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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  Good Result - 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By HighlanderHigh - June 27 - 5:03 am

  Good result. Mileage a little under claims. Excellent power and handling. Terrific quality and design. Only driving complaint is slight surging sensation on highway as electric motors kick in and out. With tax credit and some recent bargaining price reductions, this is still one I would buy again. Get Limited model.

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  Favorite car traded in an Acura for it! - 2006 Toyota Prius
  By Robert & Susan - June 27 - 3:03 am

  The mileage we have put on this car is higher than we realized so fast due to the fact thay the gas mileage is so incredibly great that we always drive this car. We have two other cars they are fuel efficient and still cant compete with the fun driving experience of this car. Equipped with navigation system and smart key/keyless entry, this is the car of the future no need for a key and wont break the bank! We even installed our mp3, ipod, etc. We spend so much time in this car compared to the others we own.

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  I love my Celica - 2002 Toyota Celica
  By Silver Bullit - June 27 - 2:26 am

  Its a fun sporty car to drive; gets excellent gas mileage; and is nice to look at. One drawback is the front end steering/handling going over bumps or raised lines in the roads - its kind of "squirrely" to handle and tires tend to pull to one side or the other. I think this can be fixed by getting better tires than the Dunlaps sold on the vehicle, i.e. Yokohama Tires are better Other than that, its an excellent vehicle - with low cost maintenance too.

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  I love it! - 2003 Toyota Sequoia
  By tgcgopher - June 27 - 2:00 am

  The first week after I bought the car I thought I had made a mistake, the panel lit up like a christmas tree. It was in the shop twice to find the problem then they could not get the part so it was in for a week. Something about the accuator on the ABS brake system part was bad. Since then it has been a dream. I love it. But beware I have the leather seats with the wood grain accents and the middle concil on the passager side is loose, they cant seem to find the right part to fit from toyota so they are going to send me to a local shop. It its cosmetic and not a big deal. The drive is wonderful!

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  The ultimate truck - 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By Memphis LC - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Hi Yall, This car has not been treated with kid gloves nor does it get a soccer moms touch and care. With over 30K miles in the past year, it has been driven. It has been in snow, ditches, sand, water and anything else that I could put it in without going too crazy. It has performed without a glitch or hesitation. The quality, comfort and performance of this truck is absolutely amazing. Although the horsepower is not the greatest, it can still tow a sailboat going 80! (I know, not recommended) You will not be dissappointed with a Land Cruiser.

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  COOL car - 1995 Toyota Corolla
  By norbi - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Im a happy owner now, "and I thing this is a begining of a beautiful friendship"!(Casablanca)

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  1999 Tacoma Prerunner 2dr std cab - 1999 Toyota Tacoma
  By WAYNE WANSHEK - June 27 - 2:00 am

  Have owned truck 3 years. Only problem was dead battery. Dealer sent serviceman to mall lot to start car and replaced battery at dealership, total time two hours. Truck cab is small and seats could be more padded for long trips. Speed control is appreciated on highway. has been great truck. springs could have been stronger, very small load capacity. Would consider new one same model.

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  03 Forerunner - 2003 Toyota 4Runner
  By Gregg Lutz - June 27 - 2:00 am

  It feels more solid than my previous 98, Forerunner. With the V/8 it has all the power you will ever need and it seems, so far, to get similar gas mileage. The new 5 speed transmission is flawless.

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  Fourth Camry - 2008 Toyota Camry
  By johnnyvero - June 26 - 11:06 pm

  This is my fourth camry, I bought my wife an 08, because I liked her 05 so much but she wouldnt give it up, so I bought the 08 for her and now Im driving the 05, both cars are 4 cyl, and have plenty of pick up. I cant say enough good things about them, reliability, performance, comfort, economy, just an all around good car with good trade in value. I was thinking about a V6 but the V4 has plenty of power and accelerates like a V6. Great Car !!!

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  2007 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner - 2007 Toyota Tacoma
  By JCO - June 26 - 9:36 pm

  Actually went to the dealer to purchase a RAV4 to replace the wifes older RAV4. She said she wanted to test drive the Tacoma, and the rest is history. We didnt see the need for the offroad model and are very satisfied with the truck. I think a big plus with the wife is sitting higher than a RAV. Visibility is great. it drives very smoothly and shifts beautifully too.