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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  Great in Summer, Terrible in Winter - 2001 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Spookieken - November 1 - 2:00 am

  I love the car in the summer, but it is awful in the snow. The tires spin, the car gets stuck and fishtails out of control at times, even in light snow conditions. Its definitely not made for the new england region.

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  Overpriced Toyota - 2004 Toyota Tacoma
  By truckin Todd - November 1 - 2:00 am

  I am sorry that I bought this truck for the money I paid for it. After driving my friends Nissan Frontier CrewCab longBed with the super charged v6 and hearing what he paid, I realized there is something better out there. Dont get me wrong, this is a good reliable truck, but it cost more, has a shorter bed, less power and torque, more interior noise and is lacking in certain options.

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  Too new to tell - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By Skip - October 31 - 4:30 am

  I am very impressed with vehicles performance to economy ratio, although I only have driven it 500 miles. Would like to re-review in about 6 months.

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  Need to improve build quality - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By eric - October 30 - 10:43 pm

  Only have the car a less than a month, already hear rattling noise right under the windshield; this noise goes away when I press down the panels (panels on both driver and passager sides are loose!!). Very disappointed.

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  Hesitation 07 Camry - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By ned - October 29 - 8:10 am

  Purchased 07 LE auto in June 06. Nicest looking car on road. Noticed hesitation after purchasing. Had 2 TSBs done to recalibrate engine, transmission. The last one helped the most, but not completely. Traded for new 08 Honda Accord this week. Much better performance and acceleration than Camry.

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  Theres a lot to like here... - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By S. Baker - October 28 - 11:46 am

  This truck rides and handles well enough that even the wife doesnt mind driving it. Its comfortable for my 6-2 large frame even on a 300 mile straight through drive (which is the freeway distance you will go between fill-ups). Fit and finish is outstanding. Treat it gently as the sheet metal is paper thin and dents can accumulate very easily. The same applies to the paint job (paper thin). Have had the truck for a year and a half and have had no warranty issues whatsoever. This wont replace a Ford F250, but youd be better off buying it over a F150.

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  2000 Tundra - 2000 Toyota Tundra
  By J Tillman - October 28 - 6:36 am

  Best riding & handling truck Ive ever had. Liked the truck a lot. Suicide door arrangement was the most the most bothersome part of the truck. It was difficult getting things in or out of the back seat area having to have both side doors open, espeicially in a crowded carking lot. The Dunlop tires that came with the truck all failed within 27,000 mi. The belts shifted inside the tire.

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  Downsize - for fun and "profit" - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Tomm - October 28 - 2:50 am

  Got rid of my relatively new Audi A6 with every option for a loaded 08 Prius a couple of weeks ago. Couldnt be happier. Maybe I am being small-minded [averaging 48 MPG of regular gas], but the car is fun to drive, holds the highway/road, and no difficult electronics.

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  roomy avalon limited. - 2011 Toyota Avalon
  By Gary Burnett - October 28 - 2:03 am

  Nice Car ,The Seats Are To Hard And Very Hard To Clean ,Engine Is Very Quiet And Powerful ,The Car Also Sits To Low With 5 People It Will Scrape Coming Out Some Driveways,But It Does Look Nice,Exspecially The Limited But Cost As Much As A Lexus es350 But More Room Inside ,Thats One Of The Reasons I Bought The Avalon Instead Of Lexus Es350.

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  Cajun Toy 4x4 Limted - 1995 Toyota 4Runner
  By Cajunsportsman - October 27 - 10:00 am

  Bought truck with 127245 miles on it. so for good riding all over cental Louisiana an Southern Louisiana. Truck seem to be a good riding one so far everthing still works fine on it. Could use more power under hood V6 3.0 not enought