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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  So far so good - 2001 Toyota 4Runner
  By Yoko - January 30 - 11:43 am

  I never thought of owning a car this long. I bought the runner with 40K in 2004. It now has 148K. I did change a lot of stuff, spent about 5K. Still cheaper than buying a new car. This SUV is still running from Florida to New York with no problems. Im running this truck to the ground. No rust. Paint is great. If youre looking for a long lasting SUV, look no further.

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  Sienna 01 - 2001 Toyota Sienna
  By cac - January 30 - 7:50 am

  75,000 miles and still on orginal brake pads. Dealer says I still good to go though I keep saying- surely I need to replace them now. Only problem is a sticky automatic side door.

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  Tiny Trunk! - 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Dex - January 30 - 7:43 am

  The Camry Hybrid is a good car, its our second hybrid. Our first was the Prius. Sorry to have to make comparisons, but the trunk is the downfall on this car, everything else is very good. The Prius trunk is about 30-40% bigger and even though we bought the Camry as our family car, we find that we need to take the Prius on trips because the luggage would need to sit on our laps. Overall the car gets us 35 MPG and just marginally better than the 4 cylinder Camry that our friend owns. The trunk basically needs a one foot extention, dont understand why Toyota didnt do this? Anyway, if you are considering this car, you must factor in that it has a VERY small trunk.

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  Not happy with quality - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By soapbox17 - January 29 - 3:36 pm

  This Camry is not the Camry of the old days. The interior materials seem to be cheap. The SE vehicle suspension is horrible. You can every bump. The acceleration in the 4 cylinder veh was OK until the recall on the brake pedal. Now the acceleration is horrible!!! My vehicle is Black and the factory paint had bad places on it when we bought it and we had to have the PS door and rear bumper painted. The paint is very dull and even when clean it is not shiny even with a wax(almost like to they did not put a clear coat on it).I had a 2000 Camry for years and loved it until my daughters boyfriend totaled it. This 2009 Camry could never stand up to the quality of the older Camrys.

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  MONEY SAVER!!! - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By Tristan Rouse - January 29 - 11:36 am

  This car is awesome!!! Look, style, epa, feel, reliable, and most of all it is the overall the smartest car for it price.

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  Very efficient, reliable, high operation - 2005 Toyota Prius
  By honman - January 29 - 10:46 am

  Efficient, reliable, good fuel mileage, smooth ride, but lacks power on hilly ride.

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  One year in review... - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By arice - January 29 - 10:20 am

  After months of research last year between the Yaris, Versa, and Fit, I chose to get a Toyota Yaris, and I am so glad that I did. I am on the road a lot for work (both hwy and city), so when purchasing a car last year, my main concern was reliability and gas mileage. When I first purchased the Yaris, it got around 36 mpg, but now that it is broken in I have gotten up to 41 mpg. I am very pleased with my purchase, and would recommend the Yaris for anyone wanting an economical car to zip around town in.

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  Good Car - 1998 Toyota Avalon
  By Fl Driver - January 29 - 3:36 am

  I bought my Avalon used in 2002. So far the only maintenance problem Ive had is that the check engine refuses to go out. Ive a few mechanics look at it, and no one can seem to find the problem. Other than that, it has been an excellent vehicle. Strong engine, with OK mileage.

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  It does its purpose very well - 2016 Toyota Corolla
  By DJ BID - January 28 - 7:20 pm

  This car does EXACTLY what it designed to do...thats to be economical. After 1000 miles.. we learned that being great on gas is all its good for. Do not expect great comfort in log trips.. 2.5 hours is about tops for seating comfort.. anything longer than that.. you need to upgrade to something with more bolstered seats. The driving performance is par for a 4cyl Eco-saver. But the steering is surprisingly tight, and handles the corners quite gracefully. Speed above 85mph you will notice air starting to get under the car and the feel of the car sticking to the road starts to fade. Around town driving places this car at the top of the list for sipping on fuel. But, please know you must have patience while in traffic...for this car will NOT jet you in and out of traffic because of sloth-like acceleration. And please, please avoid road rage.. because the horn sounds like a fisher-price toy horn.. so dont embarrass yourself by honking and giving off explicit excerpts. In all the wifey enjoyed its fuel conservation.. and the daughters liked its cute style and practicality. Its a great car for city life, and a great car for the child..IF they travel less than 1hour...

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  Great Car - Except for the Stereo - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By tpbush - January 28 - 5:03 pm

  This is my 4th Camry and like the others it is very satisfying, except for the stereo. This is by far the worst sounding factory stereo I have ever had, regardless or the brand. It has a surround sound setting that is worthless - it sounds like a tissue filter on all speakers. And speaking of speakers, there is supposedly a sub-woofer in the car. It must be disconnected because I have to increase the bass settings, which I never do on other systems. And there are up to 36 presets but no band or other means to categorize the presets. Just a terrible product on an otherwise outstanding car.