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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  Worth Every Penny - 2001 Toyota Camry
  By Acemenod7 - March 9 - 10:00 am

  Fully satisfied. The car is quite and comfortable. More room than a honda. Drives like a lexus. Looking to buy the Sienna now.

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  Toyot at its best - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By Edgar - March 9 - 10:00 am

  Great car! It has everything I would want from a compact at agreat price (mine was 13,000) w/ air and CD, and all the basic needs. Much more creative and innovative design than the concervative Civc, and great fun to drive!

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  2003 Toyota Camry LE 6V Auto 4 Dr Sedan - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By Ryder - March 9 - 10:00 am

  2003 Toyota Camry LE V6 Auto - 4 Door. Being a long time Chrysler/Plymouth owner and advocate, this is my first experience with a Toyota. It is impressive. The Camry is very well designed, engineered and constructed. Dashboard devices are reachable/obvious without driver distraction. The ride is straight, quiet and smooth - forward and side driver visibility is excellent. The vehicle feels sure- footed on highways and secondary roads and corners/turns without tilt or sway. The V6 engine provides plenty of power for hills but does not overpower the vehicle. All in all the Camry handles very well.

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  Rav 4 in time for the SNOW - 2016 Toyota RAV4
  By Coon - March 9 - 9:43 am

  Look online and figure out everything you want in and on your car. Talk with sales people from multiple dealerships and then make your choice. We tried all makes and models and narrowed our search. We live in the land of snow (average 30 feet a year, not stacked up). the Rav 4 handles awesome in the snow, icy roads, and the subzero temps.

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  Great Car - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Joanne Rossman - March 9 - 1:26 am

  As a former Lincoln Continental owner,I found the Toyoto Camery has all the bells and whistles, get and go, smooth ride, plus great gas milage, that I could ever want.

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  Fun to drive - 2002 Toyota Celica
  By Janus - March 8 - 8:23 pm

  quick. responsive. good handling and good gas millage.

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  Finally got my Tacoma - 2009 Toyota Tacoma
  By CPB333 - March 8 - 1:30 pm

  I have been wanting to purchase this truck since they redesigned it and I finally got it in June 09. I am very happy with my purchase. The truck rides great, handles well has plenty of storage and hauling ability. I got the TRD sport model fully loaded with every option I could add. I really like the JBL stereo but the sub in the back seems to vibrate the plastic interior on particular notes but overall it sounds great and was a good upgrade. The v6 has plenty of power and acceleration to merge on the freeway or pull out into traffic. I loaded the bed up the second day we had it with a heavy reclining sofa and couldnt even tell it was there when driving.

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  Love this... wagon/suv/car... kind of a mix - 2012 Toyota Prius v
  By katd529 - March 8 - 10:15 am

  I love this auto, it handles well, its well designed inside and out. The only thing I dont like are the cloth seats which are being replaced with leather. (This was part of the package we hagled over.) The dealership was wonderful! At any giving time 4 or 5 people would ask if we needed any thing or did we have any questions even after we were working with a sales rep. (Ask for Brian in the sales department at the Round Rock,Tx dealership), this young man has been very attentive to any question we had and if he didnt know the answer he found out. Even on a Sunday when the dealership was closed he returned a text message to answer my question. This was after the sale was done.

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  2006 Toyota Tundra Limited - 2006 Toyota Tundra
  By Mikon - March 8 - 3:10 am

  Salsa Red color is gorgeous. The 4-wheel drive is as impeccable as my 2000 Tundra Access Cab. The ride is quiet and comfortable at all speeds. My wife loves the heated seats and steering wheel-mounted radion controls. Great visibility (taller than my 2000 Tundra vecause of the 18" wheels). The power rear window is great (and quiet) for open air driving. Hardly know my boat trailer is there when pulling it. Mileage is excellent (18.3 mpg overall since purchase).

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  Good purchase - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By Kate - March 6 - 4:50 pm

  I got the Prius touring fully-loaded and it is great. I have been disappointed that I cant average more than 45 mpg, but that is still higher than any other car on the market and maybe the mileage will increase come summertime. The interior is really nice. There is nothing like Toyota quality - they are built to last.