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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  Its been perfect - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Sara - April 22 - 1:53 am

  Ive been driving my 2004 Camry for 4.5 years now and have never had a single problem with any part of the car. I see another Camry in my future!

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  Its good enough so far - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By Duder - April 21 - 10:00 am

  I bought the little hatch back because I needed its versatility and high fuel economy. The seat isnt exactly comfortable but supports my back better than the competition. I like its French Styling with its typical center mounted speedometer. All the storage bins are great and so is the extensible sun visor. The optional arm rest is well positioned for me and I like that the center console doesnt rob knee room. The thing that irritates me the most are all the rattles and vibrations that come and go. The good side of this annoyance is that it keeps me just irritated enough on long trips to keep me wide awake. In this respect the rattles add to the safety of the car.

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  The best car I ever owned - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By Jim G - April 21 - 1:40 am

  Its fast, its sturdy and its a joy to drive. Ive had zero, nada problems in the first forty thousand miles. It has handled the highest passes in Colorado and scoots in and out of traffic in Louisiana with ease. One small issue is the advertised gas mileage. The best I ever achieved was 52.5 but mostly average about forty- five. Still not too bad but no where near the sixty MPG promised. Im 65", weigh 300 pounds and have no difficulty with its roominess. Plenty of head room and seats four comfortably. My big Lincoln sits garage, where it shall remain until gas prices become reasonable again.

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  I love Prius - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Val - April 20 - 5:51 pm

  Peppy smaller car w great mileage back storage is surprisingly good fun car to drive

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  Practical but boring - 2007 Toyota Corolla
  By brian - April 19 - 5:23 pm

  Considering that Im in my car all day, I must say that the Corolla is a very practical everyday car but boring nonetheless. I dont really get excited when Im in it and I dont look at it beautifully like I did my previous car. Maybe its because I upgraded from a 1996 Civic, but this Corolla had so much potential to be a fun everyday vehicle. Hopefully the next generation will be better.

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  Great except for the plastic - 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By Lore77a - April 19 - 11:33 am

  I love my stripped down 4wd fj cruiser it is awesome offroad and on. The only extras are air conditioning, convienience pkg, differential lock and roof rack. It looks cool with the black steel wheels and it holds lots of gear inside and on the the roof. The plastic interior parts are my only complaint.. they scratch much too easily.

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  Disappointed - 2009 Toyota Matrix
  By matrixok - April 18 - 5:16 pm

  Paint chips all over. Will have to have it repainted. Blind spot in the back. Gas mileage is good. Had tire blow out and had to replace 2 tires and rims. This was due to something the dealer did but as another review said the dealers do not own up to anything. On 3rd radio. Transmission seems to be slipping. Interior is hard to keep clean

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  Spring Break trip to Colorado from North Texas - 2016 Toyota RAV4
  By George Roark - April 18 - 7:02 am

  Let me get my complaint out of the way first. When driving on snow and ice, you come to a stop at intersection. Then you press the gas pedal to go-and nothing happens! The car will not respond to the driver, it will only move forward at a speed where the tires do not spin. Meanwhile the car behind us starts to honk, etc. This happened to me numerous times in the mountain town we visited. Once the car responded, it was great. The gas mileage was OK, about 24 mpg running 75 mph. We put 2220 miles on the car in the week that we were out. Holding that speed on I-25 between Raton, NM and Denver, the transmission gets a little "shifty" on the uphill slopes, but you get used to it. - I was very impressed at how quiet the cabin remained at high speeds. The car was easy to drive even in the crosswinds. We made use of the manual shift option on the mountain roads. It worked effectively. The car has a smooth ride. The interior is roomy and comfortable. The telescopic adjustment steering was nice. The dashboard controls were good, but I did miss not having a compass. Maybe there is one, but we never found it. And the maps feature must not have been working, but it did display. With all the other technology on the car, it should tell you your altitude, direction of travel, current location, weather conditions, amount of moisture on the pavement, eg. Ice, snow, rain, etc. You need this information driving in the mountains at nighttime. You dont know your location, and cannot be sure of conditions as you change altitude, etc. - The spare tire was full size and easy to access. Five adults fit comfortably in the car. Acceleration was good on dry pavement, not so good on the snow. Getting in and out is good. The car sits high enough as not to stress these "old bones". - I give the car a solid B+

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  Wheel Bearing - 2013 Toyota Highlander
  By ellas - April 17 - 7:54 am

  Took my new Highlander (with 2300 miles on it) on vacation to Hilton Head Island - after arrival, started hearing a roaring noise from left rear tire area - stopped by Toyota dealership and they discovered the wheel bearing needed to be replaced. Had to delay my scheduled return home for a couple of days, thus putting me into the midst of a tropical storm. Very inconvenient and frightening. After all the research I conducted before purchasing a new car, I was shocked that I became stranded while on vacation in my brand new car. Needless to say, I feel uncomfortable about driving this car for a long distance again.

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  Nice truck, overall - 2000 Toyota Tacoma
  By ontario102 - April 17 - 2:00 am

  My last 4 vehicles have been Toyos for good reason. These are the BEST, esp. when a truck like the Tacoma is compaired with the Nissan.