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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  Very Reliable - 1997 Toyota Corolla
  By nmyrmel - December 23 - 2:00 am

  I have had this car for 2 and half years and it hasnt had any trouble at all. Just change the oil and go. Decent acceleration for a 1.8 liter engine.

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  my new XRS - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By pandrus - December 23 - 2:00 am

  had the car 1.5 months. had to learn how to shift all over again, you must push the clutch pedal in ALL the way or the engine stalls by just quietly shutting off. you dont even know it happens because it is so quiet. really fun to drive compared to my 15 year old toyota tercel. :-) there is truly excellent support for matrix owners thru a couple of web sites. that is a great help.

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  Car Is Save - 2001 Toyota Camry
  By JJ -98 - December 23 - 2:00 am

  I like this car but I really wanted a newer 2002 Camary

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  2003 Tacoma PreRunner V6 - 2003 Toyota Tacoma
  By Adgirl - December 23 - 2:00 am

  A truck even a girl likes to drive. Replaced a 2000 4Runner for the Double Cab Limited edition with TRD package. Added a hard tanneau cover (Snug Top) that I love. Its a must for saving gas and locking up gear. Heard Toyota is looking to offer it as an option. Everyone is right about the clock, you cant see it in the drivers seat. Dials and gadgets could be updated. The double cab is awesome and provides lots of room. Way better than an SUV.

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  Good car but with minor problems - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By vicever - December 23 - 2:00 am

  I like car has a smooth, quite ride. The camry does deliver these. However, it stats high pitch rattles after 1000 miles. I will go to dealers and see what they can do about it. I knew this was a problem before I bought it, just hoped they solved the minor problem after one years production. Obviously, I was wrong. Believe me, the rattles are very annoying. And it is very intruding in the relatively quite cabin. I mean my old Taurus rattles all the time, but its engins hums and wind noise are both louder which makes rattles less noticable.

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  Read the book first, then tell story - 2009 Toyota Avalon
  By C Hortman - December 22 - 5:46 pm

  I am disappointed in their flagship. It has lots of wind noise. The DRONE of the tires is very prevalent. The driving position is the worst. Im 6.0, the seats are uncomfortable and very hard. Not a lot of leg room for the driver. COMFORT and AVALON are never USED in the same sentence!!! This car is 95% Camry. A factory employee told me, they dont want you to be satisfied. WHY? So they can sell you a Lexus. Transmission 2nd gear jerks every time it shifts, it wont shift down when it needs too. The factory puts one coat on the bottom of the car for sound reduction, rust. They started out putting 5 coats. It is all about saving $$$ at the consumers expense. The car is reliable, BUT!!!

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  very worst MP3 audio system - 2015 Toyota Corolla
  By Vijayan Thanasekaran - December 21 - 6:08 pm

  MP3 Music playing system from CD and USB are totally crap in Toyota music system (Entune). it is required all MP3 Song files need to be copied to single folder. it is not moving to next folder or album if it has multiple folder. It is total disappointment to me to move from Corolla 2009 to Corolla 1015. dont buy without checking this functionality.

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  Solid as a rock after 60k miles - 2001 Toyota 4Runner
  By vinceG - December 21 - 12:13 pm

  Ive put on over 60K miles and it runs as good today as it did the day I bought it. Paint still looks brand new, too. For a SUV, good milage of 18 city and maybe 22 highway. Only had one problem - replace windshield wiper motor recently. No one rattle compared to Chevy Blazers Ive been in that sound like a bucket of bolts with way less miles. The front seats are very uncomfortable, though, which is the only issue with the vehicle.

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  Love the RAV4 - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By primal_v - December 21 - 7:12 am

  I purchased a 2009 RAV4 4 2.5 litre 4 cylinder, base model, for my wife. Let me tell you this...if I were to get in it blind-folded, not knowing which vehicle I was in, I would have never guessed that it was a RAV4. The ride comfort is amazing! The independent suspension decreases body roll over uneven pavement. Road noise for a vehicle of this size is more than acceptable. Braking is smooth & quiet. It absorbs bumps in the road like they were nothing. Wind noise is average but better than most. Acceleration is excellent. I barely have to apply pressure to the throttle to get it to move. Without even having to stomp down on the pedal & the 4 cylinder turns into a monster & easily pulls away

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  Watch out for the doors! - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By L. Bohanon - December 19 - 4:16 pm

  Love this van for the comfort, and space! We have had it in for repair/maintenance on the automatic slider doors several times, the front driver side door broke at the hinge and needed to be totally replaced. This was in the first year that we owned it. We have wanted to give it back, but despite all of the trouble with the doors we love the comfort and space.