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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  My family loves it - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By IM - March 23 - 6:16 am

  It replaced Honda Civic 1999 and in many cases is the opposite of Honda. It has much better power and pickup at low RPM but is less comfortable and loud at high RPM. It has generous backseat but less comfortable driver seat. It is better insulated with no vibrations coming through the engine or the stick. It has higher clearance but is also sensitive to wind bursts. My kids love it and prefer much over Honda. I liked the seat comfort of the Honda and its enthusiastic noise close to the read line comparing to never-very-good driving position in Toyota and a punishing noise at high RPM.

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  MPG depends on how you drive, PERIOD! - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By Mike - March 22 - 9:26 pm

  pkg #2. 33,273 mi from 1/19/06 to 1/7/07. Avg 48 mpg first 15k mi (havent updated spreadsheet) Best tank 712 mi. Only 2 tanks under 40 mpg, 34.4 & 38.8, 1 hr in St Louis then to Pine Bluff, AR March 5th (plea 5th on speed). 70 mph gets around 45 mpg, 60 mph 50 mpg. Less mpg in winter. 20-40 mph just right (accel & coast) gets 70-100 mpg on hwy from Pine Bluff to Little Rock (best was 93mpg @ 35mi). CPU mpg reset to 0 on its own a few times, once while looking at it. Out of gas 3 times. W/6 blue bars barely made 1.7 mi to gas sta. Most gas on fillup 12.4 gal. Elec A/C & engine heat. READ MANUAL. Overall, I LOVE IT!

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  Do not get the base. Spend the $$ - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By deewill - March 22 - 7:33 pm

  So far this is a great vehicle. Great power and gets 24.4 on the highway. The base has the standard features but when you are used to a loaded Toyota you do not realize how many options you are missing until you leave the dealership. No power lift gate. Takes two men and a small boy to pull it down. No outside temp gauge. Manual cloth base seats are not all that comfortable on trips. No blue tooth, no hitch, though you pay standard for the prep. I guess they drilled some holes in the frame for you. You cannot buy a hitch yet. No body side molding. I see numerous door dings in the future. Multiple blind spots. Need to add the convex mirrors in the corners.

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  Deal breaking exterior design - 2016 Toyota Prius
  By JOHN MIRANDA - March 22 - 4:27 pm

  Headline says it all, I would probably be driving a 2016 Prius had it not been for the impossibly bad exterior design. I had a good test drivr, but I simply could not purchase a vehicle that made me cringe every time I looked at it. Good thing my 2007 Prius is in good shape. Perhaps I will hold onto it for another couple years and see if Toyota comes up with something a little less psychotic looking.

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  Check that everything works before you buy - 2013 Toyota Sienna
  By Rushdi Eskarous - March 22 - 10:52 am

  I traded in 2015 Toyota Camry in a 2015 Toyota Sienna. After I purchased the vehicle I found out that If I get my cell phone paired to my vehicle and try to call someone and use the scroll keys to get to the next person in the last dialed list, instead of scrolling up or down, it changes my radio channel. I contacted my dealership and they said that they contacted TOYOTA corp with the problem and they advised changing the radio. They got a new Radio, got it in and the problem is still there. So I called Toyota Corp and they told me that they will research this and get back with me. Next day they called and they said that my XLE vehicle does not have the feature that is "by the way was in my 2015 Camry, in my wifes 2014 Camry, and in the 2015 Toyota Sienna the BASE Model L and LE) but for some reason they decide to downgrade and eliminated this feature from their XLE. The absence of this feature is really irritating and can cause you try to call in a different way by scrolling the radio key in your radio and you may get involved in an accident. I almost had an accident because when you take your eyes on the road to reach for your radio, thats what happens. Think twice before you purchase this vehicle. It is your comfort and your life here.

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  Not as good as I expected - 1998 Toyota Corolla
  By Johnatyahoo - March 22 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car two years ago. It caused me a lot of troubles. First the battery became bad, I changed that. The the alternator was broken. The came the brake. It has some problems with starting. I changed the plus wires, it did not help at all. I wish I had never bought this troublesome car.

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  One year post purchase - 2002 Toyota Tundra
  By JEC - March 22 - 10:00 am

  I have had my toyota tundra for almost a year now. I love it, it rides like a Lexus. There is no comparing toyota quality with american made vehicles if you did comparisons based on that alone Toyota wins hands down. My only complaint is the difficulty in parking you have with this vehicle. Compared to other vehicle of the same size and class the turning radius is much smaller.

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  A fine truck - 2002 Toyota Tundra
  By Stan Gilbert - March 22 - 10:00 am

  Overall, a very fine quality product. Fun to drive. Very solid. Have 5500 miles on it. 4.7 V-8 is very quiet,powerful;I get 15 mpg around town (the same as my old 94 Nissan 4X4 3 litre V-6 pickup. I have TRD, but prefer a more "taunt - supple" -ride. Very roadable and stable tho in cross winds. Very quiet at highway speeds; But where my left elbow and left knee rest on door is cheap fabric. Already shows wear. Right armrest is fabric and will soil easily. Wear areas shold be vinyl. Tranny, or driveline, "bumps" on downshift coming to a stop, even 3 - 8 seconds after stop. Dealers say "they all do it". Hope its durable!

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  All Purpose Vehicle - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By thatguy - March 22 - 10:00 am

  The Matrix meets my needs in every way imaginable. Great gas mileage for my daily 30 mile commute (each way), comfortable rear seating for my two young children, sports car-like drive and looks terrific. I owned a 2001 Focus ZX3. The Matrix is a different class of car. More room, more comfortable and more standard features.

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  Love Toyotas - 2002 Toyota Tacoma
  By 3rdToyotaBought - March 22 - 10:00 am

  Great truck....paid 12600 for the truck...for the money i gained a lot of truck and reliability..new truck