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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  2003 4runner limited - 2003 Toyota 4Runner
  By nedjacob - September 4 - 10:00 am

  Very smooth ride, nice sound system. A great improvement.

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  One tough little truck. - 2003 Toyota Tacoma
  By autow - September 4 - 10:00 am

  I traded an 02 tundra 4x4 for this 03 tacoma dbl cab 4x4 w/trd and i couldnt be any happier with my decision. It fits me a little better than the tundra but i do miss the v8 pwr. The truck has plenty of room and my wife can drive it much easier than the tundra. I have always been a toyota truck person and will continue to be in the future. Only 1 issue i have with this truck is that it does need a bigger v6 with at least 225-250 h.p.

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  Navigation system defective by design - 2010 Toyota Sienna
  By fdbck - September 4 - 4:26 am

  The Toyota Siennas navigation system has a "safety feature" which is not advertised anywhere, it appears to be the least talked about safety feature of any vehicle on the market. When the vehicle is moving, the navigation and phone hands free controls are locked out. They dont trust that passenger can safety change your destination with the vehicle moving. It was a waste of $2500. The voice recognition system is mostly useless, out of 10 times saying "home" it only correctly registered once. Does anyone actually like/want faux wood trim?

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  Toyota Quality Slipping - 2004 Toyota Camry
  By first toyota - September 3 - 4:33 am

  First Toyota my wife and I have owned. Looking forward to many trouble free years based on review of others. After a year our car had the fuel system replaced. Last week the steering shaft was replaced due to a defect. This will be our last Toyota.

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  I love this car - 2001 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Ellen in Charlotte - September 2 - 2:36 am

  I looked for a year for a used Solara convertible and Im glad I waited. I have the 6-cyl and it drives like a sportscar. I have only done regular maintenance (did the 90K mi service), as it has needed nothing else. I plan to drive this car until it falls to pieces, which could be 10 more years. Comfort is great for the driver and passenger, the back seat passengers have complained a bit. And, of course, its a bit noisy on the highway with the top up, just not completely airtight but who cares?

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  Best compact truck ever - 2000 Toyota Tacoma
  By dannybayless - September 1 - 11:43 pm

  Ive owned several compact trucks and this is by far the best all around. The 2.7 pulls the rather heavy truck very well even with the 33" tires on 18" heavy rims Ive put on. The motor has potential to have much more power with a few minor adjustments, which I have done and am very pleased with. This truck has done all thats been requested of it while getting competitive gas mileage (19-23). Ive pulled over 10,000 pounds long distances over rugged terrain with ease, climbed the Smokey mountains, and taken 1000 mile trips with only the extremely uncomfortable interior to complain about. Other than uncomfortable ride, it beat expectations by far. I look forward to the next generation.

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  Perfect for the Understated Person - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By Citygirl - September 1 - 11:30 pm

  I really like my new Highlander. So far it has not given me any problems. It has the quality and comfort I have come to expect from Toyota (Ive owned two Camrys). The best thing about the car is that I feel like it looks like my lifestyle and personality with lots of class and not too trendy. It doesnt scream "I have money" or "I need a status symbol to feel good" which suits me and my bank account just fine. Great value.

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  13 years of non-stop use without any breakdown - 2001 Toyota Corolla
  By Istvan Balog - August 31 - 7:51 am

  The only hardware failure during our 13 years - still ongoing - experience was the failure of the master clutch cylinder (the Toyota dealership in Brunswick, GA installed a faulty one generic instead), leading to about $1700 in unreasonable, humiliating

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  Not as good as the older Toyotas - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Gwiz - August 30 - 10:03 pm

  I own a Toyota truck for 19 years with virtually no problems. I have owned my new Camry for about a month and have had numerous problems. 1) Vibration in the steel wheel above 70 MPH. 2) Clicking noise from the rear suspension . 3) Center console squeaks. 4) Dashboard squeaks. 5) Passenger seat back rattles and vibrates excessively 6) Air conditioning vents poorly match the surrounding dashboard. 7) Driver side door had a scratch at delivery. 8) Transmission hunts for gears 9)Driver side head liner molding buzzes. 10) Steering wheel is not centered when driving straight. 11)Transmission unexpectly deaccelates during a slow down (as if it dropping into a lower gear).

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  Drivers Seat Needs Work! - 2003 Toyota 4Runner
  By lenripley - August 29 - 2:00 am

  The Drivers seat makes a clunking noise anytime you enter vehicle, hit a bump, or turn sharply. Dealer says this is the way it is. I dont believe it. If it is, there is a design flaw which needs to be resolved.