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 family van - 2003 Toyota Sienna
  By Erick - April 10 - 4:16 am

  We bought our Sienna used about 3 years ago and we are very happy with it. We used to buy Ford Windstars but the Toyota blew them out of the water. We live in the midwest and every year take our Sienna to the mountains for camping and fishing trips and it has gone everywhere we needed it to go even off road with no issues. In the snow it is great the traction control kicks in and it is almost like driving a 4 wheel drive vehicle. It is an amazing vehicle

• 

  I like It! - 2007 Toyota Avalon
  By mchamp - April 10 - 3:16 am

  While I have only had the car for a few days, it has been great. It is a quiet, smooth and comfortable ride. It seems to be doing well on MPG but not quite what I expected (lower then expected). I also like the fact that you only need to do an oil change every 5,000 miles. This should help in cost (if other cars are still needing to do it every 3,000 miles). My Avalon has so far exceded my expectations.

• 

  Original Owner for 10 years - 1994 Toyota Corolla
  By HyPERDRiVE - April 10 - 2:00 am

  This car has only seen one major problem and that was the alternator, besides that just regular oil change and tune ups. Well, you cannot really compare its performance to todays cars because its a whole new ballgame. The car also feels so nimble and easy to handle. If you are getting your first car and you are skeptical about reliability issues, go for this car because only rarely you will see any. They dont built cars like they used to. Our 2002 Maxima has had more problems over 15k miles than the Corolla has had in 10 years. I am going to try to make the Corolla last 500k+ miles...wish me luck :)

• 

  Turing Heads - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By SoCalRoadster - April 10 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned my Prius for about one month. After driving an SUV for the past 6 years, I guess just about any fuel efficient vehicle would impress me. However, I am extraordinarily pleased by the $$ that Im saving with my Prius. The first time I filled the tank, I thought the pump had prematurely stopped. To my surprise, the tank was full! $11.00!!! (in comparison to $40) I did the money-savings dance in front of the pump!!!

• 

  Happy RAV4 Owner After Doing My Homework - 2004 Toyota RAV4
  By Anita Casey - April 10 - 2:00 am

  After countless weeks poring over the many conflicting reviews at the Consumer Reports, Power, Autobytel, cars.com, Edmunds, et. al. sites, I finally settled on the RAV. There was no consensus on the quality of any car I looked at--from Acura TSX/TL to Honda Accord to Lexus IS to Infiniti G35 to Nissan Murano. I obviously explored a number of possibilites but found in the end that I didnt want to spend too much money on a car, since I couldnt find one that was head and shoulders above the rest. In all of the consumer forums, car owners aired their problems with their vehicles--even the hallowed Honda Accord. Reasons I settled on the RAV4 are listed below.

• 

  Lexus in Toyota Wrapper - 2003 Toyota Avalon
  By webman58 - April 10 - 2:00 am

  This car is a very big BANG for the buck. Traction control, Force Dsitribution braking, ABS 4-channel brakes, Navigation system, auto-lights and wipers, heated seats, SMOOTH RIDE, cavernous back seat, 6-CD in-dash changer and REAL WOOD inserts. This is a FINE car. If it is like all the other Toyotas Ive ever owned the only parts that will ever fail no this car will be the AMERICAN MADE PARTS!!!! My Vote is BUY THIS CAR!!!

• 

  Perfect SUV - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By Mhasan96 - April 10 - 2:00 am

  Excellent ride, save for everyone with side airbags.

• 

  hilux surf - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By naresh - April 10 - 2:00 am

  it handles like a beaty. bends corners like the breeze. summary........perfect!

• 

  Toyota hits a home run. - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By yourchef - April 10 - 2:00 am

  This is my third Toyota in twenty years and my first minivan. I am very satisfied with the way this van drives. It soaks up bumps from our potholed roads and goes over all the train tracks without upsetting passengers or steering. My gas mileage is close to 24 so far. Acceleration is powerful with the new 3.3 liter V6. The turning circle is tight. It is easy to park. The seats are all supportive. There is plenty of lumbar support. The seats are a little bit flat, so there are no big bolsters to keep you in for tight cornering.

• 

  So glad I chose this car! - 2005 Toyota Sequoia
  By Liz - April 9 - 9:13 pm

  I looked at many of the large SUVs and found the Toyota is the best bang for the buck! It is well known that Toyotas hold their resale value. This car drives so smoothly, has an awesome turning radius, I carpool as many as 7 kids at a time and still have the trunk for groceries, stroller, backpacks. The middle row pops up easily for kids to climb in the back row. Also, I have car seats which actually still fit 3 across! I dont feel like such a soccer mom driving around in this luxurious ride... oh and cup holders a plenty!