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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  i like my little corolla - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By flashyashley - June 18 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my Corolla for about a month now, and so far I really like it. It gets me where I need to go and its a nice little car for me.

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  Nice truck, but some standard equipment is missing - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Bill H - June 18 - 12:08 am

  Just purchased my 2016 Tacoma SR. Overall, I like the truck, but Toyotas SR is lacking some standard accessories that virtually every other car comes with. The most important is keyless entry. Yes, thats right, no key fob you need to manually unlock the door. This is absolutely crazy, the dealership even told me its not an option yet for the 2016 Tacoma SRs. They hinted keyless should be available for it in a few months for an extra $400. Also there is no homelink, so be prepared to find your garage door opener that you havent needed since the 90s. Also, there are no automatic head lights, must turn them on/off. Overall, I do like the truck, I am just still floored about the lack of keyless entry.

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  2003 Tundra Limited V8 4WD ext cab - 2003 Toyota Tundra
  By c. lusby - June 17 - 7:23 pm

  The only big draw back with the Tundra 4 door for 2003, was the way the back doors open. You have to open the front door first, and the front and back doors open in opposite directions. It is very difficult, in a tight parking spot to open the front and back doors at the same time to put something in the back seat. This was corrected in 2004 by redesign and allowing the back door to be opened without opening the front door. There is no heated seat feature, and no time-out option on the head lights (only on the camper light over the truck bed) Other than the above, it is a fantastic truck, with plenty of power for towing, and I highly reccommend it to prospective buyers.

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  Took a chance - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By John - June 17 - 4:16 pm

  Took advantage of the 0% 36 month lease and am very pleased after the first 60 days. I compared other cars, but kept going back to the Camry. This is the first year for the larger I-4, 6 speed trans. and I find it exceptionally strong. I chose leather, sport wheels and the sound package. Its large, very quiet, seamless shifting. Im picky and Im pleased beyond my expectations. I love the thunk of the door, and the level of driving control. So far, other than a wheel balance problem, I can only say "wow". The new motor is wonderful. Getting about 20 MPG in town and 30 plus on the road. Ill submit another review later on. Have not had an acceleration problem thus far.

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  Great on gas, cramped on space. - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By Pati - June 16 - 5:06 pm

  We bought the car for gas mileage and thats the best feature about this car. Im a long time Toyota owner and wouldnt own anything else. However Id buy a little larger car next time, since its kind of cramped in the Yaris, but if you are small, like me and not tall, then this is the car for you!!

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  Corolla 2012 - 2012 Toyota Corolla
  By nruiz982 - June 13 - 11:45 pm

  My car is a good car. Its my first car so Im very happy with my purchase. All its great on gas!

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  Nice truck! - 2004 Toyota Tundra
  By tnydtger - June 13 - 10:23 pm

  I bought it with 60,000 miles 2004. The car runs smooth, you would think your driving a lexus sedan not a pick up truck. I love the outside looks, much better and sleek then the new tundra. Downsides, 2 weeks after i got it needed new battery,brakes,positive terminal, starter. I purchased the warranty which is a good idea. Seems like little things will go wrong on this truck, but nothing major. All in all great buy. I love the V6 good on gas, but not great. I average 10 mpg city 14 hwy.

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  Great Car - 2007 Toyota Corolla
  By GioD17 - June 13 - 6:03 pm

  I bought my Toyota 2 years ago brand new from the dealership with 0 miles and I love it! This car is so cute and roomy on the inside! It drives great the AC is freezing cold and I really like the interior design. I got a special package of the CE that included cruise control, power windows and locks and something else but I forgot what it is... lol... I love my car, I just wish it didnt have those black things on the side of the door.. I have a cute White one and the black things annoy me, Im trying to find out if I can get them replaced for white ones to match my exterior paint, but have been unsuccessful.. I love this car though! Awesome car!

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  Windshield needs a better design - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By Shelagh Moss - June 13 - 5:33 pm

  I love my Prius. There are two things I would improve. The first is the windshield. When I am driving into the sun. The glare off the windshield is blinding. I wear good sunglasses with 7 levels of coatings. The single visor does not provide sufficient shade. There should be a graduated dark band in the glass at the top third of the windshield to take care of this problem. Second, I think a rear backup camera in the rearview mirror should be standard for all Prius without the DVD package. Visibility is poor when backing up. The view is split by the spoiler. I tried to purchase a backup camera and mirror from Toyota, but was told it had to be ordered before purchase from the factory.

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  Nice car, but last Toyota - 2007 Toyota Matrix
  By Ralphus - June 12 - 7:03 am

  This is a nice car. Excellent mileage, easy to drive, comfortable, for a small car. Lots of road noise, but its a small car. The deal killer for me, is you cant lock the doors with the remote if the door(s) are open. You get home from shopping, its raining, you have to get out, unload your stuff in the puddle filled driveway, getting your stuff soaked, fish your keys out of your pocket, lock the car, and get your stuff. Had I known about this "feature", I would have not bought this car. Instead of pushing the button, you have to hold the button on the remote to open the glass hatch. Its faster to use the key. Bad design choices.