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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  impressed - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By foxstar - October 16 - 10:00 am

  Since I bought this car brand new, I have put 105,000 miles on it. Other than routine maintance, I havent had one single problem with it. Hey, Im even on my original set of brakes.

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  2nd Camry - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By luvmycamry - October 16 - 10:00 am

  I enjoy driving my 1999 Camry. I think it is very comfortable and have been told by my passengers that they also feel very comfortable. I have frequently driven from Florida to Vermont and back again and have never felt uncomfortable in the drivers seat. I have over 60,000 miles on my car and have not done any work on the Camry other than regular oil changes. I think the look of the Camry is a little boring, but it performs well.

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  Life with a Venza - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By bigeandkenna - October 15 - 7:43 pm

  After just turning 29000 miles, i felt it is time to reflect. The Venza has proved to be a capable and reliable car over the last 2 1/2 years in our family. We average 20 mpg in mixed use and 26 on the highway. We have taken several trips from NJ to Fla and it is a great road trip car. It has never been back to the dealer with any problems, although there is an open recall on the "stuck fuel pedal" issue. It is easy to get in and out of and the back seat is roomy. The interior is visually appealing but a closer look reviles mismatched seams. The XM radio has poor reception and is difficult to locate stations on the run. All in all this is a typical Toyota- a point A to B appliance.

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  Great Mileage, Poor comfort - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By IllesheimVet - October 15 - 5:23 pm

  Bought new for wife. At 5ft 2in tall she loves it! I (at 6ft 2in) found it to be more uncomfortable than my old 1990 Corolla. The steering wheel is too far away and not adjustable. The armrests on the doors are very hard and my left arm goes to sleep when driving even short distances and the seats provide little thigh support for taller people. The serpentine belt squeaks constantly, (tensioner?) The valence panel below the front bumper is very flimsy and easily cracked.. Be careful when loading the trunk. The curved support arms may crush items when the lid is closed.

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  2016 RAV 4 LE FWD - 2016 Toyota RAV4
  By CFT - October 15 - 9:20 am

  I have had this car a month today and it just reached 1,000 miles and I am overall very happy with it. The acceleration is great especially since I just traded in a 2005 Toyota highlander with a V6 figuring that I would have some adjustments to make. The interior is overall spacious and comfortable but yet it does feel a bit cheap. The carpet in the floor board and a bit too much plastic looking in the interior. I would imagine over time with a family it may start to look a bit banged up but it is just me so hardly anyone will ever sit in the back seat. The rims are nice and sporting looking but are plastic and I wonder how they will hold up especially since I keep a car for a long time. A bad safety feature is when you put the it in park all doors seem to unlock instead of just drivers door. Over all do recommend for sporty styling and comfortable ride.

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  Great ride, but noisy engine poor MPG - 2009 Toyota Highlander
  By Rick - October 15 - 9:20 am

  Rides like a sedan and accelerates quickly but the engine screams trying. Fit and finish is good as well as good legroom/headroom for a 64" guy. I expected better mileage than 22 MPG since my previous Sequoia, with a V8, got 20.5 MPG. The sticker stated 24 MPG on the highway and it doesnt come close.

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  Its a Truck! - 2012 Toyota 4Runner
  By toytruck1 - October 14 - 11:36 pm

  Had my 2012 for 10 months with 8,200 on the clock. Be aware: the 3 models have different suspensions; the SR5 being the softest. I didnt need the Trail, the Limited was a bit pricey, so I opted for the SR5. I swapped out the soft factory shocks for Bilstein HDs all around. Well worth it. No more nose dive or side to side wallowing. Gas mileage excellent. I consistently average 19.5-20 mpg. T4R is built like a tank and very tight; no squeaks or rattles. A few caveats: a few interior bits are cheap (door grips), transmission is quick to upshift, could use more sound deadening. Engine feels like it has less than 270 hp, but mash the pedal and it scoots. No problems to date. Nice truck!

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  Wasnt worth the wait - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By Rob - October 14 - 5:46 pm

  Ordered mine took 9 weeks to get-sport model with 17" tires. Website said locking differential-according to dealer after I received -not available on long bed. Truck is way overrated as far as what it will do--quality of build is good but has had its share of warranty problems-three times to dealer so far for rattles-tough to keep 17 inchers balanced. Sport interior is kinda plain for 30 grand-but so are most toyotas.

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  Pizza! - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By alexx52093 - October 12 - 7:30 pm

  I work for a pizza shop in the suburbs of Philadelphia. My boss has 3 company cars for deliveries. Two Priuss and a 95 Camry. It goes over 25k HARD miles a year, blazing around the highways and curvy backroads rushing people their deliveries. It currently has 172k miles on it. Its driven by SO many different drivers each night, every night. Its been crashed, driven off the road down hills into fields... Its been through way more than an average car would. But every time you turn the key, it fires right up. Never has it left a pizza stranded! I always smile when my boss hands me the key to it when I come in for my shift. (I prefer it over the Priuss) ITS A REMARKABLE CAR!

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  Good Van / Avoid Crooked Dealerships - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By j_ly - October 12 - 1:15 pm

  I bought my 2005 Sienna used from a private party in 2007 with 40,000 miles and I have over 130,000 miles on it today. I put new Michelin tires from Sams Club on at 90,000 miles (rotate every 10K) and they still have over half of their tread life. I changed spark plugs and plug wires as well as the timing belt at 110,000 miles. Thats it! I received a recall notice for the spare tire holder so had to bring to dealership. When I got my van back I was told I needed a new radiator ($800) and cabin air filter ($80). I brought the van back to my mechanic and he said the radiator was fine and took 2 minutes to change the cabin filter ($15). That was 15,000 miles ago!