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:

• 

  Fuel-efficient fun - 2003 Toyota Prius
  By KevB - April 18 - 10:00 am

  High tech features make this fuel-efficient vehicle a bit quirkie, but its a gas to drive. Its all Toyota, so quality is built in.

• 

  2003 Solara - 2003 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Aqua - April 18 - 10:00 am

  I love my new Solara! The handling is great, rides the road very smoothly, dont feel the bumps like I did in my other car (a GM car) Got great service! I couldnt be happier!

• 

  It saved our lives - 2000 Toyota Sienna
  By bandman - April 18 - 10:00 am

  I have to say that this van has been a joy to own. It has gone to Florida many times, plus served well as "Moms School Bus". On July 9, 2003 we were in an accident with 4 other vehicles. We were hit from behind. The lady who hit us paniced and pushed us into 4 other vehicles. I have to say that the way this van was built saved our lives. The van had $10,300 in damage, but the passenger cabin was in very good condition after all was said and done. We did have to go to the hospital, and had some serious bumps and bruises, but I feel the body of this van, along with seatbelts, saved our lives.

• 

  TOOTHACRE - 2003 Toyota Tundra
  By TOOTHACRE - April 18 - 10:00 am

  I OWN AN AVALON WITH O- PROBLEM,(90000),SO I CONTINUE WITH THE THE TRUNK. IN 8 MONTHS IT HAS BEEN EXCELLANT

• 

  excellent - 2003 Toyota RAV4
  By erwin - April 18 - 10:00 am

  fun to drive, easy to handle, nice interior, ergonomically designed

• 

  Looks like a million dollars - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Ryanhenry - April 18 - 10:00 am

  I can say that when I first went looking for a replacement for my Bonneville I had no intention of looking at a Solara. Im young, only 23, so I have my sports car in the garage, but I need a daily driver. I go into the Lexus dealership to look over an IS300. I chat with the dealer for a second, then he mentions the Solara. I took it for a spin, came back and took it home. The design is flawless, and the quality used is excellent. Overall, I would say this is the best way to get the quality and style that everyone looks for in a BMW, but not the price tag associated with it.

• 

  piece of junk - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By lawrence wood - April 18 - 10:00 am

  Shift from 1st to 2nd gear floats; shift from 2nd to 3rd gear is a hard double jerk. Just maintaining speed at 1200-1400 rpm and just over 40 mph, engine/transmission pulsates as though transmission cant figure out what to do. Toyota wont fix transmission; they say hard shift is a characteristic, not a fault. Cant hear stereo at highway speeds due to road noise. Seats uncomfortable after 30 minutes, no thigh support. Cant see out the rear window. Lower part of rear fenders loose and will move 1/4 inch. $30,000 piece of junk. Trade-in value of 7 month old car is only 60% of new car price.

• 

  Love my Taco - 2017 Toyota Tacoma
  By CXC2225 - April 18 - 6:10 am

  Had this truck for 2 months and I am in love with it. The ga she mileage is mediocre averaging about 17.5 in town and 22 on the highway but its a truck. Nobody buys a truck for its excellent gas mileage. Ive been off roading once and the 4WD system in 4LO got me through the local trail just fine but I did use the crawl control feature just to say I tried it even though its not necessary. The crawl control and Multi terrain select features are great toys to have for off roading which is one of the reasons I went for the off road over the sport model. Some have been complaining about the transmission shifting gears to often and I did experience it early on but now that my truck has 3k miles on it the transmission is more in sync. Once the truck breaks in its far more responsive. Im 61 and I fit just fine in my taco and my family members fit all fine in the backseat. I love my 2017 taco and I will drive her to the wheels fall off and dont care to own any other pickup truck on the market.

• 

  Family Car - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Jeanette - April 18 - 2:20 am

  Well built and fun to drive. Fits 3 car seats accross the back seat. A great alternative to the minivan. Large truck fits toys and strollers with room for grocerys. We love it and would buy again.

• 

  Exterior parts Built Like LEGO not CARs - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By gmei - April 17 - 11:55 pm

  Ive had Corolla 2010 S model since 03/2011. Bought it brand new. After a year, I may have ran over the pot holes but that affected the rear bumper. During freeway trip, the two sides of rear bumpers opened up like two wings!!! It was so dangerous. I finally bang on those and got them to snap in place like legos, very flimpsy. When I took my car the the dealer folloowing day, they said its not warrantied because running over pot holes shifted the rear bumper (lego out of place). My Godh!! This is car and it should be nuts and bolt in place not plastic snap in place like LEGOS!!! Its not safe to be riding on these corollas. Prior to 2008 corollas are good but the later models are cheap!!!