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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  Rating - 2002 Toyota Sienna
  By The Force Controller - May 26 - 10:00 am

  A good mini-van. It drinks gas somewhat.

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  Fun to drive and cant beat the price - 2001 Toyota Celica
  By Boots143 - May 26 - 10:00 am

  I have had my Celica for a year now and still love it. Its great with mileage and its fun to drive. Im only 52" and I have some problems with the size but its what I wanted. I have had no problems with it, except for a couple of speeding tickets.

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  Disappointed - 2003 Toyota Camry Solara
  By JPA - May 26 - 10:00 am

  Actually I own a 2000 SE V6 Manual and I am very disappointed to see that Toyota has dropped that transmission from the V6 lineup. The manual is the reason I went with the Solara versus the Accord. Now for 2003, the Accord comes with a 240 hp V6 AND a manual for about the same price as a now underpowered and not so fun to drive Solara (in comparison to the competition). I very much enjoy the Solara but in a year or so when ready to buy a new car, I won’t consider the Solara without the manual transmission.

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  We Love Our Truck! - 2000 Toyota Tundra
  By ra_fiki - May 26 - 10:00 am

  Prior to buying the Tundra we owned a fully loaded 1996 4WD V6 Tacoma, which was a very impressive vehicle in its own right. The Tundra surpasses all expectations -- comfortable ride, reliable, and great-looking. Ours was one of the first sold in GA and it turned heads, still does!

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  Matrix - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By Monkee - May 26 - 10:00 am

  I really do like my Matrix XR but I have some things I dont like about it. The engine is loud, I have a 5 speed and when I shift at even a low RPM like 3K RPM the engine is literally screaming. The interior looks very cool but Ive had some problems with rattles in the dash and the door. The red gauges are hard to read. Blindspots are pretty bad in this car.

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  My first Avalon - 2003 Toyota Avalon
  By jlh - May 26 - 10:00 am

  Just purchased my Avalon 9 days ago. Probably too early to give the car a rating but so far its better than I expected. The comfort, the quiet ride, and the responsive engine are wonderful. My last car was a 1990 Volvo 240DL and I have to say there is no comparison. I love the car and hope to make as good a review after a few months of driving.

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  I like it, but... - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By G - May 25 - 10:06 am

  Overall I like my Corolla. I chose a Corolla base on its reputation and Intellichoice.com recommendation. Along with the Civic, it has the lowest Total Cost of Ownership. The reason I picked the Corolla it was simply because Toyota gave me more for the money, alloy wheels, power locks and windows, etc. I am intending to keep this car for a few years so I bought extended warranty and paint and rust protection. Toyota could have worked on the interior a bit. The stereo seems cheap quality.

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  A Great Buy - 1997 Toyota 4Runner
  By 4RunnerEcstasy - May 23 - 8:50 pm

  I purchased this 4Runner on eBay. I then flew to California to pick it up and drove it back to Chicago! At the time of purchase it had 242400(!) miles but the truck drove well and it had no problem crossing the continent at the average speed of 75 mph. The one-touch 4WD is very neat but havent got chance to test its limit. Cant wait for the Chicago snow. The engine at below 70 mph is very quiet and strong. But the wind noise is very interfering. CD down, sun roof does not open, but antenna goes up and down. A/C cold. 3 weeks, so far as good! Wait for my follow-up reviews every year! I am going to test out how many miles can my 4Runner really go before it collapses.

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  Buy the V6 - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By Robcowling - May 23 - 10:00 am

  Bought the 4 cylinder for my wife, she is ok with it, but I can not stand to drive it. We thought we would get better gas mileage out of the 4 cylinder but that has not been the case. We get 19 mpg every time, sometimes less. On a recent trip, we got 22, no where near the advertised 22- 27 mpg. I have talked to those who have the 6 cylinder and they are getting the same or better gas mileage. So it makes since to buy the V6 and have 80-90 more horsepower while getting the same gas mileage.

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  Best Value for the money - 2006 Toyota Highlander
  By Tom P - May 22 - 2:26 pm

  Not many 4 cyl SUVs drive and have the ride this one does. I get great gas mileage (25+) I also liked the feature that this suv is rated to tow a 3,000 lb trailer. I was impressed by that because most of the crossover suvs can only tow 1,000 lbs. The brakes could stop on a dime.