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:

• 

  Solid truck - 2004 Toyota Tacoma
  By dave - July 6 - 7:53 pm

  Its a good, solid compact truck. The clock is poorly located, the truck "thumps" when stopping and starting and feels like its almost airborne on the freeway. With the TRD package, the ride is harsh. Beyond that whining, the truck handles well, has good headroom, and all the power I need (I did improve its breathing by adding an additional port on the filter box to allow more air in. Its been reliable, with no problems other than what I noted above, except the dash rattles against the windshield, which was fixed by installing weather stripping to muffle this sound. My only regret was not getting a 4x4 since its of little use in snow (the rear locker doesnt really help).

• 

  Corolla S - 2008 Toyota Corolla
  By superjohn123 - July 6 - 2:33 pm

  With 27k miles its been flawless. I avg 30mpg city and up to 41mpg hwy. I have the JBL sound upgrade its nice. The VSC traction is really a must and I love that option. I like knowing I have the side air curtains. It handles great in the snow with the stock tires. Overall its a good looking quiet riding car.

• 

  Noise - 2002 Toyota Tacoma
  By Bloomer - July 6 - 5:06 am

  I like the concept of the 4 doors. I expected alot more quality in design. I am extremely disappointed in the noise factor of this truck. They needed to put alot more time in the design of it, to take away the wind noise.

• 

  Does it get any better for the money? - 2003 Toyota Sequoia
  By quickfix - July 5 - 10:00 am

  After 10 years of Tahoes and Suburbans this is a breath of fresh air. I get lots of compliments from friends and strangers on the good looks. With one year and 42K miles it hasent missed a beat. The original tires,Dunlop Grand Trek, are worthless. A set of Bridgestone Revos cant be beat.

• 

  OPEN AIR FUN - 2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By angelord - July 5 - 10:00 am

  Very nicely build card. Fun and easy to drive w/ 6 speed SMT.

• 

  More than I ever expected! - 2001 Toyota Tacoma
  By RevMoCash - July 5 - 10:00 am

  Paid 13k cash for my loaded pickup, included custom snug-top w/ bed-rug 3k alone! Dropped 800 more into 60k factory service, and I could not be more satisfied! Purchased from an older guy who never took it off road. The int/ext is in perfect shape! I took it to vegas and made it with 1/4 tank left over! V6 is smooth and powerful: puts my honda and rangers of the past to shame! Int could be more user friendly...but IT IS A TRUCK! I recommend anyone who wants a reliable truck to buy this model, "THIRD PARTY", the dealer price is ludicrous, and just make sure its a sound buy, youll be glad you did!

• 

  MMH 2005 Prius @ 7000 Miles - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By MMH - July 5 - 5:10 am

  I commute daily across the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway to New Orleans at 75 miles/day @ 60-65 mph and average 46-48 mpg. This is a great commuting car. Since purchasing in March Ive made trips to Atlanta & Shreveport. The road trip to Atlanta was fine, however I would prefer to be in a larger & quicker auto when driving on the mega lane Atlanta interstate with the traffic flow at 80 MPH. I have added an XM satellite radio (not available from Toyota), there is a great unit that displays on the screen - available from Coastal Electronics.

• 

  Feels like a 30k+ car - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Patrick - July 4 - 3:26 am

  We only have 150 miles on it but we love this car. Dash is beautiful with BRIGHT gauges. Leather seats and interior fit and finish feel like a much more expensive car. The car just soaks up bumps (we live in Metro NY area so there are plenty of them). For 25K we got 16 inch alloys, v6, heated seats, climate control, traction and stability control, leather, moonroof, 6 CD changer, adjustable pedals, side airbags, tilt wheel and more. Are you kidding me???

• 

  Performance review - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By aa - July 3 - 3:30 pm

  Moving from another vendor (Audi A4) to the Camry meant the Camry getting a hit from a driver evaluation. The time to reach peak performance is almost at redline, not something I want to do for any vehicle needless a new one. If improvement could be made or factory tuning modifications offered to allow for better engine performance, that would help. Overall though for the engine statistics, the engine performs excellently.

• 

  Best mid size SUV for the money - 1998 Toyota 4Runner
  By Q - July 2 - 3:43 pm

  Most reliable SUV I have ever owned. The only thing that does not work is the power antenna. As far as everything else this SUV is made to last.