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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  Will I Buy Another Toyota? - 2001 Toyota Sequoia
  By Calvin Swine - September 2 - 10:00 am

  Rattles worse than 10 year old Explorer. Fold up seats take foot off cargo capacity. JBL radio does not work. Speakers fade in and out - now only one speaker working. Supposedly a TSB on this. Repeated trips to the dealer "I cant make any money on this" service managers quote! Interior fit and finish are average - side of leather seat already has a wear-hole. Car hesitates on acceleration after sharp turn, etc., etc. Very dissapointed in quality AND service. Toyota should be ashamed and should fire the service manager. After all of this the dealer charges me $40 for rental car. Toyota? Never again!!!!

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  Poor Performance, Nice Looks - 1999 Toyota 4Runner
  By Dake - September 2 - 10:00 am

  The 4runner is an overall good SUV, but lacks the performance needed for some situations. If you are a car company and want to put an SUV in your line-up, make sure you compensate for the people that use it for highway use...in lain-mans terms, give it more balls.

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  The Best Spontaneous Decision - 2003 Toyota Sienna
  By JeffreySR - September 2 - 10:00 am

  After Driving a minivan for 5 years, my husband decided to go with an SUV but the price range was so high even with 0% financing. We decided to go with another minivan but Toyota delearship was just across the street from where we were, so we decided to check them out. Wow! I loved the way it drive, smooth and quiet. Even if we had to pay an extra $5000 on the finance charge, we went ahead and bought the minivan because we know that it will be a better investment than what we had before.

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  check vibration - 2002 Toyota Tundra
  By smithdog - September 2 - 10:00 am

  Toyota tundra has vibration issues in floorboard thru the arm rest.. Do a thorough test drive before considering purchase. Different vehicles vibrate in the driveshaft at different speeds. V6 more at low speds and V8 more at high speeds.

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  Rear end noise - 2000 Toyota Avalon
  By rickdot - September 2 - 10:00 am

  noise in rear struts-dealer says all avalons make this noise

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  poor service - 2003 Toyota RAV4
  By mike harper - September 2 - 10:00 am

  cannot determine if car is of poor quality or dealership is the problem. rattle in dash took 6 months to fix leather seats were flawed and could not get replacement for 7 months. brakes pulled to right after rain. squeaking noise in rear.

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  Never again! - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By vader33 - September 2 - 10:00 am

  Worst car I have ever purchased. Every bump in the road causes noise in the front end. Factory recall on front end parts, got them replaced, problem not fixed. Incompetent mechanics and/or bad car design? Only power is between 3500 and 4500 rpms. Very unstable to drive on the highway at 75mph. Somebody wake me from this nightmare!! Do yourself a favor and buy a Honda!

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  Well Pleased - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By Msmacp - September 2 - 6:20 am

  I am enjoying many wonderful features of my new Highlander. However, I am learning that I was more spoiled than I realized with my Tahoe. Seat comfort on long trips is an issue. There is much more road noise than I have been used to. Would undercoating possibly diminish the noise factor? I attempted to get tires that might be quieter. Due to the size, the tire store owner could not locate options for me with three of the main manufacturers and he did not pursue it any further. Other than that I love not needing to fumble in my purse for the keys all the time. Thats great when your hands are full.

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  Good performance for a V4 - 2005 Toyota Camry Solara
  By S.C. - September 2 - 5:53 am

  So far, I have driven it for 7000+ miles and am still very happy with it. It surprises me how fast and stable a V4 auto can do on the road. The body structure seems much stronger than all other japanese cars that we owned. I dont think I could get a car better than this one at the same price.

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  Tundra Truck 07 - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By Kent B. - September 2 - 4:43 am

  A joy to drive, lots of power, very comfortable driving position (my wife likes it as well). I have the double cab that provides good room for passengers. Im very happy with the truck so far (1200 miles).