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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  Holds it value, cant say anything else positive - 2009 Toyota Corolla
  By noneya - May 30 - 12:04 pm

  Im 6 foot tall and almost didnt buy because of its size, would have been a good decision. My knees are right on the steering wheel, nobody could sit behind me and the seat puts me at an akward posture. Its overly standardized; changed a back light and had no way to turn on or off the lights to check it until the car lets me at night. Why cant the human control the lights? Really dumb feature on a regular basis. Windshield wipers have 3 or 4 settings, thats it, no adjustable levels. Accelerates so slowly I might as well be on a 50cc scooter. Electronics suck; only shows track number on display, I dj so it helps if I can see the song titles to remember the song. The auxiliary is broken on my car so thats probably just my qualm but be careful, its delicate. Bought it at about 105000 miles, 09 in 15... owned it 5 months and Ive put 500 in repairs and will be taking it to the shop again this week. Not a mechanic but the front wheels suck. Friend of mine with virtually identical car had to replace whole transmission at just over 100000 miles. Gets great gas mileage but I would have paid for better quality as I thought this car would be more reliable ie less repairs, maintenance expected. Worst car Ive ever owned. Good thing it holds its value, anybody in the market for an oversized go cart?

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  Think twice - 2007 Toyota Prius
  By Dazzled and Dismayed - May 27 - 11:36 pm

  Overrated vehicle. Dazzled by the bells and whistles, I failed to see the inability to adjust the seat. It is so uncomfortable over 30 minutes behind the wheel. The interior lacks basics, i.e., console-dash easy access storage, visor extenders, change dish, etc. Feels like a cheap car. Display is distracting and annoying. Reverse beeping is beyond annoying. I wish Priuses were refundable. Caveat Emptor

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  harsh ride derails a good car - 2013 Toyota Avalon
  By maliblues1 - May 22 - 1:14 pm

  Previous Avalon owners will be shocked at how harsh the ride of 2013 Avalon is. Small bumps are transmitted as sharp kicks into the cabin. Road noise is also pronounced on worn asphalt roads. The style of the car makes a rear view camera a must, however its an option. the camera is standard on the Honda accord. Headlights also have a sharp cutoff that makes reading some road signs difficult. The touch sensitive switches make it to easy to activate the wrong control.

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  beware of any tacomas - 2000 Toyota Tacoma
  By jeff hill - May 21 - 1:58 pm

  tacoma trucks have a long history of the frames rusting to the point of major problems toyota has done very little to fix this mine just bent while mechanic had on lift to inspect for odd noise I was having.

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  Could be much better - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By Barshel - May 16 - 2:00 am

  The Matrix does not live up to the thoughtful design and comfort of my previous Toyotas. Unfortunately, Toyota borrowed some of the worst GM features, such as the recessed gauges, trim, and radio. The front underbody spoilers are poorly designed and flimsy. One was ripped off by a tire tread on the freeway and they are constantly scraping small road obstacles or curbs. There is no low-end torque so you have to press heavy on the gas pedal to obtain decent acceleration, resulting in a noisy take off. I bought the car because I needed utility and wanted decent gas mileage (24-26 mpg, mixed driving). There’s potential here, but for now, Toyota missed the mark.

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  Good car, but make sure its right for you - 2016 Toyota Prius
  By Paul - May 15 - 5:50 am

  I ended up with a Prius due to a strong, strong recommendation from a family member who swears by them. I took a data-driven approach to justifying the purchase, showing that the Prius is the car the minimizes lifetime cost for a set of safety, reliability, and size characteristics. Here the Prius has lived up to my expectations. So yes, the Prius does often make sense for your brain. However, make sure that its really the car that you actually want too. A bunch of things beyond the numbers really bug me about it. The outside is really ungainly, and the insides high contrast color scheme isnt my style. The center speedometer I thought would be fine, but when I hold my hand around 2 oclock on the steering wheel, my hand blocks it. Without a doubt the Prius is an incredibly well engineered car, but thats not all there is to a car purchase. If I were doing it again, Id choose one of the many other cars that is also well engineered but looks and feels a bit more conventional.

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  Hope it Lasts - 2013 Toyota Camry
  By twistedf8 - May 8 - 2:27 pm

  First Camry purchase. Not impressed with the cheap carpet in the SE (shines like cardboard after the first vacuum) the seat material is sub-par as well. Gas mileage is 23.8 MPG. I bought the car at a discount like so many other posters have mentioned. I wont complain about the price. For a 4 cyl, it does have the ability to accelerate well. I wish I was getting the mileage many other folks are reporting and Id overlook the cheap interior. I live on a 50 MPH road and the car rarely sees a traffic light. Buyer beware on the mileage and interior. Otherwise it is a nice car. Im hoping it lasts as long as people say they do.

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  MPG - Yay! Everything Else - Meh. - 2012 Toyota Prius
  By missmytsx - May 8 - 9:22 am

  Toyota has made one efficient vehicle here. I achieve 45 - 55 mpg without really trying. In fact, I drive %100 of the time in "PWR" mode just to give this car some small modicum of driving enjoyment. But its very small. This car, simply put, sucks all the enjoyment out of driving. It is painfully slow. Those who claim it is not slow have probably not driven a normal car in a quite a while. It is very loud - lots of road and wind noise. At highway speeds Ive got to crank the radio nearly full blast just to hear the music or speech. If high real-world MPGs is your one and only criterion, then you cant do better than the Prius.

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  HUGE Blind Spot - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By Lee M - May 8 - 5:33 am

  The 2010 model has improved in adding more interior space; however in doing so, a blind spot of 2 feet on both sides of the rear corners were created. Another trouble with visibility is from the bar the rear windshield wiper is attached to. There is a vent in the back corner that cannot be blocked so a passenger cannot use a pillow to lie on. The seats are rock hard, the steering wheel is positioned too far away. The low beam headlights dont shine upward (the beam is cut in half) so it is impossible to view the road in front of you if you are driving up or down a hill. Mileage hangs out at an avg of 47. The blind spot must be fixed in a new model for me to purchase another one.

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  Its Like a Tank - A Plastic One - 1993 Toyota Camry
  By Devadatta - May 5 - 10:00 am

  You cant go wrong with getting it for it never gives any problems except after 110k miles, when the A/C dies out completely, and expectedly. It is NOT a sporty car, NOT a good-looking one either. If you are around 40 years old its OK. Dont think that the paint job will stay on for a while. It will get eaten alive in the snow. Try to think of the positive -- you dont have a 1979 Ford Pinto.