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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  perfect for me - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By TRD - October 28 - 2:00 am

  Test driving cars finally ended when I decided to go over to a Toyota dealer. I shopped for cars for a long time, but I am very satisfied with what I bought. Only complaint is that the car sits way too high! I will drop the car an inch or two. Everything else is great. I am a college student and I need a car thats reliable and fast on the side. It has been easy to mod the car up.

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  A great car - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Motown - October 28 - 2:00 am

  A great car. Only has about 2000 miles on it so too early to tell how it will hold up. But so far so good. The V6 is very smooth and quiet. Acceleration might not be class leading but more than enough for me. Highway merging capablitiy is also very good. I bought the V6 because the 4cylinder sometimes struggles when going up a hilly road ( I test drove both cars).

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  great crossover - 2015 Toyota Venza
  By kenny - October 28 - 12:08 am

  We have a 2014 Venza Le v-6 AWD and love it. It is roomy, rides nice and handles great. We have been to Tucson twice and San Diego twice and this vehicle is great on the highway. Fuel economy could be a little better but some of that is due to the 20 inch tires. Over all we are very happy with the venza. That said if they dont bring it back we will probably switch back to a GM product.

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  Peppy, noisy, thirstly beast... - 2010 Toyota RAV4
  By Alex Povolotski - October 27 - 8:46 pm

  Very practical car, quite spacious inside, though you cannot tell from the outside. Nice styling, large buttons inside, lots of cargo room here and there, especially with second row folded. On the downside, the interior is very simplistic, the steering wheel is too small to my taste but on the lighter side of steering, which I kinda like. The brakes are marshmellowy. The 4 cyl engine is peppy and is surprizingly agile in all conditions, feels more like V6, actually. Too noisy though, engine noise is very intrusive, not like in Camry (though same engine). Mileage was disappointing -- 12.5L/100km.

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  Almost Perfect - 2002 Toyota Avalon
  By Daisy - October 27 - 10:06 am

  I researched new cars for 4 months before deciding on the Toyota Avalon XLS. Quality,dependability, and interior space were what I wanted. The Avalon XLS is almost perfect. The ride is comfortable and solid. The back seat is large and very comortable for passengers, especially elderly people, making it easy to get in and out. I love driving this car!

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  2018 Toyota Camry Brake noise. - 2018 Toyota Camry
  By Alex - October 27 - 9:49 am

  I purchased 2018 Toyota Camry xle a month and a half ago. Overall I like the car. However, Two weeks ago started to have problems with brakes. When the car sits for more than 4 hours in the garage it starts to have brake noise when driving out of garage. Then the noise goes away. After not being driven for a couple of hours it does the same. Went to a dealer twice and was told that this is rust building on the rotors and causing initial brake noise. I was explained that this is because of the material of the rotors. And unless Toyota comes up with a new part, there is no solution. Frankly annoying that the brand new car does this noise!!! Toyota, please fix it asap. Thank you.

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  Solid Commuter - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By Aunit - October 27 - 4:23 am

  The Yaris is all about cheap, reliable transportation and on that it delivers. I have seen well over 45mpg in mostly highway driving. I have had no reliability issues, all components work as advertised. The only issue I have had was that I was reversed into in a parking lot and the bumper cover cracked which may have been avoided but Toyota did not fit USDM cars with foam bumper absorbers (the parts under the cover, its essentially hollow under there). Canadian and Japanese cars have them.

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  ...over priced ready for the junkyard relics... - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By Lrau - October 27 - 12:00 am

  ...teen agers dont like the car, consider it an old mans car, they rather ride the bus, and thats exactly what some do... overpriced high mileage old cars...

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  210,000 and still driving! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By mileagequeen - October 26 - 10:30 am

  Car is my office. 5,000 miles per month and 5,000 minutes on the bluetooth(echo/response needs improve). Drive in upper midwest and wish it had AWD. Not good in wet or snow. Tires-on third set. Got 75000 from factory Michelins and 100,000 from replacement Michelins(rotated every 5,000) Memory seats would be nice. Visibility is an issue that took some getting use to. No transmission problems. Love everything about Ricky but the snow and rain handling. Next car will be AWD, probably 2010 Subaru Lecacy 4 door sedan.

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  Its as advertised - 2007 Toyota Sienna
  By dano257 - October 25 - 10:23 pm

  Only had it a few days but it is a nice van. I had a Ford Freestar Limited with all the bells and whistles that were available. It was all the bells and whistles that would break or cause me a problem. The LE with pkg #3 is everything I need, but nothing extra that could break or give me a headache. The Toyota just "feels" like a quality vehicle.