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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  Great gas mileage & fun to drive! - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By MC - November 18 - 1:33 am

  I expected the great gas mileage (Im getting 35 pretty routinely and 38-40 on long trips), but the advertising doesnt tell you how much fun it is to drive! You sit up high - feels a little like an SUV in this regard - so road visibility is great. This thing turns on a dime, so you can zip in and out of really tight spots. Mine is a standard (5 sp) transmission, so pickup (even with the AC running) is a non-issue. Good passenger room (I have the 4-door.) Safety issue: there is a HUGE blind spot between the rt. rear passenger window and the back window - you really MUST use the passenger-side mirror to see whats coming up behind you on the rt. side.

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  No disappointment here! - 2011 Toyota RAV4
  By patman5150 - November 17 - 9:49 pm

  it is hard to go wrong with Toyota, and my recent RAV4 purchase is no exception. I am glad that Toyota has made the RAV4 a little bigger than past years. I looked seriously at the Equinox and Terrain SUVs, but the RAV4 won me over. While some of the displays & gadgets on the interior are not as nice as GM, I feel it is a minor issue. The 4cyl is refined and peppy. The overall ride is smooth. The cabin is relatively quiet and quite spacious. The 2 things I feel Toyota could improve are the steering wheel, its layout is uncomfortable (for me anyway), and the electric steering in not where it should be. the steering feels very "heavy" - like turning 350lb wheels. Overall very satisfied!

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  sequoia-owner for 4 years - 2001 Toyota Sequoia
  By Kittridge - November 17 - 7:26 pm

  Just an average SUV, with some annoying issues, like brakes that need replacement too often, doors that wont stay open and a poor speaker system, lack of ease when trying to get to the rear seats

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  Early adopter - 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By billwtx22 - November 17 - 11:36 am

  I bought the 2nd Hybrid Highlander available in the Houston area. Overall, I have enjoyed owning this car. It is fun to drive. The hybrid system acts like a turbo when I want to stomp on it, but gas mileage goes down to low 20s MPG. When I work at it, I can get low to mid 30s MPG. My hybrid inverter went out recently, but this has a long warranty (8 yr, 100K mi). However, the car had to be towed into the shop. The new HH has an electric vehicle mode that allows short distance driving on battery only, but I doubt if this works without the inverter. I test drove a 2008 model and it is more sluggish due to the added size/weight. I would buy the 2006 model again.

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  Looked great at first - 2000 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By fredwirt - November 17 - 10:00 am

  Car sucks overall. Continuous breakdowns. Cheapo interior surprising since it is a Toyota. So far needed new a/c, antilock brakes failed, wiper motor died, cruise sticks on. In shop 9 times in first 8 months!

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  looks neat, runs well - 2002 Toyota Echo
  By rw - November 17 - 10:00 am

  A good value for the money, easy to drive and get in/out of.

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  Funtional Car - 2001 Toyota Echo
  By VANED9726 - November 17 - 10:00 am

  Economic with a good picot. A good car to be parked in any parking lot.

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  THUNDRA OR THUNDER - 2001 Toyota Tundra
  By bart - November 17 - 10:00 am

  THE POWER STEERING PUMP WENT OUT AT 2800 MILES, THE WATER PUMP WENT OUT AT 11000 MILES.THE TRUCK IS GREAT BUT SO FAR NOT REALIBLE.

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  Comfortable - 2002 Toyota Camry Solara
  By mimi919 - November 17 - 10:00 am

  I have owned my SLE Solara 3 weeks now and have about 1,500 miles on it. I find the Solara to be a very comfortable car with fantastically comfortable seats,roomy interior front and back....handling at all speeds is very good with a quiet ride. Unfortunately the Solara does lack luxury feature and for that matter even standard features of todays cars such as auto locking door locks,trip computer,rear heat outlets,delay headlights,power passenger seat,ect.

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  3800 miles in 6 weeks - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By Gippy - November 17 - 10:00 am

  It was hard to find what we wanted in options. When we finally did it was like the gods were smiling on us because it was in a beatiful blue metalic color. Almost 40 miles to the gallon (no joke), great stereo, "french fry holder" to the left of the steering wheel, Very responsive cruise control. It is so quiet when running that I have tried to start it at red lights thinking the engine had stalled. I will never buy another american made car! I have had new cars by all three Big name makers and none of them compare to this Corrola.