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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  Toyota Quality, What an Urban Myth! - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By sampsonlab - January 1 - 11:53 pm

  All four brake rotors warped at 22K. The windshield pops like a bowl of Rice Krispies in the winter. The flimsy chain that pulls the sunroof broke at 14 months. Dealer sent car to an upholstery shop to remove entire roof liner and all 8 pillar trims to repair. Power door lock broke. Main air bag computer fried and we had no airbags for a 900 mile planned trip. Seat belt latch hit door upholstery and door panel split open like a cheap piece of oil cloth. Cargo tie-down buttons fell out of side panels in rear. When replaced, they fit loose, hold no weight, and rattle. Rear window washer/wiper quit working. Paint finish does not hold wax. Leather seat split.

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  Best 4Runner Yet - 2010 Toyota 4Runner
  By Rich - January 1 - 11:53 pm

  Ive had my 4Runner for 6 months and am extremely happy with it.... except for two things. Running boards should be standard and there should be a locking gas door or locking cap offered. Handling is outstanding in the Limited which I attribute to the x- reas suspension. Brake modulation is also excellent.

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  An Honest Review From A New Tacoma Owner - 2016 Toyota Tacoma
  By Kyle M. - January 1 - 6:25 pm

  Let me start off this review by saying that I have never owned a Tacoma before or a truck. Also I have had my Tacoma for about 10 weeks now. I felt it was necessary to write a review to defend this truck. This is a great truck and I would recommend it, but lease it till they work out the bugs. First off, Ill start off with one of probably the most important questions, the mpg. I average around 20 mpg, doing about 60% city, 40% highway. If you do a lot of highway driving, my mpg meter has gone as high as 26mpg, as long as you dont drive like a jerk, you should get decent mileage. But when you buy a truck youre not buying it for the mpg, you buy it for versatility, otherwise go buy a Prius. Moving onto performance and ride quality. In terms of performance, I will admit acceleration can be a bit sluggish, especially when you need it. However, I find that if you turn the ect pwr button on or put it in sport mode, that does seem to loosen up the transmission a bit for better acceleration. Its no race car, but it still has ample passing power. In terms of ride quality, its relatively smooth, but when going over bumps it gets pretty rough, so ride quality is so-so. And to add to that steering is pretty responsive. In terms of the interior, I love it, its very simplistic but very nice and clean layout. I have cloth seats and theyre very comfy, and the infotainment centers touchscreen is very responsive and user friendly. In terms of sound system, I had heard Toyota speakers were garbage, but to be honest theyre actually pretty decent. Certain genres of music can be on the quieter side and require you to really crank it up. But overall, for the non-jbls they still have pretty decent bass. Last but not least, Id just like to add that, the backup camera makes parking the Tacoma even easier, as its nimble size makes it easier to get through tight spaces. The design is definitely a big improvement in my opinion. Overall I give it 4 stars, its a great truck, but still has its short comings, hopefully when my lease is up theyll make more improvements on the little things. Hope this review helped any future buyers!

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  2005 Access Cab Big Disappointment - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By A.S. - January 1 - 4:03 pm

  I purchased my 2005 Tacoma Prerunner with 4-cyl/5M new after doing a lot of research from forums, specification reports, and going on test-drives. This is the model that looks like a 4- wheel-drive and has an extended cab (they call it the access cab). I can now say after having it for 17,000 miles that I am very disappointed in it for two reasons: actual vs. posted fuel mileage and wind noise with the latter being the primary reason I am selling it. I wanted only one vehicle to commute to work and haul music equipment. It had to be of high quality, above 25mpg highway fuel rating, and have adequate storage space (I assumed the ride would be reasonably quiet as are competitors models).

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  Great Green SUV - 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By JE - January 1 - 9:56 am

  I have had this car since Dec 2007 and love it. Ive been averaging 25.5 mpg (through winter, spring, and summer driving). Its been great for my family of four with plenty of space. I bought the base model but added leather (through a 3rd party), nav, bluetooth, iPod connectivity, DVD interoperability, a rear DVD player and heated seats. These additions probably saved me approx $5K over getting them through Toyota on the Limited package.

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  Toyota Matrix still moving forward! - 2011 Toyota Matrix
  By fijiman - January 1 - 8:05 am

  Neat exterior design, but could use the upper rear spoiler like the 2010 Matrix XRS model before it. But vehicle is still rather stylish! AWD S model definitely has the upgraded 2.4 liter power of the previous Matrix XRS, the Scion XB and the previous Toyota Camry models. With 16-Valve/Dual VVT-i & 4 cyl in-line type auto transmission. Common features that are now standard with almost all of the new Toyotas are traction control, vehicle stabilizer control, ABS, EBT, & smart stop technology braking system.

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  Great Car! - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By RainaRaina - January 1 - 7:43 am

  I have had my Yaris for a year now and I still love it. Gas mileage is great, and I can finally parallel park! It also comes with a bunch of hidden storage in the dash and an iPod jack.

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  Perfect A-B car - 2012 Toyota Corolla
  By John Burke - January 1 - 2:25 am

  Bought the car new in may 2012. She is a red Sport model with a 5 speed manual trans. The manual trans def helps with lack of power and fun factor. Yes the car is slow (132 hp) but that doesnt bother me. Bought her for fuel economy and reliability and she has been perfect. Currently has 32k miles on it which is considered low miles. Last 2 years have not been driving her too much since i have 2 other cars now. But when i first bought her racked up 20k miles in first year and half. Would do 400 miles a week and go on road trips. Took to AZ from NJ and back no issues what so ever. Thats 5k miles just there. typically get around 30mpg mixed. Best I got was 36 mph highway. I do all the maintenance myself and change oil every 5k instead of 10k. 10k miles is too way to long. Did the air and cabin filter at 25k. Other then basic maintenance thats all i have done. Tires are starting to get low but thats not the cars fault. There cheap tires from the factory. Bridges tone Turanzas. Going to switch to something different when there bald. Again very happy with car and will have for a very long time.

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  Should have bought a Tundra long ago - 2010 Toyota Tundra
  By Rod2012 - January 1 - 1:03 am

  I am very pleased with the truck. The last new truck I bought was a Dodge Ram and Chrysler did everything they could to avoid paying for anything. Toyota owns up for its Recalls and steps up to fix it. Handles great, comfortable and power! As for the so called noises in the back of the truck, the only noises I hear in the back are the trucks left behind at the light.