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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  2002 Toyota Corolla S - 2002 Toyota Corolla
  By nomore toyotas - March 3 - 6:26 am

  At 50,000 miles, my car started burning oil. Toyota refused to fix it, and blamed me. Then, they demanded to see all of my oil change receipts. First, I change my own oil, so the receipt only shows "Automotive". Second, the warranty states that Toyota does not require oil change receipts. Anyways, I still have the car, and in 80,000 miles, I have replaced the engine bearings ($1500), the front right axle bearing ($1400), the AC compressor ($900), and the front left wheel bearing ($500 including alignment).

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  utahrunner - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By 4runnerowner - March 2 - 6:20 pm

  overall this vehicle gives you the peace of mind both on road and off. It has plenty of power with the v-6 for passing and towing. Off road it is amazing as it climbs like it is glued to the trail and then back on the road it feels like a sport sedan.Very fun to drive and the "cool" factor is always there.

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  Best vanilla value on the market - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By robert - March 2 - 4:56 am

  Love the super white with very nice after market heated seats, very quiet, nice ride, very readable dash, lots of space especially in the trunk, split folding rear seat, avg. 27 in mixed driving and 35 highway at 65 mph, did not pay for alloys or sunroof or fog lites or high end stereo none of which interest me. Made in KENTUCKY!! NOT DETROIT.

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  New Venza, feels like no other vehicle - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By John W - March 1 - 5:10 pm

  The 4 Cyl. Venza drives and sounds like no other car that I have ever owned. It glides along like you might imagine an electric car will drive like. It has enough power for safe driving but certainly not enough to satisfy those that are looking for a sports car feel. The exterior & interior design are excellent in my book. The car does get people looking at it, as you drive along. The cabin feels much larger than it actually is due to the very high roof. Bottom Line ...it is a nice vehicle for those tired of owning another SUV.

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  Rockin Rolla - 2001 Toyota Corolla
  By Adam - March 1 - 3:46 pm

  I havent had this car very long yet but bought it because of its reputation as a solid reliable car. And thats exactly what it is. Im very very happy with it, just recently took it on a 11 hour drive, and it performed great. Has enough power to pass on the highway no prob...just drop it into 3rd and its gone. I suggest the manual though, I dont think it would be so great in an automatic, but thats just me. The gas mileage is awesome! Its fun to drive for a 4 door economy car, and looks good too. The A/C works great, but really robs the engine of power. But yeah, great choice if youre looking for a reliable cheap to own car. Cant go wrong with a Toyota.

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  Solara Convertible - 2007 Toyota Camry Solara
  By easwind - March 1 - 3:36 pm

  Bad points: blind spots with top up; cant read center digital dash in the sun Mediocre points: gas mileage; steering slightly sloppy; computer/audio panel not state-of-art; roll bar is modest. Great points: everything else

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  It Does What Its Supposed to Do - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By Psychprofessor - March 1 - 2:40 pm

  On the fun-to-drive meter, the Prius ranks pretty low. However, when it comes to practicality, gas mileage, and reliability, its a definite 10! One thing I really like is that after we had had it about a year, the highway gas mileage improved significantly. Now, we regularly get 50+ mpg on trips. On a recent trip to Nashville, a total of 703 miles roundtrip, we averaged 52.3 mpg. Also, thats driving at the speed limit whenever possible. I also appreciate the fact that in more than a year and a half of hard use, there are still no rattles and no problems at all.

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  Great MPG bad build quality - 2011 Toyota Prius
  By qqqquae - March 1 - 1:03 pm

  Now with 5000 miles on my Prius it has been in the shop more than our old Audi. This is all due in part to a nasty dash rattle that started after the first 750 miles. The dealer is perplexed, they cant fix it. Engineers from Toyota have been flown in and they cant fix it. Nobody understands the constant noises it makes. Toyota has offered no option for buyback and shunned the idea when I proposed it. I know its an economy car but this rattle is just poor build quality. The navigation system incorrectly locates my position in the city. I have to stop the car and turn it off to reboot the system. The car averages 49-54 mpgs constantly. The paint is flawless and the best Ive seen.

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  Love my new Highlander - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Reba Johnson - March 1 - 10:11 am

  I was driving a Toyota Sienna so I was used to more cargo space and a different console setup between the front seats. The console in this car is so big and tall that you could put a baby in it. It is hard to get to the seat belt latches next to it, which means wide people should not buy this car because you will find using the seat belt difficult. I am an average size person and I have to get my hand squeezed down beside the console to unlatch the seat belt. My audio system LCD also seems to have a bug in it when it is cold. It is non-responsive for up to 15 minutes of driving. You can only change the volume until it warms up--nothing else, no radio station changes etc. None of the buttons beside the panel work either. When it does wake it, sometimes it doesnt beep, but most of the time it beeps and often changes the station to the one at the bottom of the list. Then it might decide to go into Search Station mode. It may beep a number of times and you have to try to stop the Search so it wont replace all of your stations. Of course, it wasnt cold when I took it to the dealer and they couldnt help me. Every morning and evening is different in how it acts when it "wakes up". It drives beautifully and handles well on snow and ice here in Michigan for the month I have owned it. The third seat will do for kids or small people for a short ride. It is a big step up to get back there.

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  Great commuter car-lots of room - 2013 Toyota Matrix
  By jbaggins - March 1 - 7:08 am

  I walked in to the dealer and bought this right off the lot. I have owned Toyotas in the past and knew this would be reliable like the others. I have the convenience package with auto, A/C, Bluetooth audio system. It would have been nice if this package came with heated seats but the side mirrors are heated. So far, after 4 months, its been great. I drive 45 minutes into work each day and this car is a pleasure to drive on the highway and great to park. There are a few blind spots near the front window pillars where I feel the side mirrors get in the way. The radio is a plus as it connects to Ipod, blackberry etc and handsfree function is great!