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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  From a Prius owners eyes - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By jensen - January 16 - 2:13 am

  Well, when I got this little peppy car, I was very surprised at the build quality, roominess and comfort. Although theres not much horses to play with, its surprisingly powerful, especially on the freeway and up the steep San Fransisco hills.

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  Texas Limited - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By gbinplano - January 15 - 9:30 pm

  With 1105 miles on the odometer, my Avalon provided 27.2 mpg on a 300 mile trip with 4 large adults at 72 mph average speed in 98 degree temperature under laser guided cruise control. It was the most comfortable road trip Ive experienced in 45 years of driving. It is roomier, and better featured, than the far more expensive six "luxury" labeled sedans I seriously considered before buying the Avalon.

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  Some Bugs to work out - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By ImTheDude - January 15 - 5:21 pm

  This truck is perfect all around. Decent gas mileage and has the interior of a comfortable mid sized sedan. Wonderful off road features. My only gripe currently is the transmission bugs that Toyota is currently aware of and supposedly working on a TSB for. The truck searches for gears constantly at highway speeds, especially if you have the cruise control on. UPDATED 11/22/16: After owning the truck for 6 months, I can say this is still a great truck. Im so pleased with it. Toyota released a TSB for the transmission that fixed the gear searching, but there are still some issues with the transmission flaring/slipping on cold startup. UPDATED 11/22/17: Ive had the truck for over a year and a half now, and the transmission still leaves much to be desired. It searches for gears (not as bad as before the update) wont upshift in certain conditions and I still cant use the cruise control. Its literally the only thing I dont like about the truck.

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  Fun to drive, looks great in red - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By icwl - January 15 - 5:13 pm

  Quick acceleration. Classy interior. The V6 has better gas mileage than many 4 cyl competitors. Love the gray leather interior (though limited to 5 seats in leather). Bluetooth works great with voice commands.

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  big mistake - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Kaylor - January 15 - 2:19 pm

  Whistling noise on breezy days, transmission shifts constantly, anemic power, it does seem to get advertised MPG. Nothing like my 1999 or 2005 Tacoma. Very disappointed, will trade soon. Update... My opinion about the truck did not change, whistling noise continued, and I could not get use to the lack of power, really disappointed, my wife tried it for a while and took it on a trip to the mountains, she said it was a struggle to keep it going and didnt like all the engine noise. Had to really baby it to get 22 mpg and most of the time it was 19-20 mpgs. I traded it this month, got a Ram with eco diesel and Im getting 27 mpg not from the computer but checking it myself. Again this was not my first Tacoma it was my 3rd. I guess others are feeling the same see lots of used 2016s on the car lots.

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  First and last moon-roof - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By Reggie - January 15 - 12:46 pm

  After months of research I bought my XLS in Feb 06 and have only 7,000 miles on it. The ride is exceptionally smooth, comfortable and quiet. The power is awesome and the body style is super. However, about six weeks ago a rattle developed in the moon roof. A near-by dealer has made attempts to fix it twice before, even put in a complete new moon roof but it rattles on. In fact it is at the dealer now as I type this with the same rattle in the moon roof. I love this car but am quite frustrated about this problem.

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  Practical - 1996 Toyota Corolla
  By livingliberty - January 15 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car with about 100,000 miles and put another 20,000 on myself until I wrecked it this year. This was a car that I could always count on to start. Mechanically, it had very few problems. The struts went out, the interior door handles broke, the radio never worked and the fasteners for the bumper guard came apart so if you drove at high speeds the bumper guard would sometimes come loose. Overall I would reccomend these cars as a good A to B vehicle, but in the future I will never own one again if I can afford something nicer. It was never a joy to drive, handled poorly, no pick-up on acceleration and starts vibrating pretty bad around 70 mph.

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  Great Car Great Value - 2000 Toyota Corolla
  By BG - January 15 - 10:00 am

  Im a college student with a very limited budget so I needed something reliable and at a good price. Since my summer job requires about 800 miles of driving a month in my own car and I drive the 200 miles to see my fiance as much as possible fuel economy was important. Therefore I went with the Corolla. It has been a GREAT decision. With about 28 mpg in the city I was making a decent amount on my gas check. Have had no mechanical problems and previous owner showed me his maintenance record with no abnormal maintenance. It only has a 4 cylinder engine but because of its small size it picks up great. Granted I was used to driving a 97 Chevy Astro and a 92 Pontiac transport but this is sweet!

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  Solid vehicle - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By Jim - January 15 - 10:00 am

  My Highlander has been driven mostly around town, with at least one long drive (1,000+ miles) each year. Other than oil changes and normal recommended maintenance, I have not spent a dime (new tires at 39K miles).

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  What I Expected - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By vsatking - January 15 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this car today from the 3rd owner. It was well cared for and it shows. My Camry has a 5 speed. The shift throw is not as tight as a Passat but it does a good job. I bought this car over anything i test drove. Really a good car. This is my second Camry and only the second car I have been totally happy with.