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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  Must drive it to see what its all about - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By amh - October 9 - 12:36 am

  Coming from a 1992 BMW 325i, I have no regrets in choosing the 06 Prius! I am saving $100/month in gas, and I dont feel like Ive compromised anything. Granted, the BMW is an excellent car and I believe it is the best handling small sedan available, but the Prius has so many luxury features standard that I dont think its downgrade in anyway. I have no hesitation in recommending the Prius to anyone looking for a fun yet very practical car!

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  Gas milage - 2012 Toyota Corolla
  By rvpilot1 - October 8 - 5:06 pm

  Gas milage nowhere near advertised. I started out getting 30 in town, now have about 700 miles and milage now at 24mpg. Check of highway milage only 31. also the warning buzzer is so weak I cant hear it at all if car running, barley when car shut off. Maint said there was nothing they could do about the buzzer. If milage what you are looking forget this car.

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  Power and comfort - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By lee - October 8 - 12:16 pm

  Best car I have ever owned after 10 vehicles. I have yet to find fault with this car. It is powerful, whisper quiet, short turning radius, conrners well at speed, and good mileage. It is what I thought it would be a bargain luxury car that competes with bmw, mbz, lexus but you do have to put up with a lack of a label prestige. So if you dont mind having a stealth car this one may be for you. Drive it fast and see what I mean.

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  Prius - one year - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By RMartin - October 8 - 11:56 am

  We love the Prius. It has more comfort for 4 people than our former Oldsmobile Intrigue. Overall well designed. Disappointing is the mileage in the winter. A typical 30 mile trip is about 46 mpg dropping a little in the winter when the heater needs to be on. Less than quoted. MPG goes up to about 50 on a 120 mile trip to Seattle on the freeway. The mileage goes up in stop and go traffic. The concept is great and if the batteries had more capacity one could draw more from them and mileage would improve greatly. The plug and drive would be immense help for us who typically drive 30 miles per day. Lobby for plug and drive!!

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  Rermarkable Car! - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Toby - October 7 - 11:40 pm

  This is the most remarkable car I have ever owned. It is economical, roomy, comfortable (I am 62" and have heard about how it doesnt fit tall people. Nonsense!), and fun to drive. I love the fact that it delivers great economy without producing tons of emissions while at the same time it is quick off the mark and able to climb mountains without hesitation (I have also heard about its supposed defects in this regard). I replaced the tires with Michelin Energy Savers A/S and saw the economy jump nearly 9%. I highly recommend those tires.

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  High miles, low costs - 1997 Toyota 4Runner
  By captron2 - October 7 - 11:36 pm

  Swallowed my misgivings and bought this SUV with 118,000 on the odometer. Car now has 190k miles. 4Runners, I learned the hard way, have one generic flaw: rear axle seals. I have had to replace them twice. If theres gear oil in the rear brake drums, plan on spending $1000 to repair. Otherwise, no problems whatsoever. V6 gives decent mileage, too: 20 in city, as much as 26 on highway if you can drive a steady 63 mph.

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  Maxtix Puts Fun into Driving Again - 2006 Toyota Matrix
  By Bill - October 7 - 11:30 pm

  The Matrix puts fun into driving. Steering wheel feels great, handling more like a sports car. Controls placed perfectly. Love the Chromatic mirror/compass feature and sunroof. All the seats really lay flat. Window controls at an angle more comfortable to operate. I wish my compute was longer - hard to leave vehicle, especially six way driver seat! Gas mileage, room, fun, options, who says you cant have it all. Thanks Toyota.

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  Ava-lux! - 2014 Toyota Avalon
  By Chris - October 7 - 4:34 pm

  If you like a touch of class, style, performance and panache from an automobile, this is the one for you. Several weeks ago I purchased a used 2014 Toyota Avalon. Having recently moved south from the Midwest, I wanted to shed my 4-wheel drive for something smaller. Initially I went looking for a gently used Lexus ES350. My reasons were simple: I’m getting closer to 40 and my automobile needs are starting to bend more toward function and less form. This meant arguing my ego down from the thought that I needed to ‘sit high’ or that I need 3 rows for the few times a year we use the 3rd row. So on to the car; I initially drove 3 or 4 ES’s and on one return test drive I ended up parking next to an Avalon. “What’s this?” I asked the salesman. He responded ‘the Avalon’ and proceeded to tell me of how the car rides a variation of the same platform as the ES. Really? Also that the engine and powertrain were virtually Identical. Really?? So I gave this car –which I had never even glanced at, much less considered before- a good once over. Lowered front end profile w/quadra-beam headlights, Aston-Marton inspired lower intakes flanked by chrome enveloped fog lamps. A clean and handsome profile with a slightly ‘windswept’ greenhouse profile and a beautiful tail end w/LED lights and dual, trapezoidal exhaust…. “Hmm, will you get the keys for this”??? I asked. Got inside. ‘Whoa, seriously, nice! A 6 inch touch screen w/digital readouts for the HVAC just below. Mine has the lighter interior w/contrasting taupe, chocolate brown and black color scheme. It’s a very rich look accented by liberal swaths or chrome. On to the drive; the ride was the final deal cincher. The engine is buttery-smooth with plenty of power for passing. In fact, I had to learn how to properly finesse the engine when I am passing because stepping down too hard gives way more power than you probably were looking for. I want to address the ride quality itself though. Many have written that the car clunks or crashes over bumps. Honestly, I hadn’t noticed it at all. I think the ride is quite appropriate and I have to believe those that don’t care for it are exactly the buyers Toyota is getting away from. The geriatric set. The only place I have to give the car less than stellar marks is the sound system. The base unit’s graphics seem a generation behind the two vehicles I have most recently owned. Also, the basic sound system is very thin and has very little bass. They are merely adequate and I have been accustomed to far better utility. (the unit doesn’t even show album artwork for ipod songs) All told, this car is a serious sleeper that most likely are unaware of how good it is. After spending days if not weeks looking for the perfect gently used Lexus ES, I finally found it. Just so happened that it wears a Toyota badge and prefers to be called Avalon.

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  The most refined TLC yet - 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By fsung - October 7 - 3:10 pm

  This is my second Toyota Land Cruiser. My was first one was a 1997 Lexus LX450 (a rebadge LC). Over the last 20 years, Land Cruiser has became a luxurious SUV and refined vehicle. While it doesnt have all the bling blings like the its sibling Lexus LX570/range rover/escalade, but I will take simpler suspension system over LX570 and reliability over range rover/escalade. All the new electronics definitely add complexity and cost to repair. However, most of them are safety oriented and are welcomed additions for daily driving and also add a sense security if you choose to venture into the wilderness once a while. For its intent purpose, being an overlanding vehicle, LC is by far in its own category. The only cons is the fuel economy. I dont mind fill up the tank but I wish it had a greater range. You can get out of the wilderness if youre running of gas lol. Update after first 10K. There was only 1 issue over last 10K miles. The factory wireless headsets were defective out of the factory. DS headset worked intermittently, cutting in & out. Toyota quickly replaced with an updated set. The car drove flawlessly over last 10K miles and through 2 snow storms. Factory fitted Dunlop all season tires were sub-par in the snow/ice, will probably change them out for a set of BF KO2 AT tires when next winter rolls around.

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  Nice car but - 2010 Toyota Avalon
  By Average Joe - October 7 - 2:36 pm

  I drive a lot and own each of the current Corolla, Camry, and Avalon models. To me, the biggest difference between the three is their size. They are all very roomy, comfortable riding and very quiet. The only reason I bought this Avalon was the huge back seat for passengers, otherwise I think the Camry is just as nice. The Corolla is still my favorite. Drive each of these three cars before you choose is my advice.