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:

• 

  As Good as it gets for Comfy and Dependable. - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By Sidney Sands - March 28 - 2:16 pm

  Nice appearance and garage kept !!! Current owner has had it 8 years, and maintenance by Pederson Toyota. Fort Collins, CO

• 

  Base Camry Auto 4 Cyl - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By RAP - March 28 - 4:03 am

  Weve had the car since last April and have put about 4000 miles on it. This is our third Camry. Rides beautifully and neither my wife or I have noticed any of the annoying in-town downshifting mentioned by other reviewers. Build quality seems excellent in terms of fit and lack of rattles. Interior trim materials, however, could be somewhat nicer.

• 

  Car of the year???? - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By bigredjeep - March 28 - 1:26 am

  I am happy with the manual and it goes good off the line. However, how is this the car of the year? The dash slopes away from you so it is hard to use some controls on the radio. The wasted space in the radio den is amazing. The buttons are too spread out and can be hard to reach from either passenger or driver side. The steering wheel controls for the radio are awkward as they sit right next to each other instead of inverted. The radio has a blue backlighting that is very bright and can be distracting during night driving. The door locks are too small and its hard to tell which side locks or unlocks it and at night can be hard to find. Stuff rattles in the console or in the in dash storage.

• 

  Great truck - 1995 Toyota Tacoma
  By reliable - March 27 - 7:36 pm

  My truck has been so great for me. I have however replaced quite a bit of stuff. The common 95 Tacoma leaf springs needed to be replaced. Also replaced 3 batteries, starter, altenator, and both rear shocks. Still has original clutch and transmission (thankfully). Adequate gas mileage about 18 per gal. Overall, this truck has been great.

• 

  Unique, great looks, fun to drive! - 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By Jason - March 25 - 11:50 pm

  I love this truck ! Has great looks, turns heads everywhere I go. Does well on dirt roads and soaks up the bumps well for a truck its size. Awesome traction on wet roads with stock Bridgestone tires. Never once did I get nervous about getting into an accident. Clutch pedal is firm yet easy to depress, shifter is smooth as silk! I average 16 mpg in stop and go driving and get 21 mpg on long highway trips. Doesnt accelerate like a Mustang GT BUT its predictable and good enough for highway merging during rush hour. If you like a cool looking truck that gets compliments everywhere you go and wont go out of style tomorrow, get the FJ Cruiser.

• 

  Happy Story with a Certified Used car - 1999 Toyota 4Runner
  By P D Fowlkes - March 25 - 12:53 pm

  The 4Runner is an old design, so its ride could be smoother, but it is very quiet and comfortable on the hiway. This is my first Toyota, and I now see why their sales are increasing so rapidly. We bought it as a Certified Used Car with 41K on it, we now have 56K, havent had a reason to take it back to the dealer.

• 

  Small and Cute - 1999 Toyota Corolla
  By Amorphis - March 25 - 10:00 am

  Its been good to me despite the abuse. Its small but comfortable, and cheap for a Toyota, I trust it will last for a long time. I had a 90 corolla before and it was a good car also, thats why I decided to stick with corollas.

• 

  Who says this car isnt nice looking! - 2001 Toyota Corolla
  By shecky - March 25 - 10:00 am

  Anyone who thinks this car isnt nice looking is fooling themselves. It is very respectable and not over the top like some other cars (cough cough, 2003 corolla). The automatic is a bit slow but the interior and exterior are amazing.

• 

  Nice looks, bad personality. - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By tlbkcal - March 25 - 10:00 am

  I saw the new Corolla and immediately fell in love with the new exterior. It looks like and looks even better than a Jetta. However, I test drove it, and thats where the loving ended and the fear began. The car has no handles and when I drove over a bridge with grooves, the car started to shake and waddle. I had to hold on to the steering wheel real tight to keep it in control. Also, the suspensions are horrible, the ride was extremely bumpy. I drove over the exact same road while test driving a Camry and felt nothing. But if youre more into looks, go with the Corolla, otherwise, its just an overrate hot selling car.

• 

  Slight step backwards in quality - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By Marcalan - March 25 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Corolla (first was a 1996 DX). In some respects, the 2003 LE lacks the quality of the 1996 model. The car is too high off the ground and seating position is too high as well. Turning corners aggresively feels insecure. Car tends to track gooves in the road. Some of the knobs and switches are cheap and flimsy (especially trunk and fuel filler cap release). Cheap looking, fake wood trim and chrome accents.