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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  Ideal City Car - 2001 Toyota Corolla
  By mrenz83 - July 25 - 5:55 am

  I live in NYC, and find this vehicle to be the ideal city car. The combination of excellent reliability, compact-size and great maneuverability make this car a winner. Between the horrible pothole ridden roads, stop and go traffic, excessive idling, and near-constant sudden breaking and my aggressive driving -- this car takes a beating, However, in spite of the abuse, my Corolla starts up every time - and continues to run stronger than ever. I currently have 140k on the car, and even with the abuse it takes from city driving fully expect it to last another 100k. I average about 6k miles driver a year, so I anticipate driving this car for the next 10+ years.

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  too little too late - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By keith crawley - July 24 - 7:12 am

  I did not buy the vehicle in the end. I still think the TACOMA was/is the right vehicle for me, but maybe not just now. I was offered too little ( in my opinion) too late as a trade for my spotless low mileage 2013 Honda CRV otherwise the deal would have happened. I had fancied a truck for some time as it would be better suited to my lifestyle, but was not REALLY sure I was doing the right thing getting rid of my Honda ( condition,mileage, fuel consumption - and, what you know ie no problems) to buy a new vehicle - truck or not. Due to the offered trade being quite a bit under what I felt it was worth I walked away. Phone calls and discussions later increasing the trade offer was still a little below what I was prepared to take, and I had enough time to think clearly on what my Honda was really worth to me - and that was way more than offered and more even than I had initially been prepared to take. thus I say "too little too late". had a better trade been offered on the day, I probably would have taken it. having said this however, when I am again ready to buy I would go back to the same dealer as my treatment there was good and my experience overall was positive - I just hope they offer me what my trade is really worth from the start and not push for the lowest price they can for it and cause me to "walk away " again. I NEVER buy a vehicle without doing my homework and NEVER when "desperate" to do so I am always able to "walk away" and in todays tough times many are like me.

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  Mid Life Crisis Everyday Driver - 2000 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By ChuckHawley - July 24 - 2:10 am

  The Spyder has always grabbed my attention due to the look of the giant, Euro-styled headlights and its no-fluff, sports car focus. Sure, its impractical, with no luggage space to speak of, challenging entry/exit gymnastics, and lots of noise at freeway speeds. What I like is having a car with the maintenance requirements of a Corolla with the handling of a Lotus. My favorite roads are two lane highways where the combination of the excellent 5-speed gearbox, tight steering, and powerful brakes make every outing a joy. While I am quite tall, I have plenty of headroom and legroom, and the seats are comfortable for a two hour drive to the wine country.

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  Good Car - 2003 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Gary - July 23 - 9:33 pm

  Just purchased with lots of miles. Car was a 1 owner with lots of TLC. Only complaints so far is the gas pedal sticks, and vibration in the steering wheel when applying the brakes. Overall very nice ride.

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  Reminds me of my Celicas - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By Tom Scanlan - July 23 - 3:35 pm

  I wish that Toyota still made a two door hatchback like their Celicas of years past. The mini and mid SUVs just arent my cup of tea. The sport version of the Camry is the closest I Icould come to a medium sized car with a little bit of pizzazz. It handles very well, accelerates surprisingly well, and gets better gas mileage than Id supposed. It was a joy to drive on windy mountain roads and the cruise control performed well on long inclines. Ive been driving a 93 Lexus LS400 for the last 20 years (it just wouldnt quit) so I find the ride and trim in the Camry a bit less nice than Im used to. Still, its quiet inside, no motor noise or vibration, just a bit stiffer ride. The XLE might have been a softer ride but my choice of last years models (2015) was limited, I liked the color (Celestial Silver) and the price was right. Its a classy looking car that performs well and Ive no doubt, based on years of Consumers Reports, that it will be a very reliable vehicle.

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  A good car but less than I expected - 2003 Toyota Sequoia
  By M - July 23 - 5:53 am

  Overall the sequoia has been reliable and comfortable for long trips. But its not the Toyota quality Ive come to expect. Not just the car but also the dealer service. I bought without looking at other suvs - mistake. Quality issues: - glass breakage sensor has never worked - gear indicator lights (D, N) burned out - rear window has been fixed 2 times - rear door handle broke on a ski trip, making it impossible to open the hatch - OEM tires were awful - causing the car to feel misaligned. Toyota denied issues. Dealer finally admitted others had the same issue. Fixed with a set of duelers. - within the 1st year driver window started sounding like it was going to fall out.

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  Good but certain aspects make me go hmmmm - 2015 Toyota Tundra
  By Matthew - July 21 - 7:07 am

  I like the truck, but dont love it. I had to get rid of my 02 lexus lx470 (landcruiser) and it drove so great for a truck. This rides a little rough in the city, great highway truck. 4x4 engaged does not handle well at low speeds and sometimes the transmission has trouble finding the right gear on certain terrain. Interior is too plastic, antennae has to be manually removed and side mirrors are not auto either. passenger seat is manual and there is a lot of wasted space in the back that could be storage. However, I love it on regular driving, love the backseat room and sunroof and back window that totally drops down. The stereo is awesome. Gas mileage is terrible but that is expected. I drive my vehicles a long time so I bought it mostly for Toyota reliability and I personally thought it was a better truck than Chevy Silverado, Ford F150 and Dodge that I test drove.

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  Great Car - 1997 Toyota Corolla
  By VicArcega - July 21 - 2:00 am

  Ive been driving this car for the past 3 yrs. It has never caused any problems whatsoever, and Ive been communting to and from school pretty much every day. It still runs very well, and is very responsive. Drivers seat is very comfortable as well as the back seat. Trunk has a good amount of space, I just had to install a trunklight, no problem. Speakers were kinda low quality. The one problem I had was the door locks broke, but the dealer had that fixed in no time. Its a very reliable car, and I would recommend it to people looking for a realiable used car. Its very practical for a student/teenager.

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  2007 Toyota Camry SE - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By steve - July 20 - 11:00 pm

  Bought this car used. Love the looks, power, roomy interior, good mileage at 32 hwy and 25 city.

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  Toyota Corolla - 2006 Toyota Corolla
  By Sean - July 20 - 1:33 pm

  The perfect blend of performance and fuel economy. Enough power to handle on-ramps on highways, while not breaking your budget. I bought it 6-8 months ago, and have not had any problems since. It is an economy car, so do not expect it to have perfect interior quality or to keep up with sports cars.