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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  The Venza - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By cec horlick - February 1 - 7:53 pm

  Overall I really like this car. Its very roomy and rides fairly well. I havent had any major problems with it in the first year of ownership. I was surprised with the amount of exterior noise from wind and engine. I have a bronze venza and it looks very nice in the sun. Good job with the color options Toyota

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  Base Rav4 - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By ctutty - February 1 - 10:30 am

  We decided on a vehicle that allows the wife to enter/exit a higher driving position car. She finds getting in and out of the smaller Rav4 easier on her hip (bursitis). We took the Rav4 for its first long vacation trip, putting a total of 1590 miles on the vehicle. We averaged over 28mpg. The Rav4 handled in a predictable and well mannered fashion, but when rolling over rough pavement, you know you are not riding in a sedan. Some road noise was also evident at slow speeds, possibly due to the larger 17" (steel) wheels that came with the Value Pkg. The wife found the Rav4 a bit better to her driving sense than the CRV we test drove. The only complaint so far is the audio system (muffled).

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  2015 Sienna downgrade from 2004 Sienna - 2015 Toyota Sienna
  By F Ward - January 31 - 5:46 pm

  This is a very nice people mover with good performance and features. It replaced a 2004 Sienna which was great. Simple changes like reducing the size and capacity of the roof rack and seating changes makes it less useful than the 2004. We expect the same reliability - the 2004 went 225 miles with no problems. The transmission went and cost $4400 but we got to 335K miles and sold for $1400 after the rebuilt transmission also failed. The sliding and folding seat mechanisms are an improvement. The climate controls are unnecessarily complex. Changing to a timing chain should reduce maintenance frequency and cost. Overall, this is a vehicle I would recommend. After about 85,000 miles it is still performing well with no major problems

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  97 4x4 SR5 Ext cab... what a truck - 1997 Toyota T100
  By nashvegas - January 31 - 12:16 pm

  Bought a new (used) 97 T100 and cant say enough good about the truck. Just changed out timing belt/water pump and cv boots/front axles- 143,000 well taken care of miles from previous owner. Added chrome nerf bars and Zaino clay bar and wax. What a beaut. Ride and handling is adequate, mechanical quality is simple yet superb and exterior styling just make this truck special and will hold its value for years to come. Buy one that has been treated well if you can find one.

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  Toyota 4Runner Sport Edt - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By RSmall - January 31 - 4:00 am

  Im a big guy 63 and this vehicle turns out not to be the most comfofortable in long trips....but it is great in bad weather which I did buy it for that reason I have a long commute and Im in law enforcement and have to get to work in all kinds of weather.

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  Camry LE 09 - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Rhoel - January 29 - 4:30 am

  Good vehicle from point A to B. Quite comfortable. Camry LE is underpowered. Im aware that its only an I4 but still quite gutless. Average around 20- 23 mpg mix of hi-way and city driving with AC on at 3/4 cool.

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  Minor criticisms - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By WBM - January 29 - 2:00 am

  Have had a 2003 Camry XLE 4-cylinder for about 2 months. Overall, the car is excellent. Minor criticisms: (1) The drivers side power windows switch with the express down/up feature is very touchy, difficult to modulate the switch if you just want to partially open the drivers side window; (2) why Toyota installed V rated (149 mph) high performance tires (Bridgestone Potenza RE92) on a 4-cyl Camry is beyond me. This a lousy winter tire. Had to purchase snow tires; (3) seat bottoms could be larger; (4) the location of the trunk cargo net interfers with loading packages into the trunk that are too large for the cargo net.

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  Reliable, but poorly designed features. - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By Andi - January 28 - 5:50 pm

  6 Cyl offers quick pickup to get into traffic. Stylish looking. Driving w/ Sun/Moonroof up can be noisy. Fold-down seats are a cinch to use and offer a lot of storage room for trips to store.

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  Would Buy Again Easily! - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By SB - January 28 - 2:56 am

  After over four years of ownership, this is a great car all around. Ive driven this car through mountains, snow and floods and still after 44,000 mi, the engine and everything else still runs like it did when it rolled off the showroom floor. Acceleration is nothing special, but its ample to get on the highway and keep up with traffic. I usually average about 34 mpg with mostly city driving, 42 mpg is the absolute most in my experience. Storage is never a problem even on long trips with a dog kennel in the back and being 62 I have plenty of headroom and legroom (maybe not so for rear passengers). If youre a no frills person looking for reliability and function, Yaris is a great choice.

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  THIS IS ONE THE BEST SPORT TRUCKS!!! - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By levinGTS - January 27 - 10:00 am

  One word sums it up the best...AWSOME! The powertrain...to the handling...build quaulity is just superior to any other trucks out there. I used to be a Nissan truck guy (a very devoted Nissan fan in fact) so dont think that Im a salesman for Toyota and gloating the X Runner. This is a Good SOLID sport truck and I would recomend it to anyone who want an alternative to the SRT10 Ram.