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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  FJ Bruiser - 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By korben97 - October 14 - 10:44 am

  I have the Trail Team Edition and love it. I get looks and comments on it all the time. I have around 5,000 miles on it and so far it has done what I expected. It rides great, has one of the best stereos I have ever heard, and feels like it could go over anything. The engine has great power and good low end grunt.

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  Camry is OK for the price - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Camry02 - October 13 - 5:36 am

  Owned 02 Camry since new - few problems prior to warranty expiration. Since warranty has expired, the seat belt doesnt retract properly and the driver door will not always unlock to get out! Have had 2 prior Camrys. Though mechanically dependable, I dont think the quality is what it used to be in the early 90s.

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  Best Blend of Comfort and True Utility - 2005 Toyota Tundra
  By TunedLoop - October 11 - 1:26 pm

  Absolutely solid build quality. Very smooth ride for a truck; by my experience it rides better than a Maxima but not as smooth as a Deville, with much better handling than a 2002 Expedition. The V-8 is powerful and amazingly quiet until you punch the pedal, then it lets loose a smooth growl and pours power to the pavement. Havent towed anything with it yet, but believe it should handle most boats fine. Seating is comfortable, leather feels smooth yet tough enough to hold up well - heated seats have 2 power levels. If you give this truck a good, detailed visual inspection and compare build quality to any domestic, you will see that it rocks. Embarrassing, but true.

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  Finally, a Japanese car built IN Japan - 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By Charles Encharge - October 11 - 7:46 am

  So far I am loving this vehicle. The FJ seems to be put together better and feels sturdier. Power is decent for the size, it will go when you need it to. Inside is decently comfortable. I didnt waste time on some options such as the power inverter, it barely powers a coffeemaker!

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  the best car ever made - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By 2191toyota - October 10 - 4:18 pm

  i have had this car for 14 years and have not had any problems with this car its super quiet as if i just bought it its really fast to be a 4 cylinder car the stock speakers sound great and its the best car to get for anyone and i would really like how the new camrys have improved from mine since its such a reliable car and well put together to. it also has 291,003 miles on it and it still drives like new.

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  I like mine - 2005 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By MR2 - October 10 - 11:16 am

  Car looks great and is very fun to drive. The top is quick and easy for me to put up or down from the drivers seat in about 10 seconds. Toyota quality and reliability. Very short on storage, but hey,, its a sportscar!

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  04 XLS Review - Fairly good Bang 4 Buck - 2004 Toyota Avalon
  By Gem-n-I - October 10 - 9:36 am

  Ive purchased many cars new and after doing some research found a good priced 04 XLS. Paint is kinda cheap. Seats arent comfy as could be, Im 63. JBL premium sound, dual pwr seats w/ 2 memry, heated mirrs + auto dim R awesome. Seats lack thigh comfort 4 longer leg folks. Leather cheap. Replaced batry, win motor @ 30k, audio amp at 50k, drift improvement procedure at 55k, otherwise excellent reliability. Now (5/08) @ 100k and still runs like new. Friends/family say good 2go 200k - well c. Love using reg. fuel 25 mpg hwy 22 town. Get 28 hwy w/premium, cant justify exorbitant prices even for regular. Would recommend, and buy another 04 or older. Good car!

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  A little overrated in reliability - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By Jesse - October 10 - 7:20 am

  This car handled wonderfully, and drove extremely quiet. I never changed the transmission fluid, coolent, got a tune-up, or had to replace a belt...all I ever did was routinely change the oil about every 5-7k. Guess what failed? The piston rings. The oil pump conked out and destroyed the rings. Now, it is hardly worth fixing at a $2000 bill. If anything, I thought the transmission would have gone, not the thing I actually did take care of. Made it to 158,000 miles, though.

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  Not that Great - 2005 Toyota Celica
  By No More - October 9 - 9:33 pm

  I believe this car is not set to Toyotas Standards. The GT engine is too weak and pretty loud. The suspension is not great; a Hyundai Elantra has better suspension. The noise level inside the car is pretty loud. There are some squeaks and rattles. The interior is very small. This car was not what I expected from a Toyota. I previously owned a Honda Civic that was better than this car.

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  noise of 2015 Camry LE - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By 21john - October 9 - 2:20 pm

  purchased Toyota Camry LE 2015, brand new, in the end of May 2015. The only problem is noise.I can hear repetitive noise when the windows are open. The noise is more frequent when speed increases. Dealer said it is the noise of tires. My previous 10 years old car did not have this kind of problems, how could a brand new car have the problem.