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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  Economical & sporty - 2007 Toyota Corolla
  By nessy - December 5 - 2:46 pm

  Good car for gas mileage. Also sporty looking not to loose that with gas mileage. Not the power of a bigger engine but drives well highway or in town. Roomy enough for a larger person.

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  Best Truck Ever - 1998 Toyota T100
  By Dean - December 5 - 10:00 am

  I have driven this truck hard, but maintained it all times. I have done all of the work, save for the timing belt, leaving this truck out of the shop from breakdowns for its entire life. I have 105,000 miles on it and and it still runs like brand new, and of course looks brand new. This, so far, has been the best vehicle I have ever owned and still love it,...it is red. I have put Bosch Platinum +4 spark plugs and K&N air filter and it has given the truck a slight better response and power. I must have gotten a good one, because it can keep up or beat a lot of V8s, I sure it is because of the lighter truck. Griff

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  MY SIENNA - 2002 Toyota Sienna
  By SAMUEL J. BARNES - December 5 - 10:00 am

  I PURCHASED THIS SIENNA BECAUSE OF TOYOTAS REPUTATION AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH TOYOTA. IT RIDES LIKE A CAR.I LIKE THE DESIGN. THE DRIVERS ARM REST COULD BE A LITTLE LOWER AND IT COULD USE MOULDING ON THE SIDES TO PROTECT THE DOORS BUT I AM VERY PLEASED OVERALL.

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  Disappointing Options - 2002 Toyota Avalon
  By ndb - December 5 - 10:00 am

  The Avalon XLS is very good in a lot of ways, but some of the options are so poorly designed that they are junk. The "trip computer" has a feature that calculates average gas mileage - a must-have on my shopping list - but it resets every time the ignition is turned off! Its worthless! It also calculates trip time (up to 99 hours!) but that also resets when the engine is turned off. The cruise control looses its memory and has to be reset if you slow to under 40. Im disappointed. My 1990 Taurus did better on these and other features.

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  This hybrid is a Real Car. - 2001 Toyota Prius
  By bobdavisnpf - December 5 - 10:00 am

  Rides nice and high; drivers eyes are above most passenger cars and only a couple inches below most minivans. Interior is very, very quiet. Ideal for folks who must use cellphones (dont forget your handsfree device). More roomy than a Corolla. Easily fits 5 full-size men for a trip to the local lunch spot. Family of 4 is comfortable for multi-hour drives. This car weighs over 3200 pounds. You will not be blown around on the road, no matter how close that semi-truck gets.

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  Cool technology - 2002 Toyota Prius
  By Another Matt - December 5 - 10:00 am

  This car definitely delivers on its mileage promise. Like other reviewers, Ive been getting about 45-50 mpg in regular driving. The most impressive mileage I got was 53 on a roughly 500 mile journey -- did the whole thing with one tank of gas. Mileage seems to vary with weather (the engine runs more in the cold). I looked up a bunch of the patents behind this car. Man those guys are clever. The connection between the gas engine and electric motor is truly elegant.

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  Living up to reputation - 2002 Toyota Tundra
  By Muddy Hollow - December 5 - 10:00 am

  I have never owned a Toyota before and have been driving sport-utes for most of my adult life. Toyota has a great reputation and when I finally decided to buy a truck it was an easy choice to rule out the domestic options since their build quality is lacking, Ford would rank second in my opinion. Fit, finish, and driving experience exceed expecation with this truck. More carlike than trucklike and loads of power. Ergonomics are great compared to my wifes Land Rover.

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  Love this vehicle - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By Linda Paul - December 5 - 10:00 am

  We have owned our Highlander for just over a month. We can honestly say this is the best vehicle we have ever owned. We absolutely love to drive it. It is absolutely a gorgeous looking SUV. Love the comfort and ride and handling. It has wonderful get up and go and great visibilty. My husband is tall and he loves the leg room. We havent found one single thing wrong with this vehicle - even our gas mileage has been good considering we drive up and down hills all day - 20.5 on first tank - havent taken it on a real trip yet. Also, Magnussens Toyota is wonderful dealershp to deal with.

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  I LOVE IT!! - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By Liza - December 5 - 8:16 am

  425 miles and i still had a bar left on my fuel tank, this is the best car to have when you have to travel 68 miles to and from work everyday! i even went as high as 60/mpg, oh yes, i put that $4000.00 battery to use baby!!

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  #1 van - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By Sam - December 4 - 9:56 pm

  We thought about buying the Honda, but with no All Wheel Drive - why bother? I love this van and I dont even like vans to begin with. This is a superior vehicle.