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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  4 MONTH WAIT AND WORTH IT! - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By Mary Maniscalco - January 5 - 2:00 am

  Love the Prius. Take away the Hybrid and I would still love driving this car. Its the most comfortable car I have driven. Plenty of pep for a 4 cylinder, handles beautifully, lots of fun to drive. #9 great features.

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  I love my Prius - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By Musiclvr248 - January 5 - 2:00 am

  I love my Prius! I took me awhile to adjust my driving style to get the maximum miles per gallon...but now that I have it is great, especially with the gas prices going up. The down side to it is that you can feel every major bump more so than my old corolla. But, I over look it because it is so fun to drive! I am really happy that I bought this car.

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  AWSOME TRUCK - 2004 Toyota Tundra
  By RON HENNE - January 5 - 2:00 am

  GREAT TRUCK FOR ALL YOU NEED TO DO.. GREAT PULLING POWER, AND AWSOME PICK- UP. SOOTH RIDE, AND QUITE COMFY, WITH THE LEATHER!!!

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  so far, its awesome - 2004 Toyota Tacoma
  By ryanf - January 5 - 2:00 am

  so far this truck is everything i wanted and more. Nothing bad to say about it. Everythings perfect.

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  exel - 2004 Toyota Highlander
  By laurie roberts - January 5 - 2:00 am

  well toyota make very + good vehicles.i had six of them 86/cressads/96landcruis/98cruis/01 rav4/01highlander/now 04 ighlander i love the 04 great suv.the only thing on the 04 the gas burn like a v8.i dont know if the tank hold less gas than the 01 but it burn gas.

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  04 Toyota SE V6 - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By STSi454 - January 5 - 2:00 am

  Ive had the car for over 1 month and I love it. Its got pep, and its still good on gas.I like the design of the Camry a lot better than of the Accord.

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  A big step up. - 2009 Toyota Matrix
  By gabagooo - January 4 - 9:16 pm

  I traded my 2007 Yaris HB in on the Matrix. As a city car, the Yaris was great, but as a roadmaster, not so good. I test drove a Rabbit, which felt small compared to the Matrix, which seems bulk. The car has a heavy feel and is very comfortable on long drives. I am getting 29.5 mpg highway and 20 mpg city - exactly as advertised. The Matrix offers a lot of value for the money and I am pleased with my purchase. Compared to the Yaris, this car feels very solid and safe.

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  Dependable, Reliable and COOL - 2006 Toyota Camry
  By Frankie-i - January 4 - 8:33 pm

  I have a 1996 Toyota Corolla with manual transmission. The car has been extremely reliable as well as dependable throughout the years. I felt it was time for me to upgrade to a newer and larger vehicle. I knew I wanted another Toyota, so I purchased my 2006 Toyota Camry through a dealer friend of mine in Southern California. It took him some time to find a Camry with a five speed manual transmission. I love this car, it drives like a dream, the interior is super nice and the lines of the vehicle are classy. I purchased the 15 inch Toyota split spoke rims for the car and it looks tough. I get a lot of compliments on this car.

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  Hard to Beat - 2005 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By Spyder Man - January 4 - 1:53 pm

  Purchased my green/tan Spyder in Texas when I worked at Texas Tech. Would of course have purchased the Phantom if available (black and red). Learned early on from a friend I could flip the top back without getting out and have it lock in most instances - no apparent damage. This made me want to put the top down whenever possible. Handle - goes where you point it. Great acceleration leaving cars behind at lights without many RPM. Criticized for storage but drove it to Maine with enough clothes packed in to work indefinitely. Really enjoyed running 80 much of the time. OE Bridgestones being replaced at 18k under a warranty that came with the car. Pondering adding sports muffler.

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  So far so good - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By mattyxl - January 4 - 1:46 pm

  Purchased my Corolla S in early June, it came down to the Corolla or the Lancer GTS. It came down to mileage, I drive 80 miles per day so the Toyota was just more sensible. So far I have gotten 37 hwy, awesome. Interior is very comfortable as I am a bigger guy. W/o the spoiler the corollas look is as boring as it gets but with the S add ons it looks pretty cool. The ride is pretty smooth, not too much outside noise. The engine really has no pickup however. There are some odd placements of the cruise and side view mirror controls. Overall I really feel I made the correct purchase.