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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  A Keeper - 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
  By Design Professional - February 20 - 3:36 am

  Since purchasing our Toyota Highlander Hybrid in December of 2007, weve driven nearly 9,000 miles. The car sees cold and snow when we visit Colorado in the winter and extreme heat when we visit Arizona in the summer. It is comfortable in both extremes. Very good in snow and ice, and quite at home on Mexico beaches. Weve averaged 26-27 MPG with little effort, but we do drive somewhat slower with gas at $4.00. The interior features are a little more than we desired, but we wanted leather seating. The backup camera is hard to see when its sunny and we have a small hard to detect rattle in the dash. Were sure Toyota will find the rattle and well keep the car until it has a plug-in accessory

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  Better than Honda! - 2005 Toyota Sienna
  By ARM - February 19 - 6:50 pm

  Test drove the 2005 Honda Odyssey and then drove the 2005 Sienna and purchased the Sienna CE with 8 passenger seating. My wife loves it! Toyota has done well...

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  A great truck! - 2006 Toyota Tacoma
  By ETAYLOR - February 19 - 6:43 pm

  I traded my 98 f-150 for a 06 Tacoma with the TRD package.I spent 6 months pricing and researching various trucks before chosing the tacoma. I have been impressed with this truck from the first test dive I took. The ride is great, it feels like a mid-size sedan, very smooth on the freeway with little outside noise. The interior finish is impressive, everything is well laid out,I love the red gauges and the interior storage.I can see myself in this truck for the next 5-10 years!

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  Best ever - 2005 Toyota Tacoma
  By DARRELL BLOCH - February 19 - 9:36 am

  My second Toyota truck. First went 287,000 miles! Extremely good power train and excellent brakes. Very good mid-range torque and a very quiet ride even at 75 mph.

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  Best Car Yet - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By GB - February 19 - 7:10 am

  Outstanding car. Was also looking at Cadillac but came across Avalon by chance. Took 1 test drive and never looked back. Great power, very roomy (including back seats) and spectacular dash design. Push-button start and door locks are best idea since the Model T. I will never go back to a "key" car again. Absolutely the best luxury car value on the market.

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  2005 Avalon - 2005 Toyota Avalon
  By CymJym - February 18 - 9:46 pm

  The 2005 Avalon is a much better car than the 1996 Avalon it replaced. Really love the new engine with 280 hp but I need to ease up on my right foot to get better mileage. It has been interesting to see the realtime miles- per-gallon and how driving in stop-and- go traffic reduces the average mpg.

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  More than I expected - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By CAR - February 18 - 7:03 pm

  I was very upset when my husband informed me that he wanted to buy a Pruis. I really did not like the exterior looks but after I got over the shock. We got one red with package 5. I loved it and wanted to drive it all the time. Plenty of room for me and husband and 2 kids in car seats. So easy to drive and park loved the back-up camera. But I am SAD now. We had our Prius for 1 year and then a girl pulled out in front of me and I hit her and it totaled the car. Disappointed to find out that we will have to be put on a waiting list to get our next Prius. But it will be worth the wait. Our mileage averaged 45 mpg most of the time. I think I will get leather on the next one though.

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  Super Cool - 2006 Toyota RAV4
  By Char - February 18 - 1:53 pm

  I have had 7 toyotas in the last 25 years. Everyone was great. Last car was the 2003 Matrix, it was super. My Rav4 is the best yet. I have driven it for 3 weeks and I am at 1500 miles. Fantastic acceleration.

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  Tough to beat in this class - 2006 Toyota Sequoia
  By sammyray - February 18 - 9:43 am

  Excellent quality... no squeaks, rattles, everything solid. Takes a while to get used to the size (if used to a smaller car)... braking in particular takes longer due to the high weight. Time-proven Toyota engine. Lots of room, visibility excellent but need to check corners by sight and not rely on mirrors. Had an Explorer and, while reasonably reliable, got tired of incessant rattles and relatively poor build quality. Good sound quality, controls user-friendly. Very happy with the vehicle, would recommend based on experience so far.

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  Ahh, another Toyota! - 2008 Toyota RAV4
  By JHfrmPV - February 18 - 1:13 am

  We had 3 Toyotas sitting at our house (Highlander Hybrid, 4Runner, and Camry), so its no shock they were at the top of our list when it was time to get our daughter a car. We absolutely love the car all around and would definitely recommend it to everybody! MPG are excellent as we are getting 26 on average. Looked into the Escape as well and for a couple thousand more, you get better quality, mileage, and of course, legend reliability. Plenty of room for everyone, got it with the third row for convenience. Tight, but still fine. If you are looking at any comps, just go to the Toyota dealer and buy this car. You will never wish to look back! Now, we PROUDLY display 4 Toyotas at our home!