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:

• 

  Its not all gravy - 2011 Toyota Sienna
  By Van driver - June 5 - 10:00 am

  First, lets get the good out of the way. The van is very good to look at, has ample power and is relatively comfortable. However, there are some decisions made by Toyota that boggles the mind. Though the sunroof glass is 20 inches, you only get an 8 inch opening when its FULLY retracted! Ridiculous!! Unless you are a small person, the armrests are not long enough and are too thin. The footrest for your left leg is once again extremely small. My size 10 feet would not fit flatly without touching a bulge down there somewhere. General quality is also not what i expect from a Toyota. A couple of interior panels are not lined up correctly. There is also cheap looking plastic parts everywhere.

• 

  6 month follow-up review. - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By Ray - June 5 - 10:00 am

  I reviewed the Camry here back in April. Heres my perspective after 6 months/9,000 miles. I still love the design. The paint is holding up well, although dings come easily without the body-side molding. As mine is the base Camry with 6 speed auto, power is merely adequate. The transmission continues to hunt through the gears on anything other than flat surfaces. I use the sport shift feature to make best use of the engines torque range. The cruise control has a hard time maintaining a set speed in hilly sections. It drops off pace, then suddenly downshifts the transmission and races up to speed, making you look like youre racing the driver next to you. It feels clumsy.

• 

  Beware of buying the 2013 Avalon Limited - 2013 Toyota Avalon
  By bill440 - June 5 - 12:06 am

  Ive owned this car for less than a week and have 2 problems with it, the back of the driver side seat panel broke and the headliner is falling down. The sad part of this story is that Toyota knows about these problems and kept letting dealers sell this defective car. This is not an isolated incident, check Toyota Nation to read other owners with this same issue. Toyota is finally issuing a bulletin to the dealer on these problems. The dealer will fix it under warranty but I dont feel the same, I expect a new car to be trouble free not have to be rebuilt.

• 

  Till the End - 2002 Toyota Tacoma
  By Tawcoma26 - June 4 - 10:16 pm

  No matter what I throw at this truck, it gets the job done. Fits 5 people nicely, and you can still throw stuff in the bed. Although more pwr from the 4cyl would be nice, it still gets the job done. Mud, snow, sand, dirt, nothing can stop this truck. For the price you pay, you get one hell of a truck that can conquer anything. Pull, push, haul, it does it with reliability. From its great design to the ease of use in the cabin, this trucks a winner and I dont see myself getting rid of it.

• 

  Great Value - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By Nancy - June 3 - 11:06 pm

  Overall, I have been happy with my Corolla. The gas mileage is just fantastic. I have had a few minor quality problems such as the seal around the doors coming loose. It handles well in the snow, but it is a little shaky in windy conditions.

• 

  Oil consumption - 2007 Toyota Camry Solara
  By angie5768 - June 2 - 5:06 am

  Ive enjoyed my Toyota Solara, except that at EVERY oil change its been 1 quart low of oil. We took it to the dealer for an oil consumption test and were told that its normal for it to consume that amount of oil every 5,000 miles. Ive never driven a new car that I had to put oil into at that rate. It doesnt seem to be leaking, but still concerns me. Other than that, its a comfortable car that handles well. View over the shoulder is a bit obstructed, but you can use your mirrors if adjusted properly. 6CD changer has already been replaced once by factory and appears to be going out again.

• 

  Great Truck, Poor MPG - 2006 Toyota Tundra
  By Chuck F - June 1 - 6:00 pm

  Bought this truck just over a yr ago, changed the plugs and air filter, but still can not get over 13.9 on a trip straight through driving. Got as low as 10 mpg 4 wheel drive winter city driving, I average 12.5 mpg :(

• 

  First Impressions - 2001 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By Nitz16 - June 1 - 2:00 am

  These are my first impressions: This car is very fun to drive, and surprisingly roomy and comfortable inside for an avg size person. I bought it used with 8K on it. Obviously its a Porche wannabe, but some of us are not going to spend twice as much for essentially the same ride, or for a summer fun car, so I think it is a good value.

• 

  Avalon is a great car - 2004 Toyota Avalon
  By lor4262 - June 1 - 2:00 am

  The Avalon is a smooth riding car I love it and dont have any complaints in the last 4 months. It runs quiet and has a great pick up. I dont agree with the mileage they quote. I am getting about 17 miles on a gallon, I thought that I would get better mileage. I have the bench seat model and when the middle arm rest is down it makes it hard to latch the seat belt.

• 

  Toyota Family - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By MikeandSonya - June 1 - 2:00 am

  Overall this is a very nice van. We looked at the Dodge and Ford vans and they just cant compare.