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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  05 Camry SE V6 a sweet Cruiser ... :-)~ - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Al C - August 25 - 6:36 pm

  Bang for the buck, the 05 Camry SE V6 is a real sweet deal of a cruiser! Considered and was open to all sorts of makes and models, but for the money this model Camry is really a no brainer. It is a great looking vehicle with good interior room, a nice smooth ride, and with the 3.3 V6 decent acceleration. At approx. 22K, it is both a reasonable/rational purchase that is an absolute pleasure to drive. For the $ - I love my CAMRY SE !

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  My Prius - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By Ann Dougherty - August 25 - 4:46 pm

  Comfortable car, many safety features that make me feel secure while driving. Excellent highway mileage. Disappointed in town mileage since they advertise 60 MPG. Im getting only about 46 MPG. Backup camera and high window visability is an excellent help. Headlights range is very good making night driving more comfortable. Backseat passengers have given positive feedback as far as comfort, some of whom have been large people.

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  Retired to Florida in comfort - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By Jack - August 25 - 4:26 pm

  This is my second Avalon and was not sure at first that I liked the larger interior space. Now we consider the space wonderful, with luxurious features and more power under the hood in the 3.5 engine than I should be trusted with. My big complant is my wife wont drive her sports car, complaining it is not comfortable.

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  Great Car - 2000 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Chris - August 25 - 5:03 am

  I had a 96 Camry that was totaled and my mechanic was selling a 2000 Solara with 125k on it for the right price. I had to put in a clutch and repair suspension the first year (as can be expected at 130k plus miles), since it has been amazing. Ive put 50k on the car, and it drives smooth, the steering is tight, and it gets great gas mileage. I highly recommend it.

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  The 1.8L is great too - 2009 Toyota Matrix
  By docket - August 25 - 12:06 am

  I never thought I could love a car so much. There is so much room inside, yet it is small on the outside. The ride is smooth and the seats comfortable. My dad is still talking about how he could fit in the backseat with ease (all 350 pounds of him). The gas mileage is averaging 25 mpg with a combination of city & highway driving.

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  Exceptional Vehicle for the Money - 2008 Toyota 4Runner
  By Doug Dolde - August 24 - 4:53 pm

  I traded a Jeep Liberty for this SR5 4x4 V8 4Runner and man what a difference. This vehicle rides like a Lexus on the highway and it also rides extremely well on dirt forest roads here in Arizona. Dont know why I waited so long to get one.

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  Reliable, Functional Performer - 2006 Toyota Tacoma
  By tacoma_tx - August 24 - 1:13 pm

  This truck is by far the best in its class. I test drove every manufacturers mid-size trucks and the Tacoma was all around the best truck. It is worth the extra money relative to domestic trucks, considering resale value of Toyota. The Toyota has an excellent reputation of making outstanding vehicles. The visual appearence is obviously eye catching. The interior is designed well and very functional. The performance is outstanding. The V6 has more power than it needs, which is the way it should be. I tow a trailer and haul loads all the time and it welcomes a challenge with no problem. I have had no problems with my truck. Although I wish it had 4x4, the 4x2 performs outstanding offroad.

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  Reliable and Worth every penny - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By haseebkhan770@gmail.com - August 24 - 12:30 pm

  I bought this car brand new in January 2009 and traveled a lot for work. I now have 200K miles and use this as my second car for short trips. So far everything still works and no major mechanical issues or rusts. As long as you are changing the oil every 4K miles and tune up every 75K miles you should be good. Just be easy on the gas pedal since it doesnt have a lot of power.

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  Its Ravulous! - 2002 Toyota RAV4
  By My Rav4 - August 24 - 4:33 am

  I love my Rav4. Its got plenty of room and great gas mileage. Since mine has a manual transmission it seems to have that extra pick up and it responds well. I still think its a cool car to look at. It has some inexplicible dings and a little problem with the tire cover wearing out at the seams, and problems with the computer chips caused me to go back to the dealership a few times, but I still love my car.

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  Loving my second Tacoma - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Ryan - August 24 - 12:18 am

  I LOVE my truck! I received an excellent trade for my 2004 Tacoma xtracab (access cab today). The main reason I traded was for 4 doors(we wanted both our vehicles to accommodate the kids). I got the SR5 double cab V6 with the tow package. The seating position is almost identical to my 2004 Tacoma (which I like), and the seats are much more comfortable. Very quiet smooth ride with excellent steering and handling. Lots of people have complained about transmission issues and rough shifts and hunting and slow shifts from reverse to drive. I have not any of these issues. For me, I find that the truck is plenty fast and responsive, but I do have to give it lots of throttle compared to my last truck and my wifes 2014 Highlander. I have no complaints about the frequency or smoothness of transmission shifts. Highways speed limit here is 65, and cruising with the cruise control engaged as high as 70-75MPH I get no more "gear hunting" than any other V6 I have driven, but it may be different at higher speeds. That includes going up hill as well. Maybe Im just lucky, but I have not had the transmission concerns that others have posted- its possible the Atkinson Cycle engine means you have to give more gas to go (you can really feel the power come on strong ~4K RPM), but it still has plenty of pep- and the official 0-60 time is good for me. I have been getting between 19-20 MPG mixed driving- so a bit less then the sticker, but much improved from my 2004. For info Im 62", and I have plenty of headroom. I also had good headroom in a model I sat in with a sunroof. I think my only complaint Is the scout GPS phone NAV app is not great (good directions but no close-up map view to help interpret the directions). My wifes car has the Toyota Entune sweet with integrated NAV- its awesome- so if you have the cash and GPS is an important feature for you dont rely on the Scout App. If you use your iPhone map app the directions will play over the speaker, so thats nice. Bluetooth pairing and touchscreen sensitivity/response are excellent (better than the Highlander). I have 2 forward facing car seats in the back- both fit fine with plenty of room for me and a passenger with both kids in the back.