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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  I love my Camry - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By richnswfl - March 4 - 10:00 am

  I purchased a very hard to find 2003 Toyota Camry LE, 4cyl, 5-speed manual. I have been in love with this vehicle ever since. I am told quite a bit that it looks like a Lexus. My Camry is Sandstone Mica with beige interior. I know not very exciting. The car has been extremely reliable and I cant wait to purchase my next Toyota.

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  10,000 mile update - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By jpr - March 4 - 1:30 am

  10,000 miles with a new Camry...am still impressed with the excellent air conditioning, quiet ride, and fuel mileage (32 mpg average with mixed freeway and city driving). No problems or unscheduled maintenance, took it in for the recall which was performed quickly. Looking back this was a good choice for my 50 mile daily commute. It is a great highway cruiser, quiet, smooth driver with excellent fuel mileage for its size.

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  Best vanilla value on the market - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By robert - March 2 - 4:56 am

  Love the super white with very nice after market heated seats, very quiet, nice ride, very readable dash, lots of space especially in the trunk, split folding rear seat, avg. 27 in mixed driving and 35 highway at 65 mph, did not pay for alloys or sunroof or fog lites or high end stereo none of which interest me. Made in KENTUCKY!! NOT DETROIT.

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  New Venza, feels like no other vehicle - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By John W - March 1 - 5:10 pm

  The 4 Cyl. Venza drives and sounds like no other car that I have ever owned. It glides along like you might imagine an electric car will drive like. It has enough power for safe driving but certainly not enough to satisfy those that are looking for a sports car feel. The exterior & interior design are excellent in my book. The car does get people looking at it, as you drive along. The cabin feels much larger than it actually is due to the very high roof. Bottom Line ...it is a nice vehicle for those tired of owning another SUV.

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  Solara Convertible - 2007 Toyota Camry Solara
  By easwind - March 1 - 3:36 pm

  Bad points: blind spots with top up; cant read center digital dash in the sun Mediocre points: gas mileage; steering slightly sloppy; computer/audio panel not state-of-art; roll bar is modest. Great points: everything else

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  It Does What Its Supposed to Do - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By Psychprofessor - March 1 - 2:40 pm

  On the fun-to-drive meter, the Prius ranks pretty low. However, when it comes to practicality, gas mileage, and reliability, its a definite 10! One thing I really like is that after we had had it about a year, the highway gas mileage improved significantly. Now, we regularly get 50+ mpg on trips. On a recent trip to Nashville, a total of 703 miles roundtrip, we averaged 52.3 mpg. Also, thats driving at the speed limit whenever possible. I also appreciate the fact that in more than a year and a half of hard use, there are still no rattles and no problems at all.

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  Great commuter car-lots of room - 2013 Toyota Matrix
  By jbaggins - March 1 - 7:08 am

  I walked in to the dealer and bought this right off the lot. I have owned Toyotas in the past and knew this would be reliable like the others. I have the convenience package with auto, A/C, Bluetooth audio system. It would have been nice if this package came with heated seats but the side mirrors are heated. So far, after 4 months, its been great. I drive 45 minutes into work each day and this car is a pleasure to drive on the highway and great to park. There are a few blind spots near the front window pillars where I feel the side mirrors get in the way. The radio is a plus as it connects to Ipod, blackberry etc and handsfree function is great!

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  Great car! Great value! - 2016 Toyota Corolla
  By SG - February 28 - 8:16 pm

  First I want to say thank you to everyone who writes reviews. As a person who doesnt know too much about cars I really relied on the honesty of the consumers to help to choose my new vehicle and here we are :) So I wanted to make sure that I pay it forward and write a review in hopes of helping someone in their car buying decision. Pros: Trusted name, cost/value, mpg, tech features, safety and handling Cons: Shape of the headlights, on low beams it does limit how far they illuminate ahead especially on hills (but I have gotten used to it after a month) high beams are fine And the middle console is a little smaller than Im used too (which is really no big deal I just need to stop storing so much junk in my car lol) Overall love this car feels great knowing I didnt have to compromise quality for value and this is an upgrad from my 2002 honda accord.

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  2000 Tundra - 2000 Toyota Tundra
  By grayliner - February 28 - 12:10 pm

  Seatbelt doesnt retract well. Seatbelt retract-stop button broke off, easy use no abuse. Co2 sensors bad, relaced myself -then recall- but $0 reimbursement < refused by Toyota dealer because I did it myself and they went bad before recall. Head gaskets leaked and expensive to replace gaskets -desing/bolts. OEM Brakes went out early, as per typical.

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  Avalon Review - 2003 Toyota Avalon
  By wtlson - February 28 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car for my wife who is 82 years old . She has been driving a 1992cadillac deville , She refuses to drive the avalon . She says there are too many buttons . So I am driving the avalon .My biggest complaint is the steering wheel . I have to hold my arms extende in front of me ,and it is tiring . I am 84 years old , 6feet 2 inches and eeigh 220 lbs so I have to put the seat all the way back . The car is fun to drive ,and we use it for short errands , I need to get on the highway .