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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  Disappointed - 2005 Toyota Tundra
  By camper_5 - November 16 - 12:20 pm

  Owned a 2005 Toyota Tundra, 4WD crew cab for 3 years now. Drives alright. Ergonomics of layout of controls is not great. Large blind spots on either side. Tows my 28 ft. trailer on level land alright but the least hill and the V8 really struggles. Good 4 wheeling truck. Not enough power and torque, I dont think I will buy one again.

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  Totally Uninjured Personally When Car Was Totaled - 2011 Toyota RAV4
  By Tom Harney - November 16 - 6:09 am

  I was driving at highway speed when a car ran a stop sign and stopped right in front of me. The anti-locked brakes worked perfectly, allowing a great reduction in speed before impact. The collapsible front end did what it was supposed to do. The air bag deployed with no problem. Car is totaled but Im untouched. I loved the car: it had great pickup, was comfortable and roomy and drove well. I have replaced it with a 2016 RAV4 Hybrid.

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  Learning to Slow Down - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By Vindicator - November 15 - 5:50 pm

  The car has never failed to please - except with the HVAC system and interface - which is clearly not up to the challenges of upstate NY in the winter. Stock tires leave a lot to be deired in traction and handling -get four snow tires from tirerack. Actual mileage has averaged out to 41.8 MPG. Trust me - your driving habits will change to accomodate the car. It appreciates speeds of =< 62 and is happiest with a commute lasting at least 20 minutes, particularly when the weather is colder than 40. It takes that long for the battery stack to come up to temp and effectively contribute to moving the car.

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  The Lexus of Minivans - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By kellnron - November 15 - 1:33 pm

  Weve had our Sienna for about a month now. We really love everything about it. Fit and finish on this vehicle are what you would expect from Toyota. Its very comfortable to ride and has a very smooth engine and transmission combo. It also should be as safe as anything on the road with all the safety features it has. We also got a very fair deal from our dealer on the Vehicle ~$36500 versus a sticker of right around $40000. We did also opt for the dealer applied underbody sound deadening which helps with road noise.

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  Disappointed in fuel economy - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By reid - November 15 - 12:33 pm

  I had a 2007 Prius which got 47 to 53 mpg. This car was totaled and I was so happy with the car itself and then definitely the safety features. I purchased a 2008 Prius and now only get 36 to 43 mpg. I have been to a local dealer to no avail and I am heading to the dealership where I bought the car today. Leaving on big road trip in September, I hope they can do something!!

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  Transmision - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By T.K. - November 15 - 10:56 am

  I purchased this car used in 2004 because of its reputation. Its been very reliable, only wearable parts needed to be replaced. Although when I first got it, I was spending a small fortune trying to keep the check engine off, just learned to live with it (they really need to fix their sensors). For 5 years it has been a good daily commuter, until last week when the transmission went out, which will cost $3000 to replace. Its a lot of money for a car with 135K. I was planing on driving this car for at least another 50K, most cars now a days will run at least 150K.

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  First Class - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By thomas thole - November 15 - 8:06 am

  This is no doubt the finest all around car I have ever owned. I just sold my Cadillac 2001 DTS and am buying my 2nd Avalon Limited. My 1st one was delivered 4/18.

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  I own an XLE AWD hybrid, just rented this one - 2016 Toyota RAV4
  By stevefromtheburbs - November 15 - 2:29 am

  Faced with the TSA backlogs and nonsense at the airport, I decided to drive back from Atlanta, to Philly, using a one way rental. It was a 2016 RAV4, FWD, XLE. I own an XLE hybrid version, so I knew it would be comfortable as I love my owned one. Well, what was supposed to be a 13 hour drive, turned into an 18 hour drive. All in one day, leaving the airport rental lot at 5am, arriving at Philly airport at 11pm. We stopped by our house to drop off our bags before going to the airport, adding 1 hour. But, the point of the story is that after 18 hours on the road with this car, I will tell you I have never been more comfortable on a long car ride - and this was the longest Ive been on in a one day trip. Yes, the paint on the hood does chip easily, my rental had lots of them from lots of highway miles. On my own car, I added a bug/stone deflector, and it helps. But the hybrid is made in Japan, and the paint is a higher quality. I know, I had the 2015 LIMITED that I traded in on the XLE hybrid. The 2015 had lots of chips on the hood and around the door frames. The 2016 hybrid does not. So, a great car, love it alot, and if the paint chips bother you, get the hybrid while they are still made in Japan. Nothing bad to say about my rental, and would highly recommend for anyone who wants a great SUV/CUV without any drama/problems/etc. The paint thing was frustrating, but the bug deflector seemed to help alot.

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  09 Yaris review - 2009 Toyota Yaris
  By Hoody - November 14 - 10:40 pm

  Picked this little thing up on a Sat night Dec 27th after testing it a couple days. I found it to be fun to drive and has a peepy little 1.5, it did 70 on the interstate with no sweat. I bought it mainly for the wife for a local run about, replacing the 92 Chrysler T&C which was getting to be a pain. I like pretty much everything about it right now, it has all the stuff it needs.

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  Transmission Problems - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By JC @ Franklin, Tn - November 14 - 9:50 pm

  The 5-speed transmission on the V6 is dangerous. When you pull into from traffic and accelerate there is too long a lag time before the car begins to move and then it takes too long to get up to speed. The transmission kickdown to pass can take 1.5 to 2 secs before it kicks in. Almost had a wreck because of it.