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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  Buy Tacomas - 2002 Toyota Tacoma
  By JoeMavic - October 27 - 10:00 am

  This is the best investment that I have made in any vehicle. I have never had any trouble with my truck and I enjoy actaully getting into my truck to drive around town. You can not go wrong with buying a Toyota!

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  Excellent Highway Mileage - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By chitown1075 - October 27 - 10:00 am

  This vehicle gets excellent mileage on highways. The design is functional and great for long trips. Good leg-room.

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  Highlander AWD Limited - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By Patches007 - October 27 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my Highlander 3 months and LOVE it!

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  Best MiniVan out there!!!!! - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Mr J - October 27 - 10:00 am

  The MiniVan errrrr moblie home is the best. Tons of space. Drives like a dream. Who needs a RV when you can buy this instead. I was totally against a minivan until I drove this dream. Style, power and room.

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  Finally bought a foreign car! - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Bonkels - October 27 - 10:00 am

  WE LOVE THIS FANCY MINI-VAN!!! GOODBYE AMERICAN-MADE CARS FOREVER!!! Fell in love with this XLE and worked out a deal for our 97 Venture with only 47,000 miles (barely squeezed some value out of the dealer for it). Wow is this a great riding family van. Its a shame the dealer knows so little about it, gave us wrong information left and right, but this car has alot more than we could have ever asked for.

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  Love this car! - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By trapro - October 27 - 10:00 am

  When shopping for a car I wanted a quiet ride, rich and spacious interior, great engineering, high resale value, adequate power, good looks and lot of features. I test drove several cars including different versions of the Camry and my choice is the Camry 4 cylinder XLE with the Premium Plus package. Got it for a great price, great financing and a free 4yr maintenance package. Love this car! The XLE w/prem plus makes the Camry truly a luxury car.

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  Really great car! - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By A.A.J. - October 27 - 10:00 am

  This car makes you feel like you paid in the $30k range when you paid a lot less. It rides very smoothly and it "floats" over bumps on the road. At idle you wouldnt think the engine is running. The stereo system sounds wonderful and the Power drivers seat is really a plus for standard features. You can get this car well below invoice price so shop around.

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  Couldnt be happier - 2002 Toyota Tacoma
  By Big_Port - October 27 - 2:16 am

  Aside from Fuel mileage, I couldnt be happier with my Tacoma. The build quality is great, creature comforts are minimal but its a truck, has everything you need. The exterior styling is second to none. The TRD package probably isnt necissary unless yoru a real off-roader but its nice to have for resale value. All in all, I wouldnt conscider any other 4 door truck for my needs. A+ for this Truck.

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  knock knock - 2011 Toyota Venza
  By detta - October 27 - 2:01 am

  Bought 2011 Venza w/49 miles on it new. From the start complained of knocking noise from suspension when 1st starting out after car sits for awhile. Toyota says its common in all Venzas. Also slow shifting in am when car cold. Takes three blocks to shift to 3rd gear. Toyota also said is common. Cannot see myself driving this car long. Must trade soon. Toyota dealership Royal Palm Toyota in Royal Palm Beach Fl. gave me my worst experience buying a new car. Very disappointed in vehicle.

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  After One Year - 2012 Toyota Prius
  By stef6 - October 26 - 7:15 pm

  The Prius has proven itself to be reliable and provide very good gas mileage. The seats are comfortable, however the road noise needs to be reduced. It may be the norm for cars of this class, but Toyota should do better. I have over 25K miles on the car now so I spend considerable time in it. The only complaint is the highway raod noise. I would gladly trade a mile or two per gallon for a quiet car.