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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  Still Simply the Best - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Bonius - July 27 - 10:00 am

  I love the Camry and have for many years and now this one has rekindled the love. No wonder its the best selling car in the country! Silky smooth, elegant, very practical and ergonomically engineered, excellent gas mileage and looks and feels like a state-of-the-art player that should cost alot more. I looked at several nice cars in the <30k range and for my money the Camry XLE was by far the better choice. Roomy but not the "big- empty" feeling. If you are considering a family sedan and dont at least look at the Camry you definately cant make an educated decision because this is one to be reckoned with. I know this is the best car I could have bought.

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  I love my Tundra - 2008 Toyota Tundra
  By sfvwolf - July 27 - 7:50 am

  I have owned chevy, dodge, gmc, and ford pickup trucks, and Im here to tell everyone that my new tundra is the best truck I have ever drove in my 40 years of driving. From the comfort of my power seat, and the interior design, the fit and finish of the exterior, the performance, the handling, and my favorite of them all is the body style of my tundra SR5, it is sweeeet. There is NO pickup truck out there on the market today that even comes close. I love my Tundra.

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  My Car - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By Joseph - July 27 - 4:57 am

  My Car is Black, it runs, good, great miles per gallon, Alloy wheels (Black). Engine hood needs some TLC, Very peppy.

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  Best value at proven reliability. - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By Jeff - July 27 - 3:53 am

  Timing couldnt be more perfect. In the small cars category, Toyota brought a Europe-proven model to the US market and beats the rest in the category for value and reliability with fuel efficiency, kick in the drive and my 4-door sedan Yaris is the biggest small car at this price! Even driving at my high speed average of 82 mph on highway commute, fuel efficiency is still at good 37 mpg.

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  V-6 Sport is a fun car. - 2008 Toyota RAV4
  By Rob M - July 26 - 9:13 pm

  Great car. 30 mpg on highway. Fast when you want it. Sturdy, excellent handling. JBL stereo not too bad. Lots of space. Electronics are solid

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  Best thing ever purchased - 2006 Toyota Camry Solara
  By brittany - July 26 - 6:56 pm

  This car is my first new car and it is a blast to drive. I love the smooth turn and the way the road floats beneath the car. I go everywhere in this car from quick errands to the night out with the girls.

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  I love it, and not just the mileage - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By LO CO2 - July 26 - 3:16 am

  What a great car. I recently took a ~300 mile trip. Got 43 mpg one way and 41 coming back. The car drives extremely well, and is amazingly quiet.

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  Great Therapy - 2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By SpyderMan51 - July 26 - 3:13 am

  This car is fun to drive, it handles superbly, and people cannot help but comment on its excellent looks. I would not recommend it for a commuter car because it has limited space and it has a stiff ride. It is a shame that Toyota no longer produces this vehicle but I am glad that they did not market it heavily either. You dont see them at every stop light. You cannot help but smile while driving this car on a beautiful day.

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  2001 4Runner is Solid SUV - 2001 Toyota 4Runner
  By hdk26819 - July 25 - 8:50 pm

  We purchased the 4Runner as we started a family. We wanted an SUV to hold the family and also to go off-road for camping. Given the limited gas milage of SUVs, we wanted a 4Runner as one of the better gas milage vehicles. It has run solidly for almost five years now. We bought it "Certified Pre-Owned" via a dealership. Other than normal maintenance, we have had no repair issues on the vehicle. We used the 24-hour roadside assistance twice for tire changes. The 4-wheel drive is not a common use item for us; however it has been a blessing in Oklahoma ice storms and in some camping conditions.

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  Nice Clunker Update - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By CT Venza Owner - July 25 - 2:20 pm

  Taking advantage of Cash for Clunkers, I traded in my Nissan Xterra and Toyota Camry Hybrid. I liked the Venza because it was similar to the Camry and I knew that I would have a short learning curve for Navigation, etc. The seats are quite comfortable and the Navigation has nice voice-controlled update from the Camry. Love the 20" wheels and the AWD. Obviously, mileage is less than the Hybrid, but for the V6, it is not bad. Still breaking in the engine and trying not to go over 55 mph on highway, but sometimes, I get carried away. Smooth engine and lots of power.