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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  An Already Good Truck Gets Better - 2006 Toyota Tundra
  By Ki Moy - July 26 - 4:56 pm

  As a happy ex-owner of a 2001 Toyota Tundra Sr-5 V-8 Access cab, I am even happier with my brand new 2006 Double cab v-8. I have so much fun driving this vehicle! Overall, the truck just got better over the years. I am so glad Toyota cares enough to keep their customers satisfied with dependable products.

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  Fantastic Car! - 2005 Toyota RAV4
  By PH-AVR - July 25 - 7:00 pm

  This is a fantastic car with everything you need for a very low price. Great elevated seats gives great high view. Very easy parking. Never had any problem with my RAV4. My manual version drives very sporty and has a great mileage.

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  Wonderful! - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By Mary - July 25 - 11:46 am

  I love this vehicle. I replaced my 03 Highlander Limited with the 08 Limited and what a difference. This car is like a luxury vehicle. Smooth comfortable and quiet ride. The only thing I miss from my 03 Highlander is the storage underneath the console. I would always hide my purse there.

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  Great Car - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By wnavalon - July 24 - 8:40 pm

  I have put on 12,000 miles since last April and have had absolutely no problems at all. It gets between 31.5 and 33.0 miles per gallon on the freeway and averages 20.5 in town. Everything fits and there are no rattles. I will buy another one when the time comes

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  AvaRoooom - 2007 Toyota Avalon
  By Carlos - July 24 - 7:33 pm

  This is a cool car. Traded a Dodge Ram Laramie 4X4 Quad cab for it. Didnt lose much on interior room, doubled my gas milage. Used to jump in my wifes SAAB 9-3 convertible every chance I had before. Not anymore. I like this big, powerful, roomy car. Thus the AvaRooom... roomy and vrooom!!! Lots of compliments on the desert sand mica color scheme. By the way, I did test drive a Lexus ES350. Using the extra money for my kids college tuition. Maintenance is very inexpensive as well. For the most part change oil and rotate tires every 5K miles.

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  The Yar-mobile - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By jsmale - July 24 - 2:33 pm

  Dubbed "The Yar-mobile" by co-workers, everyone including myself is surprised by the amount of room in this hatchback. Going from a Ford Explorer to the Yaris I feel quite comfortable, however my hauling days are over. After my first fillup I get 35.2 MPG city only driving. This car has met all my expectations! I couldnt imagine spending less than $20K (CAD) and getting more bang for the buck in any other vehicle. This is my first Toyota and I am very impressed.

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  Best truck...EVER!Bou - 2004 Toyota Tacoma
  By sierratoy - July 23 - 9:12 pm

  I bought my 2004 4X4 TRD December 03. 2004 was last year of the compact size. Didnt want the larger midsize 05 model. Extremely durable and reliable. Off road capabilities are superb. It also cruises very well on the highway. Excellent in snow...deep snow. Only regular scheduled maintenance required.These trucks are the best EVER.

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  Only car - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By Spark - July 23 - 8:36 pm

  We bought this Venza Feb., 2009 so faf we put on over 26000 miles on it . Drove to Fl. twice already from CT. Love the way it handles , no problem so far with it. Good SUV for the money.

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  Im in love - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By George - July 23 - 5:56 pm

  I just bought this beautiful car and I am really happy with it, it has good power, stability and the looks. The interior on the sport is pretty neat and the sunroof and 18" allow weells make a difference on it. The JBL sound system rocks, if you are looking for a RAV4 invest a little more and get the premium sound, fog lights and sunroof

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  Best Truck Ever - 1994 Toyota 4Runner
  By KG - July 23 - 5:26 am

  I bought this truck brand new in 1994 before the term "SUV" was around. I have over 206,000 miles on it and it still runs great. I have NEVER done anything more than routine oil changes/ spark plug maintenance to the vehicle. This truck has also taken hundreds of miles of off-road pounding up steep canyons as narrow as the truck and over rocks as big as tires with no problems. I wish I could buy it new again, and I will never get rid of it. The only thing bad is that it gets 16 MPG city and 20 MPG on the highway. Also, up steep highway grades the engine will slow a bit, but then it does not have a V-8 as some BIG "SUV" might have.