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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  Design Problem/Opportunity to Improve - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By OLCB - November 1 - 2:30 am

  The smartkey is nice. But twice I thought I turned off the engine when I left the car, the car was running without the smartkey in the proximity. It ended up running the car for more than 10 hours in the parking lot. Toyota should have a function to detect if the smartkey is inside the car at idle, otherwise, the car should be shut down within 10-15 minutes.

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  Very happy with my Crewmax ! - 2010 Toyota Tundra
  By OneLeggedNun - October 31 - 11:20 pm

  Love this truck ! Tons of interior room, enough bed for my own needs (4.6L Crewmax - 5.5 bed)Plenty of power, awesome looks, Toyota reliability ! Attention getter wherever it goes. People always saying "Nice Truck". I dont need it for work, but wanted a truck with lots of interior room for kids/dogs/bodies... It serves my needs very well and everyone is very comfortable. I have no ride complaints at all. Only issue is start up RPM seems higher than needed, then goes down after about 5 seconds. Kinda loud at start-up because of this. Seatbelt buzzer is annoying as hell also.

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  Super Buy - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By HappyAgain - October 31 - 8:40 pm

  I bought this after owning a Highlander 4 cyl. for 18 months. Wish I had bought the 4Runner 1st. This is a super buy. I am a toyota believer now. This is so much more vehicle for the money than the highlander was. I am really pleased.

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  Still Strong at 100K - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By joepawlicki - October 31 - 1:35 pm

  My family has owned this car almost 10 years and its been an absolute champ. Other than routine maintenance and a few recalls, weve had to do a thing. Its been to and from mountains hauling kayaks, filled with dry wall and tools, and has been the primary delivery vehicle for our cake business. The drivers sliding door doesnt open automatically anymore but to be honest, I cant complain given the amount of use it has gotten. This would be a great used car to purchase.

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  Almost the perfect vehicle - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By Jeff - October 31 - 12:50 pm

  Cant argue with gobs of V6 power and 27 mpg. Ive driven from FL to CO and back 2 times - no problems pulling 16-20 hours at a time in the saddle. JBL sound w/ subwoofer is awesome. Back seat is cavernous and comfortable. Love the reclining seats. The full size spare allowed me to get off a mountain pass after ruining a tire on a rock hidden in the snow. Try doing that with a donut spare. Downhill assist is a lifesaver on snowy, steep grades. I dont like the lousy 4WD system. Above 25 mph you have 2WD. If you lose traction you are on your own, even though there is a 4WD system that could help you out. I also hate the Sports ridiculous harsh ride. Get the Limited for the softer suspension

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  10 year review - 2004 Toyota Tacoma
  By whitetacoma04 - October 31 - 12:43 pm

  Got my Taco in 2005 w/ 12k miles while visiting O.C CA. I consider it my first-born child. It has 50,200 on it now, and a set of spark plugs are the only thing I`ve put into it besides oil/lube changes. Timing belt this year due to age only. Has plenty of power for what you put in bed, small trailer. 26 mpg is about the best I can get on highway due to lack of cruz and the fact it drives out good around 75mph. My neighbor drives a 1996 base model @ work that has 550k last I saw. It`s on clutch #3, the u-joints in the steering & driveshaft are the other replaced items. Oil still needs no checking between 5k changes. If you maintain your Yota you can count on them for a good, long time. Word

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  Running Strong after 10 Yrs and Counting - 2000 Toyota Tacoma
  By JH - October 30 - 5:10 pm

  I purchased my PreRunner July 2000 with 5 miles. Now at 136,500 its still 100% dependable. I take it everywhere...work, hunting, ATV carrier, wood hauling. You name it and its always there for me. Outside of the normal maintenance (brakes, fluids, tires, etc) no problem what so ever. Ive been running Toyos on it since 2007 and I wish I would have made that switch 7 years prior. Simply a great vehicle. I dont think my teenager is going to get this truck. Ill get him something else. ;-)

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  LTD 4WD 4RUNNER - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By Mike Kanzer - October 29 - 6:43 pm

  I traded in a Lexus ES 300 for my new 4Runner and I get almost as good gas mileage with the SUV (16-16.5 city) as I did with the lexus (17). The 4 runner drives beautifully and is well made.

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  Fun in the Sun - 2002 Toyota Camry Solara
  By CMA - October 29 - 7:16 am

  We bought the Solara as a Certified Used Toyota. The car gives a Lexus like ride. The V6 accelarates well and the transmission is smooth. The car is very comfortable on long trips.

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  First new Toyota - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By John - October 29 - 3:16 am

  After 2,000 miles, the car is a pleasure to drive, does all the things I expected a Toyota to do. This car has hand controls and a braun chairtopper on the roof for my wifes wheelchair. The back seat has adequate room for my chair. The trunk is large. The controls were installed without a problem no cutting of interior plastic, the knee airbag was bypassed. The chairtopper creates a lot of drag and a fuel economy penalty. I get 18.5 mpg city and 22 highway with this setup with midgrade fuel, which got rid of the knocking problem and improved performance. If you need a lot of passing power on the highway or plan to modify the car in any legal way spend the extra money and buy the V6.