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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  Better than I expected - Camry XLE - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Ray - June 25 - 10:13 pm

  I just got my Camry XLE 4 Cy and I am loving it, it has plenty of power good fuel economy, the exterior on the XLE looks great with the chrome grill, chrome exhaust pipe and other small details only available on the XLE. The Interior is luxury with tan leather, blue tooth and great sound system (JBL) and insulation. I just came from a Mercedes 2008, CLK 550 and I am not missing I thing. The Camry XLE is great.

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  Car is outstanding, seats are awful. - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By derbarkasmann - June 25 - 10:53 am

  Superb quality, everything in the interior is where it should be and works very easily, adequate power (4 cyl), but the seats ... did anybody actually sit in one for several hours before finalizing the seat design? I love the car but will never take it on a long trip because of the seat.

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  Traded it in - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By John - June 24 - 5:10 pm

  I traded a 2005 camry SE v6 for this underperformer as was the 05 v6 3.3 It is a good interior and exterior design and should be copied by other car makers, but the MPG for the 2.4 is poor. It is reliable but the tranny stinks and is a task to drive if your doing a lot of turning and stopping. Its fine on the road, mpg 25 avg, got 30 on the highway was best I ever did.

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  Bad, Bad A/C - 2009 Toyota Sienna
  By M Perez - June 23 - 4:00 am

  I purchased a new van so that my wife and kids would not have to deal with all the aches associated with an old car. We live in So Cal where the summer temps go over 100 deg. The A/C on the van has stopped blowing cold air on 5 separate occasions. This happens either when stopped or driving so its not even a consistent problem. We take it to the dealer and they say they cant find anything wrong with it. I had previously purchased a Camry with NO problems. Thinking Toyota was more reliable I purchased this car for my wife and it was a BAD mistake. Next time I will go with a Honda for the family van.

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  really impressed - 2002 Toyota Sequoia
  By cattle - June 22 - 2:16 pm

  I owned a 4 Runner prior to the Sequoia and my daughter owns a Camry, it is impossible to beat Toyotas quality.

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  2014 Camry Hybrid - 2014 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By retiredat54 - June 21 - 11:52 am

  Just bought the 2014 Camry Hybrid with al options. Or most of them. Feels like an electric car, has good acceleration. Very good electronics, including Entune package. Very good gas mileage. Many features, Not cheap, it is expensive. I really cant say quality if great, until some time passes. The little engine and electronic motor perform very well for a small engine. Stiff riding, no sporty feel. Not great in cornering. Compared to our old Camry, it is stiff riding, our old Camry rode much more cushy. Seats are stiff, not as comfortable as they should be.

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  2009 Sienna AWD - Traded in 07 Odyssey - 2009 Toyota Sienna
  By ConcordSienna - June 21 - 8:06 am

  Just traded in our 07 Odyssey EXL-RES after 1 years use for the AWD option on the Sienna. We have approx. 500 miles on the Sienna. Over all the Sienna instrumentation/controls are much more intuitive, hated the Ody instr. Ody felt big and bulky but did give a very comfortable ride. Siennas ride is a bit stiffer but much more responsive, gives the driver a better feel of control and is quite comfortable. Very good visibility. Heat on our Sienna is very poor in cold weather (>32F) and never seems to get comfortable in cold. We do all short hop drives and expected poor mileage but our 14 MPG is a bit ridiculous. Hope this will change after the break-in. Would not go back to the Odyssey.

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  2000 toyota tacoma prerunner v6 - 2000 Toyota Tacoma
  By p520 - June 20 - 10:00 am

  some mechanical breakdowns but very minor that were covered under ther warnty.

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  Underpowered probably - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Eli - June 19 - 9:43 am

  I have a 1998 4cyc rev cab with 33x12.5 tires and 6 inch lift and a new 2016 Tacoma off-road 4x4 long bed factory and each require the same RPMs to maintain speeed over the passes in Utah. I like the truck a lot but dang... Couldnt you of given it 300hp and 300 torque?! My fathers 2011 Camry has the same hp and torque numbers almost and it doesnt vibrate while idling and is super smooth. (The 2016 3.5 Tacoma motor while smooth is a bit rough at idle and is loud while driving) I like the truck okay but its probably on its way out in the next two years if it doesnt shock me with its towing ability. The cruise control seems to jack up the RPMs anytime is thinks a hill might be close. Without the cruise I can average 21 mpg continually with 50/50 driving city and freeway. With cruise it averages around 18-19 on freeway and actually better on surface streets. Which is pathetic. Come on toyota... People drive 70 on the freeway and cross country is 80ish.... Help us out please. Im not doing 60 on the freeway. Its pretty quiet inside and the technology is nice. I may keep it but once again Im not trying to get 15mpg while towing 3500lbs cross country.. A tundra can do that for the same price with little to no effort.

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  2004 Camry Trunk Rust - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By GREG MACGREGOR - June 18 - 7:20 pm

  I have owned a Camry for 10 yrs and am very pleased wth the performance and style. The 2004 was bought in Aug 2004. It has developed a rust problem in the trunk. The trunk gutter has visible rust at all the spot weld points all around the trunck. Also would have preferred 16 wheels. Have experienced excessive tire noise on the highway - noticeable by the radio volume increasing when on the highway. Dont think I have bad ears yet.