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:

• 

  Very Bad stereo and sound system - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By Garry - August 31 - 8:49 pm

  We purchased a 2015 Camry SE. Never thought I would be in such a disappointment with Toyota sound system ! I love to listen to my music while Im driving so therefore my stereo and speakers needs to have the best quality but is the worst car stereo sound ever.

• 

  Love this car! - 2006 Toyota Camry Solara
  By CalifJan - August 31 - 6:50 pm

  I have had my 06 for over 6 mths and I love it. It is a fun and sporty car to drive yet has all the amenities of a luxury car. I like the radio control on the steering wheel and all the little features Toyota put on this car. The only negative is when the top is up there is a huge blind site when trying to look out the back window. Other than that, it is a great car.

• 

  Wow Another Great Toyota Truck - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By fongpeiyoung - August 31 - 6:03 pm

  This is great tough truck with exceptional performance and handling with very good fuel economy 21 mpg. This is a rugged strong truck.

• 

  Reliable but basic - 1995 Toyota Pickup
  By Kratze - August 31 - 4:06 pm

  Ive owned my 95 pickup for about 9 years and it just finally gave me the first expensive repair ever. Up till now, its been ultra ultra reliable and has not cost much except for maintenance. But the interior plastics are starting to crack badly and the body is rusting a little in places. It has almost no amenities and the drive is average. Ive put quite a bit of weight in the bed at times and it hauls it very nicely. Interior space is almost nil. Although I often wish it had more features, Ive been very pleased with it. Though I have to admit mine wouldnt exactly be a bargain at this point given its present condition...

• 

  Value for Money - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By amithw - August 31 - 12:10 pm

  I have 169K miles on my toyota. Still rounds great. Only change oil and filters, belts. I get 21city and 24hwy MPG. Great car very reliable. Use good tires and the ride is even smoother. Only defect I see is some clanking noise coming from front suspension. No mechanic could fix it. So I drive with it,

• 

  The winner after months of comparing - 2008 Toyota Tundra
  By D Boone - August 31 - 2:36 am

  After looking at trucks for the entire fall, I settled on the Tundra. The big three have priced themselves out of range for a HD truck to me. Now with the HP and torque the 5.7 has the Tundra does outperform the others. This trim line has everything I need to use it as a work truck, so I saved quite a bit over the SR5 pkg.

• 

  Very comfortable and quite. - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By VLY - August 31 - 12:10 am

  My third Camry. Still keep 97 LE – 12 years of trouble-free service. The 09 one is very comfortable and quite, hope will be as reliable as my 97 Camry. 2.4 l four is perfectly adequate but so far I got 22 MPG on mixed driving – compare to my 97’s 26 MPG. Another disappointment is oil change – have to do it after each 5000 miles compare to 7500 in most other cars. On positive side – all other maintenance is almost non-existing, antifreeze & transmission fluid work for 90000 miles, spark plugs for 120000, timing belt is finally gone and chain does not need replacement. Things like stability/traction control, trip computer, body side molding, mud guards must be standard.

• 

  SUV in truck body... - 2006 Toyota Tacoma
  By Stavro - August 30 - 11:33 pm

  After spending endless hours on Edmunds, I decided to pull the trigger. Traded a 01 BMW X5 with 52K miles and 11 pages of maintenance records. What a relief! The Tacomas interior is big, got the 4x2 sport pack with JBL audio and tow. If you dont need 4x4 why haul the extra weight around? First tank of gas gave me 19 mpg (87 RON per manual)combined. Feels solid, seats have good support, plenty of space in the rear, good visibility, suspension is on the spot, not too soft, not too hard, gearbox is smooth (A/T) as far as performance, I only have 220 miles but I can tell you this: 65mph with 1450 rpm is sweet!

• 

  A great car - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By samuel christopher - August 30 - 10:40 pm

  The car was great. I loved it. My mom my kids they all thought it was great. We recently to a trip for Spring Break and it made the ride fun.

• 

  Muscle Truck - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By Tom - August 30 - 9:56 pm

  I two a 10,000 lb trailer on a regular basis. My previous truck was a Ford with a 460 V8. The Tundra 5.7 bets it hands down in power and economy. I have never owned a p/u in my 35 years of driving that is as powerful as this one. It is amazing. I regularly get 20 mpg driving 55 mpg empty highway miles. Around town is 14 mpg and pulling a loaded trailer at 55 mpg gets me 14 mpg. I use regular gas and everything factory.