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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  Very solid small SUV - 1997 Toyota RAV4
  By nickyreviewer - July 27 - 10:00 am

  The RAV4 is a very solid car like all Toyotas, and fun to drive. You can see above the cars in traffic, but parking in the city is a breeze due to its short length. With regular maintenance, Ive had no problems whatsoever with the car. The ride is not car-like however, but it is a truck afterall.

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  Sienna LE 2001 - Excellent Minivan - 2001 Toyota Sienna
  By innovations2 - July 27 - 10:00 am

  Needed a vehicle that could carry multiple passengers plus camping gear and 2 large dogs. Our Sienna has been extremely reliable. We just carried 3 mountain bikes strapped down to the roof rack and brought along our two 80+ lb dogs and 3 kids plus all our camping gear. The van is a great long distance cruiser. The van scored better in safety than almost all other vans. No road noise.

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  OK Im hooked - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By Happydriver - July 27 - 10:00 am

  Granted its only been three weeks, but I love this car. I drive a lot on city hills and like a zippy, sporty feel, and so was dubious that a small wagon could provide the fun drive I wanted. Initially I was torn between a Golf, Jetta Wagon, Mazda Protege, and (inconsistently) an Acura RSX, but the Matrixs combination of roomy interior, clever cargo usage, sporty feel and the larger speedy engine convinced me, especially for the price. Of course it doesnt have the torque at low RPMs that the RSX or another 2-seater-type sportscar would have - but I am thrilled with pretty much everything else and am happy with the compromise. A great car!

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  Not so good Toyota - 2002 Toyota RAV4
  By Xpat - July 27 - 10:00 am

  Rough ride, extremely noisy - cannot hear radio or people talk on the road, uncomfortable, cannot see the dashboard from the steering wheel, hard to fold/remove rear seats, not enough power/fade-out on hills.

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  Nice SUV, bad in gas - 2002 Toyota Sequoia
  By ikealva - July 27 - 10:00 am

  Cargo area is great, performance is great, very comfortable. Only complaint is that 14 mpg, not even close. Youll get 14 mpg driving 15% on the city and the rest highway. City driving you ll be lucky if you get 12 mpg.

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  sequoia - 2002 Toyota Sequoia
  By jorr - July 27 - 10:00 am

  best car ive ever seen

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  2wd 6cyl Toyota Highlander - 2002 Toyota Highlander
  By Neokayak - July 27 - 10:00 am

  We loved this SUV the moment we drove it. I wish we had shopped around a bit. You can get a low end verison of this and add on the accessories for alot cheaper than the dealer will allow.

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  I love this car! - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By Kathleen Dremann - July 27 - 10:00 am

  I love my new Car!

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  I love our new Truck! - 2005 Toyota Tundra
  By Diana - July 27 - 8:20 am

  My husband and I are Die Hard Toyota Fans. We now own a 2000 Toyota Avalon and by far its the best car on the Market. The comfort of this car is amazing, for both front seat and rear seat passangers. Soft leather, beautiful interior. And the only time its been in the shop is for oil changes and servicing, it now has over 80k miles. Our friend has a Toyota Truck that has over 300k miles and still works and looks good. When we decided to replace our second car, we thought of no other than Toyota, thus the TUNDRA was the one. Nice Truck, clean feels strong and safe. Rides like a Sedan but your high enough to look over the other cars. My Rating 10+++

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  Lexus Minivan - 2004 Toyota Sienna
  By Sienna Fan - July 27 - 5:16 am

  Wow, we really love this van. We tow a 3500 pound boat, have 2 kids, and 3 dogs and this is exactly the vehicle we need. We ordered it (waited 4 months) in 2003 and took delivery in March. The all wheel drive is incredible. When I pulled out boat out this year people with f-150 pickups were slipping (2wd) but my awd sienna just pulled out the boat with no problems. I know most folks wont pull a boat with a minivan - but with 230 hp you can with ease. We of course have had nooo problems with this van. We traded in a 2000 odyssey on this van an it is a big upgrade. The interior is soo plush. I drive a lexus and I like this van better (wife drives the van).