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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  Awesome - 2003 Toyota Sequoia
  By Pookie Sr. - March 25 - 10:00 am

  The whole family loves it. The wife thought my Toyota 4x4 was big so she did not want to drive it. She drove this once and now wants to drive it all the time. Just my luck... The ride is great and plenty of storage for all the kids stuff for trips to grandmas. The wife says it like riding in our living room, space galore, smooth and just right.

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  Avalon - 2003 Toyota Avalon
  By SR - March 25 - 10:00 am

  Nice car for the price

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  Great Car - 2003 Toyota Avalon
  By vdsavage - March 25 - 10:00 am

  We have owned buicks, oldsmobiles, hondas, station wagons, and have test driven all of the larger sedans, including Mercedes, Maxima, Mazda, and Lexus, prior to buying this Avalon. They either have too much road or wind noise. I cannot tolerate the least of those. For the money, I do not think there is a better buy. It is truly the smoothest quietest ride we have experienced. We tried them all. I am very picky about wind and road noise. Sales people do not like to deal with me.

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  Good Sales Car - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By blueviking - March 25 - 10:00 am

  Camry has been a very good car for me. I put on average 42,000 miles per year and this car has been the best value for the money. I have not had to change brake pads or mess with the rotors like I have done with the Ford Taurus( driven 6 Taurus). Ride is smooth and quite, the milage I figure is in 28 to 32. I will buy another Camry because of its overall value in the long run.

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  Annoying Rattle - 2003 Toyota 4Runner
  By oxnard - March 25 - 10:00 am

  Annoying rattle noise from sunroof. Hopefuly is fixable.

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  Great Truck - 2003 Toyota Tacoma
  By jay ramsey - March 25 - 10:00 am

  I drive a great truck. My Tacoma is an all around well balanced good 4wd. It has great ride quality. It is a fun vehicle to own.

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  Great, but flawed. - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Lmiller - March 25 - 10:00 am

  There is a intermittent noise in the dash. The Car has 20 more horsepower than the Mercury Sable it replaced, however seems to have less performance. Rear vision is poor with the spoiler. Love the spoiler, cant see over it.The brake pedal is mushy, but brakes are good. The exhaust pipe hangs down six to ten inches on every Camry I have seen. Looks very Tacky. I no longer have to look at Camrys and rebadged Camrys (Lexus) to identify them. I just look for the exhaust pipe hanging down under the rear axle.

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  Previa it is not - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Previafan - March 25 - 10:00 am

  After donating a 1991 Previa DX 5 sp after 13 yrs & 250K miles without a single visit to the dealer for service, Sienna was an obvious choice. In the Previa, on trips to Lake Tahoe, I would drive it like a sports car (almost!) but based on 2 days of driving, I will not be doing that in this van. After trying to find an 8 seater with opt pkg 3 in red salsa pearl (why dont they call it maroon), I settled for a 7 seater with opt pkg 4. It has plenty of power, good gas mileage and typical Toyota boring ride (Previa was an exception). A well built van.

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  Very satisfied owner - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By Arizona Bob - March 25 - 9:13 am

  Most of my driving is long distant and here in AZ when the temp. is over 100 degrees the car is great and the AC does a good job. The average speed here is between 75 and eighty and I have had no problems overheating. My goal is to reach 300000 miles. I am now at 60000 and everything is original but the tires.

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  Basics Of 4Runner 2010 - 2010 Toyota 4Runner
  By Intrepid2010 - March 25 - 4:30 am

  After reading so many reviews (good and bad) let me get you some core basics of this vehicle. It is comfy, power is good, good mpg for the size, and good reliability. If you are looking for a city slicker show off car than better go with a X5. But this is for real heavy duty off roading without the sacrifice of the comfort of city/highway driving. It the best of both worlds.