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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  Great Truck, 10 years till my next one! - 2003 Toyota Tacoma
  By Jeff Miles - March 8 - 1:03 am

  I have to be honest that this is the best truck that I have ever owned. It does great on gas. I never have any problem with it. I use it for hauling, loading kayaks, mountain biking. And driving all over the country. In 5 years I have put 100,000 miles on it with no problem. I plan to put another 150,000 miles on it. I just keep the oil changed brakes and tires every two years and she runs like a champ. Great looking truck to. Next time though I think I am going to buy the v6. Better for towing my motorcycle!!

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  Its not for everybody, but its for me!! - 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By sodes - March 7 - 7:04 pm

  I purchase a 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser in the spring of 2009 after suffering through another Chicago Winter with my Honda Accord. Two tires and rims at a cost of nearly $1000 after hitting a few potholes prompted my decision. Also, I needed a vehicle to pull my snowmobiles and our small lexus RX350 was just barely up for the task. Having put nearly 40K on the truck since I purchased it I can honestly say that there is nothing the city can throw at me that it cant take. This recent February the Blizzard of 2011 dropped nearly 20" of snow in 24 hours. With stock tires this truck blasted through drifts up to the hood, through rutted tracks upto the doors with ease, just keep on the gas..

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  Great Car - 1992 Toyota Camry
  By Rich - March 7 - 12:23 pm

  Extremely reliable. Change the oil and maintain it well, and you will get 200,000 miles out of it. Very easy to drive, easy to use dashboard controls. Well engineered. This is the kind of car you keep in the family for 15 years or more. Great car for a college student.

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  My Prius - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Mike - March 7 - 9:00 am

  Great car that is very well thought out. It seems like Toyota thought about everything. But I am a b it disappointed in the fact that there have been two recalls.

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  Excellent car for the money - 2007 Toyota Corolla
  By jdtds1 - March 7 - 4:26 am

  At first, I was hesitant to buy such a compact car since I have driven nothing but SUVs. I sold my 2003 Suburbam about a month ago because of gas prices but when my brother told me about the Corolla I paid attention. I was looking for economical car anyways and went to test drive it. I was hooked as soon as I drove it.It rides smoothly, it has power and it is fun to drive. The features I got for the price, automatic transmission, power mirrors, CD, outside temperture and AC all for the outrageous price of $11,998.00 is a heck of a deal.

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  A joy to drive - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By Laura Siwicki - March 6 - 5:51 pm

  Wow, everytime I get in this vehicle to go anywhere I am blown away by the quiet, the comfort and the amazing ride. So happy with my decision.

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  Buy Cheap, Buy Often - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By JHol - March 6 - 1:00 pm

  The old saying goes, "Buy cheap, buy often." I purchased this car less than a month ago with Toyota in mind of having a reputation for reliability that is second to none in the industry. That was the main reason for looking at Toyota, even with the whole recall mess. I verified my model 2009 with vin starting with "J" was not part of the recent recall. We took the car on a road trip and got amazing gas mileage. I have the 4-cyl model and it was perfect. Plenty of room and even more incredible is the seats in back are adjustable and will slide back to maximize leg room. Great idea Toyota! Love the car!

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  A Real TRUCK - 2015 Toyota Tundra
  By Keith - March 6 - 9:35 am

  This Tundra does everything you could ask of it. Not bad at all on gas 18 around where I live, about 19 on the highway. It is a joy to drive and the seats do everything you could ask of them. This is my first Toyota and I am a very happy customer. Aside from one shady dealer in Daytona my dealer experience has been great. Cant say how it works in the snow as I never drove it in the snow. I would buy one of these again. However I would buy a short bed as this truck with an 8 foot bed is L O N G ! I am a happy Toyota owner.

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  Highly recommend the Toyota Highlander! - 2016 Toyota Highlander
  By kstanley - March 6 - 9:14 am

  Weve had our 2016 Highlander for just under a year now, and we love it. We traded in our 2013 Corolla when we had our first child and we needed something with much more space for all the new things we had to tote around for baby. We researched 4 different brands of cars; Chevrolet, Jeep, Toyota and Ford. The Chevy and Jeep had poor reviews ranging from the Chevy Traverse catching on fire 2 days after having it and the Jeep Grand Cherokee having issues with also catching on fire and having an issue with its parking brake not holding and rolling away. It came down to the Ford Explorer and Toyota Highlander or 4-Runner. The Ford was slightly less money but after I read the reviews on the Toyota (and being a previous Toyota owner and loved my old car) my husband and I agreed upon one of the Toyotas. There was even a review from a mom who said that she was t-boned by a drunk driver in her Highlander and the vehicle rolled, she and her two children survived and the drunk driver did not. Sealed my thoughts on what I wanted, but we test drove each one anyway. The 4-Runner drove nicely and was spacious, but it felt extremely bulky and top heavy to me. Probably more well suited for someone who wanted to take it off-roading or out in the mountains rather than drive their kids to school and do family things. Next we drove the Highlander and my husband told me that he was very impressed with how sleek it actually looked in person. He said he was expecting something more of a soccer mom van/wagon style and this didnt strike him that way at all. We had our 10 month old son in the car and he instantly fell asleep on the drive in the highlander. The drive was smooth, the interior wasnt as roomy as the 4-Runner but it had a third row seat which we wanted, back up camera, and touch screen audio and blue tooth controls on the wheel. We took this car to San Diego to stay with my inlaws for a few days and my nephew, husband, son, mother in law, father in law and myself all fit in the car comfortably. When we go out of town to San Diego or somewhere around that distance, we only fuel up once for the trip (assuming its a few days and not a week or so). I drive this car to work every day, and around town, to the neighboring towns about once a week, and I only have to fuel up every other week or so. And now with baby #2 on the way, I have no doubts that this car will be able to continue safely holding all of my precious cargo without making us cramped for space.

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  Outstanding car - 2014 Toyota Camry
  By fbbill - March 5 - 11:23 pm

  Traded 2006 Camry XLE V6 and this 4 cylinder LE blows it away. Great ride, very quiet cabin, beautiful inside and out. Feels like you are in a Lexus. At age 79 I have owned a lot of cars but never one as nice as this. Everything you see or touch oozes quality, very reasonably priced also. No need to waste money on a V6 ... 4 cylinder does a great job. Drove Malibu, Altima, no comparison. Buy the Camry, you wont regret it.