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:

• 

  05 Avalon - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By swerge - September 2 - 7:43 pm

  The remote start system is poor at best. It will operate locks across a parking lot but you to be close to start the car. The operation of key fob is tricky then engine stops upon entry and needs to be restarted.

• 

  Great car. Good value. Good daily driver - 2007 Toyota Highlander
  By International Emergency Vehicle Repsonses - September 2 - 5:24 am

  I have a 2007 Toyota Highlander Sport 3.3L V6 3rd row in a great dark blue color. I like it a lot overall, back in 2007, buying my first new car was a big deal, but I was still on a tight budget, but being me, I wanted the sport package, and a v6 with a 3rd row. I got exactly what I wanted. Makes a near perfect daily driver, love all the storage, but at the same time, it has "no frills" for example: Grey cloth seats, plastic dashboard and other stuff, nothing fancy which is fine. I like that is is higher up of the ground than my old 2007 Ford Five-Hundred 3.0L V6, getting into it feels halfway like getting into a pickup and halfway like getting into a car, which I like. Really reliable car. The maintenance light has been on for about 2 years, Ive got it checked out like 10 times since only for them to say my engine and other stuff is fine. I get the oil changed about every 6,000 miles, and it really does treat me well. I would recommend this car. Being me, me and my friends are very serious emergency vehicle videographers/ photographers, and as everyone expects, we have 8 people total and a lot of equipment. We rarely carpool in my Highlander, but it is very helpful to have the 3 extra seats, even though you are practically eating your knees back there, 3rd row has a few inches of legroom at most, but its fine. It can always meet my needs and carry my friends and camera equipment, I like the sunroof even though I forget about it all the time. Great car overall

• 

  Solid truck with good mileage - 2008 Toyota Tacoma
  By JJD - August 31 - 11:26 am

  I finally sold my 91 Toyota Pickup for a new Taco after failing to find a used 4 cyl, manual, 2wd, extended cab one used for anywhere near a reasonable price. My old pickup was still getting 35 mpg highway when I sold it at 160000 miles. But the extra cab space and comfort is great. After almost a year with the new truck I really like this truck. With a camper cap on the bed and at 69 MPH I get a solid 30 MPG on trips. Around home I still get a respectable 25MPG, although I drive with efficiency on my mind. Performance is adequate and the handling is mushy compared to my old Pickup, but the ride is much better and the interior is much more comfortable.

• 

  Great car- crappy nav system - 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid
  By kslj1234 - August 30 - 12:00 pm

  Here is a problem I never thought about before this car- how good is a near luxury vehicle if the computer runs crapware? I have had my esthetically pleasing and beautifully driving Avalon hybrid for less than a month and have had the nav system replaced, repaired and retuned twice. The Entune idea is a good one but I am convinced it is buggering up the on-board computer. Still not resolved but I am hopeful this can be fixed...

• 

  A solid SUV - 2002 Toyota 4Runner
  By ltd - August 30 - 10:00 am

  I had it for 14 months, no single problem, It quick pick up, easy parking,stable in the rainny day,confidence at steering wheel, almost like a sport car. Just love it very much.

• 

  Reliable and fun to drive - 2000 Toyota Camry Solara
  By BPark - August 30 - 10:00 am

  The Solara is a peppy, fun car to drive. Its been very reliable. I had a problem with the driver seat moving a small amount when driving, especially when taking off quickly. They fixed it, but Its still not quite right. I would make sure to check that before driving off the lot!

• 

  Excellent Car. - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Anon_Camry_Buyer - August 30 - 10:00 am

  The Best car in its class. Beats Accord lx v6 in legroom, comfort, ride and trunk space.

• 

  Perfection? - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By jr_fan - August 30 - 10:00 am

  This is our second Sienna. The 2004 shows that Toyota had done their homework and built a mini-van that is very liveable. We owned a 1998 Sienna and I can tell you that we do not miss it one bit. I do wish that we had purchased the DVD player for our kids.

• 

  Leather seats are horrible - 2011 Toyota Sienna
  By will - August 29 - 4:46 pm

  I just purchased toyota sienna 2011 exl with 8 seats with nav. The quality of seats are very poor, not comfortable at all. Because of this, we regret to purchase this car. We wish to purchase LE instead. When we were in the local dealership, this type of car was not available for test-driving. We did not have a chance to experience the seats. We test-drive a Sienna LE instead. We like how it rides. But my wife wanted to have an Sienna XLE with nav. The dealer had to get this car from somewhere else. & days later, we had this car and made a short trip. Gosh, it hurts my buttock and legs, it also hurt my wifes legs. Now, we simply hate the seats. We do not know what to do with the car.

• 

  great truck - 2016 Toyota Tundra
  By nccheung - August 29 - 7:43 am

  first time to buy a truck. Had drive over 1200 miles for the last month. Great ride. Love it. Would be a perfect truck if the gas mileage could be over 20 mpg.