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:

• 

  09 Prerunner V6 Access Cab SR5 - 2009 Toyota Tacoma
  By Robert - June 12 - 9:10 pm

  Purchased earlier this year but waited to see what issues cropped up before doing a review. Overall, I have been pleased. I have not experienced the transmission issues others have had (yet), but have run into a couple of minor problems. The radio tends to shut off automatically, or get stuck on a station and the buttons wont respond. Also, when I dont have the A/C fan running and the air button is set to recycle, it will switch to outside air randomly even though I dont have the selector set to heat or defrost. My only other complaint is the bed surface is so slick that groceries are strewn everywhere during the 3 mile drive home from the market.

• 

  Happy with it - 2013 Toyota Corolla
  By MisterSmith - June 12 - 6:17 am

  Kids are grown up now, just needed a reliable commuter car with good gas mileage for going to work. Got the sporty loaded model and it looks nice for the price. Heated mirrors, sunroof, climate control, stitching, bigger rims & tires and nav are nice in this type/priced car. And I got an amazing deal since the 2014s were just out. It drives very average, is weak on power, and the interior fit and finish is old school, but for the value i couldnt find better. At the time, a similar Civic EX was almost $5k more. Now at 40k miles with zero issues, just oil changes and tire rotations. Even the tires still have a good 25k of tread left. I knew exactly what I was getting when I purchased it, and has fully lived up to my expectations. Would recommend, just dont expect much refinement in this model.

• 

  Money well spent. - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Tom - June 11 - 2:30 pm

  Okay, I test drove pretty much all the midsize family sedans and in terms of price, value, comfort, looks, and fuel economy the Toyota Camry won. The 4 cylinder is plenty of power so dont waste money for that and the xle trim is worth the extra money. Very comfortable interior and decent handling so dont expect a sports car ride. I like driving this car. Lots of room front and rear with a decent sized trunk. Lots of airbags and VSC for safety. It even has a knee airbag for the driver. Controls are simple enough but I wasnt sold on the navigation. So I didnt get it. Too many things to look at when driving. Overall, I give it an A.

• 

  Lemon? - 2001 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By Mason1024 - June 11 - 10:00 am

  I love her, but shes on her third transmission and second engine. Informal research shows that 2002+ models are more reliable. Very fun, impractical car. If only she were as solid as Toyotas are supposed to be, I would gladly put a couple hundred thousand miles on her.

• 

  93 Camry OK - 1993 Toyota Camry
  By Boris Povo - June 11 - 10:00 am

  This car is Very good for a 1993 car. It is very powerful and does not brake down too much

• 

  Nice Car - 2000 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Richard Bernard - June 11 - 10:00 am

  This has been a great car to Own. We have 4 months of winter, yet we use this as a winter car also. It handles great. We replaced our Audi 200 Quattro with this car. It does not have the great winter handling, since it does not have 4 wheel drive, but with snow tires on, it does very well with the traction control. The Boot that came with the car looks great, but is hard to put on, and has broken at the joint. Ive had to rivit it to use it.

• 

  4-Runner Nothing Else Will Do - 2003 Toyota 4Runner
  By AAJoe - June 11 - 10:00 am

  This is my favorite SUV I have ever owned. (99 Tahoe, 92 K-5 Blazer, 87 Cherokee, 82 CJ7) I tested the 2003 Tahoe, Discovery, Trailblaizer & Durango and I would have paid a $5000 premium for the powertrain and handling of the 4-Runner. New for 2003 increased size and V-8 option won me over. The best of the "real" 4x4 SUVs if you dont have a large family.

• 

  Good car albeit a little steep in price - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By L Hill - June 11 - 10:00 am

  I bought the 2002 LE model. Its was kind of pricey compared to some of its competitors, however this is more a function of market timing as in the recent months there have been better incentives offered mainly with the list of standard features like power drivers seat and power locks (I paid extra for) growing over previous years. Overall, good quality as with the first year of a model there are squeaks and rattles that need refinement. Handles well though especially on the interstate with good pickup.

• 

  Mixed emotions - 2006 Toyota Matrix
  By Alex - June 10 - 9:23 am

  I really like Toyota. Their fuel economy is superb. I guess I just expected a little more from the Matrix. 126HP is just not enough to really pull a 2,700 pound car. Maybe if they made it 400-500 pounds lighter, it would have better gas mileage and be a bit faster (Civic gets 40mpg HWY and has more power). Its very spacious, and comfortable for passangers, but the drivers seat stands too tall. It shifts beautifully, and the interior design is very sporty, but the chrome trimming has to go. Handling is like any econobox; average, comfortable, sometimes smooth or bumpy, but that can always be changed with aftermarket products.

• 

  Owned 14 months: 3.5 L, V6, VVT-i spd - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By chengdu - June 8 - 8:03 pm

  I needed a four-wheel drive vehicle for the mountains. Ive had not a single problem with this Rav4 2007 Basic. Seats fold in 60 sec to load it with firewood. It handles well on mountain snow. It does not die, or gear struggle, on steep roads, loaded with equipment and four passengers. Downhill, the steep-grade feature nicely paces the vehicle without your active acceleration. The Basic has standard features such as cruise control, vehicle stability control, traction control, 4WD on demand - superior features for the Catskill Mountains. Its a quality vehicle.