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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  J. Review - 2006 Toyota Highlander
  By J. Doxbeck - July 2 - 10:10 am

  Comfy to drive, no blind spots like other SUVs I have driven. Very easy to handle and slip control comes in handy in when turning around icy corners. I love the look and feel. Lots of room for rear passengers and for cargo.

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  Amazing Car! - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By norminator78 - July 2 - 10:00 am

  This is one of the best cars ever made, period. The engine is bulletproof, quite, and pretty responsive for being as economical as it is. I averaged 35 on the highway! It has the perfect amount of interior room, the way it is laid out is perfect, and it has a very roomy trunk. I was very surprised at how great the factory speakers sounded when I swapped out the original cassette player for an Aiwa CD player. I sold this car with just over 160,000 miles on it, and it still ran and drove just as well, if not better than most newer cars I have driven. I only sold it because I wanted stick. I wish I hadnt sold it!

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  Prius is worth the wait - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By Jean Mc Manamy - July 2 - 10:00 am

  I heartily recommend it for its environmental impact, its comfort, its reliability, and its utility.

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  Basic Transportation - 2002 Toyota Corolla
  By lawoody - July 2 - 10:00 am

  This corolla S is not the most exciting, but compared to my other cars (audi/bmw) is built superior. In 33K, it has required ZERO maintenance costs. Just oil changes and it gets 30mpg mix driving. The S version is much nicer and the interior is pretty good. Handling is only ok. Resale value is very high. Great student car.

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  AWESOME! - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By jw115 - July 2 - 10:00 am

  I love this car. Never had any problems with it. And just wait till you step on that gas....Its like you are in a sports car!

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  Camry is a solid car - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By californiacam - July 2 - 10:00 am

  I purchased an 05 Camry XLE V-6, I could not be happier with it. It was not the cheapest car I looked at, however it had the most bang for the buck.

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  straight dope on the fj - 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By ditka - July 2 - 6:26 am

  This is a truck meant to go off road but it really bridges the gap between on and off-road drivers. In Four Wheeler magazine, the FJ had the best mileage, best pickup, best quarter mile, best braking and best engine/transmission combo of the seven SUVs tested(Feb 2007). For off- roaders, it also boasts an excellent stock suspension with over 19" of articulation and an engine tuned for torque with 278 lb/ft. The FJ Cruiser does have its drawbacks, however. The full-time 4wd means that you wont be driving from Denver to Vegas on one tank of gas. The rear visibility is pretty poor but a sonar rear-parking assist is available to compensate. In all I highly recommend the FJ.

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  Not an SUV person - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By kennj - July 2 - 2:36 am

  My wife got this car to replace her Ford Windstar. The car handles well and is nice to drive but I think it is uncomfortable on trips of more than 3 hours. We visit our daughter at college, a 3 to 4 hour trip each way and the seats just dont provide the comfort for that kind of trip. The van was so much better. The radio is also not up to par, they should have provided something better on a vehicle in this price range.

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  where they missed - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By were they missed - July 1 - 9:40 pm

  Very good build quality for the most part. But where I think they need improvement is the seats I have 10k on it the foam is not holding up. I dont know how the wiper layout ever made it to production the passenger wiper leaves its water in your line of vision (very annoying!) the climate control knobs feel cheap (vague). I am 5,8" 200# the driver door armrest is to low. The trip computer button could be in a better spot. As I said, the build quality is there but they really missed on some of the layout

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  2006 Prius - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By r.n.brown - July 1 - 3:13 pm

  I recently purchased a 2006 Toyota Prius. I am very impressed so far. I am getting over 50 MPG in combined highway and city driving. The car has enough power to get up to speed quickly. Its lots of fun to watch the energy use display and to try to optimize fuel consumption. So far this car has exceeded my expectations.