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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  Exellent - 1996 Toyota Celica
  By gelpija - December 7 - 10:00 am

  The car is in excelent condition. Service has been provided regularly by dealer. The car is economic in fuel use and has not required any type of major repair

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  The 4Runner is the Stallion of SUVs - 1999 Toyota 4Runner
  By R. E, MASSA - December 7 - 10:00 am

  The 4Runner is have is a 4 cylinder inline 150HP engine. It run well but I wish it would be a V6. Fuel economy is not excellent, not far from what the V6 will do, with a lot less power. Quality wise is superb, It bounces a lot in the city driving, but is very comfortable and smooth in the highway. Its a good deal for the money and extremely reliable.

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  4runner fan - 2000 Toyota 4Runner
  By Greenmile - December 7 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my 4Runner limited for 2 years and havnt had any issues at all. I have taken it out 4 wheeling many times and I was extremely suprised at how well it handles off road. I also commute to work about 80 miles a day. So if your looking for a SUV that looks nice and drives awesome this is the one. I also have a xterra and the 4 runner blows it off the road.

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  Better than anticipated - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By william - December 7 - 9:20 am

  Thought car would have small car performance and was blown away by acceleration, ride, quietness and braking. Seats very conf. on 100 mi. trip. Got 55.2 mpg. wasnt planning on buying car but after test drive I was hooked. Ive owned bmws, hondas, lexus, mercedes, and porsches. This car feels so good in so many ways. Toyota is definitely ahead of the pack!

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  Luxury doesnt have to mean clunky - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By John - December 7 - 1:10 am

  My first luxury car. Drives and handles like a much smaller car. Test drove a lot of different cars in the same category and the Avalon was the winner hands down. Doesnt feel like you are driving a boat and it has power to spare, found myself doing 90 miles per hour without even noticing I was going that fast - it was so quiet and smooth. Have a car pool and they are loving the room in the back seat, plus the seats recline in the back. Am getting 24 to 26 miles per gallon which is a nice plus given the current price of gas. The sound system and CD player are great and having a tape deck for those of us who still own tapes was a nice extra.

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  A DREAM - 2007 Toyota Camry Solara
  By D.C. Mike - December 6 - 8:46 pm

  I got the car in Sept of 06. Unbelievable feeling with the top down and power. Received a lot of looks. Very pleased. Last year that this car will be made. Buy it now. Solara will be gone forever!

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  3 Years now and I still love my car! - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Sass - December 6 - 7:13 pm

  Ive had the 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid for over 3 years now and I still love it. It has a very comfortable ride with a solid, heavy feel that I like. Ive taken many long roadtrips with this car - an 8 hour trip - 6 hour trip - several 3 hour trips and I drive to the shore every weekend from the Philly area. I have 2 large dogs that ride in the back seat for all of my trips and they just sleep. Ive even taken the car camping a few times with lots of equipment - tents, tarps, aerobeds, cots, camping chairs, tables, coolers, etc. The trunk holds way more than youd think. Oh and if you set cruise control at 72 mph for a 2 hour trip youll get around 41 mpg!! Ive done that a few times.

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  matrix - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By tony - December 6 - 12:16 pm

  This car has a great design, very well thought out designs by Toyota like the anchors in the back. Seats sit up pretty high so it give you a good view of the road and of course the build quality of this car is outstanding.

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  Hard to beat - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By Sage - December 6 - 5:56 am

  Big change from the 1998, manual 5 speed RAV4 with a lawn mower engine that couldnt even get out of the way of it self. Ive driven it 1,000 miles and so far am very pleased

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  Better then the Elantra - 2013 Toyota Corolla
  By lysandra25 - December 6 - 1:07 am

  If this helps in anyway, i had a new 2012 elantra which needless to say sucked. Yea all it has on this car is probably fuel economy and modern interior, but corolla hands down beats the elantra bc of the QUALITY. Toyotas are way more dependable and this car is sturdy and i love it. My old car for a brand new car actually had loose wire issues so i brought it to the dealer 4 times for numerous issues. ( getting stuck in park/ drive). Suspension sucks as well, car slips alot. Can barely go over 60 on the highway over few bumps with out noticing slips . So to me corolla s is AWESOME! No slips..great suspension, very comfortable to me and i dont have to worry which is the best peace of mind :)