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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  Excellent all-around - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Aibolit - December 7 - 10:00 am

  We just replaced our old 1998 Sienna LE with this 2004 XLE Limited with the best package there is. We fell in love at first sight. There is a multitude of fun & functional features, including a rear-seat entertainment system, DVD navigation console, intuitive parking assist, laser-assisted cruise control, power sliding doors, and simply too many features to list.

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  Great value, could be better - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By hyan - December 7 - 6:13 am

  For 16.5K (inc. 1K cash back), this car is a great buy. Very roomy/quiet, smooth transimission, decent MPG, very good audio for the money, decent brake. The cars pickup from a full stop is slow, passenger rare bar too thick, steering very numb. With quiet ride, poor rare view, numb steering makes driving actually feel HARDER in communte unless you choose to stay in the same lane. But overall, still great value.

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  Good value for money - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By Belmont - December 7 - 3:00 am

  Its comfortable and fun to drive. I love the mileage I get.

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  Excellent car! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By 07XLEV6 - December 6 - 7:00 pm

  This is my first Camry. Overall this car is very quiet, comfortable, smooth, powerful, and absolutly the best mid-size in the current market. Great new exterior style design. Excellent interior build quality. Leather seats are comfortable, Nav system is easy to use. The new interior design is ok to me, the blue-backgound center console is a little bit awkward, too bright at night. Ash leather interior with light yellow fake wood trim is just ok design. I only have a vibration/shimmy problem at 70 mph, visited dealer three times and ended up with changing a new tire and now the ride is even quieter and comfortable.

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  Excellent Example of Toyota Quality - 2007 Toyota Sienna
  By L.Shuman - December 6 - 10:30 am

  The 2007 Sienna ride is improved greatly compared to the 2004 model we traded. The horsepower increase is noticeable. We frequently find ourselves loading six full sized adults in the Sienna only to have it function completely to our satisfaction. Our experience is an avg. 23 mpg under avg. driving habits. Fit and finish are what one would expect from Toyota. No appreciable road noise. No squeaks or other obnoxious sounds.

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  Best Car Ive Ever Owned - 2008 Toyota Avalon
  By Scott Monroe - December 6 - 9:50 am

  Just get the basics done on this vehicle, oil changes, brakes, alignments, etc, and it will last forever.

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  Best Truck Made! - 2006 Toyota Tundra
  By GeoTundra - December 6 - 8:50 am

  This truck is an all around great truck. It has never needed to be cranked more than one time to start even at 40,000 miles. This truck has gotten excellent fuel economy too! Ive done about 550-600 miles on full tank, which I couldnt believe, remembering its a V8. I took it to the dealer for the recall it had and it drives a little different from before but still not bad. Everything works as it should and this truck couldnt impress me more. No American car can compare to the reliability of this one.

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  2006 Toyota Solara convertible SLE - 2006 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Stephen A. Zinone - December 6 - 2:56 am

  Looks like my two years of research paid off -- my first convertible is a winner!

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  Best car in the World! - 2006 Toyota Corolla
  By Momcat - December 6 - 1:40 am

  I have owned Toyota Corollas since 1972 & dont plan to ever own any other brand. The previous autos I owned (all purchased new, by the way) were a nightmare - frequent repairs, breaking down in the middle of the road, etc. YUCK! My Corollas have been completely dependable and trouble free for about 200,000 miles. The body construction seems to be strong: I have been hit HARD by other drivers and walked away unhurt.

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  Best Purchase Ive ever made - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By RicenBeans - December 6 - 1:13 am

  This car is not just economical and reliable, but its also beautiful and fun to drive! Im 20 years old and just got my 2nd corolla 2 days ago. My first one was a 2005. What a huge upgrade in features Toyota made. Absolutely wonderful vehicle for the price.