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 so far! - 2010 Toyota RAV4
  By smokey10 - September 24 - 10:00 am

  I bought my RAV4 7 months ago and Ive never liked a car better than my new one. Ride is smooth enough and all these things I read on reviews about vibrating and stuff, never experienced it except when Im driving on rough roads and unpaved ones, quite expected I would think. My car is the limited model and the convenience of the features really fits me well. The only thing I dont like about my car is how much I paid for it. Gas mileage is very reasonable since Im primarily the only passenger plus my little dog, were so happy to go out of town occasionally on weekends with comfort. I agree its no escalade nor a Land Rover, but it certainly fits most responsible,low profile people like me

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  Interior Material is linty - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By Billie Barrett - September 24 - 10:00 am

  I read where someone else wrote about the interior material having the lint problem. I am too and feel the fabric choice is very cheap feeling and should have been a higher quality. Unfortunately, I didnt notice it until I bought the car I am very disappointed in the gas mileage because Im only getting 28 when I thought I would get over 30 easy.

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  Great value - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By drcelica - September 23 - 2:58 pm

  Ive own my 2010 Camry LE I4 for 2.5 yrs and have 51K mile on her. This car is perfect for what it is, a comfortable daily commuter thats easy to maintain. Ive taken lots of road trips in the Camry and its perfect for the open roads. Ive got as much as 36 mpg if I keep it at 70 mph but avg around 32 going 80. Neg. reviews about the trans keeps popping up but Ive never had a problem with mine since I drive the car gently to keep the wear and tear down. Reliability so far has been perfect. I havent gone to the dealer once for warranty repair. If you buy a Camry for what it is, a commuter car, youre going to be happy; just dont expect BMW handling.

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  A book by its cover - 2009 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By Mike - September 23 - 5:00 am

  The FJ is exactly what it looks like - great fun in a hard-nosed package without extras. Its not a mall crawler, and thats ok with me. Great in bad weather, great off road. designed to be durable, should run forever. If you are an outdoor enthusiast - you owe it to yourself to look at one of these. I camp, hunt and fish, this is perfect for my needs. More HP and torque than an H3 and still gets better mileage. Visibility is no problem if youve driven trucks before.

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  Lexus for the Matrix - Very Happy! - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By MarkZ - September 22 - 11:23 pm

  Traded in my RX300 for the XR and couldnt be happier. My gas gauge doesnt plummet anymore and I can turn on a dime. Not as luxurious (wife misses heated seats) but love the sporty 5spd manual drive (flashback to my 88 Prelude days). Lots of room for my band equipment and baby on the way. Like the RX, the hatch can hold a lot. Just picked up a massage chair - to the surprise of the staff it slipped right in. Way to go Toyota. Matrix joins my Toyota family of a 97 Previa that I love just as much.

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  Mom of 3 - 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By lisa - September 21 - 2:46 pm

  I have owned this truck for 1.5 years and it had 67,000 miles on it. This SUV is awesome! We test drove all comparable SUVs this size. The Navigator, Expedition and Sequoia. We were close to buying a newer Sequoia (2001), however we chose an older Land Cruiser (1998). The Luxury and ride of the Land Cruiser sold us. The 3rd seat is a little tighter than we would like, but is great to have when we are carpooling friends (seats 8). I drive this SUV everywhere and have never been disappointed in its performance.

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  Tacomas are a great little truck - 2003 Toyota Tacoma
  By Joy Orton - September 21 - 9:20 am

  These little Toyota 4X4s with a V6 are powerful fun little trucks to drive. They are reliable and frugal on gas. I only have two complaints. #1 They have a LOUSY turning radius. (I think Toyata did this to lower the rollover chance as the vehicle is slightly topheavy and thin... I like the metrics just not having them protect me.) #2 They dont have sufficient leg room for big people. My future wife and I are both over 6 I am longer in the torso and she longer in the legs. She cannot even fit her legs with the seats all the way back. This might not be as bad in the non King cab versions.

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  Rav4 problems - 2015 Toyota RAV4
  By RL Williams - September 20 - 7:06 am

  After driving four other brands in the Rav4 class, we felt it was the best compromise of spacious interior, comfort and mileage. The ability of the back seats to fold flat easily was a factor when compared with Volkswagen. A conventional automatic transmission was our choice over the Subaru and Honda CVT. The ride quality and looks of the VW and Subaru was superior to the Rav4 however. After 5000 miles in the Toyota I would recommend driving some additional cars before selecting the Rav4. The cold start up is very annoying, instantly going to 2400 rpm instead of just starting and idling. The dealer says that is "normal". It may be normal, if so, Toyota needs to change the design. Also the stereo is not intuitive to set up or use. You cannot delete a station, it can only be replaced with another, and occasionally the touch screen seems to lock up and refuses any command. This is my first automatic transmission car in a very long time, so Ive had to make very sure not to use my left foot. If you even touch the brake pedal while accelerating the ecm commands the engine to idle. At least thats what Toyota says I did when attempting to merge into traffic and the throttle had no response. An interesting solution to unintended acceleration! The Rav4 seems to be a dependable, use full automobile that is uninspired in every category so far. As a follow up to the original review, Toyota and the local dealer say that the extremely hi rpm start is working as designed and that here is no way to change the idle. As to the brakes, they to are operating as designed- soft and mushy. Im impressed with the increasing power the engine has as it starts to break in. Also the small turning radius of the car is very impressive. So, a great working car that doesnt make me love it.

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  new to toyota - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By dollarguy - September 20 - 2:00 am

  Overall a very nice car, i have not driven it a whole lot yet. Could use a bit more grunt(torque) Quiet! seems well built

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  Love my 1st Toyota - 2011 Toyota Yaris
  By tincup23 - September 19 - 3:39 pm

  I have owned a 2011 4dr hatch back since mid July 2011 had 20miles on it when i got it. I will say with out a doubt the best car i owned in 24 yrs. I travel to work 1 way 35 miles and the mpg on this car does what it says, meaning i pay no more then 7$ a day round trip. I`m 6`6 235 yes it`s a clown car for me :) BUT this car works exactly what iu wanted MPG!!! period... O btw this is my FIRST "non-american" car and IF Toyota and their warranty hold hold it wont be my last.. Toyota baby wow i`m impressed