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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  Enjoy the Avalon for the price - 2006 Toyota Avalon
  By Jerry Gonzalez - May 30 - 7:26 pm

  This is my first Avalon and I think I bought the best car for the price. It could be quieter at higher speeds. However, between 0 to 70MPH it performs as good as any car. The gas mileage is very good and you dont have to buy premium gasoline. The back seat is roomier than you might expect from a Toyota.

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  Beats Cadillac all to heck!! - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By Craig - May 30 - 9:23 am

  Living in an isolated area we put a lot of miles on every time we hit the road, and hit the road is every bit as comfortable in our new Venza as the Cadillac DTS we were driving. Better mileage, excellent view for drivers that like to sit a little higher on the road. The comfort of seats was equal to a Lincoln we tried out before buying the Venza. Just a great vehicle, but probably built for four adults. The electric steering handles like nothing else on rain soaked gravel roads, no pulling or floating to the side.

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  My Dream Car - 2005 Toyota RAV4
  By Denise Guldin - May 30 - 8:03 am

  I love my RAV4. This car is great to drive and I love its safety rating. I find it to be very roomy and I am able to haul large items easily with the seats folded down. I like the gas mileage I get when I fill up also. It is easy to park, easy to handle and has get up and go when I need to accelerate. I am glad I got the 2005 RAV because I like the style and lines of the car compared to the 2006 model which is little bigger. I would recommend this car to anyone.

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  35+ MPG in comfort - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By russell - May 30 - 12:06 am

  After 1500 city miles, we have averaged 34.8 miles per gallon in comfort. Love this car

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  AWD tires gotcha - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By Justin - May 29 - 2:30 pm

  I have the 2004 XLE AWD. Dunlop run flat tires lasted 27k (more than others), and cost $300 each to replace at the dealer. Probably should have been replaced sooner, based on how bad they looked. Toyota no help - tried to blame it on my inflation levels - suggested using higher than recommended pressure. Spare tire kit is available, but I bought the van for the fold-down seats, and use them all the time - why give that up? Might get regular tires next time, and carry a spare on the roof rack...

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  Great Car - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By jafirm - May 29 - 9:40 am

  Fun to drive; however, I had a rattle noise in the dash. After the second attempt by the dealer, they finally fixed it. It was a loose heat shield. It is now fixed. If this happens to you, ask the dealer about a Technical Service Bulletin from Toyota dated Jan. 18, 2002 to help solve the problem. Also, could use a little more thigh support in the front drivers seat; otherwise, a great vehicle!

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  Just a Nice Little Car - 2007 Toyota Matrix
  By car crazy - May 29 - 7:13 am

  I have loved driving my Matrix on trips and around town. The gas mileage is OK. This is my fifth toyota and I find myself constantly comparing, which I should not do. I find that there is a lot of room especially when the rear seats are down. A mat would have been nice to cover the whole cargo area. I have read many revues on the car but have not yet seen my pet peave yet, which is a roof rack. It is so very expensive to fit this car with a roof rack. I cannot believe its not an option. But I guess, given the overall performance, gas mileage and especially the handling, it still comes in as a number one car for me.

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  2016 Camry SE - 2016 Toyota Camry
  By J9Detroit - May 29 - 6:37 am

  Ive been a Toyota Camry owner for over 16 years. I recently retired my 1999 Camry for the new 2016 model. I cant begin to tell you how disappointed i am with my new Camry. I love the exterior styling but the interior is just meh. My two biggest issues are the incredibly uncomfortable seats which cause my leg to go numb while driving and the bouncing of the car. I seriously thought there was something wrong with my car when i first experienced the bouncing, especially pronounced when driving on the highway. I brought my car back to the dealer several times but was told it was a common issue and that i should put some weight in my trunk. I wound up putting 40lbs of birdseed in the trunk and that mostly solves the problem but you can still feel every bump in the road. Not something you want in the pothole capital of the US. Some of the interior trim is cheap feeling and forget the infotainment system - bluetooth works intermittently and the voice commands dont work at all. Though it will read your text messages to you, there is no way to reply by voice command which is frustrating. As someone who loves long road trips this car will never be the car for that. Much too uncomfortable with those seats. I commute an hour each way every day and Im constantly thinking about what Im going to do with this car - keep it or trade it for something more comfortable. Its really disappointing given i loved the 2014 seats. Have no idea why they changed them. Im really questioning my loyalty to Toyota at this point but then I remember its the reliability.

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  Quick and nimble - 2001 Toyota Celica
  By Scott - May 29 - 3:23 am

  I have owned this car for almost a year now and it has been the most reliable car Ive ever owned. It is very quick and has excellent gas mileage. It can turn on a dime and can hang around a turn faster than most cars due to its sporty suspension. There are also a ton of aftermarket parts out there to make these cars the coolest and fastest on the road.

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  2005 Tacoma - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By Mark - May 29 - 2:53 am

  Damn near perfect. Smooth ride, fun to drive and looks GREAT. A rock solid truck from Toyota. Toyota is showing they want to play and are willing to do what needs to be done to play with the Big Boys. Great interior creature comforts and a peppy 4cyl engine that is more than enough for the average homeowner. Good fuel economy as well.