it.I drove to from Winnipeg to Calgary about 1400 kl(875 miles) I traveled from appox. 100 to 110 kl per hour, (62 t0 68 ) mile phr,The best part is in the rolling hilled I had it on criuse and it stay exactly at 100, not 99 or 101, I did not take of criuse control, something that I was never able to do before even with V8s, gas milage averaged about (4.5 ltrs per 100 kls) (62 miles per imperal gallongal. emile

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  Might not buy a tundra again - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By jamie johnson - April 11 - 3:53 am

  Our Tundra is fun to drive and we seem to be getting better gas mileage than most others. We average 18-19 on the road and 16-17 in town. The factory tires are junk, as they needed replaced at 30,000 even though the air pressure was always monitored and the tires were rotated every 6,000 miles. Ours has buckets seats and both needed replaced due to rattles and squeaks. Just yesterday, the radio went crazy. There is no volume control, it only plays at maximum volumn so cant be used, all the presets quit working, etc. The dealer said this happens fairly often. The radio just shorts out and they will replace it. Wondering if this truck will turn into a spendy lemon when out of warranty.

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  Great car - 2007 Toyota Corolla
  By Hap - April 11 - 12:00 am

  I have had my car a little under a year, and I love it. It handles real nice. Winter driving is ok, if you drive smart. The best part is gas mileage. I get about 40 MPG. Thats great with the gas prices up right now.

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  Reliable But Boring - 2011 Toyota Corolla
  By delrey - April 10 - 9:22 am

  Smooth, quiet engine. Transmission shifts well even though it could use another gear or two. Ive been averaging 34-35mpg with 60% highway. Couldve been better with an 5 or 6 speed. Steering and handling is dull and unresponsive. The car does not give any feed back during cornering nor give any warning when near the limit. Steering is really loose. My wifes 2006 Mazda MPV is a better vehicle to drive. Exterior styling on the S is clean and nice to look at. Interior is simple and easy to look at and functional. Quite basic compared to some competition though. If you need an reliable car with no frills, you found it.

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  My Toyota Prius - 2001 Toyota Prius
  By Lindley - April 10 - 2:00 am

  Even though Ive only had my Prius for a relatively short term, I know already that I made the right choice.

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  The best car Ive ever bought - 2003 Toyota Prius
  By diesel power - April 10 - 2:00 am

  I purchased my 03 after test driving the 04 model. I bought the 03 as 6ft tall adults can fit in the back, something not possible in the new model. I now have 16k miles on my car, and Ive had 0 warranty issues with this car. Lifetime fuel economy so far is 46.8 mpg. This number keeps climbing. Toyota has brought us the future of automobiles. The rest of the industry needs to take notice, or risk being left to oblivion. I routinely drive over 35k miles annually. Ive driven this car on a 3200 mile round trip from Dallas TX, to Haliburton, Ontario, and back. Its performance was nothing less than stellar.

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  Funtastic - 1998 Toyota 4Runner
  By DMoney - April 10 - 2:00 am

  I test drove 9 other SUV models and the 4Runner was the best by far. Bought it used w/no regrets. So much fun to drive. Buying advice: Spring for 6cyl and sunroof -- youll wish you had, otherwise. Youll hear people comment about the poor gas mileage, but its only got a 15 gal tank. Still gets 16- 21 mpg

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  Soild truck - 1999 Toyota Tacoma
  By boxer10 - April 10 - 2:00 am

  Great truck. Quiet on the highway, handles nicely. It may be 2wd but this thing flies through the dessert and off road. The locking read differential is great if you get stuck. Great daily driver. Very comfortable.

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  Excellent All Around Car - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By MundschauJ - April 10 - 2:00 am

  Ive had the car more than 1 year. Mileage averages around 35mpg on combined city and highway. The build quality is excellent as expected. One complaint however. The AC stopped working for about 2 hours one day while on a long drive with customers in the car. After parking for about 3 hours the AC worked fine and never stopped again. Other than that, extremely versatile and the best car Ive ever owned. Ive had cars that were more fun to drive, like a VR6 VW, and a Jeep Wrangler, but neither beats the overall usefullness and dependability of this Matrix.

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  luv my UV - 2004 Toyota Sequoia
  By sugartoo - April 10 - 2:00 am

  We bought this suv in oct. and have had no trouble at, all the dealership has been more than great. Gas mileage could be better but all in all the vehicle has performed more than expected.