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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  Its a Toyota through and through - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By Kaytee - May 7 - 3:53 pm

  Ive had the car about 2 weeks and 400 miles and so far I love it and am still discovering things about it! Its quiet and has a very smooth ride. The moonroof is cool, as is the satellite radio and 6-CD changer. Its very comfortable to drive and feels solid. The interior dome light comes on when the key is turned off. The running lights get brighter as the environment darkens. The power windows remain operable for a minute or so after the key is turned off for those of us who habitually forget to close the windows before turning off the car. The trunk is roomy and even has a place to set things so they wont fall over, like a gallon of milk. Its Toyota quality and innovation.

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  V-8 smooth - 2006 Toyota 4Runner
  By Blaze - May 7 - 9:03 am

  Just bought the car. Nice ride. Avg about 20.1 (set cruise @65.00 sharp). Combined driving gets about 18.2 MPG. Computer updates the MPG every 10 sec. Very smooth. Quiet interior. The power seats are nice. Wish side airbags come standard. No body lean around the curve at 40~45 MPH. Drove thru a heavy rain storm and can feel the traction control sets in right away. A lot of room when rear seats folded down. Storage areas throughout the car make it really neat.

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  Love my Camry! - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By L.A. Wilson - May 7 - 5:26 am

  As many have, I too have read poor reviews that others might give regarding the Camry. Not my experience! But neither will I give this car all "10s" like some. Thats just silly. Suffice it to say, Im EXTREMELY satisfied. The engine is powerful & the 6 sp. tranny, silky smooth. I love the interior & Magnetic Gray exterior (on my SE, that is). Nav. is outstanding and feature filled (w/ bluetooth). JBL Stereo cranks while playing home burned 10 album, MP3 disks. The stock tires were shredded in only 13K, but thats Toyota typical. Quiet interior. Great controls, logically laid out. Comfortable seats (for my 62" 280lb. frame). Currently own two other Toyo

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  I love my new Yaris! - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By trisarahtops22 - May 6 - 8:40 pm

  About 2 weeks ago I got my new red Yaris! I know I havent had it that long, but so far I love it. It handles really well, its fun to drive and it looks great! I love the design.

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  like it ... but - - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By BDC - May 6 - 7:40 pm

  The car is fun to drive for what it is. It is very roomy on the inside compared to other vehicles we tested. I thought to gas mileage would be better though. I understand the EPA ratings are "estimates", but I travel 70 highway miles per day and so far am averaging on 26 miles per gallon. This seems a bit off the 35 miles per gallon on the sticker. Since this was the primary reason for buying this vehicle I am disappointed in the variance in what is advertised.

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  Great Car With A Few Caveats - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By Deanie - May 6 - 3:06 pm

  Great engine, good tranny, great brakes, very comfy, but handlings too soft (less safe). The better handling Touring model remedies this, but cant be had w/Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), the best safety feature after brakes and seatbelts, so Touring wasnt an option for me. Eats up highways serenely and stress-free while providing great MPG and outstanding passing power. Handsome alloy wheels and attractive but mature styling round out this excellent car. To protect Lexus models with which Avalon compares more than favorably, Toyota handicaps Avalon interior with plastic wood, lame-colored leather of avg quality, & denies the athletic Touring of VSC. Touring w/VSC could hurt GS300 sales.

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  Reliable car...costs too much - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By ajayuppot - May 6 - 7:35 am

  this a 2010 Corolla S Automatic canadian edition, drove 16000+kms for 5 months now. my last car was a 1998 corolla VE, drove it for more than 6 years and 200000+kms. Not much changes to the basic car, drives without much problem. i drive around 150kms a day on weekdays and averages 7.2liters/100kms. Good traction on snow and ice when combined with michelin X ice tires. Observations- Paint chipped off with few months, On cold mornings the accessories belt/pulley whines while starting. Both these according to Toyota Service advisor are usual and they can do nothing about it! Gear change from 2 to 3 and 3 to 4 had a slight delay, the dealership corrected it during 2nd service

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  Smart Choice - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By John74 - May 6 - 4:00 am

  After 5,000 miles in 04, I have to say I love my Camry. It is quiet, confortable, nimble (for a 4 cyl), roomy and very fuel efficient. I use it for my daily commute (80miles/day) and as our main family vehicle. The car averages 29.5mpg/week, half of that being highway miles. Suprisingly, when we traveled from Chicago to Memphis (usually cruising at 75mph) we averaged 38mpg roundtrip! Overall this car has been reliable and a pleasure to drive.

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  Tight and solid quality counts - 2006 Toyota Tundra
  By Stan - May 5 - 10:00 pm

  I love the quality feel and tight solid body of this truck. I owned an 02 Tundra and was very happy, but the 06 is much peppier, with more horsepower and the new 5 speed transmission is beautifully geared to keep the engine in the proper torque range, so it performs very very well. Its extremely quiet - no wind or engine noise. Nice ride. Got 18 mpg driving 200 miles home from dealer, in spite of over an hour idling along in a huge traffic jam. Its not as roomy or comfortable as the Titan or the Ram 1500, wont haul as much. But I haul only occasional light weight trailers, so a 7/8 size truck fits my needs perfectly. Love it

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  True to its Name -Sequoia! - 2006 Toyota Sequoia
  By phimb - May 5 - 1:56 pm

  If you want power, comfort, style and reliability at a price you can afford, Sequoia is it!