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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  Close To The Perfect Car - 2010 Toyota RAV4
  By MainJane - March 19 - 10:56 am

  Youve read the rave reviews and already know that the RAV4 is a great car and the best choice in the small SUV class so I wont repeat all of its great qualities. Instead, Ill use this space to point out my 2 main gripes about the vehicle. These are the things that I wish someone had warned me about before I bought. I dont know if it would have changed my mind, but it would have been nice to know. One is the interior noise at speed. Far noisier than a car at this price point should be. Source is mostly road noise, but mechanical and wind are also contributors. Second is handling; not as crisp or responsive as it could be. Please pay attention to both of these issues before you buy.

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  OK but... - 2009 Toyota Tacoma
  By greg - March 18 - 11:23 am

  I try to get every mile per gallon I can and with this truck I have been able to squeeze 28mpg on the highway and about 25 around town with over inflated tires. Its comfy but... I am a carpenter and when the bed is loaded to about half capacity the head lights are aimed too high and there is no adjustment, the radio turns on and off randomly and has been replaced (still does it) the seat belts get tangled in the rear door, when I use 4 way flashers the dash lights up like Christmas tree, passenger seat belt warning goes on for no reason, ice gets stuck somewhere behind dash and it sounds like a bowling alley.

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  Good Car for the price - 1998 Toyota Corolla
  By Mauricio - March 16 - 7:56 pm

  I bought This car about three weeks ago So far its great, Excellent Fuel Economy. Concerned about paint thats chipped less than a 1/4 inch on the center of the door, Other wise the car is great. Ive Changed the stock streo to a new sony in-dash cd player and sounds great with the stock speakers. I would recommend this viechle to anyone in any age range.

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  Mileage mistated by Toyota and dealer - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By Patrick W. - March 16 - 2:00 am

  After 3500 miles, ave. mileage is 45. Never came close to advertised mileage. This was expected as Prius owner-friends said same. OK except, when I suggested to the sales person at the time of purchase that the advertised mileage was "optimistic", he assurred me that it was accurate. Yeeah, right! Great car but I have had better buying experiences.

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  Camry very comfy - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By rraadd - March 16 - 2:00 am

  Very smooth riding car and quiet for this size and price range. Seats and roominess are very comfortable. Shifting is smooth, although acceleration for the 2.4L is not that great, but adequate nonetheless. AC works fine, although Toyota (as well as many other brands) has to get a clue about heating. As anybody knows, hot air rises; thus, put heating vents as low to the floor as possible. I find that no matter how hot and heavy I run the heater, my feet remain cold while my upper body burns up. Fortunately, I dont live in a really cold place like Minnesota.

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  Excellent Avalon - 2008 Toyota Avalon
  By DRJ356 - March 15 - 6:13 pm

  I have been driving my 08 Avalon Limited for just over a year & have 20k on it thus far. Overall I am quite pleased. Ive had zero mechanical problems. This car is supremely comfortable to drive & ride in - easily equal to my wifes Lexus. I commute 30 miles each way daily and this car makes the trip very pleasant. Comfort is excellent for 5 adults. Interior is outstanding but with a few cheap materials (plastic doors on console). Im 64" & 250 and have good space. Center console is a bit intrusive. Buy Garmin 700-800 GPS and save $2k. Its stupid not to include a back-up camera as standard equipment on a Limited.

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  Navigation issues - 2015 Toyota Sienna
  By Destiny - March 15 - 4:44 pm

  I love my Sienna and it is my most favorite vehicle. However the navigation shuts down while driving and freezes and the most disappointing this is that Toyota says there is nothing they can do about it. I bought a brand new car and there is nothing they can do. For that I give Toyota low marks for not finding the issue and not being willing to fix it.

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  RLY1 - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By RLY - March 15 - 8:40 am

  Havent had the car long. Super in winter driving. Better stability than thought with a narrow wheel base. Hugs the road. Stuck in traffic once, and the gasoline engine never came on!

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  Seriously this car is almost as old as me - 1998 Toyota Avalon
  By carenthusiast7 - March 15 - 8:39 am

  Im 18 and a serious car enthusiast and this was my first car when my dad handed it down to me when i got my license @ 15 and a half(had 150k miles on it). Of course it isnt exactly my choice of a car and I made a bet with my father that if the car died we would get a replacement car of my choice(reasonably priced of course). And Im still losng that bet, that car has not died at all or shown signs of even slowing down. Sum of it all, you cant go wrong with this car if you need a used cheap low maintainence car for just point A to point B.

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  Good - 2017 Toyota Camry
  By Balaji Pandian Selvarajan - March 14 - 2:08 pm