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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  Perfect "Luxury" Car - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By College_boy85 - March 14 - 2:33 pm

  When I say Luxury, I mean Affordable. The car looks like a million bucks, yet costs around 16k. I love it, and Im a college student. Im only averaging 30 miles to the gallon, wish it was better. Much better buy than the Echo, which seems impossible to find anywhere. I love the wood trim, wish that xmradio was installed from the factory, but it was much cheaper, im sure to install it myself. The cabin gets some wind noise on the expressway but Ive been in many worse cars. I tell you what, this 05 corolla has made me a Toyota buyer for life. Vehicles are the worst investment you can make, but Toyota helps you minimise that by great quality, and keeping its value much longer.Buy it.

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  Im still alive! - 2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By Johnman - March 14 - 10:00 am

  I bought my MR2 at the end of July 2003. August 14 2003 an individual ran a red light "at a high rate of speed" sais the police report and tore the front of my new car off. I walked away. Bruise on my knee, some pain in my chest and my left wrist hurts a bit but I walked away. Ive ordered another one. Hopefully that one will see more than 912 miles.

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  Pretty reliable - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By chrisc - March 14 - 10:00 am

  The Camry is at the top in overall reliability. I love ours. We have had few problems with ours. I have replaced one CV joint and one CV boot, and probably should replace the oil pan gasket within the year. The car is not a sporty model, but is so reliable and pleasurable to drive that you dont mind.

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  Good little car - 2001 Toyota Corolla
  By Georgia girl - March 14 - 10:00 am

  It is an economical car. It rides smoothly. There is not enough leg room in front or back!! The seats get uncomfortable on long drives. Could be slightly wider and longer!

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  My Fourth Camry - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By Suppo56 - March 14 - 10:00 am

  Have owned an 86,90,93(now owned by daughter w/153K miles) and now a 98.Im sold on Camrys!!Estimated total mileage on those cars is 400,000+ I could not ask for better reliability.I laugh to myself when I hear the "I buy only American cars!" crowd bemoan the failure of major components after low milege. Ive "sold" lots of folks on Camrys. Little known fact, the name comes from the Japanese words Kam Murri meaning "Crown" Bought 98 with 91K miles on it and have driven 25K trouble free miles in a year.

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  Mileage Disappointment - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Mileage disappointme - March 11 - 4:16 am

  I have had my Camry for almost 2 years. The initial sticker on the window had 42-43 city and 37 highway. The actual mileage is 31 city and 38 highway. Since then the actual mileage on the 2008 and 2009 models is more realistic. Just had to replace 4 tires at 19,000 miles, after being serviced at the dealership regularly. This was another disappointment. The car runs well, but purchased it because of the anticipated mileage. The government credit did not turn out to be the full $2,600. When you complete your tax forms it says "potential" credit so beware of this. The $2,600 turned into $1,800. Otherwise a nice car, glad I purchased it with the gas prices currently at $4.00 per gallon.

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  Good fuel mileage - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By SSG JOE - March 11 - 3:00 am

  I average 44 mpg all the time and about 38 mpg with winter gas. I have got as high as 65 mpg. But 44 mpg seems to be the normal for normal driving (20% less than listed). The car is fun to drive but not for a very long trip. I drive it about 8 hrs everyday M-F, & the seats are not comfortable enough. I love the power up windows, cup holders, on board touch screen PC. I dislike the reverse back alarm, short leg room and the delay to shift into gear. I have noticed it lunges forward when the motor kicks in sometimes. It is great for holding a lot of stuff but is still a car.

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  brand new vehicle - 2006 Toyota Matrix
  By cballou - March 10 - 12:56 pm

  This is a brand new vehicle. It could use a case for sunglasses like the tundra, moulding on the outside of the car to prevent dings from other cars opening their doors and I would have preferred the shifter on the column to allow for more leg room, aside from that, it holds my 300lb frame comfortably and gets great mileage.

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  Good car for what you want it for - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Donut44 - March 10 - 1:30 am

  When it comes to just needing a quality car for a pretty good price, this is hard to beat. It has decent power when you need it, as long as that is "needing it" like once a day or less. The 4 cyl is built for comfort, mpgs and lasting ability. Cant speak for the latter yet, but the first two have been really good. About 28mpg on city travel, not sure on long distances yet.

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  Overrated - 2006 Toyota Tacoma
  By tacmot - March 10 - 12:20 am

  When I initially bought this 2006 TRD Tacoma, I was initially blown away with the styling and capability. Did a lot of bragging for Yota and probably sold a few vehicles for them. Fast forward 2 years, "the honeymoon is over" and it time for real solid engineering and time tested design to take over but I feel that this is not the one. This truck has not left me on the side of the road but is giving "indications of potential unreliable conditions" i.e. the tranny works but feels like it has begun a death march. The engine runs but sounds like it could have some problems in the not so distant future. learned my lesson, you be smart, learn from my mistake, buy an F-150, ford Im coming home.