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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  Practical All-Around Vehicle - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By Harky - April 21 - 2:36 am

  Owned this car for one year, so far no issues. Before buying I test drove both Camry and Rav4. Both cars felt same in terms of driving dynamics and both cars share some mechanical parts, but picked Rav4 for its high-seating position. Fuel economy is above average and pretty roomy inside. A little bit sluggish from stop, but this is a 4 cylinder (get 6 cylinder for quick starts). The space in the drivers side needs to be improved especially in left knee area. Also, the tire noise is little bit high during the highway cruising, thus the sound insulation in the cabin needs to be improved.

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  Best in years - 2000 Toyota Camry Solara
  By cc - April 21 - 2:00 am

  Although car was puchased from one dealership, I did not like their service or personnel. I service vehicle at another toyota dealership who are extremely attentive, courteous and provessional.

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  1998 Toyota Camry LE - 1998 Toyota Camry
  By rlafford - April 21 - 2:00 am

  We purchased this vehicle, our second Camry, from Hertz after a 1 year rental. The vehicle had 25,000 miles when we purchased it. The only maintenance has been oil, a scheduled timing belt change, transmission service and 2 sets of tires. We just put the second set on. No brake work required and the pads are still in excelent condition. Paint is doing fine with only a yearly waxing. This Camry is well on its way to joining our first one in the 200,000 mile club. Our 1990 Camry LE wagon is pushing 290,000 miles and still going strong. These things must take lessons from the Energizer Bunny - they keep going, and going, and going....

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  From Landcruiser to Dual cab Tundra - 2004 Toyota Tundra
  By Female owner - April 21 - 2:00 am

  One of the reasons I bought this truck was for the Landcruiser like ride and interior. After buying this truck my Landcruiser just sat in the garage. It has excellent power, handling and ride.

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  Beautiful Automobile - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By highwayman - April 21 - 2:00 am

  This was a special order car that took two months to get. Styling inside and out is beautiful. Car came with discolored rear bumper(lunar mist).Paint was "mottled" and was changed. Car pulled to the left and service contacted tech support. Dealer changed bolt and flange(part #90105- 17011&90105-17009) and car now tracks straight.

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  My 2003 Highlander - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By Mr Highlander - April 21 - 2:00 am

  Riding in the front is great, comfortable, back seat is somewhat less. The backseat is firm and the ride is a bit stiff jarring. Handling is great. The side mirrors are a real value, big, Braking is good, but it takes time to get used to the 4 wheel disk brakes feel.

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  Comfort, quality and fuel-effiicent - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By yankel18 - April 21 - 2:00 am

  I kept reading all those reviews about what a good but dull car this is. Well, if comfort, quality, security and fuel-efficiency is boring, count me in. The fit and finish is tight, the drive is secure and the interior is laid out in an intuitive way. Its peppy enough and I find it pretty exciting not to be giving much money away to the oil companies and terrorist-sponsoring countries. When you add up what you get, its a pretty good value for the money (I got side air bags, automatic, ABS, cruise, upgraded CD player for $15,200.

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  Great small SUV - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By Don - April 20 - 11:16 pm

  The V6 4WD Limited has all the options I need in a SUV. Im getting about 24 MPG which is good for the performance. At first the seats felt uncomfortable however the more I drive the RAV4 the better they feel.

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  My Avalon on its 6th birthday - 2011 Toyota Avalon
  By jhon - April 20 - 7:47 pm

  The car lives up to its reputation as a "poor mans Lexus".

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  Great Car for family - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By jnayak - April 20 - 4:30 pm

  We bought a 2009 Toyota Venza, we got a good deal on a V6 3.5L for the Price of 4 cyl 2.7. The build quality of Venza is far more superior than the Ford Edge, Nissan pathfinder and the Murano. We like the standard features which includes most of the updgrades in other cars. The only disappointment was that the sales lady at the dealer ship was not quite up to speed with the recall on the floor mats for the venza. When i asked her about it she said that Venza is not impacted but I found out on the Toyota website about the recall on Venza. Overall we are very happy with the car, the ride is smooth and the interior feels like a lexus.