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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  Piece of Junk - 2002 Toyota Corolla
  By netprowlerp - December 9 - 5:13 pm

  Owned this car for a few years, had both Cats go change under warranty. Toyota put bad motors in these, rings that carbon up and dont seal. I was burning a quart every 200 miles when the car had 50,000, dealer told me they could not confirm the complaint. I have owned 3 Toyotas now and all were cheaply put together and I had nothing but problems. I thing it is time to give the American Cars a try again, can not be any worse then this Junk Box they call the best.

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  An Absolute Winner !!! - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Larry - December 9 - 3:30 pm

  I bought this as a follow-up to a 99 Corolla that is still in the family. This one is loaded with a 5-speed and cruise control - I get 33 mpg in the city and 42-44 mpg on the highway with cruise on. This car is extremely fun to drive, very responsive, and for a smaller car is very quiet on the highway. The AC works great in 90-100 temps. Standing 63" I cannot believe the leg room I have in this car, and, I dont even have to have the seat all the way back to drive. The seat is very comfortable as I went from Ohio to Philadelphia without getting the back ache or lower body aches. I highly recommend this Toyota winner !!!!

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  Prius Safety concerns - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Rog LaShomb - December 9 - 2:53 pm

  Mileage projections are to high. About 44 is accurate. Storage in back is poor Nice little bins under carpet but they are of no value. Very hard to see out of when changing lanes. Can you this vehicle being accident prone. Hard to see out from sides also. Very poor design for safety factors. Bad seat roomy comfortable. Smart key system makes it very easy to leave keys in car.

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  Buy this Van, its awesome!!!! - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By Dave - December 9 - 9:00 am

  We switched from an SUV to this van and have never regretted it for one second. Its sporty, lots of pep, and drives like a luxury sedan. We like everything about it!!!!! We compared the Dodge,Honda, and Chevy Uplander.The dodge felt very cheep, drove like a 1995 caravan with different body and the seats were razor thin and very hard (but I guess you have to give up something for 2nd row stow and go....) and the Honda felt like you were driving a very big full size fan that was about an inch off the pavement. The Uplander was underpowered, exterior design is terrible, and doesnt have a lot of the little handy items that the Sienna has. Dont waste your time comparing, go for the Sienna.

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  Excellent Value for Money - 2005 Toyota Sequoia
  By Marut - December 9 - 7:13 am

  I bought this truck in 2005 just before Katrina hit and it was just for family weekends. Now I am driving it 3 days to work and even with the high gas price I manage it as I am getting about 17-18 miles a gallon (90/10 hwy/city). I have been thinking of getting a smaller commuter car but was rear ended couple of days ago at about 50 mph and the other car was smashed up badly and I had to literally go out and try to find where my truck was damaged as the hitch had taken all the brunt of the crash. The emergency responders as well as police and fire personal were awed by the vehicles safety so now forget the small commuting car as I probably saved a lot more than few dollars in gas - MY LIFE

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  new car - 2016 Toyota Corolla
  By Karl Minich - December 8 - 10:14 pm

  so far so good dont even have a thousand miles on it yet so time will tell ..

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  I love this car! - 2000 Toyota Echo
  By Rachel - December 8 - 7:23 pm

  I love my Echo. It has been a great car. I havent had any problems with it even after I hit a deer! I always recommend this car.

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  Best Car Ever! - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By kilasumowrestler - December 8 - 6:03 pm

  Great first new car. Gas and insurance friendly.

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  1000 miles with my sequoia - 2003 Toyota Sequoia
  By ekunst - December 8 - 2:00 am

  The first SUV I have owned and I love it.Never considered any American models,still cant compete with Japanese engineering, quality etc.My choices were the MDX and the Sequoia,they offered the most hip,shoulder and legroom.Ruled out the MDX due to the lack of vehicles to look at,slim color choices and turned off to paying full MSRP sticker.The Sequoia offered more vehicle for the money.My purchase was 4k under MSRP.The Sequoia had a superior ride quality,better seats,interior/exterior design and superior color choices.The engine is the smoothest V8 I have ever owned and quiet.Fuel economy is exceptable at 17mpg.I have had no problems and no regrets.

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  True SUV - 2002 Toyota 4Runner
  By Calhoun - December 8 - 2:00 am

  Great SUV. Zero problems and excellent usability.