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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  Better than Accord - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By Auburn Q - September 12 - 9:26 am

  Ive driven my new 2010 Camry XLE for about 3 weeks. I have an average of 30 MPG of combined city and highway miles, which is very good. I particularly enjoy the smooth, quiet and comfortable ride of this model. Having test-driven the Honda Accord, it was easy for me to make a decision to purchase the XLE even though it cost me ~$2K more. It is well worth it.

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  Best car for the money by far! - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By BigJake - September 12 - 7:03 am

  I have owned 158 cars over the past 14 years. I am an expert on honda, toyota, and nissans. I originally bought a 99 camry and I ended up giving it to my mother. She now has 210K on it and it still drives just like mine with 70K. Through all my experience I have decided that the 2000-2001 toyota camry is the best car for your money. The styling is a bit plain-jane shall we say, but after youve driven one for awhile you get attached because it just feels so damn reliable. These cars are extremely quiet and their road manners have a peaceful, serene feeling like no other car Ive owned. If the timing belt breaks, it wont harm the engine. Im in love with these cars.

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  New Owner - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By Jessica - September 12 - 5:53 am

  I bought my car two weeks ago and so far, I am very satisfied! I love the fact the S model is sporty, but yet "practical" as far as size. It drives very smooth and so quiet. The stereo has excellent sound, although, I would have thought the car would have come with a 6 CD changer. I love the interior! The fabric with colorful "specks" adds a little bit of a different look. I do not agree at all with the vibration when driving. I have not experienced this at all.

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  Awesome gas mileage car! - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By Anuj Agrawal - September 12 - 2:50 am

  I had a Honda Civic (Honda lover all my life) for the last 10 years so moving to the Prius was a HUGE upgrade for me. I bought the Prius PURELY because of the awesome gas mileage, but am loving the handling of this car as well! It drives very smooth and my kids really enjoy riding in it. I believe it has taught me to drive more environmentally-friendly and I suspect it is learning my driving style as well and optimizing for my style. When I first drove it, the gas mileage was about 49 mpg - now it is up to 57 mpg (on average).

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  Watch Out Above - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By Ed Whiting - September 11 - 11:06 pm

  I drove BMWs for 25 years the last 15 were 7 series and I was tired of repeated trips to the dealer to fix little anoyances. Mostly electronics or cheap plastics. This is the best car I have owned. Regardless of price! While handling is not as responsive or tight as a Luxury Eourpean Sedan it is comfortable, and reasuring. The interior is as roomy as my last 740 , the sound sytem is terrific, as is the A/C. The car is suprisingly fast as well. The extraordinary gas mileage is a real plus in todays $3.00/gal market.

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  Just Loving It!!! - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Sharon - September 11 - 4:06 pm

  We are just loving it, we are always out just for the heck of it. 4 cylinder but wow what power and instant heat no waiting to get warm. Lots of cargo space. Gas mileage averages in the high 40s so that is much better than our van we use on rare occasions now. We got the navigation system and everyone is amazed how it works and we definitely like the maintenance reminder feature so we dont have to go and look up records for the next service of this or that. We have had it for 5 months with 10,000 miles and we have found no problems, seems like they have thought this one through. We are planning on having this little green machine for many years and miles to come-JUST LOVING IT!

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  Awesome gas mileage car! - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By Anuj Agrawal - September 11 - 3:26 pm

  I had a Honda Civic (Honda lover all my life) for the last 10 years so moving to the Prius was a HUGE upgrade for me. I bought the Prius PURELY because of the awesome gas mileage, but am loving the handling of this car as well! It drives very smooth and my kids really enjoy riding in it. I believe it has taught me to drive more environmentally-friendly and I suspect it is learning my driving style as well and optimizing for my style. When I first drove it, the gas mileage was about 49 mpg - now it is up to 57 mpg (on average).

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  Flawless - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By BuffaloScott - September 11 - 2:23 pm

  After having a 93 Corolla with 220,000 miles we happily purchased a 2010 S Corolla despite their current PR problem. We weren’t really in the market for a new car, but the financing incentive caused us to stand up and take notice. After reading the reviews, we did pay special attention to the steering during test drives and was unable to re-create the problem. In fact, we quite like the steering which seems perfectly weighted in all circumstances, if not over assisted when parking.

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  Recall Solves Problems - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By CW Biggerstaff - September 11 - 2:00 pm

  I was surprised at how this car didnt perform as well as my wifes 05 Camry. It had hesitancy during acceleration, bursts of excessive RPMs in cruise control, and only average mileage. I showed my dealership an Edmunds customer review detailing an effective reprogramming he had done at his dealership, and was told my dealer had received word of this recall just 2 days before I came in. They performed the reprogramming, and solved my problems. We are now as happy with our new Camry as we have been with the older one.

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  I love it - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By lori - September 11 - 12:16 am

  I love my car. I didnt have to sacrifice anything in luxury. It is a great car.