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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  Great Driving Truck - 2006 Toyota Tundra
  By Awesome Truck - May 5 - 12:50 pm

  This truck drives better than any truck Ive ever owned. Ive owned Chevys and Fords, but this truck is better by far. Ive always owned trucks, if you want a medium towing truck this is it for sure. Heavy duty towing, Id go with a different truck that offers bigger engines and higher tourque. Overall though this truck has got to be the best at the medium level by far.

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  One year and still great. - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By cal - May 5 - 10:00 am

  Will have had the Camry for one year in a few weeks. The car is great. The only problem was the same as a year ago and that is the size of the trunk. Hope this will be improved upon. Also the nav system is WAY to hard to work.

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  Very Nice - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Jeffjett - May 5 - 8:30 am

  What a nice car. Excellent gas mileage. Very smooth and quiet ride. Roomy, excellent stereo and control access. Great A/C, comfortable seats, and $2,600 Federal tax credit. cannot beat it.

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  New model is great - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By spetry - May 5 - 8:20 am

  Love the handling and infotainment system. Bed with bedliner and utility rails are nice.

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  Best Car I Have Ever Owned - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By Reds - May 5 - 6:40 am

  I have owned many cars in my lifetime from Chevrolet to Jaguar. The Toyota Prius is the best car I have ever owned. With over 55,000 miles it has performed flawlessly with absolutely no probloms. We recently drove it from the East Coast to Lyons Colorado. We averaged 53 mpg at 70 miles per hour with the A/C on. I recently purchased another new one for my wife. Both cars rate a 10 in all categories.

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  Corolla vs. Civic - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By Kevin - May 4 - 8:46 pm

  I owned a 2008 Civic that was totaled and replaced it with a 2009 Corolla. The Corolla is much quieter and smoother on the road and the stereo in the LE Corolla has a much richer sound than did the LX Civic. The Corolla gets fantastic gas mileage, as did the Civic, 35mpg is easy.

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  The perfect ride! - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By linda jonke - May 4 - 12:10 pm

  We have several cars, a newer Corvette & a 05 Jeep. With the gas prices & my husbands long comute we went looking for a more economical car. This is the perfect car. At 62" and 215 my husband is not a small guy, he loves this car! At first everyone teased him at work, now everyone one wants one. He loves the power, the solidness & everyone knocks on our door at home & wants to know what it is! My husband wears a suit to work. The other day, 5 large guys in suits paged him to the parking lot & were sitting in the car just to prove you could fit car! He loves open window air & this is the first car he has owned that he can open the window and there is no noise or wind. Toyota has a winner.

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  An engineering marvel - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By Victor - May 4 - 7:20 am

  Toyota clearly began with a clean sheet - asking what could they do to minimize emissions but sell to a large market. Once they had gone hybrid they looked at what the presence of a large available source of electricity could mean. Very responsive electric power steering. Electric A/C - no serpentine belt to put a constant drag on the engine. Electric water pump. Electric fan. You get the idea.

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  Perfect Step Down - 2013 Toyota RAV4
  By pschell - May 4 - 5:58 am

  I traded in my 2010 Tundra for the all new Rav4 and couldnt be happier! I LOVED my truck, but I DIDNT love parking it, filling it up with gas, paying the $500 car tags every year, so on and so on. I am really loving all the money I have already saved, how easy it is to park and I am shocked at how comfortable the car and ride is in comparison to my Tundra (which I consider to be the best Ive ever experienced). I am so happy I got the Rav4 and totally recommend it!

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  Nearing perfection - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Scott - May 4 - 3:40 am

  I bought the car for commuting about 120 miles per day. The car has performed flawlessly. It has consistently gotten about 37 MPG driving at 70 to 80 MPH up down a mountain pass (climb is about 2500 feet). The car has surprising power (passing on the mountain uphills is no problem). The car is fun to drive and handles well. And, it constantly reminds you to conserve in driving by having an "MPG" gauge instead of an RPM gauge and by having the dash board display a deeper blue the better you are with gas. If you want a car that is comfortable and fun, gives great gas mileage, has room for more than one person, has plenty of power, chose this one.