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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  3 Years but feels like day one! - 1999 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Love My Solara - December 25 - 2:00 am

  Normally, I lease because I get sick of cars after jut 2 years. Its been 3 yrs driving my Solara SLE V6 and I still love as much as day one! I get tons of compliments of my car. My only trouble is that I cant decide if I should buy this lease out or get a new Solara! What a delema!

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  tundra quality - 2001 Toyota Tundra
  By jones - December 25 - 2:00 am

  In January 2001 I reutrned a 1999 4x4 Ranger to the dealer. Although I did not have any problems with the Ranger it was under-powered, noisy and very stiff riding. I looked to replace the Ranger with a Ford F150 extended Cab 4x4. However, the length would take every available inch in my garage. In additon the test drive felt awkward. I then turned my attention to the Tacoma and Tundra. In short the power, size and smoothness of the 4.7 litre won me over. Service has been fantastic and quick. The only warranty problem I had was a split leather seat which was promptly taken care of. Overall Im very pleased

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  Sharons sequoia - 2002 Toyota Sequoia
  By Sharon Schneider - December 25 - 2:00 am

  Solid "feel" when driving on highway. Very responsive for an SUV. Responsive braking. Very nice interior in the Limited edition. Extremely quiet.

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  02 Xtracab Tacoma 4x4 4-cyl - 2002 Toyota Tacoma
  By morvac - December 25 - 2:00 am

  Overall excellent truck. 4 cyl a bit weak though. Good gas milage. Excellent ergos. Clock position a bit odd. Excellent road feel...very happy with purchase.

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  Drive the 4 cyl first - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By Oakland Owner - December 25 - 2:00 am

  I love this SUV. I dont go off road and dont use 4WD. Most people who buy this type of vehicle will get 4WD and never use it. Dont bother. Also, test drive the 4 cyl first. You will be surprised at the power it has. The V6 is better but if you dont haul stuff and plan to get a 2WD, this will work. This is a car in an SUVs body.

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  S class A nice surprise! - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By Avius - December 25 - 2:00 am

  I bought the 2003 Corolla S thinking that it looked like the 2002. Boy, was I in for a pleasant surprise (lucky me). It actually looks like a sports car but its not in that class. I got a good looking car (wasnt expecting much of that from the corolla) with great reliability at a low cost!

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  Watch It! - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By Centurus - December 25 - 2:00 am

  I researched for about 2 weeks and I decided on the Corolla CE. After getting to the dealership and finding out that you cannot get a CE with power windows I realized this car wasnt for me. So I started looking at the S. What a major up grade. But one major problem. Getting a manual in the Southeastern region without ordering is almost impossible. My dealer and I searched for one in my region. Which covers 4 states and it met with negative results. We spent 4 days looking for it mind you. I ended up getting a Auto with a crap load of features.

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  You Asked for it, you got it Toyota! - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By America63 - December 25 - 2:00 am

  For approximately 22,000 dollars, the redesigned Camry (XLE) is as big inside as a Cadillac, comes with all of them amentities, yet comes with a sporty and somewhat firm ride. Combination highway/city driving yielded an impressive 23 mpg in the first month of driving. The JBL CD is excellent, and all controls are logically placed and easily within reach. You cant go wrong with this one! P.S. It looks even better than its expensive counterpart, the Avalon. In fact, Id call it a "Pre-Lexus."

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  Venza vs 2004 Murano - 2010 Toyota Venza
  By VenzaMurano - December 25 - 12:33 am

  I used to drive a 2004 Murano and I got the Venza as my next car. I very happy to report the Venza does a great job. I thought it would be hard to beat the no gear change in the Murano CVT, but the Venza is just as smooth switching gears. I was surprised the ride was much smoother than the Murano. I like the fact the Venza takes regular gas versus premium with the same gas mileage, but the gas tank is about 4 gallons smaller than the Murano (21.6/17.7) which causes about 80 miles less driving on a full tank. The interior is nice, but I wish the would have gone higher glass but that would probably make it a Lexus. The center storage is well designed and useful.

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  Excellent Vehicle - 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By mjr88car - December 24 - 2:33 pm

  A great SUV for the money. Bought it for the Toyota quality and reliability and wanted the best 4x4. I have the manual with full time four wheel drive and my mileage is consistently 21-23 hwy and 19 city. Solid, fun to drive, and it does grow on you. I put on 2 blind spot mirrors which do help a lot. However I find that all the hype about the poor rear view is nonsense anyway. If you know how to drive its no problem. I fish in Canada and have gotten stuck with my old domestic 4x4 (dont know how they can call them true 4x4s). I finally bought something that will get me in/ out of less than poor road and landing conditions. Love the VSC and traction control. I rarely ever lock everything in.