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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  Quality, Comfort, and FUN! - 2006 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Iris - April 20 - 11:03 pm

  My first car was an old MGB convertible and I decided at 35 it was time for another convertible. I knew that it was going to be a hard change after becoming used to a four door sedan. When I test drove the Solara I knew I had found the one. There is actually room in the backseat for two tall adults and the trunk is a decent size for my shopping trips to the mall. My favorite part is how the top goes down at the push of a button in less than 15 seconds. The SLE interior is very luxurious and the hidden features of the navigation system (maintenance schedule, calendar, etc.) are very nice. There arent many around here so people are always asking me what it is and telling me how good it looks.

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  FJs fantastic - 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By Crabblegs - April 20 - 10:30 pm

  I purchased the first FJ on this dealers lot and I could not be happier. I sold my 2000 Tacoma to get the FJ. The ride off road is absolutely awesome as expected but the normal driving conditions handling and driving is great too. Off roading in the Sierras was great, it is as rugged and unstoppable as all the reports say it is. Would definately recommend one!

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  WoW.... - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Lucy - April 20 - 6:10 pm

  I traded in my 1995 Toyota V6 XLE with 148,000 miles on it for this 2007 Toyota Hybrid. It as peppy as the V6, excellent on the fuel so far. I only have 256 miles on the new car and am getting 32 miles to the gallon thus far. It has many features that were in the Lexus, JBL sound, duo air conditioning, keyless enterance and start. Trunk is a little small but the seats fold forward in the back. This is not an option on the XLE. I know I will love this car for many years.

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  Poor driver leg room - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By Prizler - April 20 - 1:06 pm

  Excellent in all aspects particularly the spunky v6 engine which has more spunk than our 06 330 BMW! Leg room for everyone in the car is very spacious except for the driver! I am 511" and my knees have little room. If the seat would just move back another 1-2 inches it would be much more comfortable.

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  toyota avalon - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By pwarden7 - April 20 - 12:00 pm

  The vehicle gives an excellent ride on local on highway roads. It has a quick acceleration and a smooth ride.

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  Great little car - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By Jo Anne Berg - April 20 - 9:40 am

  My Toyota Prius has far exceeded my expectations as a reliable, clean, economical car to drive. We had ours specially equipped with all the extras, and find it to be extremely comfortable even on very long trips. We are a family of four and find the car also has plenty of room for us. It makes us happy to think we are doing our part to help our planet. No regrets.

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  Good Mileage - not much else unfortunately - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By jring123 - April 20 - 5:44 am

  Had this as a rental for 2 weeks - looked like [violative content deleted] outside (scratched, chipped and dented all around) and inside (seat fabric worn, plastic color rubbed off everywhere) after a year - albeit with 30k miles. Even if one reckons in careless handling it did look worse than any other rental I had - including a lot older ones. Performance was ok but not more - I guess Im spoiled by my saab turbo... Steering was unremarkable, what was a bit strange was the whole Traction Control, Anti-Skid Brake and Cruise Control unit - see below. Seats and Interior were very uncomfortable for my 62" - seats dont go back far enough for sufficient legroom and hard plastic on door and dash hurts legs.

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  Ok, but not up to expectations. - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Doh - April 20 - 2:20 am

  Had a knock in the steering, needed ball joints at 50K miles. Rear door latch broke. Was misled about Toyota quality.

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  Fun, Fun, Fun - 2002 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By chris - April 20 - 1:10 am

  Wasnt looking to buy a car until I drove this one. Had 34K and runs like it is new. This is a great little car. Bought a luggage rack for traveling. I looked at the 03, 04 and 05 on the net and I like the 02 the best. Great car to get past that mid-life crisis. BTW, the wife likes it too. I would recommend this car to anyone.

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  Solid All Around - 2000 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By APG - April 19 - 11:26 pm

  This is without question the best vehicle I have ever owned. Aside from some small "guilt" at the fuel consumption, the "Cruiser" is rock solid. At 100K miles, it still drives as if it was new. It tows without a sweat, takes the kids and toys to the beach easily and plows through the snow without chains while everyone else around is stopped getting wet. I hope it lasts for another 200K, but I cant see why it wont.