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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  OK but not great - 2006 Toyota Camry Solara
  By bluewaterbill - May 10 - 3:46 pm

  Very good looking and comfortable. Navigation system is poor. Cannot use features when car is moving, i.e. change anything. Need to stop the car. Major flaw is that the chassis shakes like hell when going over bumps, cowl shake. Even the rear view mirror shakes. Dealer says convertibles do that. Ive had many previous ones and never experienced this before.

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  Sequoia Summary - 2003 Toyota Sequoia
  By LCWestford - May 10 - 2:00 am

  Overall I am really pleased with the SR5. It has reasonable gas mileage when compared to other Large SUVs. I average around 16 to 17 mpg. It has plenty of room and is really convenient when traveling with family. The quality of the interior is also superior to Ford and Chevy. The drawbacks I have had since I bought the vehicle: there is an annoying ticking or tapping sound (lifter noise?) coming from the engine that "Toyota" says is normal and not a mechanical problem. Supposedly, Toyota has had many complaints about this and is redesigning the 2003 to eliminate the sound.

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  Red Toy - 2001 Toyota Tacoma
  By First Time Owner - May 10 - 2:00 am

  I have been very pleased with my Tacoma 2001 Prerunner Extra Cab 2.7 liter 4cyl. 2wd. Have had some problems all under warranty and fixed to date, rattle in the dash was the most annoying found there to be a service bulletin on this and had it repaired turned out be the defroster box under the dash on the passengers side had to tear apart dash insulate it and put new defroster box in and some foam padding problem taken care of. have had both seatbelts replaced and a big problem after just 6,000 miles somthing with the bushings were worn in the front and it caused premature wear on one of the tires which was replaced after alot of grief.

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  Great Car - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By D Izz - May 10 - 2:00 am

  Looked around, this has to be the best economy car around right now.

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  No problems yet - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Jon Allison - May 9 - 8:36 am

  I purchased used with 25,000 miles and now have 166,000 miles on the car. I routinely get 31-33 mpg traveling at 70-75 mph. I change oil every 4K miles and at 100k had spark plugs, belts and trans fluid changed. At 135K replaced front brake pads and rotors. Only non maintenance issue was at 150k when the air conditioning would not work. The a/c button would flash on and off and the compressor clutch would not engage. I looked at some online posts and found that thea particular AC relay part number had been causing problems and had been replaced. For $55 I plugged in a new relay and AC has worked fine since. Car is still tight and rattle free, love the JBL stereo and huge trunk.

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  Great car sorry to see it go. - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By pjz3 - May 9 - 7:36 am

  When I bought my 1996 Toyota camry just under two years ago I was looking for a car to get me from point A to point B, basic transportation until I could afford something better. After looking around I finally found my 1996 Camry with about 82,000 miles I paid a little more than I wanted to for the car but knowing how reliable they are and having read countless reviews of how dependable they are I bought it. I was impressed with the power of the 2.2L 4cyl. ,its no speed demon but has no problem merging and keeping up or passing at highway speeds. Very comfortable ride for its age and no rattles even after 16 years on the road. I finally bought a new car and Im sorry to see this one go.

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  Business Vehicle - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By Neil Rothe - May 8 - 7:23 am

  Ordered the Prius in September of 2005 and received on 01/23/06. Gas mileage is excellent at 44 MPG for all 9800 miles that Ive put on it so far. Car has suprisingly good pickup and is very solidly built. This vehicle replaced a Tahoe which I was using for business. Fit and trim are excellent. Wish true American car companies could build a car that gets this type of mileage. Also love the keyless aspect with automatic unlocking of drivers door with out having to funble for keys.

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  Super High Milage - 1994 Toyota Camry
  By Louis - May 7 - 10:20 pm

  Bought this car brand new in May of 1994 and used to commute to work daily for 14 years without any failure. Mileage today is 476,000 miles. Original engine, no major engine failure. Maintenance is the usual timing belt, and tune up only, changed water pump, radiator and clutch once, about 4 years ago. Everything else is still original.

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  Love my Camry! - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By L.A. Wilson - May 7 - 5:26 am

  As many have, I too have read poor reviews that others might give regarding the Camry. Not my experience! But neither will I give this car all "10s" like some. Thats just silly. Suffice it to say, Im EXTREMELY satisfied. The engine is powerful & the 6 sp. tranny, silky smooth. I love the interior & Magnetic Gray exterior (on my SE, that is). Nav. is outstanding and feature filled (w/ bluetooth). JBL Stereo cranks while playing home burned 10 album, MP3 disks. The stock tires were shredded in only 13K, but thats Toyota typical. Quiet interior. Great controls, logically laid out. Comfortable seats (for my 62" 280lb. frame). Currently own two other Toyo

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  like it ... but - - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By BDC - May 6 - 7:40 pm

  The car is fun to drive for what it is. It is very roomy on the inside compared to other vehicles we tested. I thought to gas mileage would be better though. I understand the EPA ratings are "estimates", but I travel 70 highway miles per day and so far am averaging on 26 miles per gallon. This seems a bit off the 35 miles per gallon on the sticker. Since this was the primary reason for buying this vehicle I am disappointed in the variance in what is advertised.