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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  MMH 2005 Prius @ 7000 Miles - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By MMH - July 5 - 5:10 am

  I commute daily across the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway to New Orleans at 75 miles/day @ 60-65 mph and average 46-48 mpg. This is a great commuting car. Since purchasing in March Ive made trips to Atlanta & Shreveport. The road trip to Atlanta was fine, however I would prefer to be in a larger & quicker auto when driving on the mega lane Atlanta interstate with the traffic flow at 80 MPH. I have added an XM satellite radio (not available from Toyota), there is a great unit that displays on the screen - available from Coastal Electronics.

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  You wont get valet parked out front...BUT! - 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By Tom Blanchfield - July 5 - 5:01 am

  This is my second TLC. I had the 2012. This is such an improvement in all the things that make a long drive comfortable or not. The adaptive cruise control on the early edition was overly sensitive. This one seems to know what is coming and gently accelerate or brake. The lane departure warnings and driver alert warnings are important/useful safety aids. The automatic brake thingy saved me front a very expensive accident! It is super quiet on the highway and this car just eats up miles! I traded in another vehicle that I liked that got better fuel mileage(RAM Eco Diesel), but the ownership costs of a Toyota are among the best. RAM had frequent service visits. I have had Audi Q7s with their brake jobs every 12000 miles and recalls. This thing is expected to be both reliable and cheap to maintain! My last TLC was! While it would be nice if the 3rd row folded flat into the floor, Id rather have the toughness and reliability of the TLC. I love the rear tailgate, and again you may think you want a powered clamshell rear door, but a split tailgate is so useful in real life situations. The roof hardware is very stout, no need to get a stronger Thule support bracket, like I had to with my Denali. When you add it all up, this is the finest large SUV out there! People who know quality and actually need an off road capable, snow/ice capable, towing capable, night on the town capable, kid capable - large SUV will love their LandCruiser. Those who want the valet to park it out front will get a Range Rover. Only issue is that Toyota should add Wifi like the American vehicles.

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  191,000 miles and still drive it daily - 1999 Toyota 4Runner
  By Rob U - July 5 - 2:59 am

  Have put 120,000 miles on the 99 4Runner. The only repair issues are a small oil leak, replacing the clutch every 8-10 years, and a brake job or two. All relatively minor repairs. Handles and drives great. Wonderful in the Colorado snow. Great visibility. Sturdy design. Relatively quiet inside although newer models are even quieter. Its a V6 so it has decent power but not great, especially up mountains. If youre thinking of buying a used 99 4Runner and its got 200k miles on it - Do it! Plan to drive mine another 100k miles at least. Older, reliable vehicles are better for your bank account than losing thousands of dollars in depreciation every year. Repair costs have been minimal in the 9 years Ive owned it.

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  ok - 2016 Toyota RAV4
  By Vishvesh Richhariya - July 4 - 11:13 pm

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  Feels like a 30k+ car - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Patrick - July 4 - 3:26 am

  We only have 150 miles on it but we love this car. Dash is beautiful with BRIGHT gauges. Leather seats and interior fit and finish feel like a much more expensive car. The car just soaks up bumps (we live in Metro NY area so there are plenty of them). For 25K we got 16 inch alloys, v6, heated seats, climate control, traction and stability control, leather, moonroof, 6 CD changer, adjustable pedals, side airbags, tilt wheel and more. Are you kidding me???

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  Best vehicle Ive ever owned - 2001 Toyota Highlander
  By 2nd owner - July 4 - 12:46 am

  We bought our Highlander with 50k miles 5 years ago and have put over 80k additional miles on it. It is the most reliable car we have ever owned. It has great performance, decent fuel economy, comfortable ride and is a nice looking car as well. I would recommend it to anyone regardless of mileage. I have seen them with 300k miles and still going.

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  Performance review - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By aa - July 3 - 3:30 pm

  Moving from another vendor (Audi A4) to the Camry meant the Camry getting a hit from a driver evaluation. The time to reach peak performance is almost at redline, not something I want to do for any vehicle needless a new one. If improvement could be made or factory tuning modifications offered to allow for better engine performance, that would help. Overall though for the engine statistics, the engine performs excellently.

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  More Bang For Your Buck - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By John Webber - July 3 - 6:40 am

  Ive had my Corolla for two months now, it did 25.8 mpg city with a heavy gas hitter. The trunk has room for all my golf clubs and the split seat works well for my fishing rods. The placement of everything is logical accept the clock. The center console is a bit small along with the little compartment with the outlet. The plastic does scratch easily leaving marks. Everything feels solid nothing loose and feeling like it would break. The seating position can fit all, Im 511 with long legs and its really comfortable. If your looking for an economy car that gives you the most bang for the buck, this is it. A very big improvement from last years model.

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  Love My 4runner - 2003 Toyota 4Runner
  By Jason - July 3 - 4:43 am

  I love this thing. It has great acceleration, handles great on or off road. We have the jbl premium sound system, this has a great feature for kids in the back. They can listen to what they want and I can listen to what I want. It is really fun in the snow and mud.

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  Great Second Car to Drive... - 2002 Toyota Echo
  By Ken - July 2 - 9:03 pm

  Love the vehicle... its what you are looking for in a compact car... great gas mileage, roomy front seats, great engine power for the size, and reliable.