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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  Fantastic Car - 1995 Toyota Corolla
  By dan - October 3 - 11:26 pm

  My family has owned our 1995 corolla since it was brand new. It was passed on to me and my brother when we were 18 or so, and the car has never had any significant problems. The 7AFE engine is bulletproof. 250,000 miles on this thing and it is still running perfectly.

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  Its my Managon.... - 2015 Toyota Sienna
  By Scott - October 3 - 4:49 am

  If you have to buy a minivan then the Sienna is for you.....Roomy and handles great. Gas mileage is ok. I love being able to fold up rear seats as the need arises. A few complaints...whoever made the navigation system has never used a Macintosh product. Navigation, voice control, and apps are seriously stupid!! Make it user friendly!! Also, be careful pulling out of parking lots or parking up next to cement sidewalks. The van is so low I have scraped the underside of the front bumper many times. Im just waiting for it to be yanked off. Side storage on the doors is poor in the front sections. The split screen Blue ray is nice EXCEPT you cant play PS4 or XBOX game systems on it due to low power access.....WTH? Sliding doors are awesome....no more dinged up doors. Handing on this sport edition is ridiculously good though.

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  The Best Van - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By tnt - October 2 - 10:00 am

  I am pleased with the handling (good turn radius and "get up and go" when needed). The van is good looking in and out. The dash styling is a good combination of style and class. I want excited about getting a van, but have decided after driving it for 2 weeks that it was an excellent choice. The power doors all the way around are incredibly helpful. Getting out the door with 2 young children is much easier and the drive is smooth and quiet off the freeway (could stand improvement on freeway). Overall, I think this van is the best out there...and I looked at everything inside and out before buying.

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  Could be better - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By briar - October 1 - 3:55 pm

  Good car,,,,,but.. anti freeze smell when heat is turned on,dashboard is cracked,dealer said it will be replaced but dont know when and wont venture a guess...cel comes on and off on a whim.. Update, Dealer replaced dashboard,good time to replace heater core. 900.00 I replaced front brakes,calipers,wheel bearings, tie rods,front axel,dealer want to replace leaking power steering unit,turned out to be a .50 cent clamp.

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  So far so great! - 2002 Toyota Sienna
  By MightyOlive - October 1 - 10:40 am

  I have been driving this van for 8 yrs now without any major problems. The engine and transmission still runs like new. Had oil changed every 3,000 miles (using Synthetic High mile oil after 140,000 miles). It is so smooth and quiet. Replaced Transmission oil every 30K, timing belt/water pump at 120K. Only had a problem (Engine check light) with error code P1135 last week. Replaced with A/F sensor heater (costs me $220 with genuine Toyota part). It might be OK if I should have mechanic to reset it (I regret) because I put emission cleaner to the gas last week. No problem at all so far. Very happy.

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  Love this car - 2001 Toyota Corolla
  By Kb - October 1 - 5:43 am

  This car has been a pleasure to own. I have had no problems with it. Would definitely buy again.

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  Camry - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By Buffalo Driver - October 1 - 5:10 am

  I bought it 4 years ago with 58K. Now it has 103+K. I had front suspension problems, drive axles as well. I replaced those the very same year, now the noise is coming back. I had to flush and clean the engine to get rid of smoke coming out of exhaust at cold starts. Otherwise it is fine. I am thinking about replacement but not sure if I will go with Camry again.

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  Toyotas baby Camry - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By whcc90069 - September 30 - 8:00 pm

  We bought the latest corolla generation back in October 2008. The new corolla is much, much roomier than before. Theres plenty of power and yet this car still averaged about 27 mpg in the city and about 38 mpg on the freeway. Kinks usually need to be worked on with the first year of most new car designs. Our car certainly had a few problems... The radios volume control would get stuck sometimes. The radio display works most of the time. The interior trunk release mechanism worked even less of the time. Fortunately, these three items are covered under warranty for the new owner. We sold this car not long ago in order to get the new prius for even better mileage.

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  Great Gas Saver! - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By luvhybrid1122 - September 29 - 9:20 pm

  Get my 2009 Camry hybrid from web dealer, they delivered to my house to sign paper work. Mine has all available options from Toyota. MSRP over $31500, but the interior still has lot of cheap plastic, wonder that XLE may have better interior. The other car in my house is 2002-3 MB E320. I definitely love the hybrid better for outstanding mileage, its Bluetooth, navigation. The gas warning light on when about 13 gallons burned. So I fill gas around every 13 gallons with around 500 miles. Average 38.46 MPG. The car only delivers 300 miles with same amount premium gas. Not bad!

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  Good SUV, Not cheap - 2006 Toyota 4Runner
  By c2computer - September 28 - 9:46 pm

  Good SUV for, the price can get a bit steep to get some options that others are offering standard (6 disc CD, auto off lights, integrated audio controls, etc.) I tested a lot of vehicles, if it werent for the aggresive money factors on the lease from Toyota, I would have purchased elsewhere. Toyota has great quality but you sure pay for it, although the residuals help out in the end.