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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  Great work horse! - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By Cassia nunes - August 28 - 4:55 pm

  Nobody can beat this car its literally a work horse!! Great fuel efficiency Im getting average 29m/g city unbelievable. I love my car. Im planing to go bigger but cant find any midsize or large suv that will meet my expectations w gas consumption like this car does so well..

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  A Face Only An Owner Could Love - 2000 Toyota Echo
  By Autooracle - August 28 - 12:46 pm

  The design of this car is nothing short of sheer comedy. Powertrain: excellent: peppy, great mileage, idles smoother than my Mercedes. I literally get over 35 mpg with combination driving 40 mpg highway. Great car, especially for someone in the used car market who seeks reliable economy. As long as they are able to overlook quirky styling, they are set for miles reliable driving. Car also has a timing chain instead of a timing belt which is great for overall maintenance, or lack of.

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  Small, but Big and Peppy Rav4 - 2000 Toyota RAV4
  By SaraJane - August 27 - 10:00 am

  I have had my RAV 4 for 4 years, and it has NEVER needed any service(other than typical maintance and has been one of the most reliable cars I have owned. It is comfortable, other than the small back seat(not too great for adults),and has alot of cargo room. It also has alot of pep(I have a 5 speed), as much as any sports car I have owned in the past. Great car!!!!

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  The first 1320 (miles not feet) - 2013 Toyota 4Runner
  By mistere - August 26 - 9:31 pm

  Storage (lack), the roof rack is 43 inches long. Short for transporting a kayak. Interior has no small storage areas. A small tool box or cross lug wrench would have to be left loose in the back. Console is one large deep box, just dump everything in there and take 15 mins to find something. I made a second shelf with another divider. Spare- on a steel wheel. Either I buy a another alloy wheel or let a new tire go to waste. Cant be put into normal rotation. Gas mileage- 190 miles local city driving 13.6 mpg. Driving 70-75 mph 21.2 mpg. 70-75 mph mountainous roads 18.5 mpg, 60-65 mpg 22.8 mpg. At 1k miles cant comment on quality or reliability. Basic model is nicely equipped.

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  Mirror mirror - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By Nole Buddy - August 26 - 7:13 pm

  Great highway mileage (56). Seattles hills cut into city driving mileage (48). I like its quiet creepy silence, especially on our bicycle warriors. But... I hate the auto adjust rear view mirror. It just doesnt darken enough nor stay dark enough for me. Dealer has no solution for me. And I just found out that Toyota doesnt have a repair (shop) manual for sale. Silly REVERSE bell rings, but ONLY INSIDE THE CAR!!!

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  No Power - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By NYCAT - August 25 - 4:03 am

  Something has to be done about the acceleration,(looking to get rid of it) You can floor the gas pedal and it takes a while to kick in Ive had people right up to my rear end in a matter of seconds because it takes too long to get up to high speeds on major highways

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  Nice Truck-top quality construction - 2006 Toyota 4Runner
  By Jay - August 23 - 9:03 pm

  Great Handling, Sporty ride, great value. The money is put into the structure and engine/drivetrain, not features like a lot of others Ive had.

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  Great car, not very owner-servicable - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By kscommuter1 - August 23 - 12:36 am

  My 2010 Prius went 150,000 miles with NO unscheduled maintenance. Oil changes, tire rotations and replacements, filters, tune ups... thats it. And, of course there is that gas mileage (I get 46-47 in mostly highway driving). Sadly, this car is not very user-serviceable. Instructions, unbelievably, call for removal of the front bumper to replace the headlight bulbs. I ignored this and simply reached around behind them to unscrew... now I have pulled a wire loose. Plastic panels have to come off to access the oil drain plug. The windshield wipers and their motor have to come out to access the spark plugs-- seriously! Such thoughtless design is so very un-Japanese.

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  Side mirrors - 2015 Toyota RAV4
  By Barbara - August 22 - 8:11 pm

  Purchased a RAV4 2015 limited. Like the car but wish they would change the side mirror design very bad blind spot. Was just in a accident because of blind stop. Anyone else have this problem?

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  More sporty than crossovers - 2011 Toyota RAV4
  By jstorbeck - August 22 - 2:24 pm

  After considering and test driving a lot of small SUVs including the Jeep Liberty, Chevy Equinox, Ford Escape, and Cadillac suv, I ran across the RAV4. I had always read good reviews but I hated the look of the tire on the back. The Sport model solves that with run flat tires and no spare tire. Pickup is good in the V6 and I like that it doesnt look like the "mommy crossovers". Its built on its own frame. Dashboard controls are easy to reach and black. After about 4 months I am getting 19 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. The paint on this car is amazing and durable. My only complaints are road noise is a little more than I would like and the gas tank is a little small.