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 SUV with so so fuel economy - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By City Hunter - April 23 - 6:06 am

  This is my first toyota SUV, traded in my older Camry. A smooth and powerful V6 engine, quiet and comfortable ride, nice interior layout and romminess. excellent build quality. But strong engine vibration when cold start, eventually will gone after engine warm up. need to bring back to dealer to check up. Steering and handling are secure but not sound. Fuel economy only so so, Im conservative drive and try to lite on gas. I only get around 15 mpg mix driving. Rear door hatch is heavy to open and close. Overall is a very nice SUV with some negative.

• 

  Great Family Vehicle - 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Starburst - April 23 - 2:36 am

  Weve put 5,000 miles on this vehicle in the last two months that weve owned it. Weve averaged 38.3 mpg overall, and as high as 40.4 mpg. This is a fabulous family car. It handles well and is very, very quiet - it is almost disconcerting at stop lights as the gas engine shuts down. This particular vehicle is well optioned; the on-board nav system is easy to use, the leather seats are supportive and the build quality is typical Toyota. Having said that, I could have done with a bit less plastic in a car that is this close to the top of the Camry price range.

• 

  Value - 2013 Toyota Tacoma
  By theo marks - April 23 - 1:42 am

  Great value for the cost, I looked for a truck for months. Most cost to much for a truck; if I wanted all the luxury bells and whistles I would buy a car. This truck fits me for the type of small projects I like doing.

• 

  Fun and style all wrapped up in a SUV - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By Peabody - April 22 - 9:00 pm

  Lots of fun to drive/Plenty of spunk and handles very well/Not much road noise and the leather seats are very comfortable/Moonroof is big and great/ Plenty of leg room front and back/The optional JBL 6 disc stereo is mind blowing/sound is hard to believe with the voice coils in the upper part of the door/ have not been able to turn volume to max since there seems to be no max with no distortion whatsoever/Short on optional accessories to dress it up but the hood deflector adds a nice touch.

• 

  The best car so far. - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Alex P - April 22 - 1:10 pm

  Handles very nicely. The Prius easily gets 50 miles per gallon, meaning it can go for more than 500 miles before you need to refuel. Slick aerodynamic design and HID headlights add to the attractivness of the car.

• 

  Love It! - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By JSF - April 22 - 8:13 am

  I commute 100 miles every day and really enjoyed my first year in my Avalon Limited. Only slow driving cell phone talking left laners interfere with my total enjoyment!

• 

  Toyota Camry - A GREAT BUY - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Joel - April 22 - 4:46 am

  Ive had my Camry approximately 3 1/2 years and its the best car Ive ever had. If you want reliability, its there. If you want extras, its not bad. If you want comfort, it does the job pretty well. If you want performance, it can handle pretty well. For economy, it is pretty good. The value retension seems to be good. All around, this car is a pretty solid buy! I know what my next car will be. Another Toyota.

• 

  Overall good utilitarian vehicle - 1998 Toyota 4Runner
  By gail eddy - April 21 - 10:06 pm

  we consider this suv a better overall vehicle than the ford explorer. We have owned two explorers, a 1992 and a 1996. The toyota 4runner has handled the mountainous terrain that we live on better than the fords. It has plenty of pep and an excellent 4wd and low range system. The interior is cramped, especially where the control panel is in conjunction with the cup holder-bad design, and along the sides of the seats for cleaning. Overall however, we have a sense of reliability with this vehicle and it will most likely be with us for many years.

• 

  4th celica - 2001 Toyota Celica
  By jeff - April 21 - 3:43 pm

  This is my 4th Celica. The quickest and best cornering. 1st was a 1977, then a 1985 GTS, and then a 1992 AWD Turbo. I have had this one 2 months and enjoy the 6 sp, the cornering, braking, styling, quickness, and fuel economy (~30mpg). Visibility is poor (blind spots), tight entrance in/out of car. Reliability questionable so far, although all covered by Toyota platimum certified program: cigarette lighter power unit, front speaker, fan belt tensioner, idle startup vacuum - have all needed repair. But the car is a blast to drive and with 6 gears there is always a sweet spot. Have not found the need to rev over 5000rpm -plenty of power below and the engine gets quite noisy.

• 

  Lexus of AWD Toyotas - 2010 Toyota Venza
  By Value4Money - April 21 - 12:56 pm

  This is the best AWD vehicle in its class. Traded in a 2004 Lexus RX330 which was a great car and thought we would stay with the RX350. But the Venza is built on a newer platform, has more room and costs $8000 less fully loaded with NAV and including all the features we care about. Handled well in late spring snow and does equally well on twisty mountain roads and city driving. Plenty of back room for three teenage boys who all top 6 feet.