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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  Makes me feel younger. - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Droid - March 10 - 10:00 am

  Comfy, quality, good features, power, fuel econ, and styling. Handling is more SUVish than car-like. Gated shifter is great if bold enough to use it. If you drove manual cars in younger yrs this is for you. Solid control, find any of 5 speeds by feel alone. Selective engine braking down hill or slowing. Excellent accel. from corners cuz so easy to select best gear to enter and leave corner. No waiting for the downshift most autos torture you with when wanting power. Select passing gear before attempting pass. Almost everything you miss from manual tranny, but still normal for wife or Grandma or when feeling your own age.

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  AWD XLE LTD w/ DVD and ENT system - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Hanjaya1 - March 10 - 10:00 am

  I finally picked up my New Sienna. It has everything loaded (AWD, DVD and RES). The vehicle is build for quality. Toyota should upgrade the luxury features as describe below and to be the frist to have luxury minivan or Lexus minivan. Good Job Toyota, Rayman, Dearborn, MI 48184 Delaer: La Fontaine Toyota

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  Yaris Review - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By jeng7722 - March 9 - 8:36 pm

  I just bought my Yaris yesterday after having a ford focus for 2 years. What a difference!! I love the shape of the car. toyota has used all the compact space really well. drive is smooth and Gas milage is awesome! i love it.

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  Camry LE - Just Amazing - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Hari - March 9 - 7:10 am

  This car will get you from point A to Point B in a very comfortable manner. Excellent vehicle. A bang for your buck. Got below invoice at World Toyota, GA. Its like a big soft bubble when driving. The shock absorbers make the ride very very comfortable. Very little road noise. Im used to driving a civic, so this is much more of a smooth ride. I agree with other reviews, that the car is boring however, its very reliable. Any given day, Id aim for reliability over fun-to-drive. Ive had this car for about 2 weeks, and put on 2000+ miles. MPG is very, very good. Highway going 70- 72 on cruise, Im getting 33 -35 MPG!

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  Almost perfect SUV - 2010 Toyota Highlander
  By Almost perfect SUV - March 9 - 2:53 am

  Great SUV with lots of power and security features. Bit thirsty on fuel but that is expected for 4x4 with this size and comparable to other SUVs. Smooth on road, lots of room for family and trunk.

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  Resurrected Joy - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By Speedy - March 9 - 1:46 am

  I bought the 97 Camry in 1999 with 49000 miles on it. It always burned oil. The car drove great, never let me down for 8 years straight. In 2006, I had to get the front and rear seals replaced but was expected after 140000 miles. In 2007, we had a bad snowstorm in Cleveland. I floored the engine to get over a big snow bank in my driveway. Two days later the engine started knocking. It sat in my driveway for nearly three years before I finally replaced the engine. I am very happy I did. It is better to have an old car with great performance and gas mileage than a newer guzzler.

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  Love my 4runner - 2008 Toyota 4Runner
  By zimmermangm - March 8 - 12:00 pm

  I researched SUVs for months before buying a 4runner. I was stepping down from an F250 turbo diesel truck but still wanted V8 power, decent towing, off-road able, but still be mid-sized to fit in suburbia and easy enough for my wife to drive and park. What a great choice! I went with the sport V8 4x4. Plenty of power, excellent off-road abilities (I took it on harsh trails when it was 2 months old), and it tows great. Ive since added an ICON coilover suspension package which lifts the truck 2" and gives a firmer, more dampened ride. Makes the truck way nice to drive. Also allowed me to upgrade to 1" taller all terrain tires.

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  best buy for my money - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By Christopher - March 8 - 3:50 am

  If I was given the money to buy a more expensive luxury car I would still choose the Avalon and keep the extra money. I might choose Touring with more options. The gas mileage has been great Regularly 32-34 mpg sometimes 37 mph hwy and 29 mpg city. Size is great for a family & reliability of the car has been excellent with no down time besides regular maintenance & oil changes. After buying 3 cars from Bob Smith Toyota they gets our families "kudos" in total satisfaction from sales to service. During my driving history (9 vehicles, 4 new) and driving over 25 years there has been no better dealership!!! The Avalon is tops for Economy, Safety, Reliability, Comfort, and looks.

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  A joy, but city MPG not always roses - 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Steve - March 7 - 10:36 am

  I love this car, but I have used it mainly for city driving, with a long shallow upwards grade when I go north and a lot of stops, and it is a struggle to keep mileage above 30 MPG. I have read and written to innumerable folks who have a similar experience. The problem is the combo of a cold engine, short trips, complete stops, and moderate hills. I am learning better how to coast more, and this improved things, and I recently got almost 50 MPG in my commute when I went south (down). But in the city, particularly in the cold, it is certainly not a given that the mileage will be in the 35 MPG range. I have only 800 miles on it, so maybe things will improve. But I second all other raves here.

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  A wonderful car to drive, it glides - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By happy with my camry - March 7 - 6:46 am

  I bought the camry new. It now has 146,000 miles, I use it primarily in the city and occasionally for trips both within CA and to the midwest. It is just very comfortable and easy to drive, I can not stress the joy of driving this car too much. It is reliable too, even at its ripe age of 15 years, it has not let me down, I have maintained it though, with regular service. It gets 19 miles city and 25 miles highway.