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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  2008 Camry SE - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By Ronald - December 16 - 2:23 pm

  I have driven this car for over 2.5 years, over 32,000 mileage, and I havent ran into any problems except Toyotas gas pedal recall. The cars interior is spacious, the GPS is useful, and the JBL sound system is a plus w/ mp3 input. The tire pressure sensors have come in handy to tell me of a small nail puncture in my wheel. One big negative is that the acceleration is slow because it is computerized. The delay is supposed to save gas but sometimes you end up flooring it because you want to catch up with the traffic as you merge. I keep track of my fuel efficiency, lowest MPG is 22.8, highest 28.2. I average about 25 MPG in 3 years. Overall, I would give it a 7

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  Expected More - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By toter1 - December 16 - 12:48 pm

  Have 4000 miles on the car. In general its a good car to drive. On the highway the car handles well. I have always bought Toyotas for quiet rides but this car has a higher level of road noise than I expected on the highway. Good mileage but difficult to get rated 35 gpm at 70 mph. Car came with Low Rolling Resistance, LRR, tires with a wear rating of only 260. I probably wont get 30000 miles on a set of tires. Entune display system monitors tire pressure on all four tires. The only problem it doesnt show the location of the tire whose pressure is low. Only that one is low. You have to check each tire using tire gauge to find the low tire if not visibly low.

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  Major quality problems - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Bill K - December 16 - 7:56 am

  Quality is abysmal. The car started to develop problems when it had less than 3,000 miles. Transmission slips, especially when the car is cold. Transmission replacement did not resolve the problem. Also, many rattles and squeaks.

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  2001 Echo - One of the Best Cars to Own - 2001 Toyota Echo
  By Dave K - December 16 - 4:50 am

  Our 2001 Echo sedan has been one of the best cars weve ever owned. Remember, its not a Cadillac! Its great on gas, fun, and easy to drive, and very reliable. Seats 4 very comfortably. Our 19 yr old daughter now has 108K miles on it. Typical maintenance is all weve seen (fluids, tires, brakes (just replaced at 70+K miles). Good quality overall, and reliable!

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  Good little SUV - 2001 Toyota RAV4
  By Alex J - December 15 - 2:20 am

  The Rav4 is a comfortable little SUV. It is not the most powerfull, but it gets great MPG (When driven nicely). Seats are nice and supportive, and the silver/metal looking plastic looks upscale, even if your not sure what it exacly is. The AWD is nice and is needed in the rockies.

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  Met expectations - 2000 Toyota Tundra
  By Mr. S - December 15 - 2:00 am

  I was very concerned with the reported steering vibrations when I was buying my truck. I just got something installed that Toyota developed to eliminate the problem. I have no complains so far, my dealer was able to fix all issues for me, e.g. arm rest storage space lid flying open when upright, initial tire wear (got new Michelins) etc.

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  Toyota Quality!!! - 2003 Toyota Tundra
  By CalTundra - December 15 - 2:00 am

  This truck is fast, 0-60 is better than the Big 3 in this class. Best crash safety rating over Big 3. Smooth Lexus engine. Solid ride with little noise. Burns no oil. Excellent mileage (better than expected). Perfect extended cab truck.

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  Great sports sedan, poor quality - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By ScorpionVonD - December 13 - 1:56 pm

  This Camry is fast! The handling is better than any other Camry ever. The tight suspension takes away very little from the ride, but it is still harder than the regular XLE suspension. The JBL stereo is perfect. Bluetooth is a great option. The leather is very nice.

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  Malfunctioning extras are a pain - 2011 Toyota Avalon
  By japelo - December 13 - 7:23 am

  Let me preface this review by saying that the first Avalon I had was excellent. I had it 7 yrs. & traded only because someone hit me. The 2011 Avalon I have now is also an excellent ride, but the wind noise and some of its extras are more trouble than theyre worth.

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  AWD Lacks Good MPG - 2009 Toyota Matrix
  By Gabagooo - December 12 - 10:30 pm

  I have had the AWD Matrix since July 2008 and overall, I like the car. The AWD system has been very nice to have this winter, but at a high cost. I am averaging just 22 MPG on the highway, which is lower than expected. Next time i am in the dealership I am going to have them check for problems. Also, on very long drives, the seats can become a bit uncomfortable. When the car is wet, water from the roof spills onto the rear seat when you open the back doors.