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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  Nice Ride, Nice Truck! - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By Michael - May 27 - 7:46 pm

  I always wanted a Tacoma, mostly for the build quality...but the older models just werent large enough for my 6 2" and 240 lb frame. When they changed to the new body style, I had to go test drive it and WOW...was I amazed! I bought the truck with no regrets to date and with no problems either, I just rolled over 25,000 miles after 7 months...its definitely a keeper. I like the overall handling, the ride, and the interior features and space. My wife enjoys it as well...can hardly get the keys out of her hands. I bought the Pre-runner model, she likes the way it sits up in traffic and how other vehicles get out of her way on the highway. Just a nice Truck!

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  I love my car - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By Barbara Cash - May 27 - 6:03 pm

  Before I bought this car I had an elderly Camry wagon with close to 300,000 miles on it. We do a lot of traveling so I wanted a new car. I fell in love with the MATRIX the first time I saw it. It is the perfect size and I love the sunroof. My husband and I travel all over California and into some parts of Nevada and we have really enjoyed this car. it is very comfortable and quite spacious for the two of us and all of our stuff. I am so glad that we bought it and I plan on driving it for many years to come.

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  Vanilla - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By DV - May 27 - 3:56 pm

  Ive owned the Highlander for five years now and have never gotten used to the exterior styling. Its about as vanilla (plain) as they come. The interior is well done, however, and the car provides a very comfortable ride, although its a bit noisy at highway speed. Reliability and quality are good - just as one might expect from Toyota. However, if youre looking for good styling and a powerful, fun car to drive this is not it - nor is any Toyota for that matter. The car lacks style and horsepower and has no towing capacity. Most importantly, it lacks rear interior space and can only carry four to five adults. (Only small children can fit in the optional rear seat.)

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  Prius Delivers - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By Jewel - May 27 - 3:10 pm

  We took ownership of our 2006 Prius in mid-January. We have package #7 with the added addition of leather seats. So far, we have been truly thrilled with our experience. The Prius is comfortable to ride-in, really fun to drive and we have honestly been averaging 54 miles to the gallon in all kinds of driving conditions (although we live in the south, so not really any truly cold weather. And we do drive somewhat differently in this car. We use cruise control ALOT, we glide a lot - meaning take feet off the brake when gliding to a red signal, for instance...and we try to accelerate slowly. The pick-up is great when needed thought.

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  The best of the best! - 2002 Toyota Sequoia
  By doc182 - May 27 - 9:20 am

  The title explains it all!

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  Toyota Minivan or Lexus Minivan - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By ss - May 27 - 7:43 am

  Always thought people enjoy minivans when they buy it and when they sell it. Here comes Sienna, sales man insisted my wife to test drive it and thats it. We loved it over GX470, Honda Pilot,Seqoia.... Took the highest model,paid 37K and love it. Toyota dealerships are the best and Toyota company is always asking feedback to improve. For future maybe some extra power would be good. But this is a true gem. Great drive city or highway. Music system is awesome. Did not take entertainment system ot navigation but everything else is in here. Love how the dashboard looks at night.

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  Great Car!!!! - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Becker - May 27 - 6:36 am

  We bought a 2009 TCH in November 2008. Traded in our 2001 Honda Prelude so wanted a bigger sedan with 4 doors. We bought the complete package to include heated seats, navigation, and leather interior/moon roof. We now have 4K miles and really enjoy it. Hard to imagine that we can drive 500+ miles on one tank! Averaging 34-35 MPG city/freeway combine. Love the navigation system with built in blue tooth. The ride is so quite and handles well on the freeway. Only concern is a lag when engine switches to battery at certain speeds on freeway but all in all are very happy with this car. Were happy we bought it!!

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  Hybrids have moved up! - 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By luckyme1 - May 26 - 10:09 pm

  This is my second Hybrid, and what a great improvement Toyota has made. Excellent acceleration, quiet, refined feel, great build quality, and, Oh yes, great MPG. So far averaging 39 MPG in cold weather. Amazingly fast heat up in winter, good handling, and comfortable all around sedan. Comparing to Hyundai, Kia and Ford offerings, the Toyota Camry really shines. Much better build and quality than the Korean makes, and just feels better than the Fusion. We have Prius in our company fleet, and they are great for dependability and cost of operation. But this 2012 Camry is in a whole new league.

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  Rating - 2002 Toyota Sienna
  By The Force Controller - May 26 - 10:00 am

  A good mini-van. It drinks gas somewhat.

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  LC Applause! - 2000 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By joecrawley - May 26 - 10:00 am

  This is the SUV I always wanted. My dreams came true when I finally had the where-with-all to purchase. They say you cant have your cake and eat it too... with the Land Cruiser you can.The LC is an automotive dessert in a auto-world of chopped liver.