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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  Cheap, Efficient, SOLID - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Paul - October 27 - 5:20 pm

  Just an overall great compact sedan. Of course driving it you would think it was compact. Quiet ride, good stability, and fun. With prices they way they are you are able to have a regular car that isnt a hybrid and still gives you great gas mileage to the gallon.

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  My first Toyota - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By bl78 - October 27 - 4:43 pm

  I have been in the Honda / Acura family for years. Currently own 07 Acura MDX but traded my 06 Honda Civic with 77k miles. Civic was good in many ways but it was small, too much wind noise and lacked power which was not fun to drive on a long road trip. I didnt want to purchase a new Honda or Acura for other reason. Im not a fan of the Accord exterior design and didnt want to pay extra $$$ for the Acura TSX V6. I chose the Camry for many reasons. Its not luxurious like an Acura or BMW but its satisfactory with the exterior design, space and the comfort of the V6 drive. Some people may differ depending on what vehicle they used to drive but I enjoy the ride of the V6 Camry SE.

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  no one told it it was a truck - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By John Scull - October 27 - 4:41 pm

  First off as I still have my 14 year old Ranger, there has been a learning curve, a big one. First off love the truck, and it is easy to enjoy. Used it for work the first week I owned it and while it was not as easy to do the job as it was in the Ranger it filled in well, and had no problems. Truck rides nicer than the Ranger and is gawd awful quick compared to the Ranger. While the Ranger ride is very truckish, the Tacoma is much smoother and is much more comfortable. I am still learning all the bells and whistles, but I find a lot of them very useful. the climate control system took some getting used to, but does its job very well. I am not impressed with the Sirius System and could very well live without it. In fact I will be cancelling g it shortly, as it is so limited in choices. Have not had to use four wheel drive much so far, but when I did it was flawless, and easy to use. Little bit fuel hungry, but this is off set by performance. No one told my truck that it was a pick up truck, as it loves to whoop up on those pesky lil Beer Can Racers, the ones that are souped up mini cars, which is kinda fun. While not as powerful as the Mustang 5.0 I liked, it will get you in big ticket area rel quick. I am also impressed by it have a class 4 towing package. Over all very pleased with mine.

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  Still love it 9 years later - 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By grant - October 27 - 6:56 am

  Great truck. Drives like a charm, very reliable.

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  Dont look any further - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By jjehly - October 26 - 1:23 pm

  This car is a LOT of fun to drive. The ride is a little more stiff than the Camry and its a little louder. The guages are extremely easy to see even in direct sunlight and are very well thought out. All of the controls are within easy reach and make sense where they are placed. The drivers seat has a height adjustment so my wife (on the short side) can see out just as well as I can when she lifts it up. Our 3 kids fit in the back without any problems and my 10 year old still has plenty of leg room and room to grow even when I have the seat as far back as I need it. The seats folding and creating a flat loading space is great, durable and easy to clean.

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  My first car - 1993 Toyota Camry
  By anesidora916 - October 26 - 9:40 am

  I love my Camry! This was my first car, I got it at 161k 2 years ago. We have put way more than the car is worth in repairs, but all are reasonable considering the car is 17 years old and now has 204k on it. The distributor went out in May. The oil leak has been repaired numerous time and still persists; once leaked on the rotor and caused car to die. With a V4 its not very fast. Ive kept up with all maintenance but I inherited the car with some electrical problems; reverse lights dont work. I think my transmissions about to go. Car barley passed smog this year because the timing is off, engine needs a tune up. Regardless of the problems its been an awesome first car!

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  My Little Trooper - 1999 Toyota Tacoma
  By TacoScott - October 26 - 8:26 am

  This is easily the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned. I have the base 4WD model with the 2.7 and few frills. I got it in 2001 with 40k miles. Im a homeowner with the more than occasional need to haul stuff around and the every day need of getting back and forth to work through the occasional snow storm. It has fulfilled all of my expectations with no major repairs until about 131k miles when the clutch went bad. Still has the factory brakes and exhaust but looks like a little body rust will need tending to shortly. Not bad considering it hasnt seen a single day inside a garage since Ive had it.

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  A great purchase - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By tappan01 - October 25 - 9:56 pm

  After 12 years of GM cars, this Camry is a breath of fresh air! I love the way the car rides, handles (plenty of power with the 6cyl). Im not crazy about the "smart Start" button stop/start - would like to feel those keys in my hand. The only problems I find with this car are minor design changes I would like to see: Poor "visibility" when backing the car up (cant see around the headrest. Trunk should lock in place when open. Seat belt placement is to low on seat - difficult to clasp. Cannot read printout on radio during day. All in all this is a great car for the money. Exactly the same as the Lexus ES350 except for some of the refinements.

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  Lousy gas mileage - 2007 Toyota Corolla
  By Roger - October 25 - 4:50 pm

  Bought my corolla ce automatic at 74,000 miles. Happy with car except lousy gas mileage. Good power but sucks gas at 21.5 mpg all city and 34 mpg all highway. So far I have refilled about 10 tank fulls. I drive very smooth & easy! Voluntary smog check showed exhaust extremely clean. Idle a bit rough compared to other 4 cylinder cars. Tire pressure ok. Also the ride is extremely harsh. Back suspension very stiff so car with driver only rides like an old stage coach across the plains. With 4 people, full gas tank and luggage ride is acceptable. Very weak overhead dome light and works very flaky at times.

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  Camry vs Accord - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By DK - October 25 - 1:00 pm

  I purchased a Lunar Mist 2006 Camry SE 6cyl auto. I have previously owned 4 new Accords (90,94,98,03) but this is my first Camry. I chose the Camry because it is much quieter, roomier, and smoother on the road than the Accord. The dash layout is better (even the steering wheel audio controls are lighted). The 03 Accord quality was not up to my expectations. The Camry SE is sportier and handles much better. Both V6s have plenty of power, and the Accord did get a MPG or so better, but the Camry more than makes up for that in everyday driving pleasure... very easy to live with.