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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  versatile - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By matrix lover - March 19 - 2:00 am

  Bought the Matrix in CA on 4/2003 and soon moved to WA. I still get people stopping me and asking what is this car. People really like the style.Love the cargo. Passengers complain about the uncomfortable seats and the seat belts. A few plastic pieces have broken but I am pretty hard on cars.Al

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  2 Year Owners - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By Timothy G - March 19 - 2:00 am

  We bought our Camry 2 years ago. We have had virtually no problems with the car. It has been very reliable. Still has smooth ride and responsive steering. We have no regrets.

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  Great offroad, harsh ride - 2004 Toyota Tacoma
  By Citrus man - March 19 - 2:00 am

  I now have 50000 miles on my Tacoma. During the fist couple of months I really liked this truck. But, then I started realizing how it will beat you do death off road, and after a long road trip your back will beg for mercy. Overall, its fun to drive and is great off road. However, its stiff ride and plywood type seats make it a very ucomfortable truck to drive.

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  Nice ride - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By Dizzy Dad - March 19 - 2:00 am

  The perfect second car as an addition to our family minivan. Even with the 4cyl engine has enough get up and go to merge and pass even on hills. When you gun it, it will shift hard, but it gets the job done. Under the regular normal driving conditions, the shifting is fine. Our base model is really well equipped and comfortable. Toyota has covered all the bases with creature comforts like cup holders, lighting and power outlets. Storage area is great. We can get the family of 4, luggage and a couple of bikes in the vehicle with no problems. Highlander is a great option if you want a little more room, and a Camry ride without going to a monser size SUV.

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  Didnt want to own it for long - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By thinkingman - March 18 - 1:16 pm

  Well, its gone. Bought it for SUV room and all weather capability but it didnt deliver. And the reliability wasnt what I expected, either. Problems with rattles, stereo, air in brake lines, and loud road and wind noise all doomed the RAV. I did average 23 mpg, and the tires had plenty of tread after 31k, but the Toyota reputation didnt deliver. It does have good room inside and a comfortable back seat (no third row on Sport). Missing a lot of features that are standard on other cars like homelink, 5sp automatic, heated seats, good stereo, audio controls on steering wheel. It just failed to live up to the Toyota hype. Sorry.

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  Not Completely Satisfied - 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By Preston - March 18 - 11:20 am

  While the Highlander is extremely agile, quick and tight, I am thoroughly disappointed in the mileage. Many Features are well thought out. Placement of third row seat belts, so as not to obstruct rear view is one of many of the smallest things that Toyota is well known for. They excel in details. However, highway mileage has been as expected around 26. Sticker claims 27 hwy/31 city, but city mileage at best has been a max of 23 with an average of 17. The car currently has 2500 miles, but I cant imagine that there needs to be a longer break-in period. I did do my homework before purchasing the car and saw that a lot of folks were not happy with the mileage, but I expected 27 - 30 city.

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  Great Truck, Poor A/C - 2001 Toyota Sequoia
  By BigDaddy - March 18 - 10:00 am

  I am loving my Sequoia when it is not in the shop. The truck has been in and out of the dealership for the last two months for repeated A/C failure. If it not the compressor its something else. To add insult to injury the parts for the truck are always on "back order."

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  Toyota Quality? - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By John - March 18 - 5:26 am

  Very soft paint. Chips and pit marks started to appear almost from the first day. After the first winter there were easily 100 "holes" in the paint all over the car. Toyota would not stand behind the defect. They stated it was from road salt and stones, etc. I agree that is what causes the marks but I looked at many others cars with similar driving conditions and none were even close to the condition of mine. The next big problem was with the brakes. A front caliper locked up at about 44K miles. The repair - two front calipers, rotors, pads, labor was almost $900. It would have been much much more at the dealer with OEM parts. So this is Toyota quality?

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  Warranty isnt worth the paper wrote w/ - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By Chelle - March 17 - 8:06 pm

  My 2008 Camry has been consuming oil it a serious extent, took to dealership they tear down my motor, tell me to bring receipts of oil changes to turn in on the extended warranty. Did that from the body shop it was changed in. Now the dealership doesnt want to fix the car and didnt even turn in my receipts for the warranty to cover the damage to the car. Carbon build up apparently means lack of oil change to them but to everyone who knows better its a common build up form low grade fuel, or rich air/fuel mixture. Watch your car and your dealership, they are border line criminals they way they try to justify making there money they are a joke and will go to court and be made to fix car!

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  Head rests from Hell - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By steve leyton - March 16 - 11:43 pm

  As the owner of a 2002 SE stick-shift, I have been very happy with my Camry for a quarter million miles. With all its improvement, I expected the 2010 6-sp auto to be better. It is, in most ways, but lets me down in a few key areas. The fuel mileage is way off though it is driven on the highway 90%. The seats are not as comfortable, especially my main problem: the extremely uncomfortable angle of the front headrests make it impossible to find a good driving position. The placement of the mirror control is too far to use correctly. The seat fabric is a real turn-off. Every other feature of the car is either as good or much better than my 02, especially the power.