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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  Love It Already - 1999 Toyota 4Runner
  By H Coffey - September 4 - 2:50 am

  Just bought my 4 Runner SR5 4wd a couple of weeks ago but now drive it all the time everywhere. Friends are astonished that this is a ten (10) year old vehicle! It has logged 115,000 miles in Canada and was used all year in all weather conditions. Granted the first owners took good care of it but I seen many GMs, Fords and Nissans that were babied but notwithstanding the care, still turned to junk. Matter of fact I previously owned an Explorer and Pathfinder. The SR5s interior is like new and except for a few minor wee dents the exterior and black paint are perfect! The 16 inch alloy wheels have some very minor corrosion but way less than one would expect for enduring ten winters.

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  In Love with the Beast - 2008 Toyota Tundra
  By tundragirl - September 3 - 10:46 pm

  This is my 3rd tundra and Toyota did a great job on the redesign. If you do not need all of the "bells and whistles", the Tundra grade is the way to go. My husband also has a Tundra with everything on it (sunroof, leather, satellite radio) and I plan to steal it from him. The new and improved truck pulls a trailer without hesitation and still stops on a dime. My previous tundra would let me know when I had a trailer behind it. I take 4 and 1/2 hour long trips in it at least twice a month and it is such a pleasure to drive on the highway. Rainy roads lookout because this Tundra is staying on coarse and wont let anything get in its way. The truck rides well and I have roughly 13000 miles

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  Super Spyder - 2002 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By Winston - September 3 - 10:00 am

  This sporty little roadster packs a boatload of fun into a small, inexpensive package. Youll get a lot of looks, too. The car sprints from a stop to 60mph in 6.6 seconds (or faster, once you get good), handles like a true racecar, stops quicker than any car less than $50,000, and has the reliability and ease of maintenance of a Toyota.

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  2001 Toyota Celica - 2001 Toyota Celica
  By tmille31 - September 3 - 10:00 am

  It has been a great car and it is a pleasure to drive.

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  great car - 1996 Toyota Corolla
  By daaf - September 3 - 10:00 am

  practical, fun to drive car, tight in the corners, totaly worth the money and very very reliable. have not had any problems. besides the scheduled maintenance only had to replaced the battery once and thats it.

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  Good basic transportation - 2000 Toyota Camry
  By jcd - September 3 - 10:00 am

  My Camry LE, 4 cylinder is driven primarily in town with an occasional road trip thrown in. The car runs without a hitch and gets great gas mileage. I average 20 mpg (city) while highway averages 32 mpg. The powertrain warranty is 5 year/60K miles. Its not an exciting car to drive, but I didnt buy it for "fun" factor. The ergonomics of the dash are great, I can reach for anything without even looking for it. The car seats four comfortably, Ive never had five people in it. The trunk is accommodating and can be extended into the backseat. Because of Camrys reliability (I drove my 93 LE, 4 cylinder 183,000 miles!), Im sure Ill have this car for a VERY long time.

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  Interior Access Panels - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By David Kosik - September 3 - 7:16 am

  The overall interior layout is very good, however the access doors (panels) in the front seat are to close to each other. This in turn causes a problem when stored items are needed from the storage areas. This was my first purchase of a Toyota vehicle and the driving performance exceeded my expectations. On a recent vacation trip I was extremely pleased with the comfort and gas mileage and would rate the 2005 Avalon in the top five sedans of comparable size and cost.

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  We love the prius - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By jaymaust - September 3 - 5:56 am

  The touch screen and computer monitor which are standard make this seem like a future car. I added the leather interior package which makes the seats really comfortable. The standard stereo is really good, so I dont think I would even be able to handle the upgrade. I got this as a second car with my 4WD F150. I think it is really neat to watch the graphic while driving and see how the car switches back and forth from gas to battery (electric). If you really pay attention to how you drive it, you can easily get over 50 mpg in city stop and go driving (it charges itself when slowing down). When not paying attention, I get about 46 mpg. So I figure I save about $400/month in gas.

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  Bang For the Buck - 2002 Toyota Avalon
  By JML2 - September 3 - 2:00 am

  We looked at all the full size cars and for the price we couldnt beat the Toyota Avalon. Its true that the exterior styling is not impressive but when your inside enjoying all the comfort and quality thats included in this car, who cares what the people outside see. One of the most pleasent things about the car is the back seat. Our friends tell us its larger and more confortable than our old Surburban.

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  great car - 1995 Toyota Camry
  By slomo - September 3 - 2:00 am

  I have over 90,000 miles and my vehicle is doing great. I have done the regular maintenance on the vehicle and it is still going strong. The only problem I have had has been the power motor for the antenna.