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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  Tacoma Access Cab SR5 2.7L 4 cylinder, automatic - 2006 Toyota Tacoma
  By Terry - January 24 - 3:32 am

  2006 Tacoma Access Cab SR5 2.7L automatic tranny. Mine is used for light hauling and trailering my 16 foot Boston Whaler boat. It trailers the boat just fine . It launches and pulls the boat up the boat ramps with ease. I added the bolt on trailer receiver right to the bumper in the supplied holes and added the plug and play trailer light kit. Love this truck. I only wish that it had aux jack for the stereo( iPhone connect). It is too old to have Bluetooth ( even better). The other stereo issue is that FM/AM radio mode doesnt show text( ie- song name, artist) CD mode does. Great value and plenty of power from the 2.7L four banger. Plan to keep it a long time. Currently has 57000 miles. Only repair was battery replaced. I installed red top Optima( should last a while in this South Florida heat).

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  Steering Issues and the FIX - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By heiliner - January 24 - 12:03 am

  My 2009 Corolla LE has about 23000 miles on it and steers great and handles great. That wasnt always the case. The car used to steer like the front was toed in. The problem issues were that the car was out of alignment in the rear and the Goodyear Eagle tires. The rear axle of an LE is a "stamped axle" and has no alignment adjustment. I had to have an alignment shop modify the rear axle bolt position to bring the car into a correct factory assignment. Once that was done the car steers as you would expect and it gained about 2 miles per gallon in fuel economy. I also replaced the Goodyear Eagle tires which are not safe on wet pavement with Yokohama Avid Tour S tires. Now a very nice car!

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  4Runners for life! - 2007 Toyota 4Runner
  By pinksapphire23 - January 23 - 6:21 pm

  I wrote a review about my current Runner about 2 years ago, right after I purchased it used with 42k miles on it, so I thought Id do a little update. Now with 62k miles, this Runner has been nothing but wonderful! I drove my Runner from the East to West Coast carrying my family, two dogs and a Jetta right after I got her, and she ran beautifully, without a single complaint. I took her up to the mountains last winter and drove through heavy snow and black ice, with no chains, even though it is not 4x4, and she still handled like a dream. Wish I could write more, this vehicle is solid. If you are debating if its the right one for you, look no further!

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  Great car - 2007 Toyota Sequoia
  By mrsanky - January 23 - 11:56 am

  This car has everything, a little rough on off road, but would not change a thing.

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  06 Tacoma - 2006 Toyota Tacoma
  By dws246 - January 23 - 3:03 am

  When I first bought the truck I loved it, it was great and just what I wanted. However after about 5k I started to get a bad clutch chatter like you are about to stall only worse. I brought that to the dealers attention, said it was normal. I have been driving stick shift for a while and that is not normal, even after giving it lots of gas the chatter would still happen. The worst part of the whole thing is that at 26k the clutch blew, I had to have it towed to the dealer where they said it was not covered by the warranty and I would have to pay $1400 to fix it-everything was bad in the clutch,even the springs were broken which they said was because I was a bad driver.

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  Love my car - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By LINDA - January 22 - 8:53 pm

  This is my third Toyota, 2 Camrys before and I have loved them all. My new Toyota Corolla is a dream to drive. I spend approx 2 hrs a day in traffic and with the great sound system and comfort it makes the trip so much easier. When my husband is ready to buy a new car again he is convinced it will be a Toyota.

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  Car has had many repairs less than 5k mi - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By david wood - January 22 - 5:20 pm

  Bought new 2005 4Runner 12/5 drove it home and the front-end alignment was off. Has rattle nose in front-end suspension (yet to be resolved), had car back to dealer three times. Fan belts made squealing nose. Dealer said they were glazed and replaced them at 2k mi. At 4k mi. serpentine belt made loud clicking nose. Dealer replaced, said it had a cracked belt. 7k mi. transmission makes a creaking noise when shifting between drive and reverse. Dealer said the noise is normal. When parked on a hill it gets worse and sounds like grinding a 5 speed (it is an automatic transmission). This is my second 4Runner the 2002 I traded was a great car. 85k mi. The power antenna motor went. Sorry I traded it in.

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  The Good.. The Bad.. and The Boring.. - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By ToyFoyBoy - January 22 - 3:13 pm

  The Camry.. Its a cheap family car with high safety, low insurance, and bland styling.. But it really has always been this car, they have made a few hot ones over the years in very low numbers, but the formula has always been what it is. The 2016 camry is really a failed attempt at the most simple Camry formula.. Decent looks, good build quality, high quality parts, and Decent driver interaction.. This has been the simple formula going back to the camry Vx70 which was the original Celica Camry here in the USA.. Before it got its own US Platform.. The 85 Camry i owned, started life as my fathers and was handed down to me at 173K miles, it was silver, with a very supportive, ultra high quality interior fabric, the dash looked textured, and was a thick rubberized plastic, which actually felt expensive, and like a high quality car.. It was slow, at 90hp, but it was fun to drive, it handled well, and was very easy to see out of.. In 1991 another family member bought a new Camry LE v6 which was also another car with fantastic seats, great handling, and offered a competent comfortable ride.. I expected the same when i purchased my 2016 Camry SE.. I wanted the good sounds of the nakamichi stereos of the 80s, i wanted the adequate hp of the 91, and the handling, performance, and easy visibility that the older camry got.. What i ended up with though was a poor imitation of a buick.. The seats are hard, cheap, and the material feels like something they found at the dollar store, the dash rattles, the stereo is the entune which gets generic paper speakers, the handling is terrible, the ride is harsh for no reason, the electric power steering is slow, and cant keep up with spirited driving, you cant see out of it, and frankly the automatic transmission is just terrible.. The 2.5 is a gem of a 4cyl engine, but everything attached to it, just isnt up to par for a toyota.. I feel like the camry went from a BMW fighter for the middle class to something that only resembles the actual camry by nothing more than name.. This isnt my only toyota, but frankly it is my last new one.. I would rather put the time into repairing a 200+K mile early toyota than make payments on another appliance.. After all i already own a refrigerator.. I never thought i wanted to drive one..

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  Great car - 2005 Toyota 4Runner
  By Abbas Ebrahim - January 22 - 12:50 pm

  Solid, Comfortable and will go anywhere

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  2009 Matrix S - 2009 Toyota Matrix
  By Mike Vukich - January 22 - 5:33 am

  Great car! But Ive always known Toyota made excellent vehicles. This is my 3rd one. Quiet, smooth ride. No maintenance worries. We just had a stretch of sub-zero weather. My matrix started right up; maybe a few extra cranks of the starter. I highly recommend this vehicle.