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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  Corolla CE with Enhance Convenience Pkg - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By Micheal - January 4 - 9:23 pm

  I did a lot of research before buying the car. For the limited amount of money I had the Corolla offered the best value. It has a quiet, smooth, pleasant ride; it can corner surprisingly well and fast (for a commuter car), though it is not fun nor exciting. My body is 62" and 180 pounds. I have just so-so leg space with the seat all the way back; fortunately, the steering wheel telescopes and tilts nicely. My left elbow is way past the door elbow rest, so I cant use it; the right elbow rest aligns nicely, but is hard plastic. The seat is uncomfortable - no lumbar support and the seat cushion is too narrow so the side bolster dig into the butt. Excellent fuel economy; good visibility.

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  Decent car! - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By rahdirsv - January 4 - 9:20 pm

  Bought this car as a used car a month back and it had 45k miles on it; I have already put in 5000 miles on it (mostly highway) and I get an avg of 36 mpg. Got about 40-42 mpg on a recent long trip. No problems to date; engine quite noisy compared to other imported cars I have owned but great pickup and no problems passing/driving etc. I face a similar problem that a couple of other reviewers have written about: I cant get a comfortable steering wheel hold when the leg length (seat position) is adjusted right. And if I get a good steering hold for my arm length, my legs are too close to the pedals. Probably just needs a telescopic steering column.

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  Great SUV - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By MJC II - January 4 - 7:00 pm

  Traded in my 03 Highlander which was a great vehicle but the improvements made to the 08 blow the 03 out of the water. The 08 has fantastic leg room (both front & back seats), very comfortable bucket seats, a smooth ride & more than enough power with the V6, 270-hp. The overall redesign of 08 has added some great sight lines & a bit of masculinity.

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  Excellent redesign makes for a much improved Corolla! - 2014 Toyota Corolla
  By kirkuleez - January 4 - 5:44 pm

  I was looking to trade in my Honda Fit which I loved, for a larger, quieter, smoother riding car for my 65 mile round trip commute to work. Yet I still wanted the efficiency and reliability of the Fit. I cross shopped between the 2013 Civic and the newly designed 2014 Corolla. I initially liked the Civic better, but after driving each car again I realized how good of a job Toyota did. Advantages of the Corolla are: many more premium features for less money, better looking exterior, CVT transmission, nicer interior design with better gauges, automatic climate control, touch screen display screen, much nicer looking wheel choices, unique interior color choices, and a very quiet planted ride.

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  50K and still going strong - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By dkgoren - January 4 - 3:46 pm

  My 09 Camry Hybrid is approaching 3 years old and just hit 50K miles. The car has been extremely reiliable, with no mechanical failures and just doing basic maintance (oil changes every 5-7K, tire rotations, etc). I live in Maine, so in the winter, the mileage does drop to around 32, but in the summer, it can be as high as about 38 - thats not to say that I cant get above that for shorter amounts of time, but Ive yet to have a full tank average more than about 39MPG......Im still very happy with the mileage, especially with current gas prices.

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  135,000 miles and loving it - 2001 Toyota Tundra
  By clintncrys - January 4 - 1:37 pm

  I bought this truck used, but have loved it the entire time. It is comfortable for a full-size truck, and super reliable. It isnt capable of doing super heavy duty towing, but I havent come up against anything that I need to pull, but cant - its just not a diesel.

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  Excellent Car - 1999 Toyota Camry
  By Mountainview - January 3 - 10:13 pm

  Gave to our son 2 years ago for College use. Gave another 1999 Camry XLE car to our daughter. Both have very low maintenance, 28 Hwy mpg, 24 city 4-cyl. Very reliable. Only issue with both cars is the low exhaust pipe clearance over the bumps. Suspension system had to be changed in about 2006.

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  Worst Car I Have Ever Owned - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Disappointed - January 3 - 9:26 pm

  Transmission is terrible -- acceleration lag is a safety issue. Transmission also cant decide what gear it wants to be in. Interior noise level is unacceptable - this is one noisy car on the freeway. Drivers seat hurts my back. Air recirculation button randomly goes off. Tires were shot after 27,000 miles of gentle driving. Will not buy another Toyota.

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  I LOVE this car - 1997 Toyota Celica
  By stef - January 3 - 9:16 pm

  I LOVE THIS CAR! It accommodates both my boyfriend [who is 6-1"] and myself [5-6"] comfortably. I drive it everyday and I drive anything but slow and the car keeps up. It hasnt let me down yet. If youre thinking of getting this car, do it.

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  THIS CAR SAVED MY LIFE!!!!! - 2004 Toyota Sequoia
  By monique11 - January 3 - 5:02 pm

  My 04 Sequoia was terrific. I put 200,000 miles on it & it still ran great. This car is fun, fast comfortable & safe. Not only does it looks great, it performs excellent. It is 100% reliable inspite of the fact that I didnt serve it as often as I shouldve . In 2012 I had a serious accident in this car. I was driving 70 mph on the freeway downhill, "the bottom line," I lost control of the car which cause the car to spend in 2 full circles & ram the front end directly into the cement wall & it was total. I walked away with only a seat belt burn on my neck. The Hway patrol said he never seen anyone servive such an accident. My insurance gv me 15k for my lost which proves it holds its value.