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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  What I wish I would have known - 2001 Toyota Highlander
  By MIrebel - April 1 - 10:00 am

  I have owned our Vintage Gold Highlander for 3 years now and am very satisfied overall. But the Highlander has a couple of quirks that a potential buyer should beware: 1) Excessive wind noise. You can not drive over 30 miles an hour with the windows open because of the extreme howling and pressure to your ear drums. Its unbelieveable! Also the car will "moan" sitting still in the driveway when the wind blows hard enough across it. 2) No drip edge above the doors so everytime you open the door (if its raining or snowing) you get a wet seat. 3) The cup holder design is less than convenient. Buy a after market console for storage and cup holders.

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  MY Highlander - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By Steve MY - April 1 - 10:00 am

  Before I bought this vehicle, I had never owned an SUV AND I was a lifelong Chevy man. When the boss (my wife) decided it was time for me to buy a SUV, I decided to test drive EVERYTHING in the price range we were looking for ($20,000-$30,000). Ikept leaning towards the Trail Blazer (or the Explorer, Grand Cherokee, etc). However, over a period of several months, I had to admit to myself that the Highlander was (in my opinion) consistently 1st or 2nd in every category I could think of. As a result I now find myself driving everywhere. Try it....youll like it!

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  I Expected More for a Limited - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By debkitty - March 31 - 12:00 pm

  Drove a Rav4 2005 sport that was more fun w/nicer console than 2006 and newer. It drove like a sport car. This model feels heavy, though its nice to drive/missing the same zip. I take very good care of my vehicles. Beware of those who complain & dont maintain. Paint job less than I expected. I live in the country. When I put in reverse about 30% of the time it chokes/knocks about in backing up. Rear Door should have been corrected years ago, opens backward would prefer up. Loyal to Toyota/ 4th Toyota, not enough bang for the buck compared to USA mfg.s w/luxury models and opts. Driving light lives up to the 24 MPG, however, previously all my Toyotas did better than they claimed.

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  Comfy Cruiser - 2007 Toyota Sequoia
  By Big Daddy - March 31 - 4:56 am

  The 2007 Sequoia is a great vehicle for a family with too much stuff. Ample storage room, comfortable seats. No issues over the first 10K miles. Great build quality, fairly quiet interior. Tires seem to wear well. Have avgd around 20 miles/gallon on hwy. Around 15 city. Overall great looks, fun to drive. Much better value compared to the 2008s. Would buy again.

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  2005 Avalon - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By ed - March 29 - 11:36 pm

  Good car, had 2004 avalon before this one is better. Tires are expensive to replace. rear seat are roomy and comfortable lot of power

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  2015 Prius Three the Good and the Bad - 2015 Toyota Prius
  By techguy4 - March 29 - 5:27 pm

  The Prius sold me on reliability and comfort, Im 56" and it fit me like a glove the controls work well. I moved from the Camry to the Prius but after 25mpg and frequent stops the 50mpg is a welcome improvement.

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  Some major costs with replacement of headlights - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Nurch - March 28 - 8:23 pm

  Apparently this year Prius had a problem with the headlights, and mine chose to be problematic after the warranty had expired. The dealer was incredibly expensive to replace the first one that failed, I used a body shop for the second and the price was significantly less than half the dealer cost. UPdate, 2016: I am now having to replace the headlights again! This is silly - Ive never had to replace headlights in a car before, and I keep all my cars until they have over 200,000 miles. I will again use a body shop to replace the headlights because the dealer is more than double the cost (and the light the dealer replaced is the one that has burnt out!). I also have had a squirrel or mouse chew through the gas line, and have had mice chew through the wiring harness for the anti-knock device. What do they make these plastics of that they are so attractive to common rodents? Update, 2017: I totaled this car last month when I rear-ended another vehicle at a low enough speed that the airbags did not deploy. I had failed to see the brake lights or turning signal of a car stopped in my lane waiting to make a left hand turn. Good tires, but we were unable to stop in time. We replaced it with a Ford Fusion Hybrid, 2014 which we strongly prefer to the Prius.

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  Utility outweighs negatives - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By 2005mo - March 28 - 5:26 am

  Pros: Engine good enough to get up my hills. Peppy enough for city/traffic driving. Great versatility. Reliable/dependable so far. Cons: Fuel economy could be better. Brakes not that good. Interior rattling/workmanship issues. High speed cornering "squeakish". Wimpy horn. Weak stereo. Hard to start (battery) sometimes. Some dead areas/lag on the drive by wire acceleration.

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  Matrix XR - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By Kla - March 26 - 10:00 am

  Good car for the money. Its not for racing, but for everyday drive is comfortable.

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  I Love My Sienna! - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By prettyjae2 - March 26 - 10:00 am

  The Sienna is great on gas. The build is made with quality products. Very reliabe!