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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  Happy with my Highlander - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By BrianF - November 19 - 10:00 am

  This SUV is Great. Lots of room, the 4cyl has pep and gets great milage. Handles great and can make a U turn in half the space of the MAXIMA I traded in.

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  Fun to drive - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By CBar - November 19 - 10:00 am

  its fun to drive . Toyota is good car. Its reliable .for a longtime

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  goooooooooood - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By ayman - November 19 - 10:00 am

  the best car i had ever seen

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  No regrets - 2004 Toyota Tundra
  By Mike - November 19 - 8:56 am

  Bought my Tundra about a year ago, still love it as much as the day I drove off the lot. Smooth ride, silky V8, nice looks, good warranty, and overall solid feel to it. I test drove and rented others but they felt cheap. I rented an 04 Silverado (16K miles on it) and with the rattles, squeaks, and bumpy ride I thought it was going to fall apart. Why would the warranties on Ford & Chevy suck unless their trucks were low quality? As for Dodge 7yr/100K, youre just paying up front for the repairs. The Tundra is the best truck for the everyday person who does not haul extremely heavy loads.

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  Why drive boring cars? - 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By Joe in CT - November 19 - 2:06 am

  Ive owned 20+ cars, SUVs, trucks. This has to be one of my 2 favorites (together with my 911 cabriolet). As another reviewer said - you can buy fancier, much more expensive SUVs. But you cant buy one thats more fun to own, that people ask you about, that is this reliable, that can go anywhere. I bought one of the first ones in CT - Voodoo Blue - and have not had a single issue. My wife, 3 kids, dog & I all still love it just as much as new. Sure - it has a few compromises like rear visibility. Show me any great car with real personality that doesnt. And this is very practical (easy to clean, acceptable MPG, great in bad weather...) and fun to own! Now thats value!

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  Join the Hybrid Team :) I love my little prius - 2015 Toyota Prius c
  By venezuelan86@hotmail.com - November 18 - 10:59 pm

  I originally wanted a Scion Tc but since I care A LOT about the environment and I really dont need a sports car, I figured why not? I LOOOOVE how the car drives. OBVIOUSLY you wont hit 65MPH in 3 seconds because its a small engine, but it drives SUPER SMOOTH/ SUPER QUIET, the seats are comfortable, the radio is awesome I LOVE XM RADIO BPM/AREA, it also comes with USB/AUX and the NAVIGATION comes in handy if you loose reception on your phone or your phone dies. The color I got was metallic grey and I LOVE IT! The car looks small from outside but yet IT HAS SO MUCH SPACE INSIDE. Great job whoever designed that car!!!! Also I like how its a hatchback because since I got the Hybrid C option 3 the backseats can fold and I can go to IKEA and buy a lot of stuff comfortably lol. You can comfortably have 4 people and 1 dog but 5 people is a tight squeeze. The car looks amazing inside, almost like you are driving a super futuristic car!!! I honestly have no complaints on my car. I LOVE IT!!! I STRONGLY RECOMMENDED you wont regret it :)

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  Join the Hybrid Team :) I love my little prius - 2015 Toyota Prius c
  By venezuelan86@hotmail.com - November 18 - 10:59 pm

  I originally wanted a Scion Tc but since I care A LOT about the environment and I really dont need a sports car, I figured why not? I LOOOOVE how the car drives. OBVIOUSLY you wont hit 65MPH in 3 seconds because its a small engine, but it drives SUPER SMOOTH/ SUPER QUIET, the seats are comfortable, the radio is awesome I LOVE XM RADIO BPM/AREA, it also comes with USB/AUX and the NAVIGATION comes in handy if you loose reception on your phone or your phone dies. The color I got was metallic grey and I LOVE IT! The car looks small from outside but yet IT HAS SO MUCH SPACE INSIDE. Great job whoever designed that car!!!! Also I like how its a hatchback because since I got the Hybrid C option 3 the backseats can fold and I can go to IKEA and buy a lot of stuff comfortably lol. You can comfortably have 4 people and 1 dog but 5 people is a tight squeeze. The car looks amazing inside, almost like you are driving a super futuristic car!!! I honestly have no complaints on my car. I LOVE IT!!! I STRONGLY RECOMMENDED you wont regret it :)

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  Pretty nice car - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Chris - November 18 - 7:23 pm

  So far so good. This is my first camry and so far its great. The cloth interior is great and the 4 cylinder has tons of power for such a small engine.

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  It is what it isnt - 2012 Toyota 4Runner
  By urbanadventur - November 17 - 9:23 pm

  Dollar for dollar, the latest generation 4runner is the best body on frame suv ever. Obviously, this is not a car. It is not a crossover which is nothing more than a tall car in suv clothing. The 4runner eats rocks and mud for breakfast and then with one pass through the car wash rolls down main street with class and style. It is not designed to slalom like a sedan. This is intentional. The 4runner ride is exceptionally smooth and the off road capabilities and reliability are not comparable to any other vehicle in this price range. If you want nothing more than a tall car buy a Durango, Equinox, Cherokee, Explorer or even a Highlander. If you want a real suv buy a 4runner.

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  Great Van For Real Men - 2011 Toyota Sienna
  By tdsd2 - November 17 - 9:41 am

  I love my Sienna SE. It looks good, fun to drive, fast, comfortable. Ive owned a lot of cars in my 69 years and this is one of the best. I see a lot of people dont like the interior dash material. I like it very much. I think it has a rich feel to it. Not a fan of the design of the dash. It looks to feminan for me. I went from a full size Chevy conversion van to this and I seem to have just as much room. Since the seats fold, I think I can get more stuff in this than my Chevy. Wont go into details but had problems with the Chevy was reason for changing. Never been a fan of the Toyota logo so I changed all the emblems to Lexus. Some may not approve of this but I get a lot of looks.