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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  Sienna review - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Kierstin - September 4 - 10:00 am

  With three kids under three (1-yr-old twins + 3-yr.-old), I had to make the move from cool SUV to the mom-mobile (mini-van)--but this car made that move so worthwhile! We love this car! And the kids do too! Its so functional with the 3 carseats, and the DVD player is perfect for my oldest!

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  Currently Best Minivan on the market - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By wizdog - September 4 - 10:00 am

  After test driving the competition it is very clear why the Sienna should be on the top of your buying list. Comfort, efficiency, styling, quietness, and performance are key attributes in this redesigned minivan. Features are well thought out and plentiful, however you do have to pay with no buying incentives as demand is great.

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  very pleased - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By NRB - September 4 - 10:00 am

  I have been pleasantly pleased with this vehicle. It gets great gas mileage and is surprisingly fun to drive. Perfect vehicle for our family of five. Nice space and great power. Only complaint is that it drips water in front door windows when cracked if raining- worse than any other car I have driven.

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  The Best Minivan Made Today - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Ken Y - September 4 - 10:00 am

  After being let down by the Pontiac Montana (engine problems at 81k miles), and then briefly owning a Kia Sedona (small, thirsty, and poorly made), the Toyota Sienna is the best minivan Ive ever driven. Aside from the legendary reliability of Toyota, there is interior room galore, plenty of engine power, a very refined ride, and good gas mileage. Kudos to Toyota for adding the 8-passenger option. Tons of room behind the 3rd row. Feels like a Lexus. 23 mpg on a mix of city and highway driving (the Kia only got 16). Plenty of towing capacity. Look out Honda Odyssey, Sienna is the new #1. If youre considering a suburban, consider the Sienna instead!

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  Sienna XLE Ltd: Lexus RX33 in Disguise? - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By SF Bay Area Owner - September 4 - 10:00 am

  Comfortable, cruises well at prolonged high speed, blurs distinction between minivans & SUVs. Cargo capacity & interior beat Honda Odyssey. DVD player, augmented by AC outlet for computer games, is great on long trips. All-wheel drive means no chains in snow. Unibody construction lowers center of gravity. SUV performance without endangering others, gulping fuel, or offending the politically correct.

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  Navigation system defective by design - 2010 Toyota Sienna
  By fdbck - September 4 - 4:26 am

  The Toyota Siennas navigation system has a "safety feature" which is not advertised anywhere, it appears to be the least talked about safety feature of any vehicle on the market. When the vehicle is moving, the navigation and phone hands free controls are locked out. They dont trust that passenger can safety change your destination with the vehicle moving. It was a waste of $2500. The voice recognition system is mostly useless, out of 10 times saying "home" it only correctly registered once. Does anyone actually like/want faux wood trim?

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  Reliable of course - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By beaver - September 3 - 8:26 pm

  Very nice car! While it wont break any land speed records, it does have nice style, really nice interior, really nice all over, but what puts Toyota ahead of everyone else is reliability. I have put over 230,000 miles on it in 8 years (and missed oil changes here and there)! Repairs in that time: replaced the head gasket and have gone through 3 batteries and many tires.

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  Toyota Quality Slipping - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By first toyota - September 3 - 4:33 am

  First Toyota my wife and I have owned. Looking forward to many trouble free years based on review of others. After a year our car had the fuel system replaced. Last week the steering shaft was replaced due to a defect. This will be our last Toyota.

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  No real issues after a year of ownership. - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Zak - September 2 - 4:38 am

  I know there are a several people that are not happy with their 2016 Tacomas for various reasons posting here. One of the consistent reasons that come up is the transmission shifting issue. I noticed the same issue after my first week of ownership. Driving from Dallas to Shreveport, the transmission was constantly hunting for gears and if I was using cruise control, the slightest incline would cause it to downshift and stay stuck in 4th gear. This was incredibly annoying, but I knew Toyota would fix it. Now that Toyota has finally fixed this issue, my truck is perfect. If you are having the transmission issue, ask your service dealer to apply the T-SB-0077 transmission update. I own the double cab TRD off road model and it performs very well on the road and trails. If I had it to do all over again, I would probably just buy the 4x4 SR model and do all of my own customizations instead of buying the Toyota upgrade models.

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  I love this car - 2001 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Ellen in Charlotte - September 2 - 2:36 am

  I looked for a year for a used Solara convertible and Im glad I waited. I have the 6-cyl and it drives like a sportscar. I have only done regular maintenance (did the 90K mi service), as it has needed nothing else. I plan to drive this car until it falls to pieces, which could be 10 more years. Comfort is great for the driver and passenger, the back seat passengers have complained a bit. And, of course, its a bit noisy on the highway with the top up, just not completely airtight but who cares?