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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  nice ride!!! - 2006 Toyota Camry Solara
  By ktrem - May 24 - 5:40 pm

  This is my first convertible and I love it! The rear headrests are intrusive but you get use to it. I put back-up sensores on the car. It seems to be a bit sluggish from 0-20 mph.

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  New 2010 Prius - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By JC - May 24 - 3:50 am

  I just got my new prius yesterday. I drive around 30K miles a year and went from a 2009 Mercedes C350 to a 2010 Prius. I have to say that it has every luxury I am used to, Bluetooth, DVD Nav with traffic updates, 6 disc CD, etc.. Its not fast by any means but with the savings at the pump I can live with that. So far I love this Prius and would recommend it to anyone who drives a lot and wants fuel savings.

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  Safe and most reliable - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By ritanilesmail - May 22 - 6:11 am

  We bought this car in December 2004. I was pregnant with my first child and wanted a safe and reliable car with good cargo space. This has been our family car for the last 7.5 years and has NEVER failed us. The car now has 134,000 miles & the only maintenance weve done are tires, brakes, a break light & oil changes. I feel so safe in this car; rugged yet has navigation, power everything, rear view camera, great stereo. Although truck-like it has great turning radius & weaves in NYC traffic easily. Powerful V8 accelerates great to merge onto hwy. We tow trailer on camping trips each year! Cargo room is great for house projects & kid gear. Tough, safe, reliable, responsive. I LOVE MY 4RUNNER!

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  New Owner - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By Carl Overy - May 20 - 10:00 am

  The thing that I first noticed when I drove the vehicle that I eventually bought was how stable it felt when cornering. Appointments inside are adequate for the price range. Engine is quite snappy, good excellration.

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  Unexpected Quality - 2008 Toyota Avalon
  By luvtoyota10 - May 19 - 11:09 pm

  I have a Toyota Venza, this is my fathers car and I thought it was just some slow, floaty old man car. I was kind of wrong. Its not slow and floaty at all, but still kind of an old man car. This touring model almost drives like a camry but the sterring is light and vague, like my Venza. Its pretty agile for its size. The ride is very comfortable even with the touring suspension, unlike my 2010 venza... There is still more body roll than I expected but I like its stability. The HID headlamps are cool but expesive in the long-run. I wish the display for the radio and climate controls were a bit better. I really like the color scheme too its Blue Mirage exterior and Black leather interior.

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  Great car! - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By Annie - May 19 - 12:53 pm

  I love this car- SUV! I have had no porblems at all with 50,000 miles so far. Great storage, love the third seat option, and great visibility. I once had a "neck problem" and most SUVs were too "trucky"- not the Highlander- drives like a real car. Great in the snow! The only little annoying thing is that the tire pressure sensor light comes on (on the dashboard) and has to be reset frequently.

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  Great Value, Great Vehicle - 2015 Toyota Highlander
  By buffalo16 - May 17 - 12:02 pm

  Great for a family of 4. The vehicle has plenty of technology and safety features. It is quite to drive and gets the 18/20/24 EPAs MPG estimates as advertised, at least from my experience. The vehicle drives well and is extremely comfortable. My only complaint is the voice recognition software on the Entune system - it is horrible. Toyota really needs to focus on this issue for their 2016 model, and hopefully provide some software updates for the 14/15 year models. At this price point, the system performance is unacceptable.

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  Absolutely Love It! - 2009 Toyota Yaris
  By louise - May 17 - 5:40 am

  I traded in a fully loaded Camry for my Yaris and have not regretted it for one moment. Not quite as powerful acceleration, but the gas mileage more than makes up for it and Im not in that big of a hurry anyway. I can still enter the freeway without causing everyone behind me to stack up.

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  Great Truck, But... - 2008 Toyota Tacoma
  By Steve from Wisconsin - May 16 - 5:00 am

  I have the 2-wheel drive PreRunner with the TRD offroad package and locking rear differential, 4-wheel ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist. All in all, I rate this truck the best-engineered vehicle I have ever owned--a wonderful piece of work. It is sheer pleasure to see the intelligence used in its planning and execution. But I have traded it in after two years of ownership (for another Toyota) because it is dangerous on slippery roads. I have had multiple spinouts on snow, even when proceeding slowly and carefully. (The only other minus is the mileage, but I was fairly warned, so cant complain.) This 2WD isnt for snow country.

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  Solid car - 2000 Toyota Avalon
  By jmacgregor87 - May 13 - 4:50 pm

  I live in the NW and this is my girlfriends car. She has owned it since day 1 of its life and takes good care of it. Miles; 126K Pros; Dirves great, good gas milage, stars every time, dependable, and is comfortable for long hauls. Cons; In the last 2 years things have started to break/fail. She has replaced the key ignition twice for 2 different reasons. Some rattles have started to show up, it is 10 years old. The sub-woffer has a short, we found out its in the stereo it self.