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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  An Overall Winner - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By Vic - May 15 - 11:23 am

  I bought this car to use as my commuter vehicle into NYC from New Jersey every day. It was all about fuel economy. After using it, my whole family prefers to take the Prius on trips rather than a larger, less economical car because of the room and the ride. I am considering getting rid of that to get my wife a Prius. My fuel economy is less than I expected, but still better than any other car my 63" frame would fit in, at an average of 44 mpg in mostly stop and go driving. I have gotten as good as 52 mpg though with "regular" driving. I have not had any problems with this vehicle, so I cant complain on that front. All in all this car is a winner!

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  Fun Times - 2004 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By SpyderMom - May 15 - 10:00 am

  This is a car to just have fun in, no more carrying around kids. Wonderful to drive, great with the gas prices being so high, fill it up about every 2 weeks. Good on the freeways, great around town.

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  GREAT Vehicle to own - 2004 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By Robert V. Scott - May 15 - 10:00 am

  Resisted buying one. Have had MANY Tahoes, Yukons, a BMW X5, but this is by far the finest!My wife has a new MB CLK 430 Cab. and prefers this Landcruiser on a daily basis. She loves the Luxury and saftey combo. Easy to handle and great site lines. Reminds her of her old Lexus LS 400.Better buy than the Lexus LX 470. Use the extra 10K for the gas in this vehicle.

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  Great.... - 2004 Toyota Celica
  By Nena - May 15 - 10:00 am

  Great car but horrible blind spots. Its very difficult to see out the rear window, especially over the spoiler. Side windows offer even less visibility. You have to get used to driving using solely your mirrors really.

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  Great Car! - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By James A. Hobart - May 15 - 10:00 am

  Outstanding; fun to drive, good handling, more than adequate pick- up,keeps up with traffic on highways and inter-states, comfortable both in front and rear seats. Screens provide useful information on fuel consumption,cooling/heating and audio. Warning lights are helpful.Hatchback provides large storage area. Gas mileage is not as good as EPA estimate but still strong at high 40s per gallon. Front and side visibility are great but rear visibility is limited, requiring extra caution when backing or changing lanes. Lots of storage areas for smaller items. Plenty of cup holders. It is the best overall of any car Ive every owned.

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  I love the car -but not for snow country - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By PriusOwner - May 15 - 10:00 am

  After 10 months I still look forward to driving the 04 Prius each day. However, the car is useless in snow due to the full-time traction control system which prevents engine power to spin wheels if needed to dig out of snow. Instead, accelerator to the floor yields NOTHING - the wheels stay motionless rather than spin! This is a truly major diesign flaw (easily corrected by Toyota installing an on/off switch for the traction control system -but not currently available). Until this flaw is corrected I could not recommend the Prius to people living in snow country.

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  very impressive - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By bill newlun - May 15 - 10:00 am

  this car was very cool and a delight to test drive i enjoyed it very much handle great ,a lot of comfort for a small car every body must test drive this car the price is right on the money ,this is what i call a trip car for the gas mileage

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  6 cyl ......the only way to GO - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By camry red xle - May 15 - 10:00 am

  I love driving my camry...I owned rav 4 and celica and sporty is my style but the camry has been the Best..I gave up sporty for reliablity. My sport car is a volvo convetible. two GREAT car choices I am Happy with..

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  keeps on going even through mud and high - 2004 Toyota Tacoma
  By ajjr - May 15 - 10:00 am

  never stops running even in blizzards,floods, muds, and as for pulling others out of mud bogs diff lock works great

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  so far so good - 2004 Toyota Tacoma
  By TexasAggie04 - May 15 - 10:00 am

  This has been a great truck so far. The window sticker said mileage would be 16-19 MPG and that is about right for me. I probably average about 18 and can squeeze over 20 if I drive 65 (night-time limit). Overall build seems solid and the truck rides well on-road and off. Dont buy it if you want V-8 power though, the 6 cylinder just cant deliver as much juice. Maybe with that TRD Supercharger...