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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  Excellent car with TONS of useful gadgets - 2006 Toyota Sienna
  By Gurmeet Singh - November 20 - 6:20 pm

  We love this car with lots of space and extremely smooth run. It also has lots of cool gadgets - if you take a fully loaded car with top package, it comes with excellent working bluetooth connection, 110 v power supply, power doors, auto light on/off. It is a pleasure to drive this vehicle.

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  My Corolla S - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Kelly - November 20 - 2:33 pm

  I have enjoyed every minute of owning my Corolla. The car is very reliable and even made out well when I took it on vacation for a week in the mountains where the roads were extremely icy. The interior has a lot of space, so even men enjoy driving it.

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  Best car ever - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By kennycrowshaw - November 20 - 2:30 pm

  After being a GM man I made the jump to Toyota. Best decision Ive ever made with cars. This car is comfortable, quiet and best of all great fuel economy on the highway. Last week my wife was rear-ended by a Chev half ton as she was stopped to turn left. He hit her traveling over 30mph - the half ton has been written off and the Camry is repairable. Best of all my wife came out of it with just a little bit of a stiff neck. Also it is very predictable in rain and snow. To sum up this is a safe, reliable and not bad styled car I highly recommend.

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  Wonderful car - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Hal Benham - November 20 - 1:36 pm

  The car delivers between 43.5 MPG and 45 MPG using a very heavy foot (going between 50 and 80 MPH in winter) and an average of 48 MPH when feathering the accelerator responsibly (up to 65 MPH). The best I have achieved doing a normal commuting week (20 miles each way from 50 to 65MPH)is 51.5 MPG. I am extremely pleased with the car and gas mileage. I know I would get over 50MPG in city driving. The interior design is beautifully done particularly, as it relates to use of space. The instrument panel displays are incredible and outside views (front and back)are excellent. (Tiny front windows, drop down hatchback trunk window and contoured roof line shows perfect engineering design

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  2011 Venza - 2011 Toyota Venza
  By jim829 - November 20 - 10:42 am

  We love the car! It has absolutely been a great car so far. Sun Toyota was an amazing dealership to go to and we will continue to buy our cars from here.

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  New Car - 2007 Toyota Corolla
  By Laur1pc - November 20 - 9:20 am

  This is my first brand new car, and I love it. I drive in Georgia traffic five days a week so I needed something fuel efficient and this is it. There is nothing fancy about the car, but it drives well and is comfortable so I happy with it!

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  Back to Basics - 2007 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By Perfect for MT - November 20 - 1:20 am

  A solid, reliable, comfortable vehicle that, while missing some of the fluff of similar vehicles, does everything pretty well. No electric parking brake, a simple key, a cable controlled shift lever, hydraulic suspension... simple controls that do the job, and enhance reliability. Ive owned Range Rover, X5, and Cayenne, and it was nice to get back to basics. Hope the new one doesnt succumb to electronic complication.

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  So Far, So Good - 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By Drew - November 19 - 8:03 am

  The wife and I bought one of the original 07 FJs back in March, and we love it. So far its running perfectly. Up to 40,000 miles, and still not one problem (knock on wood), just as I expect from Toyota. Great truck. Incredibly fun to drive. Handles remarkably well for an SUV.

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  3rd Tacoma for me; Best yet! - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Wilson Matthews - November 19 - 12:48 am

  Replaced a 2010 Tacoma with this 2016 TRD Sport 2WD short bed. The 2010 held great value, it was rear-ended and the towing package/hitch bent up under the truck and broke/bent the frame in 3 places and buckled the composite bed. At 6 years old and 87K miles it held 89% of its original value. The 2016 rides smoother and is significantly quieter. The interior seems to be "tighter" and of better quality. The technology package is amazing, and the sound system has quality output. The navigation is disappointing when compared to recent Garmin Nuvis. Ive only had the truck for 2 weeks, so thats all the experience I have. June 2017 1 Year Update: My review remains unchanged at 1 year of ownership. Im at 15K miles and have had no issues. Im disappointed to see Consumer Reports ratings of this truck below average: but Ive experienced no issues, maintenance still covered by ToyotaCares, likely for another year based on mileage.

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  Old Rolls. - 2002 Toyota Corolla
  By jayqohardd - November 18 - 11:11 pm

  When receiving this car as a gift at 16 years old from my mother I had never been so excited! Ever since then I have drove the car & I am now 21, & the car will be with me until it wont run anymore. From my first accident to the second one, to forgetting to change the oil, to a deer or three, to the three original hubcaps that are left, my corolla has never ever let me down. I have ran on empty far too many times than imaginable, and have never once ran out of gas. Dependable when I definitely need her to be. She is so reliable that we have named her "Old Rolls." because no matter the situation she rolls through anything. (corny I realize.)