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:

• 

  My Prius Experience - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By Sparkle - December 18 - 7:16 am

  I love the fuel economy, the comfort of the back of the drivers seat, windshield visibilty. Its fun to drive. Improvements needed: --The inside back-up beep, beep, beep distracts my visual concentration. I strongly dislike this feature and I would feel safer without it. --The forward visual field of the low beam headlamps cuts off far too short as soon as the car begins a downgrade. I dont like this. --The drivers seat bottom (of the car) needs to be more cushy My butt and legs are uncomfortable after 1/2 hours on the road. --I havent seen 60mpg except for a few seconds after filling the car up with gas. I avg. about 50 mpg. I am still happy to be driving a Prius!

• 

  Love This Car - 2007 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Calif. Sunshine - December 18 - 3:10 am

  Bought this brand new two weeks ago, and boy what fun! I love to go topless, yet cannot believe how quiet it is when the top is up! Its so much fun to drive and handles so well. It took me months to find one though and I had about given up looking. I hear it is being discontinued? What a shame, as the SLE model just doesnt have the "sporty" look to it. If you can find one - buy it quick. I may be 60 but I still want the "sporty" look - and this one has it!

• 

  Material and Mechanical Parts are so Cheap - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Thuy Vp - December 18 - 1:35 am

  I own 2005 Toyota Camry (this is my 2nd Camry) and the quality of this one is terrible. The fabric inside has rolled up cotton ball. The fabric of the ceiling inside the car was all falling apart. The plastic inside is all loosen up. Its value is really bad compared to my previous Camry. My sister bought a 2012 Camry and the same thing happened to her. The material is so cheap. Not to mention all the mechanical parts - they dont last like the old Camry. We decided No more Camry and had shared this problem with everyone we know.

• 

  Shes my baby! - 2001 Toyota Tacoma
  By Carl B - December 17 - 9:33 pm

  This is my third Toyota pick up; Ive owned 1 1986 1/2 ton and now 2 Tacomas. My 2001 Tacoma Pre-runner Doublecab is still as exciting to drive as the day I drove it off the lot. Fuel economy with the 2.7L 4 cylinder (which isnt offered in the new Tacoma Pre-Runner Doublecabs by the way) is absolutely outstanding (around 25 to 28 hwy and 20 to 22 city) if I dont drive like a maniac. Ill neve give up this truck; its the best vehicle Ive ever owned.

• 

  Camry gets you there and back - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By chiefman - December 17 - 4:03 pm

  This car is what American cars strive to be- dependable.

• 

  Good combination of features - 2003 Toyota Tacoma
  By maxwellhammer - December 17 - 3:23 am

  2.4L automatic, extended cab 2WD SR5. So far, Im getting 25 mpg. The smallest engine available, but has perfectly adequate power. This is the first year for standard ABS, which was a hard to find option. I searched forever for these features in a used truck, really glad I found it. I hear the 05 and newer Tacomas dont have as good build quality, theyre larger and dont offer the 2.4L. If youre looking for great reliability and mileage, Id get an 03 or 04.

• 

  Front seats are awful - 2017 Toyota Corolla
  By MillieT - December 17 - 1:26 am

  I have only had this car a little over a day. I drive 45-60 minutes one way to work everyday. So a total of 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours a day in my car. If you do any kind of long distance driving, beware, the seats are extremely uncomfortable. There is zero support. Also, hard to get in and out of unless you are young in age and or in great shape. I wish I would have paid more attention before I leased it.

• 

  Front seats are awful - 2017 Toyota Corolla
  By MillieT - December 17 - 1:26 am

  I have only had this car a little over a day. I drive 45-60 minutes one way to work everyday. So a total of 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours a day in my car. If you do any kind of long distance driving, beware, the seats are extremely uncomfortable. There is zero support. Also, hard to get in and out of unless you are young in age and or in great shape. I wish I would have paid more attention before I leased it.

• 

  Watch out - 2005 Toyota Tundra
  By sniper - December 16 - 4:10 pm

  if you like driving a truck and want to have fun driving on and offroad, give it a try. Handles like a cadillac. This is americas newest favorite truck for work or play.

• 

  Never let me down - 2000 Toyota Corolla
  By sylvia713 - December 16 - 1:43 pm

  I got my 2000 toyota corolla when i was 19 for my first car and i just now (4 years later) got rid of it because it was to small, i have a baby now and the backseat is not very big. Besides the lack of space my corolla was awesome, only thing i ever had to to do was routine maintenance! Awesome first car. If your not worried about space i definitely recommend a corolla cant beat toyota reliability!