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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  FJ Cruiser Review - 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By Kevin Voges - April 15 - 5:56 am

  Fun to drive - looks great. Really look forward to driving FJ daily. I realize this is strange, but non-aerodynamic windshield does not deflect bugs, so one must be ready to clean windshield quite a bit.

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  Traded in the 2001 for the 2008 Sequoia - 2008 Toyota Sequoia
  By HRM - April 15 - 4:10 am

  I traded in my 2001 Limited for the 2008 Limited. After months of agony deciding if I should switch from a Toyota to a Lincoln Navigator I ended up sticking with the same car again. Same color and all. My neighbors were rather confused. Id purchased the 2001 when they first came out and after 7 years had absolutely no major problems with the car so I decided to stick with the new 2008 model. Ive had it a few days and love it. Although I must admit it feels fairly larger to drive, kinda like youre in tank or a cockpit, but you get used to it quickly. Price is much higher than before but guess you gotta pay for more automation, i.e., nav, theatre system, power hatch and seats.

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  Love my Rav4 - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By Dynamo - April 14 - 3:16 pm

  What a perfect vehicle, I have not had one problem with my Rav4 in the 7000 miles I have driven it.

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  You simply cant beat the Corolla! - 2006 Toyota Corolla
  By SteveBeckford - April 14 - 10:36 am

  The Corolla S is a wonderful car! Ive owned it for three months and I have driven it for roughly 6,000 miles. It is, by far, the best built vehicle I have ever owned. Mind you, my wife and I also own a new 06 Acura MDX and were always debating as to who will be driving the Corolla. Yes, the Corolla is that enjoyable! From the minute you enter the car you realize that this is a well engineered automobile made with quality materials. Before purchasing the Corolla, my wife and I also test drove an 06 Honda Civic LX and an 06 Volkswagen Jetta and after much deliberation, we concluded that - for the price - the Corolla was simply unbeatable. I highly recommend this car!

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  Love my new 2014 Tundra! - 2014 Toyota Tundra
  By ckwwilson - April 14 - 3:56 am

  Saw a couple of other reviews here and I do not have the problems they do. Ample power out of the 5.7 V8. Mine is easy to keep in the lane on the freeway(1000 freeway miles including winding mountain passes). The standard backup camera is a must have with the 8.1ft bed! The double cab feels bigger than some quad cabs from other brands. Ride is great, confidently stiff like one should expect from a pickup. Installed a TRD rear sway bar and now it has very little body roll, stays smooth through corners. Excellent interior design, very comfortable with a great field of view in every direction. Good use of soft surfaces to break up hard plastic. Entune audio is great once you get a feel for it.

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  I love my van! - 2002 Toyota Sienna
  By Lori - April 14 - 3:35 am

  This van is amazing. 102k mi and still going strong. Its a Toyota after all. Only maintenance weve done is preventative every 5k mi. No issues with sludge like some people have had. It does go through brakes more often than I prefer. Had them done at 70k mi due to vibration/shaking in steering wheel, then redone under warranty due to steering wheel vibration again @ 72k mi. Had the calipers replaced then as well. When it started again at 73k mi I just lived with it. Van stopped fine, it just vibrated & felt awful. I recently had them done again @ 102k & had to replace the rotors this time. Apparently Ive had issues with rotors warping & calipers sticking. Mechanic thinks its due to non toyota parts & not replacing the rotors after warping the first time. Were giving Toyota brakes a try this time. Time will tell. I run mid grade fuel only. I notice when I use the lower grade fuel or fuel from cheap stations I hear piston chatter when accelerating on the fwy. I only use Shell, chevron or 76 Weve been on 13 hour road trips loaded to the max & this van scoots! I have plenty of power to pass if needed and I like that. Takes the hills in the mountains without hesitation. I could pull the grapevine grade in California at 90 if I pushed it. It does 75 with ease. I like that I can remove the back seats & have tons of cargo room. If you have to use those seats for passengers, as we have in the past, there isnt a lot of room in the back for luggage. A roof rack & cargo bag are a must. The front seats are comfortable and have held up well. The arm rest on drivers side is starting to show wear from my arm and one of the vent covers has a crack. Weve had to replace the sliding door handle, the rear liftgate handle & door seal due to a leak we finally found. Sometimes the button on the sliding door on drivers side gets stuck in. After some messing with it, it pops back out. The other sliding door doesnt like to release & the kids have to give it a whack & itll open. Other than those few things its great! Well likely keep it until the motor goes in another 100k mi.

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  Great Fun - 2000 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By Rd - April 13 - 10:00 am

  My every day commute car, lots of fun to drive. Very dependable, only problem is no storage room and not easy to carry a bicycle. I made a custom bike rack for 2 that works GREAT adn attaches to the rear transport tie downs (covered by plugs on the rear grill. Drives like it is on rails!

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  Grat Car - 2004 Toyota Prius
  By ken08 - April 13 - 10:00 am

  One of the best cars on the road to drive........all cars should be made this way.........who needs gas

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  Small Car, Great Value - 2005 Toyota Matrix
  By Kim Mason - April 13 - 10:00 am

  This car is fun to drive and is small. For my husband and I it is perfect. Its got a lot of get up and go capacity.

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  2004 Toyota Camry Solara - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By FORBON32 - April 13 - 10:00 am

  I purchased a black Solara SLE V6 Coupe a few weeks ago. Took it to the dealership today to check and fix the alignment. It seemed to pull to the left pretty bad. Just got home and test drove it.....it seems completely fixed. Other than that problem, upon purchasing the vehicle, there were some chips and blemishes in the paint(Of course with black you can see everything). Am planning on taking it back to the dealership to have it fixed. Other than that I simply love driving my Solara and the inside and stereo system is awesome!!!!!!!!