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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  Tall or big persons beware! - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By BW - March 24 - 7:50 am

  I have enjoyed my 4Runner and have found the reliability to be outstanding. It handles like a dream off-road. I race up and down deep sand beaches with no problem. Its light and quick (V6). The features and interior are nicer than your typical truck plus no rattles. Interior room is better than I expected. However, Im 63 200 pounds and the seat + headroom is less than desirable. Fortunately, I have a sunroof, otherwise I wouldnt fit. The seats are narrow as well. If you lean the seat back like the kids do, you will have no issues with head room. One other thing, the computer states a MPG of 25 on the highway and 19 in town. Not true! Its more like 20/17.

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  "BEWARE" OF THE 2016 TOYOTA TACOMA TRD OFF ROAD - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Robert in Richmond, VA - March 24 - 7:45 am

  Take it from someone who has owned Toyota trucks since the mid 80s, the 2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off Road is the "WORST" truck Ive ever owned. If I had it to do over, I would not have bought this truck. I wish I would have read the reviews from previous buyers before assuming this was going to be another Toyota quality vehicle and that was not the case. If you are reading this post "before" you purchase this truck, I would advise you to 1st, not buy this truck. But, if you are interested in buying this truck I would recommend you to "test drive" the truck a lot before buying it. Even if you have to go to several different dealerships. I dont even have 2,500 miles on my truck & planning on selling or trading it before the first 5,000 mile service. I have never been more disappointed in the truck and in the lack of help from the dealership that I bought it from. The only people that could honestly give this truck a 5 Star Review, would be the salesmen. Had two firmware updates since posting , Toyota still working on transmission and other issues. Update 08/19/2017 still dealing with Toyota corp. I AM STILL HAVING TROUBLE WITH TRANSMISSION SHUDDING, FLARE AND CLUNKS WHEN YOU STOP, STILL VERY UNHAPPY.

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  Wonderful SUV - 1996 Toyota 4Runner
  By 4rj - March 24 - 5:20 am

  This SR5 4R has been the best and most reliable SUV. It is very capable off road and handles good on road. The weak V6 does not make it the quickest vehicle, but it is adequate if you keep the rpms high when power is needed. It is driven regularly in the Colorado mountains and handles great in snow and rough roads. I purchased it used with 47K on it and now I have 150K on it with no major problems. I will probably keep this vehicle until around 200K as it is showing no signs of problems and seems extremely reliable. I do have a mysterious rattle high up in the dash on the passenger side which people cannot find without removing the dash for $500.

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  Disappointed - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By minera5 - March 24 - 4:04 am

  I spent a tremendous amount of time researching and comparing vehicles before purchasing my 2007 Toyota Camry 4dr. I bought it new. The viser immediately was broken and I have been to the dealership for recalls several times. The brakes have been squeaking for at least a year every time I back up and so far the three places I took it to cannot fix them. The car also squeals when turning corners and this is after new tires. The biggest hazard is the inability to see out of the back widow. The rear end is too high and impossible to see out of the back. This was my first and last Toyota.

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  Riding High - 2001 Toyota Highlander
  By Toolman - March 23 - 11:46 pm

  My wife is 55" tall, Im 64", we both experience good visibility and comfort from the front bucket seats. The 2.4L 4cyl. engine gives good fuel economy and adequate power. Our Highlander is Vintage Gold, which is a great color!

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  2004 XLS Avalon is a Keeper - 2004 Toyota Avalon
  By Jim-n-IL - March 23 - 10:23 pm

  We bought our XLS at 30k and now have 120k. This car is truly the best bang for the buck on the road of any other. We recently had a screech when starting, and replaced starter, didnt fix prob, dealer thought flywheel, turned out to be battery! Features are superb and gas mileage is also. Driving slower (55-60) provides close to 30mpg, above 70 is 28 and less. Onboard computer gives immediate feedback for mpg. Roominess and reliability, not to mention all the options truly make this car a keeper. We recently researched others on this chassis, 00-04 and found several at 250k and up, so that makes us confident. We will keep this one until we get to that point. Why not save your money?!?!

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  200,000+ miles and still going strong - 2000 Toyota Avalon
  By emilylwallace - March 23 - 7:24 pm

  This car has been in my family since its original purchase in 2000. The car was passed onto me in 2008 with 150,000 miles on it. It still drives like the day it was purchased. The interior cabin is dead quiet and the ride is incredibly smooth. It is fantastic for road trips, it gets about 30 mpg on the highway using regular fuel. It accelerates well for a car of its size. It handles well in snow, as long as you drive accordingly. It is incredibly reliable, it starts up right away every morning (even when it is 5 degrees outside). Also, the sound system is fantastic.

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  The Night Special - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By Night - March 23 - 2:43 pm

  Very good car, Very trust worthy. Not that expensive. Drives very smooth. Very roomy too.

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  The Best! - 2001 Toyota 4Runner
  By mgm - March 23 - 11:40 am

  Like others have already written, this is an unbelievably reliable car that is also great looking and fun! I have over 100,000 miles and have only had to do routine maintenance, tires and a couple of tail lights. I havent even needed to replace the brakes yet. The paint is still beautiful, the ride is still quiet. No rattles, no knocks - nothing. Im tempted to look into a smaller vehicle with better gas mileage, but I cant see giving my 4Runner up!

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  Initial Excelleration - Poor & - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Coupe - March 23 - 10:06 am

  Over all I would give my Solara SE V6 a low grade because of its very much like a turbo engine. A friend of mine is a Toyota mechanic and he explained why there is so much excelleration delay similiar to a turbo engine. For this review, Im only referring to low speed performance. At highway speeds it is more than adequate. I think it is unsafe, because when you need instant excelleration, its just not there. I have owned a manual turbo engine car before and it was very responsive from low end to high end speeds. Would I buy another Solara? NO! Another problem I found is that the brakes are to spungy. I dont get that positive feedback from the brake pedal.