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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  Yaris 3 Door Liftback "The FUN Car" - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By Jerome K Culp - November 4 - 8:03 am

  Bottom line, the Yaris is awesome. I had auto start and window tinting installed two days after the purchase. Upgraded heater package works good (I live in Alaska where the temp drops to -45 degrees). Center gauges took a little to get used to. Great head & leg room for 6 plus drivers and passengers. Test drive one for yourself. You will love it!

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  Better than Lexus - 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid
  By sgruberk - November 4 - 3:07 am

  Test drove Lexus ES350 and Toyota Non-Hybrid Avalon. Lexus was nice but I liked the interior of Avalon better, felt more spacious inside. I also thought ride was better with hybrid. It felt more button down to the road vs Lexus. Overall, I love cars quiet cabin yet the handling is very taught. And there is slight whirl sound when you are braking but I think that sound makes the car almost like its from the future. I am glad with the purchase and I recommend this vehicle to who are considering other similar cars in the segment.

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  Awesome - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By tonka - November 3 - 7:36 pm

  I love this car. All the features were great. I love the convenience and standardization of all the features. The only downside to the all wheel drive is that the all wheel drive comes with run-flat tires. We ended up buying the 2 wheel drive.

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  Effortless Suv - 2008 Toyota Sequoia
  By jason973 - November 3 - 3:56 pm

  After researching every large SUV on the market, I found myself the owner of a Sequoia. I took a 300 mile trip to Cape Cod the following day. This truck drives great. It has power to get around anything. There is no waiting for the passing gear. It really handled great. I made record time, and got a reasonable 17 MPG. I could see easily getting 19 keeping it at 70-75. The interior is huge. I had plenty of luggage room even with the kids seats in the second row. The front seats are nice (mine adjust up and down). I dread the idea of the novelty of this truck wearing off.

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  love this car - 2001 Toyota Celica
  By jamie - November 3 - 10:46 am

  I love this, car i think that it ts one of the best cars that Toyota has built. It is small so you can fit almost anywhere on the rode, and it is a nice looking affordable car. I think that Toyota idi a great job in building this car.

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  I love my Prius - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Gloria Pierce - November 3 - 2:50 am

  I love driving my Prius. It is as smooth as a Magic Carpet Ride. It is soft and easy to handle and yet still has the European feel when driving, just softer and quieter. The touch screens are easy to work with and it shows me in several ways exactly how much gasoline it is using and how many gallons per mile it is using at any given time. It teaches you how to drive safer and more carefully to not use as much gasoline and after 1100 miles, Im averaging, realistically, 47 miles per gallon.

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  GREAT all around car - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By matrix vibe owner - November 2 - 10:30 pm

  bought after reviewing all the amazing reliability reports and excellent gas mileage and have not been disappointed. ZERO issues! only changed the oil, flushed other fluids after 4 years and 140,000 miles. You will not find a better value around and quality to go 300,000+ miles

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  Laughing away from the gas pump - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Button - November 2 - 6:43 pm

  Ive had the car for 6 weeks and love it! Im getting 47 mpg in mixed driving, over twice what I was getting in old car. Great hatch, with no liftover - its easy to get things in and out. Backup camera is a must, difficult to see anything out of rear window. Would not get tan cloth interior again, shows dirt too easy. Would get leather interior, wish they would offer heated seats.

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  little fuel sipper - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By bigdoglover - November 2 - 6:10 pm

  Ive had my Yaris for about a year and a half now and she is comfy and sure sips the fuel. I average about 33 mpg in the winter and about 38 mpg in the summer. I love the cupholders in my little car! I have my backseat down all of the time and my lab jumps right in for her rides. Wish it was more comfy for long trips though.

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  Excellent Four - Anyone - 2005 Toyota RAV4
  By Haggis - November 2 - 10:30 am

  Traded an 03 Highlander for this Rav4. Con: Less room, not as soft a ride. Pros: Who needs anything larger than this fourbanger ? Peppy, responsive, highly maneuverable and keeps pace on the freeway with the best of the lot. A very fun vehicle to drive (great turning radius for an SUV). Typical Toyota, interior and exterior, fit and finish very well done.