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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  Excellent Econo Car! - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By PFS - May 7 - 5:46 am

  Purchased the car in September and already have over 1200 miles on it. Purchased it for the great gas millage and low price but I agree with other reviews that it is a very basic car and some of the features were poorly thought out like the center armrest and the clock. However for the money this is a great car. It takes some getting use to the electronic power steering but for a 1.8 liter engine there is lots of pep in this car. I am averaging 33.5 MPG so far and overall am pleased with the purchase. The best news was that the dealer was extremely anxious to deal on price – way better price then the TMZ price. In addition, the zero percent financing sealed the deal!

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  Why change something that works! - 2005 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By Crusier Guy - May 6 - 7:50 pm

  Im a SUV lover. Ive owned trucks, cars, and other SUVs and this is by far the best SUV Ive ever owned. Its amazing how solid it is built. It rides nice, has great handling in the snow, my only problem is its so nice I dont want to get it dirty! Ive had it for some months now and I wouldnt change! The safety features are great as well. On some of the down sides, Gas mileage is bad considering the lack of horsepower and torque. The nav system is great and it doesnt require a DVD. One frustrating thing, you can hardly do anything on the nav system while driving the vehicle, the restrictions are too strict and should be loosened up so you can use it w/out stopping the car.

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  after 43k miles - 2003 Toyota Avalon
  By RS of VA - May 6 - 5:50 pm

  Body integrity is one complaint. Doors require a little extra push to latch....often require a second slam. Trip computer resets every time you stop so what good is the "trip" computation....also mileage resets after every tank full so there is no accumulating mileage for all types of driving.

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  Nice Ride - 2006 Toyota Sienna
  By Matt and Malias Dad - May 6 - 5:33 pm

  After 5 months and 7500 miles of driving, I have a pretty good feel for the Sienna. Its a nice ride! After several trips to Las Vegas from LA fully loaded, it didnt even break a sweat going up the Baker grade, even with the AC going. The real test of a nice ride is how you feel after a long drive and I never felt any fatigue at all. Its very roomy inside. Able to throw lots of people and gear inside with room to spare.

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  Great car - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By John - May 6 - 10:38 am

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  great car - 2007 Toyota Camry Solara
  By JL - May 6 - 4:40 am

  a pleasure to drive, very comfortable and creature friendly, an over all sharp car value packed

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  Unexpectedly Luxurious - 2008 Toyota Avalon
  By LZJay - May 5 - 8:16 pm

  Im a traveling salesman and I used to rent these on the road. Then I decided to buy one cause it was so comfortable and drove so well. Its definitely a big car but it doesnt feel OR handle like one. It handles like more like sport sedan though far from sports coupe. The back seat is huge which is great if you take clients out for meals or have kids who like to kick your seat: their feet dont reach! Love the heated/AC seats and the moon roof. The NAV and LCD screen is great. The trunk is big enough for all of my sales material, a car seat and my golf clubs at the same time. The 7-speaker JBL sound system is great. It has the same look and feel as the Lexus GS but is priced smartly

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  Still looks great - 2000 Toyota Celica
  By Bruce - May 5 - 7:52 pm

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  Great Truck - 2007 Toyota Tacoma
  By trmckin - May 5 - 7:40 pm

  I purchased this vehicle for hauling mountain bikes, light yard work, camping and the occasional light towing job. Thus far, I have not been disappointed. Everything is well laid out and the storage is awesome. Plenty of power to enter Houston freeways with ease or tackle any jeep road. Purchase the sound shield and paint shield. Paint seems a little thin and scratches easily but hey, its a truck! Highly recommended. Serves my purposes and then some.

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  What a nice car - 2006 Toyota Corolla
  By itchyscratchy - May 5 - 7:13 pm

  I bought the CE manual because I wanted an econo car that was reliable. Man, did I get one. Its beautiful, its blue, its a heck of a lot of fun to drive. Let me mention the price- $13.8K out the door - and this was AFTER I bought insurance at the dealer for the 1st month. This car is awesome. Its pretty - has a great sound system, though only a 1 disc CD, its not slow at all, and it gets amazing gas mileage. Ive only owned GM cars previously. Never again. Im keeping this car for a long time. Only gripes: no side airbags, rolldown windows- my fault because I wanted cheap. Could have gotten them. If you want a great car for a great price, you wont be sorry with this one