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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  2006 Toyota Tundra with XPS package V8 - 2006 Toyota Tundra
  By Carlos - July 15 - 11:46 pm

  Very useful and comfortable to drive, great cargo in the back, fun to drive, but painful to park, I had trucks all my life, the worst direction and ratio.

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  Jury is half in - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By tripped - July 15 - 2:20 pm

  I have buyers remorse. The fuel economy has not lived up to the talk -- avg about 45mpg. Drivers seat/wheel/dash ergonomics very poor. Human factor design terrible on things like digital speedo (analog is easier to read, thus safer), fuel guage and other dash read-outs -- very illogically placed and distract from driving. Especially climate controls having to be accessed via the electronic screen. Give me knobs for easy feel of adjustments levels without needing to take my eyes and brain off my driving. Audio system the same -- just take it off the screen menus. Navigation is a pain to learn and use -- very user unfriendly. Transmission knob idiotic and key/locking system beyond logic.

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  Best used car Ive ever owned. - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By srichey - July 15 - 12:56 pm

  Great commuter car. I owned the car for four years and really took it through the paces and it never gave me any problems at all. Its not a Porsche but its dependable and the mileage is decent.

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  Navigator - 2008 Toyota Avalon
  By Don Cramer - July 15 - 10:26 am

  Overall I am very satisfied. I rate the navigator a 4. It is not user friendly and should be discarded and replaced with another. I would not have bought it if I had known. The Bluetooth set up is that you can only connect 1 phone at a time. You have to go into the phone set up and change it. The ride is quiet. The car is too new to get a an estimate on mpg.

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  I love this car! - 2004 Toyota Avalon
  By AvalonXL - July 14 - 2:26 pm

  I bought this car 10-04-06. It is the finest vehicle I have ever driven. Smooth, comfy, handles easy. I had no idea a car could be this amazing. I drove from Oceanside, Ca. to Las Vegas Nv. on 1 tank of gas, over 300 miles & had gas to spare, amazing!

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  Excellent car! - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Paul W - July 14 - 1:10 pm

  Ive seen very few better quality cars than this! Fun to drive, no problems to date, outstanding gas mileage, comfortable as driver and passenger, plenty of passenger and cargo room, cheap to maintain and reasonable insurance quotes everywhere. Lots of online resources for this car, too! The reverse beep was annoying at first but you CAN turn it off, the owners manual tells you how. Slightly noisy on the road but switching the tires solved that problem too.

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  Loved My Camry - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By emilydfeist - July 14 - 11:53 am

  I loved my Camry! It was always reliable. I wrecked it this past saturday and i almost cried! I hit a deer but the car held up well! I had it for almost 3 years and the only problems it had was an oil leak..but it wasnt anything major..honestly i never fixed it because it never gave me any problems. I had to replace a few parts earlier this year but thats expected on a vehicle its age. Over all a wonderful car. Unfortunately the 2005 Toyota i was looking to buy has bad reveiws...maybe they should go to making it the way they used to.

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  05 Prius - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Harry Erickson - July 14 - 10:06 am

  This car is a blast to drive its like something out of a science fiction magazine, power everything,with over 7 controls right on the steering wheels you never have to look any further, and whats really surprising is the how quick this car is everybody asks me this question, and the 50 MPG plus is great, plus the resale value of these cars is great,how can you loose out and have this much fun.

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  My Little Go Cart - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By Estes - July 14 - 9:03 am

  Have not owned it for long but being 63" and 255 lbs I am having a blast with this car. Everyone I know is used to me being in an F-250 or larger vehicle so I am getting used to being laughed at. With the mileage I am getting, which is on average 45 mpg, I use 1 gal per day round trip to work and home . Several co-workers have purchased one of their own. Now who is laughing? Thats all Im going to say about that!

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  To Hawaii and Back - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By Capt Glenn - July 14 - 8:36 am

  We have shipped this car from VA to Hawaii and back. We have driven to CA and have enjoyed all the room and creature comforts of this CUV. We would recommend this to any small family. The AWD feature was a great safety comfort in the mountains, in the snow and on the beaches.