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:

• 

  Great car - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By prius owner - July 22 - 7:13 pm

  I have no complaints about this car. I gave up a Mini Cooper, my dream car, after 2 1/2 years due to the high maintenance cost (I drive almost 100 miles a day and high performance tires are expensive and dont last). Since I gave up the dream car I went for highest MPG. After the first test drive I thought it felt like driving the space shuttle. However, it grew on me and I am happy with my decision to trade.

• 

  Great car! - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Saugata Ghose - July 22 - 7:05 pm

• 

  MR2 Roadster / Spyder - 2001 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By phat - July 22 - 10:00 am

  The car lives up to its promises. More fun to drive than my 911 C4 and a lot less expensive to run!

• 

  THE BEST!! - 1999 Toyota Tacoma
  By dwMarc - July 22 - 10:00 am

  This is THE truck! Ive had it for just over a year (bought used) and it has surpassed my expectations constantly! It performs like the true V6 it is and rides more like a car. This is my third toyota truck and I could never be happier and reliability is top notch! Ive never had to do anything with it! I change the oil and rotate the tires as expected but NEVER have had a problem even though it has about 70,000 miles! Finally, I had driven it to Montreal and back a few weeks ago and suprisingly enough it was the most comfortable truck ride Ive ever felt (aside from my LX470) probably due to the TRD suspension.

• 

  An Excellent Vehicle - 2000 Toyota Avalon
  By mjbarnard - July 22 - 10:00 am

  My 2000 Avalon XLS is a pleasure to drive and to own. The stability of the ride and the quietness of the cabin are outstanding. The car is exceedingly reliable. I would like, however, to get better mileage. 16 MPG in town and 25.1 on the road is the best that I can get. The passenger power seat is somewhat disappointing. There is no lumbar support as in the drivers seat, and there are fewer adjustments than the drivers seat. Overall, this is a fine car, and I will look first to Avalon when I consider a new one.

• 

  Happier every day with my purchase! - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By jp999999 - July 22 - 10:00 am

  This car has been great to own so far. It has plenty of room and is very comfortable. I am averaging about 37 mpg and am waiting to see how it does on an extended trip. It seems like a scaled down camry and i have no complaints so far. I expect to feel the same at 120K miles...!

• 

  We Love Our Echo - 2002 Toyota Echo
  By Grandpa - July 21 - 10:46 pm

  I am 62 years old, and Ive owned a lot of cars. Our Echo is the best car we have ever owned. The ONLY weakness is on ice with a coating of snow, but I put studded snow tires on the front and the problem was solved. It is noisy on the highway, but it is an economy car, and and a really good one. I only wish that I could buy a brand new one exactly like it 5-6 years from now. I got rear ended by a ford ranger. There was more damage to the Ranger. The Echo takes a punch, too! It still has the factory battery in it. Seven years and still cranking.

• 

  Recommended Highly - 2005 Toyota RAV4
  By JD - July 21 - 8:40 pm

  I have practically lived in my RAV4 the past year due to graduate school and driving around the East Coast to see family and for interviews. So I have ranked up the miles on this SUV and everything is perfect!:) I get a lot of compliments with the way it looks (I have it in black) to the way it drives. There is a ton of storage space if your moving a studio apartment around like I did. It is worth the money and you will save on gas!

• 

  Favorite For A Third Time Corolla Owner - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Bethany Boyd - July 21 - 8:26 pm

  I just bought this car and, so far, its the best Corolla Ive had in 7 years. (my last 2 were LEs) So far, this car has exceeded my expectations.

• 

  Excellent little car - 2002 Toyota Echo
  By deyzel - July 21 - 6:33 pm

  When I bought it in 2002 it was all I could afford. Now 7 years later I do not want to drive anything else. Not a single problem and great fuel economy on top of that. Add trouble free driving in the brutal Alberta winters to the list of praise. Being handed off to my girls now and I am sure they will get another 7 years of trouble free driving.