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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  I LOVE this car! - 2005 Toyota Echo
  By Bonnie G - April 15 - 9:50 am

  This is my 2nd Echo! I love the handling, gas mileage, peppy performance. Dont know what your testers were driving!! Im hanging on to this one!

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  Quite the Warrior - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By jones3kn - April 15 - 7:03 am

  My mom and dad bought this car new and when I turned 16 in 2008, they turned it over to me. Before I had it, my brother drove it and got in a wreck with a large SUV and it survived with just a large dent in the front end. Since then, I have put this car through the wringer. Im a rock climber, so I am constantly travelling and the storage capacity is amazing with the folding back seats. This is my go-to road trip car. Its now 11 years old and I just took it up through the Adirondaks, White Mountains and to Maine and back to Ohio. It has a little over 150K and its still running strong. Im actually planning a trip across the country to visit my brother in Portland, OR from Ohio.

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  2008 Camry - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By Dennis Lauterbach - April 15 - 3:36 am

  So far after 100+ miles of driving, the Camry has the comfort, quietness and pep that the Camry is known for. There is no question that this car is rock solid. Toyotas quality with the unibody welding rather than the rivets by their competitors will make this another hit for Toyota.

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  LOVE MY YARIS!! - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By Dawn - April 15 - 12:43 am

  Looks are deceiving, you can comfortably fit 5 adults in this thing! I chose the Yaris because of MPG and price, and when I got to the dealer I bought it because of looks and ride. The manual tranny is super easy to shift, and I love the way it turns on a dime.

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  Toyota T 100 SR5 extended cab - 1997 Toyota T100
  By Dick Klocko - April 14 - 4:02 pm

  Purchased new

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  Warning bad exhaust manifolds - 2006 Toyota 4Runner
  By richard - April 14 - 10:00 am

  Warning just having my vehicle serviced not under warranty with 55,000 miles on it for. Get ready cracked exhaust manifolds. That s right these ex manifolds have the catalytic converter apparently built inside them. Both sides cracked cost $3500.00 U.S. What? You must ber kidding me. In 40 years of owning every type of car imaginable. Never have I needed to replace these items. 3500 dollars 9 hours of labor and the parts. This is total crap. Where is the quality. They apparently did another one a 2005 last week or two with exactly the same nonsense. Toyota. Hello how about a total recall for this major defect

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  Acceleration - 2009 Toyota Tacoma
  By Dennis - April 14 - 10:00 am

  I have enjoyed the truck very much from the sound system to the way it handles in snow. I recently have been having a problem that Toyota tells me I have to live with. If I come to a complete stop and than try to accelerate quickly to get into traffic my engine does not respond, almost like it chokes it self out. Toyota is telling me the computer has gotten used to the way I normally drive and will not let me accelerate quicker than normal.

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  Some good, some bad - 2011 Toyota Sienna
  By random1 - April 14 - 10:00 am

  We use the minivan largely for road trips with the family, dog, and gear. The good - very nice looking, quiet and comfortable. Build quality/reliability should be excellent, everything fine so far. Powerful engine, cavernous interior, very nice steering wheel! The bad - the cheap dash plastic and faux-wood trim are horrible. Climate controls are awkward, dash layout is pretty poor, radio controls hard to reach from driver seat. The front cup holders are huge-good luck using them for cups that normal size. Amazing that all these simple things are so poorly executed. The van handles like a boat-its soft and floaty even for a minivan, Honda and Chrysler both drive better.

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  Toyota cover-up tactics - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Paul - April 14 - 10:00 am

  Bought my 2009 LE and from the start I felt that there was something wrong in the brakes. A booster valve was replaced twice, but the pedal remained soft and many times when pushed, went to the full extent of my leg. I constantly needed to pump the brakes to get firm response. Toyota brought their big gun techno guy to the arbitration, along with engineering specs. I was the dumb consumer. ALL testing that they did to determine that my Camry was fine, was done out of sight. After buying many other Totota models over the years, I am very disappointed in their tactics.

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  LOVE My Prius! - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By Gigi - April 14 - 10:00 am

  Been a Honda driver since the 80s and decided I wanted something different. The lease rate was so great on the Prius that I just couldnt pass on it. Its so quiet that you cant hear it running, it looks so high tech and the gas mileage is fantastic. Im averaging 50 MPG and you just cant beat that! Keyless entry is also a great feature. I hate digging for my keys. Now I just leave them in my purse. I have plenty of room for my 62" husband and my two dogs. Love the hatch back styling. I use it like a wagon, always hauling stuff. Im spoiled! I can never go back to a non-hybrid car.