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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  Fun little car - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By al0751 - November 26 - 9:05 pm

  My parents helped me buy this car used when my truck started costing too much money for inspection each year. While I started out a truck man, and still am to this day, I love my car to death. It is very fun to drive. I get excited to drive it even several months after I bought it. The 5 speed is nice, however there are a few quirks with mine. The clutch pedal squeaks (quite loud when the windows are down and at a standstill), and the shifter also squeaks when I am shifting into first and second gears. Also, sometimes the back window rattles when the radio is on (volume and bass are both not very loud and it still vibrates). Overall, I love the car and will keep it until it dies

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  poor tires on awd - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By gary - November 26 - 2:33 pm

  Why buy an awd. The tires that come for it are junk. Only two mfg make them. The tires are very poor in the snow. See tire rack survey. Toyota told me to install chains. Why did I pay for the awd. Toyota blew it when it specked these tires. They should have gone to a size where there are more tires avail.

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  Not a Sienna - 2010 Toyota RAV4
  By Charlene - November 26 - 10:00 am

  Decided to downsize from a 2005 Sienna XLE to reduce monthly payment & improve gas mileage. Toyota was offering $199 lease & with taxes,etc am paying $252 per month. Averaging 24 mpg (Sienna 15-18) Seats comfortable but ride is very bumpy. Front seat area feels cramped. Headrests force me to sit with seat back out of my comfort zone to avoid sitting with my neck thrust forward. Poor placement of cup holders. Doors do not lock automatically. Quick handling. Good storage in back. Occasional squeaks in dashboard. Occasional grinding sound when braking. This is my 4th Toyota in 16 years & my least favorite. I purchased this rather than a car so we could haul things easily.

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  Good but Not Great - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Good but not Great - November 26 - 7:16 am

  Overall it is a great car. Fun to drive, a lot of pep for a car this size (without A/C, and only driver). Good design, holds up well. Got the car Feb 2005 - and it has 90,000 miles on it Sept 2008. No Major complaints, would recommend to anyone. Had to get the ECU changed within the first couple of months because it was hard to start. The tires wore extremely bad on edge even after Toyota Dealership aligned them Only 16K on 60K tires. Got them aligned recently and it has been much better. Passenger window rattles at any speed. Also the idle/tensioner pulley makes ticking noises and has been replaced 5 times, yes five times. Without the extended warranty Im sure this would probably be costly.

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  I love my Sandpiper! - 1999 Toyota Corolla
  By taylorruckus - November 26 - 6:39 am

  My great-grandmother bought this car new, and when she passed it went onto my grandmother, and now its mine. With 265,000 miles on it, this car is so unbelievably reliable! I have never broken down. Its only problems are a leak in the power steering fluid (an $800 fix, but no problem if you just top off the fluid every other week), broken interior lights and weak door handles that break every couple of years. This car is such a ridiculous value if you need something that will get you where you need to go-- and I get at least 29 miles to the gallon, sometimes more.

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  Fun to Drive - 2005 Toyota RAV4
  By Theresa Dahlstrom - November 25 - 10:13 pm

  Id never heard of a RAV4 until my son showed me a photo the night before we went car shopping. It was love at first sight! We drove several small SUVs, but the RAV4 was by far the most fun to drive. It is zippy and handles great. Ive enjoyed 65000 trouble-free miles. The ride is quite firm, but makes the driver feel like one with the road.

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  Great Truck - 1999 Toyota 4Runner
  By msi - November 25 - 9:23 pm

  I have driven this truck on and off road and have never had a problem. I love the body design and the fact that it is truly made to be on and off road unlike most other SUVs that are built only for road use. I couldnt be happier with this vehicle and plan on keeping it a very long time which says all there is to say about its reliability.

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  Nice SUV - 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By Mark Slepicka - November 25 - 6:06 pm

  Stable on road and off with plenty of power and braking. Would like to see front console cup holder lighting for night time driving and overhead spotlight buttons lit also. I am getting 17.2 mpg city/hwy combined using premium. exterior sheet metal seems to be a little thin. I started to notice a clunk from the rear when starting from a dead stop and also when coming to a stop. I went to my Toyota dealer and found out a (TSB) Technical Service Bulletin was issued on this problem. The fix was to replace the drive shaft under drivetrain warranty at no cost. After replacement of shaft i have had no further problem. Overall the new Land Cruiser is solid and performs well!

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  2002 Tacoma - 2002 Toyota Tacoma
  By Ron Huffman - November 25 - 12:46 pm

  My Tacoma is a regular cab short wheelbase 2WD with 2.4 L and automatic. It is fun to drive and very manuverable. It can haul the load when asked and gets fairly respectable gas mileage (20-24 mpg). I made several cross country trips with a loaded bed and it has performed just great.

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  Wagon - 2015 Toyota Venza
  By Trent Sankar - November 24 - 8:40 am

  Ive always liked wagons, vans and hatchbacks. This car provides the room I needed, with outstanding Toyota reliability. I wished I had purchased new specing the exact color and options I wanted; but given the large savings over new, Im fine with buying this car used. The car is solid, quite and does everything well. I would prefer more bolstering in the front seats as well as a little more lumbar support.