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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  Best vehicle Ive ever had - 2003 Toyota 4Runner
  By va18 - January 24 - 10:00 am

  Ive had many vehicles and the 4 runner surpasses them all. Toyota has totally out done themselves this time!!!

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  Great 8 - 2003 Toyota 4Runner
  By Jimhorn - January 24 - 10:00 am

  Had this vehicle for a month now. Great engine; it really gets up and goes. Im a little disappointed in the tires, stereo, lack of vanity mirrors, and headroom. Other than those items, standard features were great. Coming from a luxury sedan, I expected a little more.

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  excellent - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By dalila - January 24 - 10:00 am

  it is very comfortable to drive

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  SMackey - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By SMackey - January 24 - 10:00 am

  The Highlander does not handle like a typical SUV it handles more like a larger car model. The cruise control, widshiled wipers and lights are all at your finger tips without taking your hands off the steering wheel.

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  2005 Tacoma - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By Iqbaldhillon2 - January 24 - 8:20 am

  If your looking for a midsize truck with selective features then the Toyota Tacoma is your truck. with 245 horsepower under hood the Tacoma will let you do a number of things such as go up a steep cliff, or tow a 6500 pound boat the Tacoma stands in your path. Weather its for fun or work.The Tacoma assures years and years of great performance. Also with 18 different styles and 9 colors one is bound to suit you. If I had to choose a midsize truck the Tacoma would honorably be my first choice.

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  great little truck - 2015 Toyota Tacoma
  By patrick leary - January 23 - 7:01 am

  Ive been driving both ford and chevy trucks and both have been ok except for gas mileage.So I decided to look at a new toyota tacoma and went for a test drive.The vehicle handed well with plenty of acceleration,has 4liter v6.And plenty options.So I purchased the vehicle the price was equal to both ford and chevy.So not long after the purchase we put the little truck on the highway,for 2500 hundred miles pulling an 18 foot travel trailer.This was an excellent trip,the vehicle was great ,no problems,flat land,hills ,mountains just great. The fuel economy was good I didnt expect it to be,but it was good. Im very pleased.

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  Great car but not for shallow people. - 2016 Toyota Prius c
  By Ron R - January 23 - 5:13 am

  The Prius C is built to save gas. Acceleration is slow even if you try and and gun it. It is adequate enough to speed up more than the average car in normal driving. In freeway entrance with two lanes, Im more than 90% faster than other cars I assume driving normally and not racing me. The battery charging without the plug in, but by the combustion engine is adequate to lower MPG by assisting in acceleration and taking over the stop and go without turning the gas engine on. Ive heard people complaining about the braking system. It doesnt take long to get used to it and enjoy the regenerative braking and see the animation of your batteries being charged. If you are childlike in terms of personality youll probably hate and throw a tantrum, so dont buy it. For the thinking person, its quite a joy to see how efficient the Prius C is. I see it more appealing to people who eat healthy and understand the importance of quality living and not the junk food crowd who are more into satisfying their hunger and feelings. The CVT continuous variable transmission is awesome. Its actually more efficient and quicker than the regular planetary automatic or manual transmission. The CVT does not have a pause power is constantly applied making it quicker. I heard that CVT was rejected by dumb consumers on regular cars because they wanted the feel of the inefficient of gear shifting. CVT was acutally conceptualized by Leonardo DaVinci in 1490 and was first patented in 1829 for a saw mill. First cat to patent is Daimler Benz in 1886. I got the Prius C one the most basic, for me the car is not for luxury or sport use, its a way to save money. I got 2 Mercedes, a Ram Hemi, a BMW Z4 and Mini Cooper S for the fun, sport and luxury part of driving. For my cheap side, my family drives the technologically advance, and energy efficient Prius C. You cant help but love it.

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  2007 Toyota Sienna - 2007 Toyota Sienna
  By Felicia - January 22 - 2:36 pm

  Love it. Shopped all mini vans and SUVs decided on Sienna for comfort and reliability great gas mileage on trips. Not a minivan person but I really like it.

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  Camrys Great - 2013 Toyota Camry
  By Philip Lee - January 22 - 9:31 am

  The SE is a fine car for a moderate price.

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  Wow! Great Mileage - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By Fran Guilbault - January 21 - 5:13 pm

  It has been like a new toy, fun to drive. On 2 trips to Columbus we averaged close to 53 mpg. It seems like a much bigger car when driving. We hit a snow storm once and it handled great traveling on highways with a lot of snow. We like the touch screen for operating much on the car extras, plus what you can also operate from the stearing wheel. We have the new blue color and really get the compliments on the color. We are very happy that we bought it, and especially now with the price of gas.