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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  Decent, but its not perfect - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By clifford - September 20 - 4:33 am

  The good: easy to drive around town, not bad on the road up to 300 miles or so, very sensitive to tire rotation as it is 4wd, decent rock crawling/off road capability, decent tow vehicle. The bad: windows rattle like an old Camaro when partially down, vibration at 1800 rpm, engine idles too high when cold, expensive maintenance in the future if you keep it 90-100K miles, timing belt and valve adjustment. Is this the very last vehicle to require a valve adjustment?? Window noise.

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  YAR FOR KAR!!!! - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By Karla - September 20 - 4:20 am

  I am so happy with this car!!! There are tons of compartments for storage, and 5 cupholders! There is no front seat console unfortunately, but I found a website where I can get an aftermarket one that will fit my little car. I got the hatchback SPORT edition, and although that wasnt what I initially set out for, Im so glad I got it! Its so fun, and people are always smiling at it and saying things like "sweet"! The hatchback is great for a single person like me, or just a couple, but if you have kids, the hatchback really isnt as practical as the sedan would be. This car has a lot of pick-up and power, it can climb steep hills with the best of them, especially with that 3rd gear.

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  1994 Toyota Review - 1994 Toyota Corolla
  By mrauch - September 20 - 2:00 am

  This car has given me 8 years of totally reliable and economical service. The ONLY thing needed over this period of time was the routine servicing that should be done on any vehicle (oil change, tune-up, etc).

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  WHAT A CAR - 2003 Toyota Prius
  By MIKE G - September 20 - 2:00 am

  IF YOU NEED A COMMUTER VEH AND WANT TO SAVE SOME MONEY THEN THIS IS THE VEHICLE FOR YOU. ITS A MINI LEXUS. CLIMATE CONTROL, QUIET, FUN, AND CAN CRUISE AT 75. THERE IS JUST SO MUCH THAT YOU CANT SEE ON THE FIRST DRIVE. I STEADILY GET 47 MPG HWY AND CITY. I GO ALL WEEK WITH OUT FILLING UP. THE BACK SEAT CAN SEAT ADULTS AND BE COMFORTABLE. TRUNK IS LARGE. AND THIS CAR IS QUIET.I LOVE THIS CAR, I AM A BIG CAR GUY, BUT THIS FITS THE BILL FOR WORKING, I TRAVLE 30K MILES A YEAR AND NO PROBLEMS

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  Thanks Edmunds for posting so much info. - 2003 Toyota Celica
  By Spider8 - September 20 - 2:00 am

  Ive driven a lot of road cars. This one has got to be one of the greats. It goes around the sharpest corners with very little body roll. The balance is the best Ive seen for a front wheel drive when breaking, very little nose dive when really setting the breaks. The over-steer could be better when breaking in the corners, but, its still terrific and better than any real wheel drive short of $60,000.

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  i should not buy this!!! - 2003 Toyota Sienna
  By whytoyota - September 20 - 2:00 am

  This minivan is very expensive and not worth it!!! i had the car for about eight months and the brake had problem and the service was not reliable....anyway this car is not the one i expected...i would never buy Toyota again.....

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  LIKE THE MATRIX - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By MIKE G - September 20 - 2:00 am

  THISIS AN EYE CATCHING VEHICLE AND WE WANTD TO REPLACE OUR COROLLA. WE WANTED SOMETHING USEFUL BUT NOT THE TANKS THAT ARE RUNNING AROUND. THE MATIX FIT THE BILL. HOLDS THE DOG, AND ALL KINDS OF STUFF. VERY NIMBLE, THE TRANSMISSION IS QUITE EFFICENT. VERY STRONG IN THE HILLS WITH SEVERAL ADULTS IT IT. GETS GREAT GAS MILEAGE, I WOULD BUY 2 IF I COULD.

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  The truck Ford wishes it could build! - 2003 Toyota Tundra
  By hutch7 - September 20 - 2:00 am

  I finally got tired of visiting my 97 F-150 at the repair shop and got the Tundra. After 9K of problem free driving I couldnt be happier. Exceelent buld quality, outstanding engine and Lexus like ride. Great personal truck...if I was going to get a work truck Id probably buy an old Chevy beater.

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  4runner over ml320 - 2003 Toyota 4Runner
  By rogerw6 - September 20 - 2:00 am

  So far this is the finest vehicle I have owned. My ML320 was very troublesome and I expect Toyota to be reliable. The 4runner is fun to drive and handles more like a car than a truck. The interior design is useful and attractive. The Nav system is the best of the three I have tried.

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  built to last - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By quocbt - September 20 - 2:00 am

  Great car, very reliable. This this the 6th Toyota car that I own, most of them run over 160,000 with very few repairs. If you want quality car, take my advise, dont buy anything else.