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:

• 

  Good Overall but Some Quirks - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By wiha - December 7 - 7:20 am

  Ive had Camry Hybrid for about 6 months (6,000 mi). Overall, I am very pleased with the performance of the car. The ride is smooth, the engine works with aplomb, and the brakes are superbly effective. The keyless system is great once you get used to it. In the minus column, my center console constantly squeaks unless riding on a perfectly smooth road. The dealer so far has been unable to fix it. My second gripe is that water collects on the exterior lower door sills (usually dirty road water). This may not seem like a big deal, but sooner or later your pants will brush up against this water (in my case sooner and often). Keep a spare pair in the trunk.

• 

  2004 SE-V8 - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By pccomptue - December 6 - 10:00 am

  I sold my Honda Pilot for obvious reasons - The 4Runner is quieter, drives better and awesome v8 power. The Honda was on par but not as refined nor as smooth. I had my Honda Pilot almost two years and with 40k miles. Its ride is harsh and on par with my 2004 honda civic.

• 

  Matrix Headache - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By Carsrus - December 5 - 11:33 pm

  I purchased this car new with the intent of keeping it a long time with Toyotas reputation. This is the 5th brand new car I have purchased and my first Toyota. It is also my last Toyota. I have never had more problems or put more money into maintaining a car than this one. I just traded this car in with only 83,000 miles on it because I did not want to sink any more repair money into it. Unusual problem areas: neck to gas tank was rusting and would not allow gas cap to seal so car will not pass state emission tests - cost of total repair was over a thousand. Transmission failures after 80k on Matrix (cost over 3k).

• 

  Just a car - nothing special - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By Sherm - December 5 - 9:38 am

  Online shopping or not you will get the same baloney on pricing when you actually go to the dealer. The floor mats are cheap junk.

• 

  3 Row Seat - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By Johnson - December 5 - 5:56 am

  Shifting from low speed to high speed. Trans needs to be changed. Slow from down to up shifting if you need the power fast forget it. Third row seating ok for kids not adults. To small on the seating. Dealer installed tires need to be better. Good ride, but you will replace them fast

• 

  0-60 of 9 seconds - 1998 Toyota Tacoma
  By PiNa - December 4 - 10:00 am

  I think this truck is fun to drive, all though a little small on the inside, but its fun to take on the highway, and smoke all the kids with there beaters, and civics.....in my opinion the truck is fast, out of the slow car category (weighing 3360)

• 

  Wrong Vehicle - 2001 Toyota Highlander
  By Coxie - December 4 - 10:00 am

  I went from a Northstar engine to a 4- cylinder. What a mistake. Nice vehicle, but not what I had hoped it would be. Also too small.

• 

  4runner - 2003 Toyota 4Runner
  By alias@aol.cm - December 4 - 10:00 am

  Great overall big improvement in handling , and power, fun to drive.

• 

  A great alternative to compact SUV - 2012 Toyota Prius v
  By umichioe - December 4 - 8:02 am

  I just bought a Prius v Five and it is a great car. We have 2 kids and their stuff to carry. It has the size of a SUV (like CR-V) but the fuel economy beats any SUV by a wide margin. We got 40 mpg in mostly city without any hypermiling. My wife do a lot of city driving, so hybrid is great. I tested both the regular Prius and v. The v is more comfortable to drive too. It is very quiet and has good ride. But you need to expect it to be slow and there will be some adjustment on driving style. In city, the power is fine as the electric motor has power instantly. But you really need to step a lot of gas to merge to busy highway and pass others.

• 

  Great truck! - 1998 Toyota Tacoma
  By Bill - December 4 - 7:53 am

  As original owner and the sole driver of this vehicle for 210,000 miles, this is the best vehicle Ive ever owned. Considering buying another one, but Ill hold on to the old truck to drive to keep miles down on the new one! Not tons of power, but great for hauling light stuff, moving, landscaping, etc.