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:

• 

  Fun Machine - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By Prashanth - January 12 - 12:26 pm

  We bought a Limited v6, 2WD with third row seat. Now that we have been driving it for a week, we love it. Its really zippy, drives and maneuvers like our sedan. The v6 option is really great. The interior is comfortable, the dash design could have been better. Overall a great buy. The negative, we had a very tough time finding one with third row seat. Very few in the market, we had to pick our third choice of color. The options were pathetic. If you pick third row seat you get nothing else. Overall this was a major disappointment.

• 

  This is Toyota, What more we need? - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Sree - January 12 - 12:03 pm

  Bought this used car at 111K for $4.15K as my second car for wifes schooling. The previous driver is a student, never did the services correctly, I did the 90K service and timing belt change, etc. Changed 4 tires. Now still needs to get all the suspension system (approx $15K) replacement. In any event, Toyota is pretty smooth, quiet and reliable. It will never die on you if you take any sort of reasonable care. I trust Toyota, I trust my car.

• 

  BEFORE YOU BUY - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Unhappy - January 12 - 6:13 am

  I have owned a Camry for 13 years. Loved my last one 94. I hate this one. It shifts hard, has a lot of play in steering, has quite a few blind spots & the interior is cheap plastic which scratches very easy. My 94 had no play in the steering even with 173K miles on it. I have to keep both hands on the wheel with this one. Headrest very uncofortable when seat is upright. When you test drive make sure you pay attention to all this. I didnt because I thought I couldnt go wrong buying a Camry. Will be trying to sell & buy different car soon & I am a person who keeps my cars till they dont run anymore. I am so disappointed. Beware!

• 

  Pleased with the Camry - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Karen - January 12 - 4:43 am

  First Toyota Camry purchase. XLE 6 cyl, 3.5 has many features. Average miles: approx. 27 MPG highway miles. Great pickup & fast on the highway.

• 

  Camry XLE Opinion - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By TangoKid999 - January 12 - 2:36 am

  The Camry XLE V6 is an excellent car, probably one of the most reliable cars on the road today. We have had 0 defects and have spent $0 on repairs in the first 30,000 miles.

• 

  Great car if you like Squeaky Seats - 2011 Toyota Sienna
  By marktuyet - January 11 - 12:22 pm

  Nice looking mini van but Toyota skimped on the quality of the interior especially the seats. Imagine your surprise after buying an expensive automobile and every time you or a passenger are in it the seats squeak terribly. I am talking about all the seats. The seat backs squeak and the seat bottoms squeak when you shift your body weight the slightest. They squeak when you pull away and when you brake the van. The second row seats can be removed but you are left with a big,bulky track above the floor level. Terrible design ! I have owned this vehicle over 1 year and have over 20,000 miles on it.

• 

  Excellent Family Van - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By kmomplus - January 11 - 11:23 am

  Great, smooth drive, excellent turning radius, can carry a whole neighborhood of things and people. The ride is very quiet. We are very pleased after almost a year of ownership. The dealership was polite and not pushy, and the service department (for scheduled maintenance) has been, too. There are a few improvements I would like to see, but we are enjoying the Sienna very much.Our long-distance trips have been trouble-free, and pretty much argument-free, too, with the kids independent sound systems! We dont have the DVD, but there is so much music choice we dont need it.

• 

  First Impressions - 2013 Toyota Venza
  By tduke - January 11 - 8:21 am

  Just took delivery of a 2013 Venza FWD Limited. Cross shopped this vehicle with the Honda Crosstour and considered the Ford Edge. I liked the exterior stying and relative quiet and performance. Reliability remains to be seen but hope its better than my previous GM product. Im hoping gas mileage is 23 mpg or better as most of my driving is on the highway at cruising speeds.

• 

  Salesman should of mentioned more - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By JC Santa Fe - January 11 - 5:13 am

  This is my first Toyota after owning a Honda Civic. I am a good sized man and I am comfortable in the Corolla, which is important.

• 

  2007 Sport 6 cylinder wow!!! - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By Lori - January 10 - 6:50 pm

  I bought my car yesterday and picked it up today. Man, I couldnt be any happier. Knowing I got the best vehicle in its class..this baby handles great. The 18inch wheels arent as trucky..as people said. I had a VW Jetta TDI..Ill miss the gas mileage, but thats it. I love this car. Color..Flint Mica, a dark grey is gorgeuos.