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 first Toyota - 2008 Toyota Avalon
  By Bill - September 29 - 1:26 am

  I bought it used a few weeks ago after much research, thought, and comparisons. I am 59 years old, and have owned many cars. My favorite up to this point was a 1998 Lincoln Continental. I had 90% decided the Avalon Touring was as close as I would ever get to my old continental, so I finally went to try one out. The minute I hit the highway, I knew this was the one. I couldnt be happier after three weeks and 1500 miles. Perfect car for me.

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  Good SUV, Not cheap - 2006 Toyota 4Runner
  By c2computer - September 28 - 9:46 pm

  Good SUV for, the price can get a bit steep to get some options that others are offering standard (6 disc CD, auto off lights, integrated audio controls, etc.) I tested a lot of vehicles, if it werent for the aggresive money factors on the lease from Toyota, I would have purchased elsewhere. Toyota has great quality but you sure pay for it, although the residuals help out in the end.

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  Smooth like a Lexus but not quite there - 2006 Toyota Sienna
  By Creighton - September 28 - 9:03 am

  Having owned this car for a while now, I have very mixed feelings about it. Its smooth and refined like my Lexus but has very mediocre interior ergonomics that are very un-Lexus-like. Its very easy to love the features; HID lighting, AWD, Nav, laser-cruise control, bluetooth, DVD, comfy leather seats; but somehow, Toyota didnt get some of the basics right. The frequently used climate control buttons are small and mislabeled. The 2nd row seats constantly rattle and squeak. The run-flat tires are truly terrible but at least warranted by Toyota. Fuel economy was terrible at first but is improving with age.

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  2012 Toyota Camry LE 4DR Automatic - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By speeddts - September 28 - 5:29 am

  This is car is a great value, just below $20,500 I had a hard time saying no. Have owned since December 2011. Other cars considered: 1) Chevrolet Cruze ECO (great choice, low inventory at the time) 2) Hyundai Sonata GLS - careful look at the parts, tires are cheap, interior plastics meh. 3) Honda Civic - waste of time, over priced, cheap parts, cheap looking etc etc. The Camry is a great value, comes with 2 years free maintenance, road side assistance. Car drives very smoothly, adequate engine power, currently averaging 29 mpg.

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  At 95K its still truckin - 2002 Toyota Tacoma
  By Distance Driver - September 28 - 5:13 am

  Approaching 95,000 miles and my 2.7L 4 cyl is still zooming along. No let up in the power though I pause for thought when the truck seems to "lurch" at stop lights. It gets warmed up and everything seems to gell for the rest of my drive. Light weight so it can be too bouncey even in the highway and a challenge to control in wind driven rain. Pleased with the quality and had no really expensive or repeated problems. Pretty much the next 50K miles is make or break for me buying another Toyota since Ive had less expensive Fords make it to this point just fine. I expect to be driving my 02 at 150K so heres hoping I see many more miles and that the next one is a Texas-made Tundra.

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  Better Buy than Lexus 350 - 2007 Toyota Avalon
  By Sam - September 27 - 11:30 pm

  I bought 2007 Avalon after doing lot of research and in my opinion it is an excellent car for the money. I bought XL but added leather trimming and upgraded rear view mirror. I did not go for XLS or limited as I donÂ’t care much for the wood trimming. Car so far has been very good, quiet, handles excellent and itÂ’s roomy. ItÂ’s a better buy than Lexus 350 at a $4500 less. I would recommend Toyota to ditch out the cassette player and put I pod. I am not sure if you can get 31 MPG, or at least I have not yet.

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  Good Value Option - 2015 Toyota Corolla
  By jvg27 - September 27 - 8:27 pm

  The good: The Corolla LE provides a great value. There are a ton of high-end features that make it comfortable and economical. The car rides smoothly and I have averaged 33 MPG in mostly city driving. Overall, a great ride so far. The "other": I find there are quite a few major blind spots. In addition, the steering wheel does not travel far enough forward. The armrest is either too small, or too low, or just a poor design because I cant get comfortable on it. Lastly, and most concerning, I find that the car wonders. My previous Jetta tracked straight as an arrow. This car will just wonder off without warning. I really dont care for that aspect of the driving character.

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  FJ Cruiser Trail Teams Special Edition - 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By w1z - September 27 - 9:50 am

  Bull bar w/lights, Roof rack with airdam + lights, Black steel wheels, BFG t/a tires, Birnstein shocks, rock rails, spare wheel cover, subwoofer, heavy mats,trailer hitch, TRD stainless exhaust, traction, water resistant seats, premium gas or regular, tinted glass roll-pitch-compass-temp cluster, added a TomTom 920T GPS & bluetooth, a full-time rear view camera, & with my iPhone I feel almost human, well maybe like IronMan! smooth ride, add small spots to the side mirrors & angle them out further, add flat rubber cargo straps. I have no complaints. Get the 100k mi extd warranty & the expenses paid service. Highly recommend this version if you can find one. Breathlessly awesome. 3200 made.

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  my truck - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By j - September 26 - 2:50 pm

  awesome power, great looks, seats are the best toyota ever made, even the base sound system is better then any other toyota truck.

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  Family truck - 2009 Toyota Tundra
  By Lance - September 26 - 11:40 am

  We traded in a Toyota Sequoia for the Crewmax Tundra as our primary soccer mom, road trip, camping vehicle. The back seat is great and 3 boys fit very well. We haul so much stuff that we were trashing the back of the SUV and this is the perfect solution. Drives great and has lots of room to throw stuff in and go. The power is amazing and fun and the interior room and comfort has everything you need.