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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  Why cant this car drive staight? - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By irishlager - May 10 - 5:00 am

  My Camry does have a smooth, comfortable, quiet ride. However there are two things that are potential buyers should be aware of. Camry has an alignment problem. This car constantly pulls to the left. After taking delivery, I had to return to the dealer for an alignment with only 400 miles it! I now have 3900 miles and Im going back again. I have also discovered that the highway mileage isnt as advertised. I can only 30 miles to the gallon on the highway.

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  Toyota Lover for Life! - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By DRECHYX83 - May 10 - 2:30 am

  I bought this road marvel as a replacement for a 2005 Kia Spectra EX, that had a host of problems on it. I have loved this car ever since I bought it. It gives me great gas mileage & the engine runs so smooth and quiet that you cannot even hear it when stopped for traffic. It had a smooth-drive suspension system before they got all worn out. Today, there is a problem with my tyres that gives me less than 30 mpg overall. I used to get an average of 33 mpg (combined mileage) but these days even 25 mpg is a miracle! I was advised that there is something wrong with my tyres, alignment, balancing or something like that and once I get it fixed, its gonna b okay!

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  No complaints - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Daisy - May 9 - 4:03 pm

  I am very impressed with the Prius. It is sooo quiet and runs so smoothly. The gas mileage is exactly what I expected. I average between 50 & 55 MPG. Those individual who claim that it gets less may have other contributing factors, such as hills, more freeway driving or a "heavy foot". My husband gets less MPG but that is because he drives it harder than I do. The seats are very comfortable and it is suprisingly spacious. The GPS is outdated right now, but that it because GPS units have to be manually updated. The dealerships have a CD that can update the car.

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  Affordable Luxury - 2000 Toyota Avalon
  By CPZ - May 9 - 11:20 am

  Cars interior, handling,quietness, leather, computer dash make the car a pleasure to drive and be in. Very reliable. Trunk is huge. More interior room than my es300 had.

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  No you cant drive my Prius - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By deeznuts - May 9 - 4:40 am

  I love my car. I have driven a Jeep GC, Nissan 350Z rag top, 1979 vette, and this is my favorite. Overall this is a wonderful car. Can there be improvements, yes, any car can be improved. Great Price, spacious sedan, hatchback, this car is a dream. If you buy one, make sure to wave to other prius drivers on the road. Interior is from the year 2035. Very functional. The exterior is a little wierd, not for everyone, but I like it, its very aerodynamic.

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  great car except for paint job - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By warren65 - May 8 - 8:58 pm

  Hi I have a corolla le 2009. Its a great car no problems mechanically. The paint job on the front hood has about 12 black spots on it they are very tiny but noticeable. Toyota claims they are rocks or stones from the road and no warranty coverage. Does anyone else have this problem? Still a reliable car.

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  rusty brakes - 2007 Toyota Corolla
  By Lily - May 8 - 8:10 am

  Overall I love my Corolla. So much so I bought 2. However, it was not long on the road before I noticed a lot of noise from my brakes. Every were I parked I left a rust trail. I took the car to the dealer,at least 5X. Each time they assured me the problem was correct. Finally they had a big wheel from Corporate Toyota examine the car. To my surprise, NO ONE could hear the noise, then or there after. The noise is so bad, I have had strangers at lights roll their window down and comment "Lady, you need to check your brakes". Now I am wondering with the recalls. Wish I would have bought a Ford. Service stinks as apparently does their collective hearing. Ill never buy another Toyota

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  Most reliable car I have ever owned - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By brymil2 - May 6 - 8:15 pm

  I have owned a lot of vehicles and have put a ton of miles on them. However, my 2005 Corolla has been by far the most reliable among all of them. I bought it brand new in late 2004 and performed all the required maintenance myself. What stands out about this car is that I drove it 178k miles before ANY repair was needed. Very few cars have performed that well. It ended up being the intake manifold gasket which what I hear from others, it one of the few things that go wrong with this car. I have averaged 35 mpg in 65% highway driving. I handed it down to my son but still drive it on occasion. Still going strong with 182k miles. Toyota has come close to perfecting this vehicle!

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  2010 4 Runner missing some past plusses - 2010 Toyota 4Runner
  By mel-ind - May 6 - 1:03 pm

  I drove my 2002 4Runner into the ground and bought a 2010 4WD. After a few thousand winter miles in the Rockies I got a better ride and better gas mileage than the 02. XM radio and MP3 input are nice. But there are minuses. The rear window gets dirty fast. The overhanging "spoiler" creates a vacuum in the rear that sucks dirt off the road (the 02 has a deflector that pushes clean air down over the window). The rear wiper covers only half the window and you cant clean the window near the spoiler with a gas station squeegee. The interior is wider, more passenger leg room in back. But center console is a big bucket where crap gets lost. Kept the 02.

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  A blast to drive! But has its quirks. - 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By Murph - May 6 - 12:16 pm

  I went to a Used Car Dealership that sold mainly Dodges. I saw this cool looking truck and learned it was called the FJ Cruiser. I test drove it and fell in love with it immediately for its looks and above average handling for an SUV ! However, the clutch "chirps" when at idle but stops when the clutch is depressed. I had the dealership replace the clutch disc, pressure plate and throwout bearing. All was well until 2 months and 1400 miles later and the same problem arose again. I learned through Toyota forums that this is an issue with manual tranny FJs but they still operate normally as they should. Despite this somewhat major annoyance, I love my FJ and dont regret buying it!