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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  Good - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By FP - October 7 - 10:00 am

  OVER ALL THE CAR IS GOOD AND DEPENDABLE I AM HOWEVER VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THE FUEL MILEAGE.

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  Good reliable car - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By davecooper928 - October 7 - 4:40 am

  I bought a 99 Camry about 5 years ago that had 160,000 miles, hoping to get a couple of years out of it. It now has 330,000 miles and still going strong, very very reliable, starts every time, I do nothing to it except regular oil changes. Only thing wrong with it is that when it rains then freezes you cant get the doors open, so the door handle broke off. Minor thing overall. The engine and transmission work well and just a reliable, if plain car. Would recommend it to anyone.

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  Two month review - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By GLW1946 - October 7 - 12:43 am

  In most respects the Prius is wonderful. Though its not a performance car, its competent, comfortable, and quiet. The only serious dislike is the center control counsole, which complicates control of the heat/ac and radio -- and the digital speedometer and other gauges/displays. Analog gauges and traditional knobs and levers to control the heat/ac and radio would make this a better car. Of course, its the Prius gas mileage performance that makes it a winner. Ive gotten about 45 mpg overall at 2000 miles.

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  Spunky little truck - 2007 Toyota Tacoma
  By cardude - October 6 - 8:06 pm

  Ive had this truck for a little over two years now. Traded in a horrible piece of GM junk (2000 Pontiac firebird), needed a truck as I lived in a very rural area where trucks are a necessity. Reliability has been through the roof, especially compared to all of the GM cars and trucks that we have owned over the years. I went with the absolute base model with auto trans as the only option but fit and finish is still excellent along with a plethora of standard features. It doesnt even feel like a truck with the elegant but tough looking interior and almost car like handling. GM shouldve taken note long ago or they wouldnt be in such dire straits. Overall I am very pleased.

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  Very uncomfortable - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Megan - October 6 - 5:53 pm

  Have had the car for a week and it is extremely uncomfortable. Wish I never bought it. My back and neck hurt badly.

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  Nice Vehicle - 2005 Toyota Tundra
  By Tundra - October 6 - 5:30 am

  I love most everything about this truck. I am a first time truck owner but this things is awesome. The only drawbacks are the gas mileage (14 mi/gal) and its turning radius. Ive never owned a truck before so Im guessing the turning radius and gas mileage are probably how most trucks are. But this things rides like a car.

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  Love it - 2002 Toyota 4Runner
  By puppylover - October 5 - 10:00 am

  I just love it so much.

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  1998 4Runner Limited - Very Reliable - 1998 Toyota 4Runner
  By 4RunnerLimited - October 5 - 10:00 am

  I purchased a 98 4Runner Limited with 87,000 miles on it and was not at all concerned with the mileage because of Toyotas legendary reliability. At 90,000, I had the timing belt, spark plugs, etc. (the 90k service job) replaced and have had an excellent suv thus far. Knock on wood...I have not have any problems whatsoever with the suv. I have put about 16k miles on it including taking a 3,500 mile trip this past summer and experienced smooth sailing through the mountains, desert, etc.

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  Ive always been a Honda owner... - 2002 Toyota Corolla
  By EJM - October 5 - 10:00 am

  so this is the first Toyota Ive owned. The primary thing that attracted me to this car was the price. On average, Hondas sell for about 2-$3,000 more than a Toyota, and basically the quality and reliability are the same. I believe that I got more options for my money than I would have for a Honda Civic. If money is a concern, then buy a Toyota. Breaking is excellent and responsive. If I had the ABS option, it would be perfect. Cornering is also responsive; better than I expected from a small car. While this is not the 89 Acura Legend I once owned, this is a wonderful compact, economical car! I am confident in my purchase.

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  In the end we bought something else - 2016 Toyota Prius c
  By Mid-Mo Car Shopper - October 5 - 2:27 am

  My husband and I are both 70. We are conservative, very conservative, and the idea of buying a high-mpg car usually drives our car searching. We were pretty sure we were going to go with a Prius and we narrowed it down to a Prius C Four or a Prius Three Touring. We wanted the amenities of leather seats and a navigation system. We were tired of allowing time to get lost every time we were going to a new location. We drove a Prius C Four first - it was bright yellow, which was probably not age-appropriate, but we liked it, except for one thing . . . the way the engine groaned when you needed it to climb a hill. We loved the car more than we had expected. Then we drove the Prius Three Touring and there wasnt anything about it we didnt like. The price difference between the two cars was about $4000. We were trying to drag out the shopping timeframe to guard against an impulse buying. Our sales person told us about his Prius Four Touring that he had just traded in the day before. It wasnt ready to test drive, but we looked at it and noticed it had the blind spot detectors. It was 3 months old and had less than 4000 miles on it. So the idea of that car was just hanging out on the "back burner" for a week or so. Another dealer let us take either of the cars we were interested in over the weekend. So we took a Prius C Three (they didnt have a four at that dealership) for the weekend. So on Saturday, we took the borrowed Prius C on an outting that took us to the dealership with the Yellow C Four and the Used Prius Four Touring. We drove that yellow car again, and still liked it. Then asked to drive the used Prius Four Touring. Our original salesman was off that day, and they were busy, so they let us drive the Four Touring without a salesperson in the car. We hardly drove off the lot before we looked at each other with eyes of super approval. When we got back to the dealership, the substitute salesperson was nowhere to be found. We waited about 20 minutes and then just left and took the borrowed Prius C back to the other dealership. I emailed the original salesperson and told him we wanted his Four Touring. And two days later we took it home. It still growls a little going up hills from a cold start, but not as much as the C did. In the end, it was the extra safety features that sold us on the car, . . . afterall, were not as mentally sharp as we once were. :-(