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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  Good and irritants of a used Highlander - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By Darrel - April 1 - 12:53 pm

  I bought a used 6 cy Higlander w 55 K miles - now have 75 K. I like the accelleration, power to pass & cruise at max highway speed, solid highway handling in the Kansas wind and great visibility. The 4wd has proven fabulous in rain, snow and ice. 3 irritants: Major irritant with the ABS/TPM, 2 times Toy. dealer rotated tires recommended every 10K. Takes 2 to 3 trips back to dealer to get it reset without coming on at fist big bump. The reset works but lasts until next bump/dip. Loose nut/broke wire on fan switch was surprise - $$$Ouch to fix. See internet for that problem. MPG is OK but less than I thought at just 21 at 65 mph. Im glad I got the 3rd row seat but grandkids struggle to enter

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  Not bad, but could use some improvements - 2011 Toyota Camry
  By M.P. - April 1 - 5:16 am

  Chose the Camry for a few reasons. I love the comfortable ride, smooth, powerful engine, and quiet interior. The simple controls and inoffensive styling are pluses too. Considering how large this car is, it gets very good fuel economy; over 30 MPG on the highway and mid-20s mixed. Its hard to believe this is a four-cylinder - the engine is very quiet and has a surprising amount of passing power. Unfortunately, the steering is vague, and the suspension does not feel very confident on curvy roads. Toyotas have never been sporty cars, but a bit of tightening would do much good for the Camry. Biggest disappointment is the interior; cheaply assembled and has developed rattles at only 3000 miles.

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  Best In Class...Except... - 2017 Toyota Tacoma
  By Tom M. - March 30 - 1:13 pm

  This really is a best in class vehicle. Ride, handling, comfort, well thought out in all respects except one. Why Toyota cant get this right is a mystery to most...still underpowered but now we have a transmission that cannot hold a constant speed going up a hill. Even the slightest incline causes the transmission to downshift, upshift, downshift, upshift and so on. Only way to avoid the constant shifting is to manually downshift and keep the lower gear manually used and not depend on the automatic transmission. Unfortunate as this vehicle is outstanding in almost every other aspect of a light truck ride. Wishing and hoping Toyota someday brings the Helix (diesel) platform to the USA. Overall happy but when going uphill the transmission is really annoying.

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  Great ride for older people - 2003 Toyota Camry Solara
  By TonyCanada - March 30 - 2:00 am

  Reliability is never a question. A great highway cruiser with good power. Suspension is on the soft side (no confidence in the turns). This car is more Lexus than Toyota and is great value if you only need two doors.

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  2003 Toyota Sienna CE - 2003 Toyota Sienna
  By Snowy - March 30 - 2:00 am

  I purchased the 03 Sienna CE without a test drive and I really feel regret about it. I guess I expected more paying $26K for a brand new car. The CE performs poorly when I make turns (my body lean to one side); acceleration is so so as well as the brake. Interior room is small and getting in&out of the car is somehow difficult. I dont feel the same when I drove the Honda Odyssey EX. If I have a choice again, I will purchase the Odyssey instead, for its superb handling and generous interior room, though it would costs me $3,000 more.

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  1998 Camry CE - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By shoeman222 - March 30 - 2:00 am

  Great car, always reliable,however, the suspension is a little noisy in very cold weather. Highly recommend for a used car purchase. Great on gas mileage

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  Chose Matrix over Mazda 3 Hatchback - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By LACurtis - March 28 - 10:00 am

  I spent a lot of time investigating and researching for my next vehicle to replace a 2001 Ford Escape. Had it down to the Matrix or the Mazda 3 Hatchback. I test drove the Mazda, it was nice although couldnt really tell that it had more power than the Matrix. Bought the Matrix because we had a 2004 Corolla that has been great and the price was over a $1000 less than Mazda. The Matrix has not disappointed. Plenty of power, even some wheelspin! Have been getting a consistent 29-30 mpg for a mix of city and highway travel. Ride is great, better than the Escape. Lots of little extras make this a super Corolla with fantastic hauling capacity.

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  Sweet Ride - 2008 Toyota Tundra
  By jeff - March 28 - 8:33 am

  I have the x-sp blue with grey interior and the IPS rims. I think this is the best looking truck on the market presently and maybe for the last twenty years. This truck fits the bill in all catagories when compared to Chevy, Ford or Dodge. Design and functionality are good.

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  15 month review - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Shawn - March 27 - 7:40 pm

  I purchased my 2004 Camry XLE 4cyl. for $22K in April 04. I wanted an easy to drive, quiet, low maintenance, and reliable car that wouldnt look out of place in the middle class/upscale areas of Irvine. I commute 70+ miles RT each day. This is what I think so far... The good: avg. 30 mpg over its lifetime; effortless to drive (quiet ride, steering requires little effort, braking is smooth); no mechanical problems. The bad: difficult car to drive aggressively (poor acceleration; heavy front and front-wheel drive makes cornering and emergency braking tricky...thank God is has ABS); intermitent rattle in center console.

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  Not Happy - 2008 Toyota RAV4
  By Carlos - March 27 - 8:10 am

  Just bought my Rav-4 and am already not happy. I have been getting some back pains since buying the car. Test drove a couple of small SUVs because wanted to downsize and at the dealership this was great, but have started to have problems with the back hurting, no place to put change with out it ringing all the time, push button dash area stinks because everything I put in it slides and bangs, car bounces more than I like on highway, and cargo area light is a joke. My SUV also does not ding when the lights are left on, I plan to check when I go in for my first service.