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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  great car if it didnt have electrical system problems - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By conicelli2 - May 8 - 11:22 am

  Problems w/new loaded Camry. Intermittenly radio sounds like it is skipping or has no volume. Dealer said this happens if the radio is shorting, but they couldnt reproduce problem. When I picked the car up from dealer, it was dead. Dealer replaced the battery. Also, sometimes when we press the electronic ignition button, the car doesnt turn off. Dealer cant reproduce this either. This week the car went dead again. Got battery charged and took car to dealer. they said the battery was fine and the back ordered radio came in. But when they turned the new radio on, it had no volume. So Conicelli wanted to put old radio back in?? I said no and they need to figure out what is wrong/left car

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  Excellent! - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By McDougald - May 8 - 10:50 am

  Im 63" tall and the Prius is big enough for me. It is comfortable and fun to drive. So far Im averaging 48 miles per gallon, doing mostly city driving.

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  Great Buy - 2004 Toyota Avalon
  By David Morgan - May 8 - 10:00 am

  I just bought the Toyota Avalon for $29,000. The Avalon rides very well and handles great. The Avalon is very comportable and has tons of leg room with the best leather. Buy Toyota

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  Love the new style - 2003 Toyota 4Runner
  By jmgager - May 8 - 10:00 am

  Bought this 4Runner used with 10K on it. It is a 2003 but has the color matched fenders and body, Looks awesome. the V8 engine has tons of power and the ride is smoother then ever. I previously had a 1999 4Runner Lmtd (That I loved) and this new one puts that one to shame. Toyota has really taken a step up with this new model.

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  Car Ive always wanted - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Valeriego - May 8 - 10:00 am

  Ive always read that Toyotas were the best cars. Yet too expensive for my budget and was always a little of my reach until now. Ive opted to lease payments which are low enough for me to relax some.

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  2007 Toyota Camry V6 - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Charles Anglin - May 8 - 6:00 am

  I have been driving Toyota Camry for several several years and traded a 2003 Camry. I immediately starting noticing transmission surge during 2nd and 3rd gear during first few minutes of driving. Service dept. ignored any knowledge of this problem until about 6 months ago. They finally had me bring it in for a computer update regarding the shifting, which cleared the problem for the most part. Still does some surging at times. Radio display went out several times before radio was replaced. Rattles inside. Rear bumper popped out on left side, I just popped it back into place. Disappointed in interior and exterior quality. 30,000 miles on it now and disappointed.

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  Tacoma 05 - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By fred sconfienza - May 8 - 5:10 am

  This truck is fun to drive. It has excellent handling and impressive power. Overall it does everything well.

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  My Venza - 2010 Toyota Venza
  By Moriko DeMeyer - May 7 - 10:03 pm

  I am from Japan and they dont have them there so when I moved to America I liked them and purchased one.When I lived in Japan I use to own a Rav4, it was okay it was older.Anyway,all in all I like my Venza and so do my kids, I love the way it drives its like a driving on a boat with no waves a nice smooth ride.The interior is cool too. Nice colors. All in all I think you should purchase one its worth it. We Japanese are not cheap so trust us. And about the recall no problem what so ever. Every car company has mistakes. Gm had one with gas and Saab did with doors.

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  Navigation crashes, resets, and just doesnt work - 2013 Toyota Prius
  By rsjoberg - May 7 - 7:26 pm

  Dont a Prius if you need the navigation. It just doesnt work. I have had my 3 month old car in twice and Toyota cant get the navigation to work. It crashes, restarts, and one misdirected me. Too bad because the mileage is great and otherwise I am happy with the car. Right now I wish Id gone with anything but a Toyota. They used to make great cars.

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  The wind noise! - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By Wayne - May 7 - 9:14 am

  Love my new Highlander except for one thing. When I go past 45 or there is a strong crosswind, there is a whistling noise on the front passenger window, nothing on the driver sider. Dealer said its a "normal characteristic" of the car because it occurred in a 2015 Highlander also and there is nothing they can do till Toyota issues a "TSB, " Technical Service Bulletin, on how to fix it. Wind noise would be ok but whistling noise is fairly annoying, especially at highway speed. If a quiet cabin is not an important criteria then this is a great car. Otherwise, I would stay away till its fixed.