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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  4wd v6 Sport 2008 - 2008 Toyota 4Runner
  By breakfree40 - April 8 - 6:10 am

  Excellent vehicle. Low routine maintenance costs. Will drive anywhere you point the wheels. 4WD system is very advanced, v6 engine is adequate for all but the heavy towing.

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  Overall ok, but a few problems - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By Allison - April 7 - 10:46 pm

  Dealer said seats were scotchguarded. Were not and now they are terribly stained. Had brake problem that I took to the dealer 4 times that they couldnt figure out. Local shop fixed it. Traction control terrible. Should have gotten 4WD. Suitable gas mileage. Tow a small utility trailer fine. Good family car overall.

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  Well worth the investment - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By Kevin Sheldrick - April 7 - 12:36 am

  I purchased my Yaris hatchback in April 07. Have put 7500 miles on it already. Have had four people in it comfortably. Love it. My wife cannot wait for the Toyota Ractis, a very similar car to the Yaris, to be offered in the U.S.

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  2002 Rav4 AWD - 2002 Toyota RAV4
  By Sean Allio - April 6 - 5:30 pm

  An overall good vehicle. Disappointed with Toyotas decline in quality. Not what it was 10-15 years ago. Had no major problems just small ones. The power door locks went out around 50k miles. Hatch door latch pin broke. Weather stripping pulled loose on window. Very noisy engine. Gets good gas mileage if you are on top of pre-maintenance.

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  High performance peace of mind - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By joe - April 6 - 2:26 pm

  As a father of three children, and a passion for sports cars, finding something that boasts performance and economic efficiency was no easy task until I took this camry se v6 for a test drive. It makes a statement with high performance driving and looks. Rest assured whether youre hauling groceries with the family or just haulin on open road, the smiles are impossible to hide. Overall comfort and interior quality makes you forget your not driving a $50k automobile. All of the creature comforts and styling at half the expected cost.

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  Not for All - 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By Patrick Goungo - April 6 - 2:23 pm

  This vehicle is only for young people. If you have infants or small kids, very bad for them, no room.

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  10,000 mile followup - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By Michael - April 6 - 2:20 am

  This is a follow up after having my Prius V for around 10 months and logging around 10,000 miles. Overall this is a good vehicle and it’s not been back to the dealer except for oil changes and the brake recall. My overall mileage has averaged between 46-51 during the period – as measured by miles and gallons – the dash readout is usually optimistic by 2-3 mpg. Great electronics: Bluetooth phone and audio streaming – navigation, keyless entry, push button start. However, it’s annoying that you can’t do certain functions with the touch screen while moving (set navigation; dial the phone, etc.). The problem areas of this vehicle for me are: Seat comfort & road noise – See suggestions below

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  XRS no more AUTO?now 3/1/02 - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By XRS - April 4 - 9:53 pm

  No XRS in Auto no more? 3/1/02? Car is only a month old and now stopping production of Automatics 180hp? No standard 3-1 radio/cass/cd No sunroof on XRX? Have to add on? No leather seats?

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  That affordable car everyone buys - 2012 Toyota Corolla
  By cappecan - April 4 - 5:39 am

  I bought my 2012 Corolla LE brand new off the lot with 30 miles on it. I have owned it six months, and have put 5,000 miles on it, and have encountered zero problems. It has done what it was intended and built to do, and thats safely transport me from point A to point B. These Corollas are designed to go for a long time, and present safety and superb reliability. And thats exactly what a Corolla does. They arent comparable to their "sister car" the Camry in any way because they dont have any of the luxurious qualities a Camry does. I think thats why they are reasonably priced. As far as safety is concerned, a Toyota will always be one of the safest vehicles on the road.

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  UPDATE - 2015 Toyota RAV4
  By jacknhill - April 3 - 5:42 pm

  As an add-on to the first opinion I wrote of the 2015 RAV4: Initially I was slightly disappointed with MPGs and realized the extreme cold temps. in the NE USA were the reason.A recent road trip produced Identical MPGs as a traded-in 13 CRV: 62 MPH= 34 MPG 69 MPH= 30 MPG 74 MPH= 28.5 MPG 79 MPH= 27.6 MPG W/cruise control over 200+ miles at each speed.MPG was identical to the CRV.The RAV4 is 150 lbs. heavier too.RAV4 also fits more cargo as the wheel wells inside the back are 44"apart.The rear seats also fold down completely level,unlike CRV.Driving in city, Sport mode is a must to shift smoother.The 6 speed manual/auto is a ++. Michelins grab the road in cornering,big +++.