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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  OH YAH - 2002 Toyota Sequoia
  By hal9000 - September 10 - 8:20 pm

  We bought the first one in Montana the day it came in and we love it! Excellent off-road capabilities and very good stylin. Good comfort and surprizingly good gas mileage. So far the seqouia has met all of our needs to were we are going. The seqouia is awesome!

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  Way to go - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By secondprius - September 10 - 6:23 pm

  This is our second Prius, our first was a 2004 and we were so happy we bought another one, the 06 seems to ride a bit better, a bit more pep and feels a bit more solid. If this one goes well we will be buying a Camry Hybrid soon. Oh by the way we are not tree huggers we also own a Hummer and a Suburban XL but how can you argue with easy parking and a consistant 48mpg in the city and 46 on the HWY... We love all our cars but I cant argue with saving 6-7k a year in fuel.

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  Fun econo car with extras - 2009 Toyota Matrix
  By fingerstyle22 - September 10 - 2:13 pm

  Downsized from an 02 Ford Explorer. Off the bat, the 09 Matrix has greatly exceeded my expectations. First off, I ordered the car with extras: leather seats, darker tinted windows, backup sensor, Perma Plate protectant. Uniquely original design for 09: dramatic outlines all around; SUV to CUV/stationwagon functionality. However, with 17" tires, VSC, AWD, 2.4 liter 158hp engine and 162lb feet torque (double cams), electronic steering, the car slices easily through traffic, and corners like butter. Handles road bumps with a rock solid chassis. Excellent fuel at 20/26 variable plus or minus 3 mpg either way. 5 Star metallic paint! "Black Sand Pearl".

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  Gas Mileage Not as said in the Sticker! - 2013 Toyota Camry
  By david555 - September 10 - 10:14 am

  Cheap looking "stick on" middle dashboard: (Where the radio/gps and the cd area), The upper deck interior/roof looks cheap and noise(hollow inside) and built from a cheap material (Compare to my Japanese built in 2003 4runner..which solid and looks classy). Interior/Door sides again looks cheap, Back mid-console box looks cheap and no ventilation goes out to the rear passengers. Overall texture of the interior looks down graded to all of my Toyota that I have owned in the past! Disappointed! GAS MILEAGE: Not as what it said in the sticker (25/35..combined 28mpg)..So far only 22.4MPG!!

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  Great MPG - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By Roy - September 10 - 7:06 am

  I purchased my 2008 Yaris sight unseen and never test drove the model. I am pleased with the ride and build quality. This car is not a Camry, but rides remarkably well for a small car. I was surprised at the noise level in the car. I was expecting very noisy, but find the sound level to be tolerable. I have achieved 45 mpg on the highway which is amazing. The car is rated for 37 highway, but I have run thru 2 tanks of gas and registered 44 & 45 mpg. The only secret to my success is driving no faster than 60 mph. The car is quiet enough at that speed and it is also the sweet spot for MPG. If you want great MPG drive this car gently and you wont be disappointed

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  Headlights are a disaster - 2015 Toyota Corolla
  By Annie - September 10 - 6:52 am

  I always thought that the Corolla was the best for reliability. It probably still is. Safety, on the other hand is now questionable. Problem is, where I live we have hills and a lot of deer. Who ever designed the headlights for this car did NOT do their homework. On low beam, which is led, the headlight lens has a sort of a black plastic "eyelid" over the top of the lens, so that when you go down a hill, the lens cuts off your sight lines to only about 50 feet ahead. It is so disconcerting that beyond that 50 feet, it is absolute blackness. It is like a solid black curtain that drops down. There is no way to see if anyone or anything is approaching from the ditch onto the highway. You absolutely have no idea whats ahead, its like driving blindly. When you put the headlights on bright, a halogen lens will kick in and you will have a little better sight line which gradually fade away. If I had test driven this car at night, there is absolutely no way that I would have ever bought this car, and the previous Corolla that we had was one of our favorites, that along with the Camry that we had. These headlights should be recalled. They are dangerous.

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  A great little car - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By janet13669 - September 10 - 6:00 am

  Ive had this about a week and i just love it. Its so quiet and smooth to drive. The gas mileage is supposed to be 40 mpg- but I have gotten more than 40. Its so small I can park it almost anywhere and its zippy as hell.

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  Where are the Li-ion batteries on Prius? - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Whoofer - September 10 - 2:26 am

  Quiet as long as you arent pulling a mountain or hill. Needs more powerful and better batteries to allow the engine to turn on less.

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  Overall the best value in its segment - 2013 Toyota Camry
  By zramil - September 9 - 10:37 pm

  Over 3,000km (1,875mi) so far and very happy with my choice. Not a perfect car but it does everything well for its segment at a great price. Tighter handling, better interior materials and dashboard design would be nice but this is a mid-sized family sedan for value minded customers, not BMW 5 series and Toyota did a good job with this generation. I havent had popping roof noise, AC odor and rattling dashboard issues that some drivers complained about. V6 has a very generous amount of power and most people would be perfectly fine with I4. Transmission shifts smoothly. Cabin is very quiet on Michelin tires. Ride comfort is great. I highly recommend the SE trim.

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  Rav Sport; the GTO of SUVs - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By Don - September 9 - 7:26 pm

  We checked them all out; CRVs, Rogues, Outlanders and Tiguan, etc. All had their points. We chose the Rav because of the build quality, the great lease deal, and the hot 265 hp V- 6 that gets mpg almost as good as the 4. Its really quick, with great handling; lots of fun to drive. The Rav sport w/ the V-6 is the only Rav without a tailgate mounted spare. You get "run flat" tires instead. Well see how that works out. The Rav is a total package choice; I dont think it wins, hands down, in any one category but is a solid choice across the board, including great resale (if you purchase). We were looking to get a little pizzaz in an otherwise functional vehicle; the RAV4 Sport 6 delivers.