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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  Trixin it 2004 - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By Bill Harkins - May 10 - 10:00 am

  This little car is an awesome performer. I have put 46,000 to date with out any returns to the dealer for anything. The only complaint I have with this car is that I feel Toyota should look into using a more forgiving paint, As for the car has more paint ship down to the bare metal than for Ford Contour had after 150,000 miles. I would reccomend this car to anyone. Great Car.

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  Peppy performance & excellent fuel economy - 2006 Toyota Tacoma
  By michael bryan - May 10 - 7:46 am

  The fuel economy has been pleasant surprise avg. 27 mpg once got 27.76 over 400 miles mixed driving never less than 25.23. The larger than avg. 2.7L 4 cyl has plenty of low end torque with the manual trans. This trucks interior is very comfortable. The truck feels very safe and stable at high interstate speeds. I spend most of my driving on public roads where this truck feels stable and manuverable, not tippy.

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  Toyota Sequoia SR5 - 2002 - 2002 Toyota Sequoia
  By Ricardo Jalube - May 10 - 3:10 am

  It is a SUV built to last. Excellent reliability and build quality. After 48K Miles looks, smell and sound like brand new.

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  Trunk Noise - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Dsevig - May 10 - 2:13 am

  This car has been reliable so far and I wouldnt hesitate to go cross country anytime. Gas mileage stays on 30 mostly city driving. The passenger window came loose from the guide bracket and I had a trunk noise looked at at each 5K mile service. Finally after talking to the service manager personally the problem was found. The noise sounded like someone beating on an empty 50 gallon drum in the trunk when running over rough surfaces or stones. I think Toyota has a fix for this of replacing the rear shocks. The problem ended up being two rods forming an X inside the trunk and just under the rear window a piece of foam between the two rods fixed the problem. Rear seat long trips are a nightmare

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  2007 Toyota Tacoma - 2007 Toyota Tacoma
  By Matt - May 9 - 9:56 pm

  Precisely what you should look for in a mid-size. Truck feel but car comfort. Plenty of power for highway acceleration. Gives full-size general duty for V6 gas mileage (20.5 mostly highway driving). Great utility constuction truck!

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  Worth the money and more...... - 2012 Toyota Prius c
  By casciari4 - May 9 - 6:01 pm

  I waited 11 and a half weeks for my Prius C Model 4. It was worth the wait and now i know why Japan is not exporting and there is such a demand inside the country. The mileage is unbelievable. Forget the 46/53 as advertised. On the highway I get between high 50s MPG and low 70s MPG. If its bumper to bumper I get 70"s MPG. In city traffic I have gottem 99.9 MPG and it may be more but the reading only goes up to 99.9 MPG.

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  concerned - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By spike - May 9 - 1:40 pm

  We have a new 2010 Prius. We are very happy with the overall performance of the car. We average 47mpg,and are pleased with everything about the car,except.. On Ice,snow or even a smooth surface, it seems to loose all ability to read the tires. Bells and whistles go of and essentially we loose the ability to steer. If I had wanted a summer car I would have bought a sports car. I am very concerned regarding the safety of a car that you cant steer in bad weather.

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  AWESOME TRUCK - 2006 Toyota Tundra
  By GMMECH69 - May 9 - 11:53 am

  This is one awesome truck. I love it. The truck rides like a car. I have been very happy with it. I like how the back window totally rolls down. I own a pop up camper and it tows it just fine. If you are looking for a nice vehicle which will tow anything within reason then this is the truck for you.

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  Toyota has a new permanent customer - 2001 Toyota Tacoma
  By wutroad - May 9 - 11:10 am

  Love this truck, bought new. It was totalled in 9/2005 with 148129 miles on it. I was towing a car with a dolly, a tire blew, i fishtailed, and rolled twice at 65 mph and walked away with a seat-belt bruise. The officers on scene almost didnt believe that i was even in the vehicle, as i was not injured. During the 4 years I had it, I traveled extensively throughout the US (42 States), Canada and Mexico-- all weather and terrain. I never once felt that my Tacoma was going to fail me. I changed the oil and did other maintenance religiously. I do not recommend the do-it-yourselfer attempt to replace the timing belt without any prior experience. Replaced with 2003 AccessCab 4x4, equally happy.

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  7th toyota - 2011 Toyota Tundra
  By taogden - May 9 - 5:17 am

  While a full sized truck, the front from inside looks somewhat similar to sitting in my Tacoma. The 5.7 engine has more pep than I have had to deal with in a long time, the throttle is very sensitive, brakes are great. comparing to other trucks, the disks are larger as are the pads. Not sure about the channel frame, makes the truck feel to flexy. All my other trucks have been Tacoma but could not pack kids, and grand kids into it every one fits fine in the Tundra.