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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  Very good car - 2009 Toyota Prius
  By rodman - February 1 - 11:43 am

  I am more than happy with my car, I test drove Insight and Prius in same day and I can tell that insight has a really cheap interior and shakes really bad when it switches from gas to electric and vice versa. But prius runs really smooth and its really fun to drive. GO prius.

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  Five Years of Driving Pleasure - 2006 Toyota Camry Solara
  By TN Engineer - February 1 - 11:26 am

  We bought the first 2004 Solara to arrive in this area, and enjoyed it greatly until it perished in a collision. We sought an exact duplicate as fast as we could. The replacement 2006 model has served us well for over 36,000 miles with no repairs at all. We have received many compliments on its appearance (red with black interior), and it is quiet and smooth at highway speeds. The trunk is large and the front seats are very comfortable. The only small complaint I have is the transmissions reluctance to downshift quickly after my wife has been driving the car slowly around town. This can be re-set by gassing the car from a stop several times, and it will "learn" to downshift quicker.

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  Base Rav4 - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By ctutty - February 1 - 10:30 am

  We decided on a vehicle that allows the wife to enter/exit a higher driving position car. She finds getting in and out of the smaller Rav4 easier on her hip (bursitis). We took the Rav4 for its first long vacation trip, putting a total of 1590 miles on the vehicle. We averaged over 28mpg. The Rav4 handled in a predictable and well mannered fashion, but when rolling over rough pavement, you know you are not riding in a sedan. Some road noise was also evident at slow speeds, possibly due to the larger 17" (steel) wheels that came with the Value Pkg. The wife found the Rav4 a bit better to her driving sense than the CRV we test drove. The only complaint so far is the audio system (muffled).

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  Great Buy! - 1996 Toyota Avalon
  By Morris Mandy - February 1 - 10:00 am

  This Avalon is the best car I have ever owned between my old Ford Taurus and my old, Honda Accord. Tgis car handles great is very comfortable and takes the bumps better then any casr I have ever seen.

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  Undecided - 2002 Toyota Sequoia
  By dalex - February 1 - 10:00 am

  While the truck has performed well generally and is great in snow and rain, but there have been inumerable other "minor mechancial failures" such as power locks, windows and antenas all needing repairs as well other other issues. The problem...? These items are out of warantee and should not be breaking on a 2.5 yr old truck and have cost over $2,000 to repair. Toyota should come up with fold flat middle and rear seats. While they fold down, they do not fld flat and are cumbersome to remove from the truck and as a result take up considerable storage room when carrying cargo. Also the engine is slightly under powered.

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  The question. - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Jim McKinnon - February 1 - 10:00 am

  Whenever I get into my new solara, I ask the question, do I put the top down. Unless it is raining, my answer is always yes.

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  This car is great!!!!!!! From 2002-2004! - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By Marquise - February 1 - 10:00 am

  We just brought a 2002 Toyota Camry LE V6 not to long ago, and its great. The trunk is huge, interior is very comfortable, and the exterior is very stylish. I love my brand new Camry. Well, not really brand new, but you know what I mean.The interior is very quiet, the sound system is better than 2 home surroundsystems put together. No, its not bose. Its JBL brand, 8 speakers in six places, and lots of other featues. This Camry hardly requires no maintanace, uses very little gas, much better than all the competetors, such as: Honda Accord, Nissan Maxima, Nissan Altima, Kia Amanti, Mit. Galant, Ford Tarus, and mostly the Chevy Malibu. We tested them all.

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  Excellent road trip car - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By Grandladye - February 1 - 10:00 am

  I bought my 2004 4cyl automatic Camry LE at the end of March this year. I have already driven it to Altanta from Cleveland, Ohio and it did an excellent job. The Camry handled excellently at highway speeds, it accellerated nicely in the hills of Kentucky and Tennessee, and it got excellent gas mileage. Actually, my in-city gas mileage is even better since my trip. The handling could be a little tighter, but over all I love my car.

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  Anastasias Review - 2005 Toyota Echo
  By Anastasia - February 1 - 9:20 am

  I love my Echo! I recommend it to anyone who asks. I get great gas mileage and it is very comfortable, even for long drives. Lots of room, big trunk.

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  BUY IT!!! - 1996 Toyota Corolla
  By lukebecker - February 1 - 8:42 am

  This is the second one I owned and I must say I love them. 100% reliable. Always starts. Almost 200K on it and still purrrs like a kitten. Nice speed out of them too. I would tell anyone that if the price is right go for it. I had the one before and it lasted 250K until I let someone use it. Clutch was gone when they came back. Didnt think it was worth the fix.