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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  Matrix XR FWD 4A - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By Paul S - August 5 - 2:00 am

  Wife and I bought Matrix over Vibe because of styling. MSRP was 19.2K. We paid 17.9K. 17" wheels,6 CD,Winter Pkg, no sunroof. Handles grt w/17s but could not drive in snow--AWFUL..16s w/ M+Ss better value. Wife gets 27-29mpg (280/tank)w/stop&go commuting. Pretty slow car otherwise..VVTi what? If you are conservative, I think a stripped Camry is a better buy. Windshiled easily cracked by pebbles too.(*%#!)

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  Wow - 2003 Toyota RAV4
  By B Humphreys - August 5 - 2:00 am

  This is my second RAV4 my first one is still kicking from 1997. I like the extra power this has over that one. The little quirks have been worked out and the car rides wonderfully. Small engine, 5 speed, L package is the way to go...

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  Lots of fun If you dont mind a toy - 2003 Toyota Tacoma
  By upgraded - August 5 - 2:00 am

  fun to drive for about 1 hour.... looks great truck... always gets the looks....good speed for the power plant...

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  Excellent choice - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By Dallas Bumgarner - August 5 - 12:36 am

  Glad I bought the auto.

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  Still going - 1998 Toyota Tacoma
  By GJ - August 4 - 11:53 pm

  I have owned this truck for nearly eleven years. I have had to replace the starter and the catalytic converter. Just replaced the shocks, struts and front brake pads yesterday. The AC is still strong and overall the vehicle runs great. Mainly, I have only had to do the regular maintenance. It has only been back to the dealer once to replace a faulty sensor in the first few months that I owned it. I bought this because of Toyotas reputation and have not been disappointed in any way.

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  Compact car with lots of style - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By Nicky - August 4 - 6:00 pm

  I built my car online and it looked 100 times better in person. ItÂ’s a bit more spacious and a lot more stylish. The car is a decent ride. IÂ’m a little biased because I previously owned a Camry so IÂ’m not yet used to the Corolla getting whipped around in gusts of wind. The touch screen navigation is a great option for the compact car. I was concerned with the quality of the sound since the JBL speakers and navigation are not a combined option with the XLE. The speakers surpassed my expectation by far. There are no buttons to change the radio; everything is touch screen which can pose as a problem while driving. Gas mileage is never as advertised but nevertheless very efficient.

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  Slick commuter - 2015 Toyota Corolla
  By Eddie Peoples - August 4 - 7:08 am

  I commute 42 miles to work with a mix of traffic , interstate, four lane w/stop lights and two lane roads . Many people shy away from manual transmission , thats what makes this car come to life! I do a lot of driving in the NC mountains for my job, and this car responds beautifully. I got the most basic model possible as they shared most of the same features the more expensive models do engine/transmission. This car zips up and around curvy mountains with relative ease. The handling is very good . The brakes could be a little better. The quality of materials used in the car could be better . My bumper was tapped by another car, as we were both backing up at a VERY slow speed ( it was like slow motion ).Put a nice size softball size dent in my bumper and caused the trunk to separate from the bumper . No estimate yet to be done in the next week. I enjoy driving my car , lots of fun with the manual transmission

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  Take it or Leave it. - 2011 Toyota Sienna
  By mcifan - August 3 - 10:20 pm

  Have had the vehicle 5 weeks and logged almost 1,000 miles. Very quiet cabin and tons of get-up-and-go. Fuel economy so far is about 17 mpg, after about 95% in city driving. Seating flexibility is great in general. Hard plastics feel a little cheap (especially for $32,000) but overall fit-and-finish very good. Generally very pleased with our first-ever Toyota. A few surprising features missing or poorly executed however: A mast antenna? Really? Go with a roof- top shark fin, even base Hyundais have them. Turn signals should incorporate a "3-blink lane change" feature. 8-way power driver seat but no power for the front passenger? Move the headlight switch to the dash please & add auto on/off.

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  2 Sweet Celica GT-S - 2002 Toyota Celica
  By phatz - August 3 - 9:40 pm

  The car is sweet, sexy, cool. Acceleration and handling is awesome in the GT-S trim. The VVTL-I is unmatched at 180hp from a 1.8L motor - truly impressive.

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  Love this XLE - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By rev4 - August 3 - 7:40 pm

  This XLE is just a great car. Quality. Ride. Fuel Mileage. Comfort. Style. I bought this not for a "drivers car"...but for comfort, quality, ride, style... and it excels in all categories. I highly recommend this car for someone looking for all the above qualities. It is a "compact Camry"...btw...My other car is a 2002 Camry XLE...