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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  2004 Prius - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By Bob Buzzard - May 18 - 2:00 am

  I have yet to get over 39.7 mpg and have driven approx. 5000 miles. Another concern is the fuel gage, when indicator gets down to the next to last one and I go and fill up I can only put about 7.5 gal of gas in it and I have only gone about 295 miles. I owed a 2001 prius and got around 43miles on a tank and went approx. 485 miles before filling up and with the increased mileage as advertised that is why I bought the 2004.

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  Is it worth the extra money? - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Frank Florence - May 18 - 2:00 am

  Seems to be well designed. Does not compair to our Town and Country which was far more powerful and the sound system was far better. I believe that there is a lot of hype over this vehicle which is very similar to others in the class, and which are significantly cheaper.

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  Unacceptable wind noise - 2006 Toyota Sienna
  By frank brown - May 17 - 1:20 pm

  This is our second Toyota minivan. We traded in our 2004 for this 2006 for the added features including additional safety features. This loaded xle limited 7 passenger 4dr fwd is an improvement in all areas except in road noise. We dealt with a different dealer than the one that sold the new vehicle to us because we felt that he failed to address the problem. Even with the different dealer, and a deal where we paid half the cost of replacing the awful original equipment tires (in hopes of reducing the noise) the expence did not fully remove the noise. To us, the noise sounds like a vent is open, or, air leakage is occuring around the doors. Please offer a reasonable solution to this problem.

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  Celica GT-S (auto) - 2000 Toyota Celica
  By MedicGuy - May 17 - 10:00 am

  Ive been driving my Celica for over two years now. Its been a very reliable piece of transportation. Im somewhat disappointed in the high reving powerband. Even in the "sport" tiptronic mode, I find that it has minimal power to move across intersections or through traffic. Once the engine reaches full "boil" performance is better. Interior and exterior fit and finish have held up well over the last 2.5 years. It requires Premium grade fuel, so expect to pay out the $1.62+ at the pump.

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  VALVE TRAIN NOISE!!!!!!!! - 2002 Toyota Tundra
  By rrcarson - May 17 - 10:00 am

  nasty sounding valve train noise at start ups even for short time after driving, possibly a lifter???? any solutions contact me,please. DEALER IS NO HELP!!??? why cant they hear it??? funny huh??? only 34,000 miles, come on Toyota, step up to the plate here...whats wrong with all are trucks???? all I want is the noise fixed is that so much to ask???

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  Consider - 2009 Toyota Highlander
  By Jacob - May 17 - 4:13 am

  Considered Acura MDX and Lexus RX, Toyota highlander was a wise choice. Bit boring inside and out but still is a modern design. Love the ride quality but hate a single headlight config. that functions as day-time-running light, low-beam, and high-beam. Toyota should really consider replacing it with HID system. After all, it cost over 30k and almost 40k for fully load AWD sport model. Nav screen is not clear/vivid, perhaps due to touch screen? Did I mention the ride is awesome? I suggest ordering black leather/cloth interior since other color look cheap. Go test drive MDX and RX. If you need a roomier car, highlander should be your pick. If you care more for styling, then others.

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  Great with the top down only - 2006 Toyota Camry Solara
  By murphydurphy - May 15 - 10:00 am

  We bought the car during the summer months. Should have driven the car with the top up. Impossible to see on the sides. I hate driving at night due to the terrible blind spots. We have owned other convertibles never had blind spots as bad as this Camry. With the top down its great. But we live in the Midwest so the top is not down a whole lot. I hope Toyota works on the blind spot problems. If anyone test drives this car they need to drive with the top up as well as down. Be careful. I have almost cut off many people due to the blind spots. Added the little round mirrors on the side mirrors to help with this problem. Most likely would not buy another Camry convert.

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  Pretty Nice Car - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By dodoadiesel - May 14 - 7:56 pm

  I drove everything before buying the Camry 2.5 i4 LE. Jettas, Accords, CRVs, Civics, Corollas, Matrix, Prius, Vibe, Sonatas, Elantras, Fusion, Outbacks and Foresters. Camry is quiet, has plenty of power, roomy, trunk is cavernous. Fold down 60/40 seats in the back lets you put six foot long objects in there. Interior is very functional - wont win any design awards but it is comfortable and the instrumentation is easy to see. Basic stereo is nice and plays MP3 CDs with aplomb. Six speed shifts smoothly and the car likes to operate at around 2000 rpms. Got 32.6 MPG with my first tankful - mixed driving. Handling is nimble for a family sedan.

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  Great Truck - 2008 Toyota Tundra
  By freedom - May 14 - 1:53 pm

  We love the ride, very smooth and comfortable. The sliding window is a must. The crew max back seats are huge and comfortable, very nice that they adjust. The truck is very sporty, fast powerful engine. I, the wife, find the accelerator to be too sensitive. I have to pay attention to not push it too fast and give myself whiplash. There is too much black in the interior. Its hard to keep clean. Its our 3rd Tundra. Only replaced the last because we needed more towing power. It tows our 5500lb trailer very well. Not enough chrome on the outside even though we spent about 29k. Towing mirrors are nice. We liked the look of our 05 double cab better but this is a much better truck overall.

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  Super SUV - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By CAROLINAS - May 14 - 10:00 am

  We wanted a SUV style vehicle to replace a Conversion Van. Researched SUVs for quality, design, ride. Also, talked to other with SUVs. The Highlander Limited came out ahead. Im not into off road stuff so a "car-ish" rather than a "truck-ish" ride was, and has been, the best solution for me. My 2002 Highland was purchased used with a Toyota Used Car Certification check. Have had no problems and enjoy driving it in the city and on the highway. Id do it all over again with Toyota.