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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  celica are the best - 2003 Toyota Celica
  By john handy - January 14 - 2:00 am

  i love this car it just keeps getting better and better i had a 1989 until i bought this one and it never let me down

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  Oh, man! What a great car! - 1999 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Solarik - January 14 - 2:00 am

  No wonder that almost everybody who sees it and who is lucky enough to drive it fall for it the first minute. Well, sexy look, very cozy interior. Nice leather, comfortable seats. Engine is just Vow! Is it so powerful, that you stop to feel gravitation anymore, just acceleration. Ride is so incredibly quiet and smooth, it is like you are gliding over the surface. In two words, you can feel the touches of Godmother Lexus here. And you just don’t wanna get off the car. Very roomy for a coupe (it is actually of Camry’s size), so it is plenty of room on the back seats. Very powerful brakes.

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  XRS 6 Speed - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By Meanieman - January 14 - 2:00 am

  Purchased thru Costco (NE grocery chain) buyer service.$19800 delivered, incls vehicle, tax(6%) all fees and plates and all finance chgs(0).Read other reviews about Xr and base model, step up to XRS its loaded.Options incl in deal:FE CK EJ Al WL EF C1 CF. Also got 0% loan for 36 mos totally free of charges. Communting can be FUN! GTS engine worth the price of admission!

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  toyota - 2003 Toyota 4Runner
  By hoho - January 14 - 2:00 am

  its an excellent vehicle

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  One Year - No Problems - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By nodrog444 - January 14 - 2:00 am

  I have been driving my Toyota Highlander for a year now and have yet to find a problem with it. Unlike GM cars that I owned during the previous 25 years, it never had a failure requiring a warranty trip to the dealer. There was one non-urgent recall that I took the car to the dealer for, but the machine ran the same before and after the repair.

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  Not Your Common Ride - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By DavidJ - January 14 - 2:00 am

  I set out to buy a Saturn L200 until the salesman had us test drive the Camry and Nissan Altima. The Camry won hands down. Wow, what a difference, for $4K more. This car wraps around you and holds you in its quiet grip as it hurtles you down the highway. 4 adults just took a 2200 mile road trip in comfort. Our fuel economy ranged between 28 and 32.5 MPG. Great with gas cost between $1.53 and $1.60/gal! This vehicle has the ability to get you out of a bind on the interstate. The sound system is sufficent. Smart door locks are a little too smart. Trunk is awesome. We carried everything we needed for a week, with room to spare.

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  Basic info - 1994 Toyota Corolla
  By Ryan - January 14 - 1:06 am

  This is an efficient and reliable car. My model is a manual and gets about 30mpg. I have never had any maintenance issues. I am not a conservative driver and it easily takes all of the abuse I give it. This is a car that is built to last, its been 130,000 miles so far and hasnt needed much more than tires and an oil change every 5000 miles or so. It starts fine even in cold weather and is just an overall smooth running vehicle.

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  10K and rolling! 30K Annualized. - 2011 Toyota Prius
  By therealhboggs - January 13 - 10:08 pm

  Overall 49 mpg. Oddly, the 48-51 EPA is backwards from my actual experience. I get around 45 in town and 52-56 on the road. Also, the onboard trip computer is approximately 5% high consistently. Otherwise, subtract 2mpg from the computer reading and you have the more correct mpg. Very comfortable on trips. Totally pleased with my car.

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  Absolutely Fabulous Vehicle - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By terremarie - January 13 - 7:07 pm

  We drove from Akron, OH to Rochester, NY to purchase this car, and we havent looked back ! 26,000 miles and the ride is very comfortable. It handles like a car, and youve got the SUV space. Gas mileage is 26 in town and 30 on the highway. All the luxury of the Lexus for thousands less. My husband is 6.1 and hes very comfortable in the driver and passenger seats. The 4 cyl engine has plenty of power and the transmission is smooth. We plan to keep this car well over 100k miles. The only problem we have is who gets to drive it!

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  Fun Car/GR8 MPG - 2010 Toyota Yaris
  By Doug - January 13 - 4:40 pm

  Fun car to drive. Three fill ups to date: 36.7, 37.7 and 38.7 MPG. Lots of room. Pretty smooth ride. Got a GR8 deal and 5 Year 0% financing. Whats not to like! An absolute winner! Wife thinks its "really cute."