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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  Back for more - 2003 Toyota Sequoia
  By MontyDog - April 14 - 10:00 am

  After owning a 2000 Toyota Tundra, I was sold on the 4.7 V8 powertrain, but had numerous problems with the braking system. Needless to say, I thought Id give Toyota another try. I purchased this Sequoia for my wife to drive and she loves it. We bought the SR5 with leather & the works (A value when compared to Ford, Chevy or GMC. My confidence in the brakes is still not good as we only have 4,000 miles on the vehicle and I am taking it back in for brake noise.

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  mr2 fun to drive - 2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By rainman1 - April 14 - 10:00 am

  Great car to drive to and from work if you go it alone. Gas mileage is great. If you have to lug a lot of stuff around or take clients out; this is not the car for you. If you love the wind in your hair and riding on rails then youll love the mr2

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  60000 miles and still running like new - 2000 Toyota Celica
  By macknannie - April 14 - 10:00 am

  This girl is 3 years old now with over 60,000 miles and still running as good as the day I bought her. She got some new tires and the spoiler needed tightened. A squeeky belt was replaced. Pretty good, considering I always used to dump my Fords at 50,000 miles because thats when they started costing an arm and leg to maintain. She still hugs the road, she still looks good, and she will be with me for another 3 years at least.

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  So far, so good - 2009 Toyota Sienna
  By seye - April 14 - 3:43 am

  Just passed six months of ownership. Van drives great-- smooth acceleration, supple ride, excellent turning radius and decent sight lines. Drivers seat not as comfortable/adjustable as I wouldve expected. Interior engineered well with lots of storage. Intuitive HVAC. I sprung for the JBL Synthesis system and I am disappointed with the sound. Not nearly as good as other premium set-ups Ive had. Otherwise, very happy with the van so far.

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  First Toyota - 2001 Toyota Corolla
  By XtremeBiker278 - April 13 - 3:23 am

  I bought this car little less than two weeks ago with only 32k miles on it, I already put on 600 miles and I am enjoying it. It has a nice looking exterior, and a plain and somewhat cramped interior. The car absorbs bumps better than some midsized and large cars I have driven before! I love the acceleration in the city and suburbs, gets a little scary on the highway though when getting up to speed, even with flooring it. The car has a very solid feel to it, and handles well, even without ABS. However, I was surprised to see that I only get mileage figures similar to what was advertised when on the highway, otherwise nowhere near which is frustrating. Minus a couple cons, however, its great.

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  Great Reliability - 1998 Toyota Tacoma
  By Simon Palmer - April 12 - 6:10 pm

  Have 107,000 miles on it and runs flawlessly. 70 mile daily roundtrip in mostly stop-and-go traffic is no problem. Versatile.

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  Excellent all around truck - 2008 Toyota Tacoma
  By trucknut12 - April 11 - 10:20 pm

  I went from a 2004 GMC Canyon to my 2008 Toyota Tacoma. Both trucks had the offroad packages. The GMC had a smoother ride on the highway, the toyota is bouncy. Offroad the toyota has the advantage with more ground clearance and absorbs large bumps better. The edge in handling and turning radius goes to the Toyota. Body roll is alot less on the toyota. Fuel economy is only slightly worse on the toyota then the GMC. 20.7MPG Toyota vs. 21.4MPG GMC, in my standard work to home route. Fit and finish on the Toyota are way above the GMC. I would say these trucks are very close, with the edge going to toyota, for better build quality and materials an its able to tow heavier loads.

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  Good car - 2015 Toyota RAV4
  By Charles William Lancaster - April 11 - 6:59 pm

  Drives well, shifts good and gets pretty good mpgs I average around 26 hyw & town. On our 2500 mile trip we got 28 to 30 mpg.

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  Transmission/Windshield - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By LIZ - April 11 - 6:26 am

  Like everyone else, I have the problem with the transmission. Toyota needs to do a recall before someone gets seriously hurt. I also have a problem with a film on the windshield. Its kind of spotty. Ive tried to clean it; even took it to a car detail place, but it wont come off. This makes night time driving & driving in wet conditions day or night extremely difficult. The detail place told me they think its a defect in the windshield. Im taking the car into the dealership next week to see if they will correct these problems. Other than the above and the wind noise, I really love my Camry.

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  Avoid stick shift with size 12 shoes - 2012 Toyota Yaris
  By 5cylvw - April 10 - 8:00 pm

  If you rest your shoe on the L models dead pedal, it constantly gets caught under the clutch pedal, and you end up having to hover that foot above the clutch when you anticipate a gear change soon. The gear shift feels very crude and notchy. Stick shift does yield more zoom-zoom over automatic, but the LE model with automatic shift and more creature comforts - such as power windows - will make your drive more enjoyable. I had an LE model in 2006 which easily survived being T-boned in the driver door by pickup truck, and I traded it for a VW Rabbit. My 2012 L stick easily yielded 32 mpg in short city drives, but after 5 months Im dumping it for a great Mazda3 iTouring hatch.