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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  Tires are of poor quality - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By Lynn - March 22 - 8:33 am

  Our Camrys tires needed replacing at 20,000 miles. So disappointed. Hard to see while backing up.

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  2003 Toyota Camry - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By buckeye30 - March 22 - 3:43 am

  My car just surpassed 150,000 miles today. It has been an extremely dependable, reliable, inexpensive maintenance, and overall a great car for its value. Just do the regular maintenance and Toyota never disappoints you. I commute nearly 100 miles a day, but even though my car is nearly 11 years old, it gives me full confidence to start my day. Power is decent although there is a power lag, but you cant expect more since it is not meant to be a sporty car.

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  Good and Bad - 2008 Toyota RAV4
  By Sal - March 22 - 3:33 am

  This seems to be a good car. My wife has a 2008 CRV and I naturally compare the 2. CRV has a nicer interior, but not as comfortable. The CRV is a higher trim level. CRV has better pick up and, so far, better fuel mileage. RAV4 is easy to get in an out of, has a lower lift to load back, easier folding seats, looks more manly and has better visibility. The cruise stalk is terrible, in the way. 2001 Escort was on the wheel, why cant a 2008 RAV4?. Doors should look when you put in gear. This is more of a runaround then a fall in love vehicle.

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  Big Blue - 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By BC - March 22 - 3:26 am

  I have owned Big Blue (clearly I got a Voodoo Blue version) for 3 weeks heres what Ive found: when you walk outside in a blizzard and see B.B. (Big Blue will be referred to as B.B from now on) you will not be afraid to fire her up and go where ever you want to. B.B.s huge tires, large ground clearance and generally toughish appearance lend an air of I can drive in bad-weather that is - well, nice. She growls just a little when idling. Again, this is cool, impresses kids. Although it looks like a truck (I traded in a 2000 Ford Ranger for her), I say she drives more like a car. Maybe the wide wheel base - could be new shocks, not sure, the ride is smooth.

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  Know Your Priorities - 2014 Toyota Corolla
  By jkobb - March 21 - 11:02 pm

  Overall I rate my car a 5. If you read auto magazines they rate the cars on performance mostly. The Corolla is not a sports car , don`t judge it that way. What it is , is a very dependable car. It has very good gas mileage. Since my last odo reset I am at a 38.5 mpg average over 2000 miles . Over the winter I had a 32 mpg average. Cars use more gas running cold. very comfortable ride and seats. If you look at the mpg ratings the Corolla does better than most cars that are smaller than it.Love the look of the dash , all the other cars basically look the same dash . It is very similar to the Avalon dash.

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  Almost perfect - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By Laurie - March 21 - 10:00 pm

  After months of research & test drives, the RAV4 won out for several reasons. It really is fun to drive, well laid out, has super comfy seats and my tall husband can fit without knocking his head off. The only negative is the front seat headrests. They are extremely uncomfortable for someone with neck problems. However, I popped mine out, turned it around and the problem was solved. Hopefully there will be an aftermarket option.

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  Jewel of a Car! - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By lI mO - March 21 - 7:49 pm

  Love my Camry Hybrid XLE - thought about trading in for a 2016 Hybrid Avalon, but I just love this car, and decided to keep my 2009 for a few more years - its comfortable, great ride, quiet - still gets 35mpg, everything works great and the leather is in terrific condition. More comfortable than the 2016 Camry - really a jewel of a car!

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  Good truck but not up to the hype - 2008 Toyota Tundra
  By john - March 21 - 11:06 am

  I honestly can say that this truck out accelerates (barely) my 400+ hp modded dodge hemi similarly equipped featurewise, no doubt due to its 4.51 rear gear ratio which seems to get overlooked in comparison tests as the main reason its so quick. As far as handling the steering felt looser than my ram which has 80000 miles and the brakes were softer than I expected. Overall its a nice truck but its not my style inside or out and if I ever tow 10000 pounds on a regular basis Ill be driving a diesel.

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  Fun to Own and Drive! - 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By Rex - March 21 - 5:56 am

  I didnt want to give up the roominess of a SUV but I did want to get a lot better gas mileage. After much looking and research I chose the Toyota. My wife liked our Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited and was reluctant to part with it, however one test drive later she was a fan of it! We both really like it and are glad of the change. We felt fortunate to find one and bought one on the lot. It had the GPS option which I really didnt feel I needed. It is now one of my most favorite options!

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  Buyer Beware!! Dont be fooled by Toyota legacy - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Mario - March 21 - 4:39 am

  I own the 07 Camry which has excessive oil consumption issue. See…http://www.toyotaproblems.com/trends/excessive-oil-consumption/. Toyota recongnized the problem but will not repair the issue under warranty. They declined our car even when we brought the car in at 59,508 when we noticed the car was using 1 qt of oil each 1,000 miles. They did repair the issue on some camrys and then stopped the warranty once they realized how many camrys have this issue. It should be a recall on the failed piston rings and Toyota should repair. There is a class action suite against Toyota but little or NOTHING will be done for the individual owners. Shame on Toyota for failing to take care of a manufactures issue.