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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  Nice reliable vehicle - 2003 Toyota Sequoia
  By ARW - November 26 - 2:56 am

  Great vehicle all around. No issues since the day I bought it. Just regular Maintenance. I would say the tires that came with the truck are junk. Soft rubber the promote smooth ride but they were gone after 28k. Switched to Bridgestone Revos (fantastic tires). Got 60k out of those and now working on the 2nd set.

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  AIR NOISE - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By Pistol Pete - November 25 - 10:30 pm

  Very noisy vehicle. Air noise around the door seals, plus a lot of road noise, they need to correct these things. When driving in a crosswind you can listen to the radio or talk, but you cant have both. The passenger side front window visor blocks vision when turned down and turned to the side window.Tilt wheel is almost useless, needs more flexibility. It doesnt do what its intended to do. 20 mph winds cause the vehicle to be somewhat unstable on the highway, you kind of sway around more than normal. Other than that its a OK car

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  Always carry jumper cables - 2006 Toyota Sienna
  By Rick - November 25 - 7:56 pm

  Excellent vehicle overall and would highly recommend except for the battery. Ive lost track how many times weve had to jump start it for the most minor or unknown reasons; e.g. just using the cd player for an hour while waiting in line for a ferry or leaving the rear hatch door not completely engaged (easy to do) will result in a no start in just a couple days. Ive never owned a car this sensitive to battery discharge.

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  Corolla XRS - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Pointman7 - November 24 - 8:40 am

  I had the car for 3000 miles now and over all its been a great car. The other car I was considering other than the XRS was the Nissan Sentra SE-R Vspec. I have to admit the Sentra was more performance oriented but I checked out the cars reliability within the past few years and Im not that impressed with it. Also I dont like the interior with the Sentra too so pretty much I ended up choosing the Corolla XRS.

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  Stupid Oil Filter Design - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By Mike - November 24 - 2:24 am

  The 2015 Camrys have a "cartridge" type oil filter, instead of the normal all-in-one types. Thanks to this, I am out of a car right now, while mine is in the shop. The filter cap is PLASTIC, and one of the tabs snapped off when my service shop attempted to remove it. This caused it to leak. Toyota is closed today (Saturday), so I have to wait until MONDAY to get a new cap. This is far too much trouble over something as simple as an oil change. Oh yeah, I should mention that it was Hoover (AL) Toyota that serviced my car under warranty, and their technician apparently either over-tightened the cap, or failed to lubricate the O-ring. Toyota needs to go back to the old-type filter!!!!!!!!

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  Keeps on ticking - 2004 Toyota Sequoia
  By TC B - November 23 - 11:13 pm

  Solid.

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  It Just Wont Die - 2000 Toyota Corolla
  By Huck - November 23 - 10:00 am

  Weve used this car as a daily commuter and grocery getter for over seven years and it still hangs tough. The check engine light stays on for no reason that the mechanic can find, but it still runs well. One day well move up to something more modern, but for basic, economical transportation it will still be running around town when todays Dodge Calibers and Nissan Versas are toast. Those who survive the apocalypse will be driving Corollas.

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  Not what I was expecting - 2007 Toyota Tacoma
  By Glenn - November 23 - 10:00 am

  I bought the truck 3 years ago and am looking forward to getting rid of it as soon as I can. The engine makes all kinds of noise and pings horribly on ethanol gas. The dealer tells me there is nothing they can about either one. I logged a complaint with Toyota about the pinging and never heard back from them. The dealer told me to use premium ethanol gas, but it still pings. I have to go miles out of my way to get ethanol free gas and I am getting sick of it. No MP3 adapter and the CD player will not play MP3 discs; how cheap. Transmission shifts all the time and steering wheel shimmy has never been fixed. I expected far more out of this vehicle. It is the last Toyota I will ever buy.

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  So far so good - 2011 Toyota Sienna
  By rick - November 23 - 10:00 am

  Really like the versatility of the Base Sienna. Removable seats and the folding 3-Row is a great feature. Runs great for a minivan. The 4 cyl engine (hard to get in the Los Angeles area) has enough pep to get us around town. Strangely, when I was looking into the jack compartment in the back of the van, it seems there was a big motor there which I think could only be for the sliding doors but this van does not have auto sliding doors. does this mean it can be upgraded?

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  Finally love my RAV4 - 2011 Toyota RAV4
  By Maxine Gatling - November 23 - 10:00 am

  I drove a V6 Camry for 11 years so I was used to the silky smooth ride of a Camry. Of course, the RAV4 is a SUV,and not a sedan, so it took me about a week to get used to the rougher ride. The V6 is still a smoother ride than the V4 RAV or the V4 Honda CR-V. I think I am going to love this SUV as I adjust to the different ride. It handles very nicely.