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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  Happy Camper - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By Ken Hunter - January 2 - 3:50 am

  Ordered My Tundra in February 2007 but was not delivered until May 2007. Factory did not install daylight driving lights or stainless running boards as ordered. Both local dealer and Toyota (Detroit) advised DRL must be installed at factory and could not install after and was considered an aftermarket item and not recommended. The factory installed DRL was about $40. I purchased a DRL kit for $97 and paid an electronics shop $187 to install a fairly complicated wiring job. Toyota took no responsibility for the omission. They did, however, install the SS running boards free of charge. This is the first new vehicle (among many) I have had that I did not have to return for some problem.

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  My first Sienn - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By geg713 - January 2 - 2:03 am

  When I test drove this minivan, there was no comparison between it and the competition. I drove the Honda Odyssey as well, but elected to buy the Sienna because of the AWD feature. My two biggest disappointments are the drivers seat and economy. I am disappointed in the seat comfort for the drivers side because leg room is lacking and the seat is too short for proper support of the leg. I feel like Im sitting on the edge of the seat. The economy is rated at 19-24, but it hasnt seen 20 yet, and only a time or two has 19 mpg been achieved. The van is solid, reliable, and fun to drive with enough power under the hood. The AWD feature works wonderfully in the inclement weather.

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  my first suv - 2006 Toyota 4Runner
  By vinh nguyen - January 1 - 5:40 pm

  own other toyota before but this is my first toyota suv,so far overall i like it alot exterior,interior,ride ect.i think it is a well build car and good value

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  Good CARS! - 2004 Toyota Echo
  By DaJoy98 - December 31 - 10:00 am

  Great cars but seem to be made of cheap plastic on the inside!

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  Echo 2001 - 2004 Toyota Echo
  By JamesDW - December 31 - 10:00 am

  Actually my Echo is a 2001 that I bough new 3 years ago. The car was bought mainly as a work car but have been so pleased with it that I use it for everything. Have just under 80K miles and still get 40 to 41 mpg overall. I drive the car hard and usually go at least 7 to 8K miles before oil changes and have never been able to stick to recommended maint. schedule. Even so, the car still runs as smoothly and nice as the day I bought it. When idling its impossible to hear the motor from inside and most people swear its not running at all. The ONLY problem Ive had so far has been a burned out tail light bulb.

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  2004 XLE - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By stevebc - December 31 - 10:00 am

  So far, so good...

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  buy one if you are not a racer - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By ksalatov - December 30 - 4:00 pm

  I recommend to buy one - but it is not very fun to drive. BUY ONE if you are not a racer.

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  Gotta Love It - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By jen - December 30 - 5:06 am

  I had a 2007 Corolla S that was totaled two weeks ago. One of my main reasons for buying the 2009 Corolla was my 2007 held its value like no other. I ended up not owing a penny on the 2007. I love the Corolla because of its reliability, look, gas mileage and it just seems to have a little more pep than my 2007 did. I agree with the other reviews in that youve got to have both hands on the steering wheel at times to control the vehicle but I had the same issue with my 2007. I also agree that the temperature, clock etc. is horrible and would love to see Toyota update the stereo so that it displays the song and station call letters like the two GM rentals that I had. Overall love it!

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  Great reliable car. I recommend it! - 1999 Toyota Corolla
  By tobias - December 29 - 1:10 pm

  I bought this car about 3.5 years ago when I was in college. Its been the only car Ive owned. I wanted a car that would be reliable and not cost me much to maintain and that it has been! I have almost 100,000 miles on it. I just replaced the front brakes, but otherwise just basic maintenance. Its the VE which is VERY stripped down...doesnt even have intermittent whippers (I joke that the whippers have 2 speeds, fast and faster). The engine is loud on the highway, and I can tell the difference in pick up when I have passengers. But those are my biggest complaints. Overall I love this car!

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  Our first Toyota -- its a mixed bag - 2014 Toyota Highlander
  By gregrasa - December 29 - 8:56 am

  We have a Volvo XC70, Honda Accord, Mustang. Added Highlander to get 7 seats. Its good, but suffers in comparison to the others. Nice inside, but nothing like the Volvo. Drives fine, but not *fun* like the Accord, Mustang. Its an SUV, so its doomed to be a lummox. Front of car looks nice. Rear: odd! JBL stereo: Sound was muddy, bad. Dealership clueless. I finally discovered, in an Entune menu that was *not* Audio, a setting for "surround sound." Changed it to "stereo." Was like a veil was lifted. Still, the sound seems all up in the dashboard -- you must slide the fader nearly all the way back to get sound from all around. Overall: Competent, quiet, boring. Thats Toyota!