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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  Lexus it is not!! - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By Glen - February 25 - 10:00 am

  I have had every type of car you can think of and have been trying to find a new car to replace my wifes Grand Am. We drove the Civic, Focus, Matrix,Protege,Sentra,and the corolla the Focus and the Protege were the only ones that held the road. The corola we drove buzzed terribly, rattles, the build quality was not there at all! On the highway at high speeds (75) was a very nervous feeling. I had a Camry in 93, when they carred about build quality, what happened Toyota. I think they only care about the Lexus line!

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  Lexus it is not!! - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By GLEN - February 25 - 10:00 am

  I have had every type of car you can think of and have been trying to find a new car to replace my wifes Grand Am. We drove the Civic, Focus, Matrix,Protege,Sentra,and the corolla the Focus and the Protege were the only ones that held the road. The corola we drove buzzed terribly, rattles, the build quality was not there at all! On the highway at high speeds (75) was a very nervous feeling. I had a Camry in 93, when they carred about build quality, what happened Toyota. I think they only care about the Lexus line!

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  2003 Toyota Corolla - cute and fun! - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By Chancey - February 25 - 10:00 am

  It caught my eye on the lot and after test driving it, I had to have it. It has great pick up for a small car, is comfortable to ride and drive and I had lots of heads turn when I first drove it.

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  Would buy again! - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Frank - February 25 - 9:43 am

  Soft ride, comfortable seats, fair gas mileage, not a road racer, great looking, not costly to run or own, the ladies love it with the top down, large trunk space, easy low cost upkeep, always starts, quiet as a convertible can be, 10 second top up or down, interior build quality is excellent.

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  Are we driving same vehicle - 2010 Toyota 4Runner
  By regor - February 25 - 1:50 am

  Read all of the reviews and I question if we are driving the same vehicle. Am very happy with the performance. Did not buy a sports car but an SUV. The interior finish is great. All fits well, and the ergonomics are excellent. Have a hard time being comfortable in certain cars, but am very comfortable in this one. Outside finish is flawless. I like the design, but hey, some dont guess we wont all be riding 4 runners. Will comment of fuel economy at a later date, but am happy to this point. Hood does not rattle at high speeds, doors are not flimsy, horn sounds ok it alerts people what more do you want. My wife had not seen the vehicle before purchase, her reaction was "awesome."

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  4WD 4 Door TRD TOY! - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By Jerm - February 24 - 7:03 pm

  This is one awesome Taco! Been driving this now for 2 months, it is a perfect truck. I struggled with the decision of a full size truck vs midsize. The new Tacoma is a perfect blend of fullsize function and midsize fun. I didnt want a truck that drove like a truck (long brake distance, funky cornering, etc) This Truck stops quickly and is responsive in cornering, plus it fits in my garage! One thing important to note, with the Off Road package, it is a bit bumpy, but again this isnt a granny sedan! The truck is great, very powerful, excellent acceleration off the line. And finally I love the fact I wont have to worry about major problems.... its a Toyota!

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  Very Big SUV - 2002 Toyota Sequoia
  By CanoeCrazy - February 24 - 5:16 pm

  I lost room going from an Aerostar AWD extended van, but I gained ground clearance and an extra seat. I canoe in Maine and need the ground clearance that the van could not deliver for the logging roads. One problem is that the truck is so high that I have troble loading a canoe on the useless roof rack. I will buy a canoe trailer! 4WD and traction control are OK in snow, but the skid control doesnt do much. This is a HIGH vehicle and the running boards help greatly getting in.

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  A good car, but... - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Not so hot - February 24 - 4:33 pm

  This is my third Camry and the worst Ive owned. I really like the style of this Camry, but the engine performance is subpar. Ive experienced the hesitation problem when applying the gas after slowing down. Also, the power windows seem to get stuck momentarily when I try to roll them down, especially the drivers side. Gas mileage is about 20 in the city, certainly not that great.

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  New Rav 4 - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By jays5 - February 24 - 10:30 am

  Just got our new rav 4 today. It is a tremendous inprovement over the 2002 model we traded which was very good and hard to part with. The ride is much improved. Power is much greater and handling is excellant. Gas mileage seems to be a little better, but is hard to tell at this point. Rear set and cargo space is greatly increased. We like the additonal safety features including standard ABS brakes, an actual rear bumper and the optional side air bags as well.

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  Better than expected - 2011 Toyota Sienna
  By brifromwi - February 23 - 8:48 pm

  After much debate, we sold our 2005 Sienna XLE and found a great deal on a 2011 Sienna Limited ($2200 under invoice!). The ride is superior to our 2005; I would describe it as more "plush". The interior cabin noise is much improved over the 05 as well. Overall, in our mind, the Sienna beats the honda and the nissan hands down. The ability to move the second row so far back was what sold us on the Sienna. Overall, we are really happy with the purchase.