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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  My Toyota 2012 Review - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By mayra roman - July 8 - 2:14 pm

  Not too quiet inside, takes longer to heat up inside on the cold weather. Other than that its been Great!

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  SRS Warning Lights - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By clbfsb - July 8 - 12:10 pm

  I owned this car(new) 1 day and the SRS warning lights went off and they continue to go off intermittently. 5 days after purchase, along with the SRS light, the VSC(skid) lights are appearing. 6 days after purchase, the dealer doesnt know what to do and I am asked to bring the car back for an undisclosed amount of time. They will provide a loaner. I read the Tundra complaints on this and they are the same. The lights were not on when I took it back for service and they said they couldnt do anything for me unless they saw the lights. After turning the car on&off 100+ times, they saw the light and have the code (s). We will see what they do/say but so far, I am not happy. Will post update.

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  First Toyota - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By Mike - July 8 - 11:26 am

  Im very impressed with the value, comfort and performance, its in a nutshell a lotta bang for the bucks!

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  Way better than the 07 XLE V6 - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By SJTim - July 8 - 10:10 am

  Bought new in 6/97 and have been extremely happy since. Been to the garage only twice for the steering leak and suspension. Still running strong at 155K as of 3/10. Got rear- ended in 07, legally totaled but mechanically perfect. Hoped a repeat experience and bought a top-of-the- line 07 XLE V6 w/Nev from the insurance money, but the 07 is no where close to this one in terms of build quality and had it traded in <3 yrs. Fortunately, Ive kept this one. Ill keep it until it dies, if it ever happens. Too bad and sad, Toyota is not making Camry the same way any more. ATTENTION CURRENT OWNERS: Do yourself a favor, dont trade this 97 with a latest model of Camry. This one is unbeatable.

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  Corolla CE was a great choice - 2006 Toyota Corolla
  By Braswells - July 8 - 7:36 am

  Other than the drivers side side mirrors having blind spots I really love this car. I get 32-35 mpg. Had to replace a belt at 35000 miles. No other problems. This car is as simple as it gets but parts not there wont cause trouble. It wont win any races and if you dont mind not to have power doors or windows and can drive a standard, this could be a great car for you.

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  My best car ever - 2001 Toyota Avalon
  By Faithfulee - July 8 - 7:20 am

  I love the reliability, comfort and conveniences in this awesome automobile. It has never been in the shop for repairs during the 140000 miles that I have driven it.

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  A Pleasure to Drive - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Todd - July 8 - 2:46 am

  I just got the new Camry and so far I am very happy with the purchase. It is a sweet looking ride and handles very well. Great stereo system.

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  My first car - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Mike - July 7 - 6:43 pm

  This car is my second car. My first was a 95 Eclipse and compared to that this is an amazing car. It rides the smoothest of any cars I test drove, and is such a nicer car than the Honda Accord. I got mine with the side and curtain airbags option, and that was the only real difference between this and the Accord, that the Accord had those as standard features. Even though I am only 17 this car is perfect for a teen like me. Everyone thought my parents were buying me the "granny" car, but no they all love it.

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  I havent saved that much on gas - 2011 Toyota Prius
  By Neal Connor - July 7 - 5:36 pm

  I have owned the car for a little over 3 years and have 70,000 miles on it. This summer the ac stopped working. Took it to my mechanic who indicated it was either an electrical problem or a computer problem and that it needed to go to the dealership for repair. The dealer indicated the condenser assy and compressor need to be replaced at a cost of $3,800. This Prius hasnt been what is advertised

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  More money left for beer and pizza! - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By The_Dude - July 7 - 10:43 am

  I recently replaced my 05 Saturn Vue with this car. I just like the idea of being able to travel more than 300+ mi. in 11 gallons of gas as opposed to +/- 300 mi. in 16 gallons of gas in my Vue. That is 5 gallons less and 100 more miles. My last fillup, I got 38 mi to a gallon. You cant beat that for a reliable, inexpensive non hybrid fuel efficient car. It drives pretty decent, acceleration from 0-60 is sub par (under 10 sec) but I bought it for its fuel efficiency in mind. Since I installed an SGII, I am more conscious about how I drive and how much fuel I use. It can be fun to drive with the manual but the automatic is not bad once you got it going.