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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  The 1997 Camary XLE V6 is a great car - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By Denise - May 2 - 10:00 am

  I bought my 1997 Camry brand new, and have had no problems out of it. I have 115,000 miles on it and it just had its first tune up. The orginaly brakes and battery lasted until 90,000 miles noone could believe it. I have had some problems recently with the car smoking some, but we just switched to synthetic oil and I believe that could be the problem. It has been a great car.

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  Just change the oil - 1992 Toyota Camry
  By dvettman - May 2 - 10:00 am

  My baby now enjoys this low maintanance 172,000 mile ride. It has to last another 8000 May 2003 when shell be my daughter the Doctor. 22 years in school is a long haul. The weak areas: Front exhaust pipe has been replaced every 5 years, CV joints about the same . I believe the rear struts are shot but no $$$ to have them replaced ..

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  Great Commuter Car - 2002 Toyota Echo
  By jludes - May 2 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car almost a year ago to commute back and forth to college. I am getting 37 mpg on average(not too bad). There has been no problems for the first 18500 miles. Acceleration with the 5 speed is suprisingly good. I put on aftermarket 16" TRD wheels with low profile tires. This helped the horrible handling a lot. Overall, great commuter.

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  Watch out at 50,000 mi - 1999 Toyota RAV4
  By chash - May 2 - 10:00 am

  I loved my Rav 4 untill 50,mi watch out anyone who owns one. at 50,000mi it falls apart. water pump, timing belt, shocks,valves, I dont know if my rav was built on a monday or a friday but I am positive that it was one of those days dont get me wrong I love my car but do yourself a favor and buy the extended warranty Toyotas dont run forever!!!

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  no problems, great for my wife - 2001 Toyota RAV4
  By BrianJ - May 2 - 10:00 am

  Overall a good "cute SUV". Havent had any problems with it. Only getting 20mpg. Kind of weak accelerating, but its not supposed to be a sports car. The rear seats remove easily for hauling medium size stuff (bikes, etc.). Body design is a major improvement over previous models.

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  no problems, great for my wife - 2001 Toyota RAV4
  By Brianj - May 2 - 10:00 am

  Overall a good "cute SUV". Havent had any problems with it. Only getting 20mpg. Kind of weak accelerating, but its not supposed to be a sports car. The rear seats remove easily for hauling medium size stuff (bikes, etc.). Body design is a major improvement over previous models.

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  beef it up a bit - 2003 Toyota RAV4
  By neil - May 2 - 10:00 am

  the build quality on this vehicle seems excellent. i have owned toyota trucks prior to this one and i am happy to see that they have not diminished the quality of the product like some other manufacturers have. the ride is a bit stiff on bumpy roadways but feels very solid for a compact vehicle. the seats could be improved on a bit, and i would like to see larger tires available besides the 235x60x16 car like tires supplied.it is more car-like than suv..

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  beef it up a bit - 2003 Toyota RAV4
  By Neil - May 2 - 10:00 am

  the build quality on this vehicle seems excellent. i have owned toyota trucks prior to this one and i am happy to see that they have not diminished the quality of the product like some other manufacturers have. the ride is a bit stiff on bumpy roadways but feels very solid for a compact vehicle. the seats could be improved on a bit, and i would like to see larger tires available besides the 235x60x16 car like tires supplied.it is more car-like than suv..

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  Terrible front seats - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By tnguy - May 1 - 1:58 am

  Everything about my Camry is great except for the front seats! The seats are so uncomfortable my wife almost refuses to ride in the car!! After just a few miles, her back aches terribly and no amount of adjusting the seat helps. The seats are very hard and not shaped very good. The driver seat is also pretty uncomfortable. We bought the Camry expecting to be able to make comfortable trips in it but the seats are so uncomfortable we will have to find some way to make them better or we will have to replace this car. I love everything about the Camry but the seats just ruin everything.

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  First Toyota - 2017 Toyota Camry
  By Jon - April 30 - 10:24 am

  I replaced my extremely reliable Chrysler 300c hemi v8 that was totaled. Do to our plans to purchase a house Im 20 months I tried keep costs contained so as much as I wanted another 300c I wanted to keep on budget. The Camry SE is exceptionally quiet and smooth riding. The 2.5 4 cylinder provides decent acceleration. Its no Rucker but its more than adequate. Interior materials could be better in my opinion and there should be ambient lighting in cup holder, foot weeks, door handles, and map pockets. Rear door panels should have soft touch surfaces too. Seats are far and away much improved over my grand parents 2011. I looked at a ton of cars and rented them and spent a few days with each. The Camry much to my surprise I even thigh it was the best at one particular thing except ride and sound isolation perhaps did everything well. The other car that cane close was the new Malibu but I trust Toyota more so o bought it.