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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  my corolla - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By Stingray1950 - May 26 - 2:00 am

  Due to very high headrests in the rear seats, rear visibility is extremely limited. This seems to be a trend will ALL car makers this year, as there is the same problem with Hyundais.

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  Almost a Lexus is300 - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By Leeyore - May 26 - 2:00 am

  The 2003+ Toyota Corolla is bigger, more stylish, and more comfortable than its predecessors. The difference in size and aesthetics is astounding. Better yet, park it between a VW Passat and a Volvo S40. HP is a drawback. The Corolla doesnt provide much punch. But if youre worried about HP, why are you looking at this car? I have to point out 2 other things: no power seats option and a little more sound-dampening would be nice. Obviously, these items would drive the price up. And then it would be the higher-priced Lexus is300.

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  A MiniVan Must Buy - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By MELODY95 - May 26 - 2:00 am

  My husband and I went looking for a SUV with a 3rd row of seats as we have 2 small children. We had a Jeep Grand Cherokee and we needed something a little bigger. We were completely against buying a minivan. We went to the Toyota dealership to drive 2 different SUVs. This particular dealership didnt have either one of the SUVs we were wanting to look at. The salesman got me to drive a Sienna and before I even drove it I fell in love with it. It is the best car I have ever owned. Well worth the cost.

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  Great car - 2001 Toyota Prius
  By Bas - May 25 - 4:10 pm

  This car is just great. Fuel consumption is excellent. The car has enough power for everyday use. All our friends are very positive about this car. Only bad thing is that you cant tow anything.

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  2009 Toyota Corolla S - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By CTM - May 25 - 3:10 pm

  The Corolla S is affordable, has great styling, an interior that doesnt rattle, an engine that will scoot- is quiet- and gets way over 30 mpg, and most importantly, is a "compact" car that has a respectable trunk. I am averaging 37 mpg so far with about 70% highway driving. The car will easily accelerate when you need to pass. The transmission is great, picks a gear and does not struggle up hills-- quick to comply with a downshift if you put your foot down. The trunk opening is HUGE, much larger than a Cobalt. Seats are comfy. AC blows cold. JBL stereo is incredible, I set ASL off, Bass +2 and Treble +4. Turn it to 45 and ROCK

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  2007 Toyota Prius - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By Mike - May 25 - 8:43 am

  2007 with Option 6 (leather, nav, backup camera). Drive car daily in both city and highway conditions. Have not had a single problem. I average 57 MPG in the summer and 52 in the winter. Usually can drive around 525-550 miles per tank. Surprised by the acceleration, it moves! Love the car, highly recommend it, especially for commuters.

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  Thats Right, Look at Me - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By cam-man - May 25 - 4:23 am

  I am the envy of all my friends because of my silver SE V6. After owning the SE for 3 weeks now, Ive already put 4,200 miles on it, and it hasnt let me down. The transmission is flawed, it takes a few seconds for it to speed up, but once it goes it goes fast, I love the shift gate, great for easy passing! I turn heads everywhere. Im glad I got the SE because they look so much better than the other models and they dont seem to be as popular. (I dont want too many people to have my car!!) Get the door sill enhancers easy to put on yourself and makes a drastic difference to your car!

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  7 Year old vehicle outperform some 06 s - 1999 Toyota 4Runner
  By Alonso Valenzuela - May 25 - 3:03 am

  Offroad capabilty: excellent it only needs a back up camera and GPS in your dash and you are ready to have serious fun. Onroad driving: marvelous, like a medium sedan. MPG: poor, but its worth every penny I spent. I installed Bi-xenon and looks awesome, besides it turns day light, great headlight design. Sound: Just add sub-woofers and the premium sound system does the rest. The last name of Toyota is "reliability".

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  I recommend strongly... - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By charlie - May 24 - 2:06 pm

  I previously owned a 1995 sr5 4runner 2wd and recently purchased a 2005 4wd limited 4.0 v6 model and highly recommend it... it drives wonderful. It is very quiet and smooth. and I know it will pull my 19ft bass boat just fine, it has nice power and acceleration..very strong. I live in florida and know that the v6 4.0 will handle everything i need it too, if you do live in a mountainous state/town the v8 may be the way to go.

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  Beware matching price claims - 2016 Toyota Sienna
  By Tom lincoln - May 24 - 12:30 pm

  Edmunds was great to find the car I wanted and help with pricing. I shopped a couple of dealers and one, Bob Baker Toyota, claimed they would beat anothers price, when I got there the manager said he made a mistake. Beware of such claims and gimicks. Toyota of San Diego seemed much more straitforward and honest.