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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  2005 Toyota Highlander EXCELLENT! - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By Cindy Duncan - December 30 - 4:00 am

  highway and city driving on a dime and superb handling, comfort (the seats are ergonmically correct and adjust for the back!). plenty of room in back of SUV (for a medium sized SUV) to put the seats down and allow for my 55 pound border collie and dog ramp. still plenty of room for storage for other things. lots of power for a V6 but drives with the ease and comport of car, NOT truck, given it is a 4WD SUV. VERY EASY to put the seats up and down in the back. EXTREMELY EASY to use things like the heating system. in fact, temperature control inside is phenomenal. plently of leg room in front and back seats when the seats are up. starts right up and totally reliable in every way!

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  2005 Avalon simply a great car! - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By David Hendricks - December 29 - 10:06 pm

  We drove our Avalon on a 2000 mile trip a week after delivery. It is a great car, everything we wanted in a quiet spacious package. Acceleration is surprising, especially merging back into interstate traffic after a rest stop. Seats are very comfortable...rated best ever by my wife! We got about 30 mpg overall! We felt so rested we drove "straight through" coming home, 850 miles in 14 hours.

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  What a truck! - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By Ylekiot - December 29 - 7:40 pm

  Bought it yesterday! Truck looks, rides and drives excellent.

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  Great Car - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By J Tyler - December 29 - 3:43 pm

  Our last Camry, a 1990, was traded in after 14 1/2 years. It was still running perfectly, no problems all those years. We expect the same from this one. It is smooth running, quiet, good acceleration, plenty of leg and head room. The trunk is very large and rear seats fold to to carry large objects. The navigational display is somewhat difficult to use, but once you learn, it is very helpful in finding stores and addresses.

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  Fun and Versatile RAV4 Limited V6 - 2008 Toyota RAV4
  By hkwilson1977 - December 29 - 9:16 am

  We bought the RAV4 right before Labor Day weekend. Its one of the best cars Ive owned, so far. The V6 is extremely powerful. When you really punch it, it can feel almost dangerous due to the torque, so be careful! :) Gas mileage is averaging about 22 mpg. Overall, this is an awesome vehicle for our family of 5. No regrets, I would definitely buy one again!

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  Lovin the new Corolla - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By kklein - December 29 - 8:50 am

  I bought my new 2008 Toyota Corolla S (red) a few days ago. I was looking for a new car, but didnt know what I wanted. I was looking at Honda, Nissan and Toyotas. I test drove an 08 Toyota Corolla and didnt like it. When I saw the 09 Corolla S, it looked real sharp! The car was smooth riding and looks sporty. This car really turns heads!! In case youre looking at the car colors on toyota.com, the colors online dont do the actual color justice. I was skeptical of the red when I found out thats the car the dealership found for me. But when I saw the car in person, it looked totally different than what that what I saw on Toyotas website. You wont be disappointed.

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  Another 4-Runner for me - 2010 Toyota 4Runner
  By Ray - December 29 - 1:33 am

  We purchased our 2010 Limited 4-runner 3 weeks ago an so far we are very pleased with the decision. We had previously owned an 04 4 runner which we also liked a lot except that it was a little difficult to control in heavy cross winds. The new 2010 4-runner does not have this problem and seems very stable with any cross-wind. Ride is much smoother than previous generation 4-runner and so far our fuel economy is 18.5 mostly city driving. Wish Toyota had put running boards on as standard. We will have to purchase instead but havent decided where yet. Overall , very pleased with fit and finish, ride and comfort. Telephone interface/Bluetooth is excellent and the Nav unit is also very good.

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  Highlander - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By John Gallagher - December 28 - 11:40 pm

  Wonderful vehicle. Typical Toyota quality. It is a pleasure to drive and travels as smooth as silk. Nice acceleration and plenty of power.

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  Exceptionally Reliable Car - 1996 Toyota Avalon
  By honesty_1 - December 28 - 7:32 pm

  My 1996 Toyota Avalon was a gift to me in 2002. The car at that time had approximately 60,000 miles. This car has been so reliable that I am still driving it shy of a decade later. I currently have over 307,000 miles and counting. I have had to do a bit of work on the engine (valve gasket covers etc) when the mileage reached around 280,000, but its running on the same transmission. I liked this car so much until I had shipped from Mississippi to Washington State with 300,000 miles because I trusted its reliability. It hasnt let me down, but it may be in its last years. Cant complain with over 307,000 miles.

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  More fun than a barrel of monkeys - 2005 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By Joseph C. - December 28 - 4:06 pm

  Its only weakness is lack of a trunk. In my opinion though, this car is made for nothing but enjoyable driving. It meets that purpose to a tea. It would take spending three time as much (not to mention gas and insurance costs) at the dealer to have a car this good.