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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  Toyota Crushes Honda/Nissan - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By xmltoyota - January 2 - 10:00 am

  Well! We love our Camry. Hands down the best in its class for the money. Few problems exterior paint and interior/exterior trim) all fixed by dealer. Unfortunately, it must be a QC problem at the US plant (Go For better appointments you will have to go to the Lexis ES300. But I will match it with my Camry head-to-head performance wise. You just pay more ($10,000 roughly) for the better standard features, options, interior styling and better service (free loaner cars). Anyway, for the money you cannot beat this family Sedan.

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  An Honest Review From A New Tacoma Owner - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Kyle M. - January 1 - 6:25 pm

  Let me start off this review by saying that I have never owned a Tacoma before or a truck. Also I have had my Tacoma for about 10 weeks now. I felt it was necessary to write a review to defend this truck. This is a great truck and I would recommend it, but lease it till they work out the bugs. First off, Ill start off with one of probably the most important questions, the mpg. I average around 20 mpg, doing about 60% city, 40% highway. If you do a lot of highway driving, my mpg meter has gone as high as 26mpg, as long as you dont drive like a jerk, you should get decent mileage. But when you buy a truck youre not buying it for the mpg, you buy it for versatility, otherwise go buy a Prius. Moving onto performance and ride quality. In terms of performance, I will admit acceleration can be a bit sluggish, especially when you need it. However, I find that if you turn the ect pwr button on or put it in sport mode, that does seem to loosen up the transmission a bit for better acceleration. Its no race car, but it still has ample passing power. In terms of ride quality, its relatively smooth, but when going over bumps it gets pretty rough, so ride quality is so-so. And to add to that steering is pretty responsive. In terms of the interior, I love it, its very simplistic but very nice and clean layout. I have cloth seats and theyre very comfy, and the infotainment centers touchscreen is very responsive and user friendly. In terms of sound system, I had heard Toyota speakers were garbage, but to be honest theyre actually pretty decent. Certain genres of music can be on the quieter side and require you to really crank it up. But overall, for the non-jbls they still have pretty decent bass. Last but not least, Id just like to add that, the backup camera makes parking the Tacoma even easier, as its nimble size makes it easier to get through tight spaces. The design is definitely a big improvement in my opinion. Overall I give it 4 stars, its a great truck, but still has its short comings, hopefully when my lease is up theyll make more improvements on the little things. Hope this review helped any future buyers!