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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  Poor Brakes - 2001 Toyota Tundra
  By tbots - May 4 - 10:00 am

  Toyota for whatever reason installed rear drum brakes on this truck and they dont work! I have already replaced the front brakes once and they are going to need replaced again soon and the rear brakes are like new. Why? I use this truck off road and get in mud and water, the self adjusters for the brakes rust and dont work where as if it had rear disk brakes they would work fine. The Tundra and all off-road trucks and suvs should have a switch to disengage the anti-lock brakes for off road use. If you try to stop in mud at slow speeds while going down grade the anti-locks keep grabbing and letting go but will not grab long enough to dig into the mud to stop you.

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  2000 Toyota Avalon - 2000 Toyota Avalon
  By Joe Mulé - May 4 - 10:00 am

  The smoothest driving car Ive ever driven.

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  Good value - 2002 Toyota Camry Solara
  By DB - May 3 - 9:46 pm

  Have had for 4 years. Smooth, quiet, only replaced tires during this time. Dependable, and enjoyable to drive. Excellent sound system. Very reliable. Expect to have this car for many years to come.

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  versatile, good looking, good value - 2013 Toyota Venza
  By donpnelson - May 2 - 7:12 pm

  Ive only had my gray XLE AWD for a few days but so far Im pleased. I was looking for a reliable, good looking ride with decent mpg and utility thats reasonably fun to drive. The Venza is great looking. The sheet metal which hasnt changed since the model was introduced in 2009 looks great from all angles and is enhanced with the bold 20" alloy wheels and the dual chrome tipped exhaust. Most notable change is the grill which looks good Its nicely equipped including the entune audio/nav system with backup camera, power tailgate, smart key, homelink Solid feel, reasonably fun to drive, quick and nimble. Good headroom (no sunroof) was essential as Im 6-6. Seats are comfortable.

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  Beauty and the Beast - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By CoastRider - May 1 - 1:40 pm

  1000 miles on new 2005 Camry SE V6. Interior: This vehicle has less front leg room than my old 95 Camry. Carpet and seat fabric quality not up to par as in older models. Seats feel very hard and uncomfortable for this tall driver. Radio controls hard to reach even with long arms; should be angled toward driver. Driving: Be prepared for a harsh ride in the SE as the sport suspension will alert you to every small bump and dip in the road. 17" wheels and tires look good but are very noisy on grooved freeway pavement. The V6 likes to be driven fast. Engine exhaust note has a nice "throaty growl" to it. At low speeds, transmission and engine seem to lug. Car shifts into 5th gear at 40 mph?

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  Feedback after Camry Recall - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Toyota Camry LE - April 30 - 11:16 am

  Service improved for Accelerator and Floor mat recall. It took almost two months to get the recall letter while Toyota developed a solution. We now have two McGill service people doing good work. Were hearing the problem could have been electronic but no one knows. I prefer to not let my wife drive the car. After this car is gone, we will go back to Honda where service is better. We would like another Honda CRV.

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  Nice, but not the best Ive had - 1996 Toyota Camry
  By jschuman - April 30 - 10:00 am

  Nice car, but not as good as the past ones. I had to replace both front axles for $800 at 80K and replaced many seals due to leaking oil since 30K. Ive owned Camrys since 1986 and still love them compared to GM products.

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  Odd Problem on A Reliable Name - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By CamryDriver - April 30 - 10:00 am

  I bought my Camry about 6 years ago and I love it but I have always had a problem with the CD Player. When I would brake, the CD that would be currently playing would skip until I fully stopped. Just this year my check engine light came on and went off and did that for a few months. I thought it was an electrical problem because the car drove fine and I was linking it to my CD player. The electrical tests checked out fine so I then needed to go get the oil changed. It turned out that my engine oil gelled all in my engine. I was also told there is nothing that can stop this problem and it can happen again in another few

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  Very satisfied - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By eisendo - April 30 - 2:20 am

  Bought this car in January 2004, and the only thing I have had to repair are the front brakes. The car is very dependable, comfortable, and gets decent mileage (25-city; 35-highway). Toyota needs to equip its cars with better OE tires than the Goodyear Integritys that came with the car... had to be replaced after 20000 miles, and they got lousy traction.

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  Reliable and Excellent Corolla - 1999 Toyota Corolla
  By Ennio Popol - April 29 - 8:46 am

  Very Comfortable and reliable car with excellent safety. This car has already 7 years and the engine really bright with power and economy. For me the more important thing is the reliabilty about it. The main maintenance that I made to the car was to change the clutch just 2 months ago. This is a really, really, really good car, cheap to maintenance.