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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  2007 Tacoma Short Bed 4 Door 4wd - 2007 Toyota Tacoma
  By John M. - July 5 - 10:00 am

  I purchased a replacement for my 2001 Jeep Wrangler intending to do better than 12 mpg. The Toyota delivers about 18 mpg highway (thanks to the terrible new corn fuels that are terrible for the environment anyway) and 12 mpg city. After about 7 months of ownership, my check engine light came on. $6,500 worth of warranty work and 4 trips later, it is off. My dealer kindly loaned me a fully loaded Avalon to drive in the mean-time. I hate the plastic bed, but Im certain the decreased weight saves on gas mileage. The looks are ok, I prefer 4th generation Tacomas (2001-2004) over the 5th. Paint chips like crazy on my silver model. The painted plastic bumpers, etc are a bad idea.

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  Best hybrid ever. - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By scdi - July 5 - 6:23 am

  Bought it after all the bad Toyota news. Allowed us a good deal. Drove on 3500 trip for break-in. Mountains, deserts, and all kinds of weather. Favorite thing is going down the long hills at 70-80 mph and noticing that the gas engine is off. Up the mountains it kept up speed and passed others with room to spare. Even at 75 mph with 40 mph headwinds we got over 40 mpg. Handled well with the wind as well. Averaged about 50. We were in stop and go traffic the other day & I noticed the mpg climbing from 57 to 59 mpg as we crawled along electrically with the rest of the traffic. Only complaint is the GPS will not let us program while moving. With 2 in the car this was frustrating.

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  Toyota, I love what you do for me. NOT! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Rob DeSimone - July 5 - 1:36 am

  We just traded this vehicle in at 8200 miles because of several problems — problems that Toyota describes as the Toyota experience and "operating according to design specification". The Camry is like a box of chocolates — each time you touched the accelerator, you never knew what youd get. There was either hesitation or a normal acceleration. Take your foot off the accelerator and the vehicle could lunge ahead or slow down with a drag as though you downshifted from fifth to third. BTW, this is an auto transmission. These performance (and safety) issues made us realize that this car was not reliable for the long term. This was our first (and last) Toyota. Never got better than 20 mpg.

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  2007 Toyota Sienna - 2007 Toyota Sienna
  By Beth - July 4 - 8:33 pm

  Many, many problems with the interior of the car. Middle passenger side seat is a "lemon seat" seat belt is major issue, 5th time trying to resolve. A/C system airflow distribution disproportionate in the bi-level and floor level settings. Rear air conditioner and heat appear to not be cooling and barely heating. Radio defective, speaker blown 2x, tire pressure sensor broken, side mirror control fell into dash, base of lemon seat cracked, handle of same seat broke, over head light broke over this seat, rear bumper came loose, tires are bald at 25K miles,air bag indicator light malfuntioning. I cannot believe the problems were having.

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  Traded in my Lexus for it! - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By Chris - July 4 - 8:20 pm

  Great handling except for a little bed bounce. Have about 8000 miles with no problems what so ever. Stopped burning rubber at stop lights because of gas economy but MAN the power is awesome. Get plenty of looks and compliments. Put new chrome grille and chromed out all exterior parts "Its a head turner!"

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  Excellent Truck - 2002 Toyota Tundra
  By kcowboy - July 4 - 7:20 pm

  Good value, plenty of power and runs real smooth. Comes standard with lots of options not standard on big3

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  Good car, but overrated - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By dsensing - July 4 - 11:56 am

  This is an incredibly well-built car that does most everything competently but nothing really well. Mines a tricked-out XLE (4-cyl) with leather, roof, JBL system, heated seats, etc. I have nothing to complain at 60K miles, but cant really brag about it, either. Fact is, this car is dull as dishwater. The I-4 is a slug. The JBL sound system barely qualifies as "premium." I dont feel any connection to the road through the steering, which is over-assisted and much too light at all speeds. Build quality is outstanding, as is reliability. Good back seat room and seats are 7.5 on the 10 scale for comfort (our Volvo V70 is the 10). But the Camry is dull, dull, dull.

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  Worth the investment? - 2001 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By Desert Don - July 4 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned my Spyder now for better than 3 years. Its used as a fair weather driver exclusively. For its design as an "inexpensive sports car" its a winner. Dont buy this one expecting to use it for much more than FUN. Luggage/Storage is a joke. Although its a very light vehicle, I find myself looking for just one more gear (5 isnt quite enough) and a bit more power. Simply a FUN TOY if your in the market for one. Bottom line, drive this one before you spend the added $$ for anything else!

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  My Last toyota - 1998 Toyota Avalon
  By Mackie - July 4 - 2:00 am

  I boutght toyota because of its reputation for quality. Havent had any problems unitl this year. I had to pay over $700 to get the climate control fixed. I plan on trading it off. No more Toyota cars for me.

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  Great car! - 1998 Toyota Avalon
  By adelinem - July 4 - 2:00 am

  A true trouble free car that is a delight to drive. If you want to get away from a stop sign fast, this is the car for you. It has good looks and good fuel edonomy.