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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  Great little car. - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By wolfgang - March 3 - 8:10 am

  I decided to go with a Yaris after driving a Camaro for 13 years. I love this car! It is peppy enough and sticks to the curves just fine. I am also 62" and a large guy and I have plenty of room, in fact this car has more room than my Camaro. The back seat also has plenty of room for me to sit comfortably. I am also averaging 37 MPG and that is a mix of city and highway driving. I would highly recommend this car. Go out and get on the Yaris bandwagon!

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  Excellent Car!!! - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By DON - March 3 - 7:36 am

  Shopped it!! This is the Best in its Class plus some!!!

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  Worst $2400 ever spent - 1998 Toyota Corolla
  By Jose - March 3 - 4:56 am

  Bought this car from auction. Test drove it on street, engine and trans ran smooth except heard thump and saw steering wheel wiggle, probably just a balled tire. Wrong! Or maybe not? Drove it on the highway next day and car shook violently. I thought it would fall apart. I got 3 different mechanics opinions and still thumping. Did an alignment, replaced 2 tires, replaced all 4 brakes, and replaced transmission for goodness sake! Spent $1072 in less than 3 weeks of buying car! Not to mention turn signal light in dash went out and steering wheel is disintegrating quickly. Paint and or plastic around inner door moldings disentegrating and lock for trunk fell sideways (dont ask!).

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  Great car - 2016 Toyota RAV4
  By Maggie - March 3 - 2:38 am

  I love this car, great ride, quality interior, great stereo and navigation. I am loving the safety features; backup monitor, cross traffic warning, blind spot monitoring. My only complaint is the terrible rear view visibility!

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  Always good to go! - 2006 Toyota Matrix
  By frog - March 2 - 11:46 pm

  Just back from our first road trip to taos, all kinds of weather, rain, snow, ice everything. car performed beautifully as expected....fuel mileage ave. 34 mpg..interior was comfortable

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  Bounce away - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By Top P - March 2 - 11:03 pm

  After owning a Tacoma for 8 years I went out and bought a Tundra. The big boy. And boy have I have been disappointed. The ride in this truck is just AWFUL. My pregnant wife gets physically sick from the bouncing it does on the highways here in southern Cali. I am waiting for Toyota to address my complaint. I do not have the TRD package but I still bounce. Toyota knows about the problem but has yet to address it. Buyer beware! I only wish I knew a month ago. At the very least, test drive on the highways for a few miles before you decide.

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  Satisfaction - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By jayne - March 2 - 10:26 pm

  This is my second Prius and I have totally satisfied with both vehicles. No problems of any sort (except one flat tire which was the fault of a big bolt left in the road). Most of my driving in this car is local, less than 4 or 5 miles per trip. However, I drove to Chicago (avg 56 mpg) and to New Jersey (avg 54 mpg). There have been no shakes, no noises, no problems. The quality of these cars is impressive by itself, but the clean emissions make it outstanding.

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  Toyota run around - 2001 Toyota Highlander
  By highlander24 - March 2 - 6:28 pm

  I purchased a 2001 toyota highlander from toyota financial in september 2011. The highlander has 110000 miles on it and it has a lot of oil blowby near the PCV valve. I heard there was a sludge issue with these vehciles so I went to Libertyville Toyota and asked them to check it out. I told them i was adding a quart of oil every 500 miles and I said they should check the PCV area because I heard the sludge build up was in an unusual area of the engine. We removed the PCV plug and stuck a tube in the engne area and pulled out alot of sludge. dealer teck called and said NO Warrentee because the engine was clean. They did not check PCV area, they said I would need to pay $400 first.

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  15 years and counting! - 2000 Toyota Avalon
  By Dave S. - March 1 - 8:25 pm

  I never thought I would ever keep a car this long but my Avalon still checks almost every box. It continues to be the roomy, quiet and comfortable vehicle that I purchased new in 2000. Had a few (not major) maintenance issues in the eighth and tenth year. Since then reliability has been remarkable. And its exterior remains relatively bright and clean even though my old house has no garage or carport. I do wash it weekly and regularly change the oil. My two complaints are that the MPG has declined to 18 MPG in city driving. 24 MPG highway. And although the air conditioning has always worked great, it makes a short whistling sound every 15-20 minutes. Its annoying. This has gone on for over five years and Toyota cannot seem to figure out what to do to correct it.

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  Excellent Highway Cruiser - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By mark - March 1 - 8:13 pm

  I have the LE V6. The engine is super smooth, quiet, and powerful. Camry rides very well for its price range, and is very comfortable. More more comfortable and better riding than Honda Accord and Nissan Maxima. Handling is average (soft suspension keeps it from handling super well). Since comfort is more important than performance, I dont mind the so-so handling. Interior fit and finish is good, exterior fit and finish is good. Nice looking body. A great car for long highway trips. The softer than average ride is very comfortable, even on less than ideal roads. With cruise control, it will maintain a comfortable 70 MPH in style. Overall, I love this car and feel its a great buy.