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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  Happy to be downsized! - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By COZigs - May 10 - 1:10 am

  I love this car. We downsized from a Grand Caravan (talk about a lemon!!) and had the requirements of high gas mileage and serious reliability with enough cargo room to carry a labrador... this car fits the bill for sure! Two months later and I love it. It handles well (helped me lose the minivan-mom image), has gotten 29 mpg the last two tanks (combined driving but mostly city) and with the Toyota name on the back I know it will satisfy my need to not dump money into expensive repairs. The cargo area is all plastic, which works great with the dog and my husband wishes he could pull the super-comfy seats out of my Matrix for his Scion XB.

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  Frequent Dead Battery - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By candance king - May 9 - 11:50 pm

  We have a company car also, so whenever I dont drive the Prius for ten days, I find a dead battery! Ive used up my AAA for the year already, and have an expensive repair ($120) from trying to open the back hatch- you are completely locked out! No one ever warned us about this! Dont go on vacation w/o getting your car a babysitter!! Also, I want to complain about an irritating design feature: when driving at night, there is a bad glare, a green bar of reflection onto the windshield right where you look to drive from the the display! If the top frame of it was extended a little, like a hood, it wouldnt happen. And I cant fix it. Same problem in the daytime, gps screen needs shade- bleached out.

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  Overall: glad I purchased my 4runner - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By NeeNee - May 9 - 9:53 pm

  My hubby surprised me with my 4 runner as a grad present and I have been happy with a few exceptions. (I wish he had gotten one with a sunroof.) Please see below for the things I like, dont like and problems that Ive had with my Toyota. P.S. Invest in some Husky mats made for your 4runner at time of purchase & your carpet will look like new forever! I wish I had got mine when I purchased instead of the factory mats. Which I might add werent included in my purchase. I had to buy in addition to the purchase of the car!

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  Great car with Options - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By jnealy87 - May 9 - 6:35 pm

  I previously left my review back in 2012 and now its 2015 and its been better and I had the transmission serviced and now have no issues with the car at all im at 98000 miles and its running strong and the build quality has improved and looks a lot better now that the recalls on dashboard has been done and it fixed a lot of mismatches with the pillars and things and now my car is fully cleaned and detailed and its great to have a car that I trust on the road my car does not burn any oil and thats with me changing the oil every 3000 miles and I havent missed a oil change and I get 28 to 30 hwy and city I get 25.8 so I havent gotten 31 mpg yet and I drive the car once a week straight hwy ....

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  Abroad - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By SUV - May 9 - 7:46 am

  smooth ride;easy to handle; easy on gas

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  not perfect, but pretty good - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By David - May 9 - 4:43 am

  Never owned a Toyota, I was looking forward to it, I heard the stories(the cars never die). I believe that may be the case with this van,though it has not been with out flaws. Cons: Its underpowered compared to other vans I have driven, A loose body panel? Come on its a toyota, that shouldnt happen! At 53K the Radiator sprung a leak (Because of the design it cant be fixed by radiator shops,had to be replaced, $500! not good).mileage is below average (we never get over 19mpg on a tank) Pros: This sucker rides better than ANY luxury car I have been in (4200 lbs!) AWD is awesome, Interior is very solid & functional,great seats, it has 83k and drives like its showroom new. Hard to find a better Van.

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  Bastard child - 2010 Toyota 4Runner
  By 4Runner5thGen - May 9 - 4:03 am

  Do you know what you get when you cross the FJ Cruiser and the 4th generation 4Runner? The 5th generation 4Runner. I affectionately call it the "bastard child" regarding its new look. A combination of each. I understand Toyota is discontinuing the FJ and I believe they intentionally designed the new 4Runner to reflect both looks to appeal to both buyers. I just traded my 2004 Sport V8 AWD for this new guy and yes it has a few shortcomings in comparison but I hope I love it in the long run as I have my 04.

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  What more could you ask for? - 2002 Toyota Prius
  By USMC - May 8 - 9:30 pm

  This car has everything you could want from a sedan--reliability, unreal MPG, and low maintenance costs. Its definitely not the sexiest thing out there, but the money saved on fuel could be spent on YOU instead of some oil execs salary. The seats are a bit on the proletariat side, and youll defeinitely notice their stiffness on longer commutes if youre used to leather seats. Overall, I love this car, and would reccommend it to anyone.

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  Impressive - 2007 Toyota Avalon
  By apricot - May 8 - 9:13 pm

  I traded in a 2001 Chrysler 300 for this vehicle and have only made one 1000 mile trip (Smoky Mtns.) so far, but I am very impressed with all aspects of the car. It is a more refined car than the Chrysler and very enjoyable to drive. It is quiet, quick, roomy and has a very nice ride without sacrificing handling. I had read complaints about the harsh ride on the Touring edition, but I disagree. It definitely rides better than my 300 did. I got just over 31mpg on the road on the trip to the Smokies which gives you a cruising range of around 550 miles! As with any review, I suggest you consider what the reviewer is comparing the car to - in this case a 2001 Chrysler 300.

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  Great Car but... - 2013 Toyota Avalon
  By jpaul5 - May 8 - 3:24 pm

  2013 Avalon Limited with every option. I really enjoy my Avalon. I would put it at 4 out of five stars for about every category. Overall, this car represents value for the money. It is sporty yet refined, pretty fun to drive if you never push the limits and has enough technology built in. It has its faults like every car and Toyota. Its no sports car. And for a Toyota I am not impressed with the build quality. Surprising problems with a falling headliner and rattling door with the stereo playing. I havent had the rear view or dash glare problems that some have complained about. I mostly think those are bogus. Toyotas Entune works sporadically with my iPhone 4 and I am disappointed with it