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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  Could be better finish - poor gas mileage - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By Douglas R - October 9 - 8:33 am

  I am a Toyota fan and have owned many including 3 Corollas, This 2010 falls short compared to its peers in terms of interior finish (hard and cheap feeling compared to wifes 2010 Rabbit). Gas mileage is at least 30% less than advertised and no amount of TLC seems to make a difference. Steering a bit erratic. Cheap warning buzzer. Running perfectly according to dealer. Would not buy another one at this price.

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  Toyota not what it used to be - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By chad - October 6 - 1:33 am

  Ill start off by saying Ive always been a fan of Toyota. Until now. This Sienna performed great for 1 year, with the exception of fuel economy. It is not even close to the EPA estimate. The sliding side doors are difficult to close properly which caused the battery to die often. Electic windows broke 2x. 3-4 recalls in the first year. Then after the warranty -38k miles- the muffler broke and then the glove box door broke. My 100K mile extended warranty that I purchased for $1000 didnt cover either repair (fine print). I called Toyota and they were rude. Called it normal where and tear. Runs rough at 52k miles. Im now trading it in. junk.

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  Surprisingly... Terrible Car - 1993 Toyota Camry
  By Shane24 - October 6 - 1:13 am

  I purchased my 1993 Toyota Camry back in April of 2005. I bought it with 125,000 miles. As soon as I bought it everything started to go wrong. I had to replace two head gaskets. Two Oxygen sensors. A wheel bearing. Two CV shafts. Of course all of this didnt go right away. But I only put 15,000 miles on it since I bought it, and thats a lot to go wrong. Plus for a V- 6 it didnt seem that peppy. Also I got horrible gas mileage. The one good thing is that it ran smooth. Ive had enough of it. Im going to trade it in. I have owned a lot of cars in the past, but nothing was ever this bad.

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  Terrible Tundra Turmoil - 2002 Toyota Tundra
  By Nick - September 29 - 11:33 am

  You would think Toyota means "problem free" for at least 4 years, BUT NOT TRUE. At 2 years, gear shift malfunction ($1134.59 repair),defective rear leaf spring ($1239.99). At 3 years old catastrophic transmission malfunction ($3449.59). In a 3 year peroid a total of $5824. 17 repairs for someone that uses it to commute to work. OH WHAT A FEELING IT IS ! TOYOTA $$$$$$$$$

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  Issues with Acceleration - 2010 Toyota Camry
  By n2b - September 26 - 10:00 am

  This is my 7th Toyota, and a 3rd Camry. In spite of the news about unintended acceleration incidents I bought the Camry because of my past experience with Toyotas reliability. I found the 2010 models acceleration to be most uncomfortable and practically unusable. The response to the pressure on the accelerator pedal was a step up jerk rather than a ramped up response.It was a nightmare in stop&go traffic. The shop manager revealed that the pedal assembly from Toyotas US vendor was the ones needing the modifications to solve the pedal recalls. The Japanese Nippon Denso made pedals were of different design and were recall free. Did a special order with the latter - problem solved. All is well

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  Toyota never again - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By H.K. VALLEY STREAM - September 23 - 3:56 pm

  One month after purchase the check engine light went on and after 7.5 years and 24 dealer visits it still lights up. Two different toyota dealers gave up trying to fix it. The electrical system has also been a problem. Wires in power door failed and so did the wireing harnes in the trunk, and so did the electric motor in rear door go bad. The digital clock in the dash died after one year. Never, never wil i buy toyota again.

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  Bring the 2.4 ltr Hilux to the USA - 2003 Toyota Tacoma
  By RAV1973 - September 22 - 4:26 pm

  I love my Toyota Tacoma, first new car to ACT like a new car. It handles really well but certain things are frustrating nuisances: The seats (Camry seats in a truck) sit very uncomfortable- already replaced fabric twice (thats NOT normal wear/tear) the foam breaks down inside. The head lights (replaced 10 times each) since 2003 10X a bit extreme isnt it! The paint (clear coat) chipping off in random places: I had an after market sunroof put in. While some paint chipping is near the sunroof, other areas are not which exclude the paint chipping blame game. I would seriously consider Toyota product: 2.4 liter turbo diesel HILUX if sold in the USA without adjusting down the MPG iow: EPA/USA.

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  Beware of 1st year model - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By pliu1s - September 21 - 10:00 am

  I bought my 97 (previous 1st year model) with belief that Toyota would take care of me. Boy was I naive! There were usual bugs: shrieking steering wheel, loose drivers seat, bad strut towers, chattering brakes, multiple dead bulbs, and safety recall. Krauses service manager gave hard time on everything but the recall. Found myself actually forgiving the problems and buying Sienna... until Toyota refused to extend any goodwill on head gasket leak 5 days out of warranty. In a round-about way, Im glad I was too busy last month to finish negotiations on that Sienna. Now IÂ’ve bought an Odyssey. Check out Townhall for how Toyota has treated owners whove developed problems.

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  Smooth Runner But Very Uncomfortable - 2006 Toyota Tacoma
  By Tim - September 20 - 7:43 am

  The Tacoma is very quiet and smooth. Comfortable ride but sloppy handling. Very little brake feel. The base model seats are absolutely miserable. The seat belt receptacles are too far over causing them to rub on my hip (I actually paid an upholstery shop to move the driver side over!). Im a thin person, if you are heavy or wide you simply wont fit. The steering wheel does not telescope out far enough forcing you into an uncomfortable driving position. I have owned it 4 months and Im already looking to trade it off because I just cant get comfortable in the thing. Too bad, too, because it seems well built otherwise.

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  Wheres the old cars? - 2007 Toyota Avalon
  By Dan - September 13 - 7:03 am

  Where to begin.. Im just a joe who likes to save money so forgive me for my rant. and stop reading if you are part of the buy a car for 20,000 and pay everyone to fix it then sell it when your tired of it and buy a whole new car... If thats you... Then STOP reading this. You will be offended. Toyota makes great engines and has a history of great engines, but they(and most other car companies) have made their vehicles non user friendly. And simple parts and accessories have lost their quality.What do I mean? I mean I believe toyota is going backwards from the original beauty of their older predecessors.its sad. Take my 2000 Camry with a 4cyl. All the hoses are thick and heavy duty. Made to last!every clamp and air hose is easily accessible. The 2007 Avalon however has leaks in the brake lines,coolant lines,power steering line, and windshield washer line, and it only has 140k miles!so replace all those lines. Then remove all the engine paraphernalia and look at your engine, then take your bumper off and replace your light bulbs.... See what Im getting at.. Heck supposedly the newest cars are going to require the entire cab to be removed for an oil change!They want your money at the factory.. They dont want you doing your engine work.. Or the mechanic.. They want to narrow it down to your money and the Toyota factory. Forget aftermarket and quick fixes and good engines that last a million miles in the 70s they have you buying a new car every 300,000 miles and all the in between fixens. Thanks for your time and be grateful for your old beater!btw great car other than being a possible money pit... Handles well and is comfy and pretty.