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 SUV - 2009 Toyota RAV4
  By Central Florida Gal - January 27 - 12:16 am

  This car/suv is outstanding. Easy to drive, park and get in and out of. It has the power I need without sacrificing gas mileage. I love it.

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  Good City/Town Car - 2007 Toyota Matrix
  By mtdriver1 - January 26 - 9:50 pm

  After 11,500 miles the Matrix is finally broken in enough to review it. The usable space is fantastic. It has plenty of zip for city/town driving (especially w/ TRD performance filter). Ours is loaded as possible w/ sunroof, wheels, upgrade stereo, ABS, airbag package, trim package, etc. These cars look silly w/o the extra trim IMO. My disappointment rests in the cars rattles in the dash and elsewhere. Way too new for this, and whatever happened to legendary fit and finish. Lousy Gdyr tires and their harsh ride had some to do w/ onset of rattles (better ride and fewer rattles now w/ Michelin tires), but its still no excuse. Best mileage thus far has been 33 mpg (highway), disappointed.

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  Super SUV - 2010 Toyota 4Runner
  By Paul K - January 26 - 8:43 pm

  Truly a super comfortable SUV. The seats are close to being as comfortable as my 2008 Tundra that I traded in for the 4Runner. Long trips they are still great. Handles well on rough Texas FM roads. The fuel averaging is right at 20mpg but its still breaking in and thats city.

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  Nice little sport ute to save the day - 2016 Toyota RAV4
  By Steve - January 26 - 1:20 pm

  So a little background on why I purchased a new Rav4. I had a 2007 Rav4 Limited that I had purchased earlier in the year I hoping I could reduce my debt and get a reliable car. My girlfriend and I decided that the new puppy needed to make a trip to Little Rock Arkansas which is about 400 miles away from us. I knew that this vehicle had started to consume about half a court of oil every 2000 miles or so which is acceptable by Toyota standards by the way. Understanding that this vehicle was almost 10 years and had 100,000 miles it wasnt a big deal to me. So what I have to add a little oil every once in awhile. I had never taken this vehicle on a trip before and checked the oil before I left making sure everything was good to go. After completing the journey I checked the oil the next day and found the dipstick to be completely dry. I had pumped over 1000 bucks in this car in the prior month and know it needs a motor great. Im a huge Toyota fan so I promptly went to the nearest Toyota dealer and started looking for something reliable that would get me and the girlfriend home without any trouble on Easter Sunday, I had been looking at a newer Rav4 anyways just to look and decided thats what I needed to get. I found the one and I wanted and after spending half a day of my vacation buying a car I went to dinner with my family. I was very impressed with how quiet it was compared to the previous generation and loved the standard infotainment system the car had. Being an LE I liked the fact that it had bluetooth and a back up camera standard. The next day we started our trip back home and I found myself speeding most of the way home because of how quiet it was. The sensation of speed is completely different. Going through the Boston mountains I began to notice how much the 6 speed transmissions shift and became very annoyed with it. After owning this car for almost a year and almost 13,000 miles on it I still annoys me how much it shifts. Without that transmission though it probably wouldnt get the gas mileage it does. After a few thousands miles on the odometer Im pleased to report that I can get over 30mpg consistently. I think the worst gas mileage Ive seen is 28. After a year the car still remains quiet and Ive had no problems. I like the service intervals to. 10,000 miles for an oil change on synthetic oil isnt a bad deal. The one thing that I had to change is the headlights. This car is the projector headlight lenses and I found it very hard to see to the right or left of the vehicle at night. It made it hard to determine how close I was to the ditches when driving at night. I could see that being a problem and somebody taking a turn and clipping a curb or driving right into a deep ditch. I turned to Amazon and purchased a set of LED headlights. I notice the new corollas have them so it was pretty easy to get my hands on set for 100 bucks. They made all of the difference in the world. The other thing that disappoints me is the how much these things are new. I believe my sticker showed almost 27,000. A few years ago you could buy a 4WD XLE with a sunroof for about 25k. I guess thats inflation for you. Great car, love the size, love the gas mileage.

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  Just drove one across the Country - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By George F - January 26 - 11:03 am

  This is the perfect automobile. I just drove it 2550 miles in only 2 1/2 days across this beautiful country. There were 16 hour days in rain, traffic, and various other road conditions. It performed flawlessly. I could go on but my ratings say it all except for this one item. When I pulled into my drive way, the fuel meter showed 48.2 mpg for the whole trip. WOW! With long distances at 80 mph.

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  RELIABLE! - 1998 Toyota Corolla
  By Oregonbeauty - January 26 - 9:56 am

  I bought this as a previous leased vehicle with 39,900 miles. I now have 121,000 and mechanically have only replaced the battery & put pads on the brakes. The interior integrity has not been the best, but I can rely on it to run & get me where I want to go. Radio is on/off, replaced both front door handles(not cheap), but I totally would & will by another Toyota. My daughter is buying one in 2 days. She needs a reliable car. I get 28-32 MPG mixed. Replaced the battery & put pads on my brakes. Regular tune up at 110,000(first set of plugs) Love the car. Not the most comfortable, but it never lets me down.

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  I like my Tacoma! - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By Ronk - January 26 - 4:50 am

  Great truck -- Great vehicle. I traded in a full-size Chevy Silverado, and I can now say after putting the first 5000 miles on this truck, I made the right choice. It drives right and it looks good! After a 3000 mile road trip, I could not be happier with my choice. I added a cover for the back, nerf bars, and a trailer hitch -- Im set!

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  excellent suv - 2003 Toyota Sequoia
  By brums - January 26 - 2:00 am

  fun to drive. Smooth and comfortable to ride in. this is the best SUV I ever bought.

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  Great vehicle! - 2003 Toyota Sequoia
  By KevinW_D - January 26 - 2:00 am

  We have owned a Highlander for 15 months and the ownership experience has been so good that we bought this Sequoia when we needed a bigger vehicle. What a great SUV! The domestic vehicles just dont compete with the Toyota (even though the Sequoia was designed by a team in the USA).

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  Great value! Turns heads! - 2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By spyderwoman - January 26 - 2:00 am

  I love the look of my silver MR2. It is reliable, handles well and gets great gas mileage unless you decide to drive VERY fast. Which it definitley knows how to do! Interior is very sporty, great for a 5-footer like me. You get so much style for the price, and of course Toyota quality and reliability, I am suprised I do not see more of these zipping around town!