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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  Lived Up to Rep - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By Steve Marsh - November 15 - 10:39 am

  Got pretty good deal on 2010 LE Toyota Corolla. Paid few hundred dollars less than average cost. Decent miles for a 2010 (75,000 miles). No significant bells and whistles, so pretty basic. Previous owners spilled bucket of pickle juice on back seat, so a repeated ordeal trying to remove smell, but just bad luck. Overall pleased.

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  2007 Toyota Yaris S - 2007 Toyota Yaris
  By Jenn - November 15 - 9:46 am

  There are some things I would change, such as the manual seat adjusters and manual steering wheel adjuster (I was spoiled in my last car). My boyfriend likes when we take my car out some evenings (he has a large SUV), because we can park more easily and in smaller "parking spaces". You can hear the traveling noise at higher speeds, but that doesnt matter much to myself. Knowing that I get really good gas mileage makes up for that.

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  Nu owner loving it - 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By nuowner - November 15 - 4:13 am

  Bought a 2 weeks ago with 6,000 miles on it. High end vehicle. Loving it. 39+ mpg 650 mi first trip. Used cruise set at speed limit. Looks like 38+ in city driving so far. Easy to ease off and glide at 25-40 mph after well warmed on level or slight downhill. Disappointed in the lousy manuals, even the short one. Needs a GOOD manual for nav for a non-technical person like my wife. I have only begun to figure it out and have years of equipment and technical experience. Nav should have a "basic" mode for naive users like my wife. Horrible blue color bezel for the display panel! It looks nice in my gray interior - awful in others I saw.

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  Gas milage - 2010 Toyota Venza
  By watermarks - November 14 - 6:27 pm

  We love our Venza . It works well for my wife and as well for me. Plenty of room in it. We have had it for 1 year. The only issue we have had it the gas milage. we are going by the computer gas meter and it says 17.3. When we first got it at the dealer it showed 16.1 and we ask the dealer if that was the real milage and they said that was just because of it sitting on alot. My wife is a real easy going driver and the computer gas meter always says 17 .3 to 17.5 in normal driving. We dont know if the computer is off or not. I had some friends that brought the exact car and engine from the same place and they get 23 normal driving and 26 on the highway . Disappointed in gas milage computer.

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  The Gospel according to Venza - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By Djustinmeister - November 14 - 5:16 pm

  The Good News: if you are looking to buy this car, dont be swayed by the occasional bad review.I dont know what those people are thinking.You just cant please some of the people most of the time. This is a very enjoyable and comfortable car to drive.I researched this car for 4 months, and drove it 5 times before I bought it, and I fell in love with it from the first moment I drove it. Have had it about a month and took it on a 400 mi. trip, and it was a total dream to drive on a trip, and no less pleasurable around town. I have had some rattle/noise problems, but they are being addressed. There is plenty of power with the 4 cyl and better gas mileage for sure. This car is a dream!

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  First Day - Driving in downtown LA - 2012 Toyota Prius v
  By la_bob - November 14 - 3:32 pm

  Day 1 - So far so good... We traded in a Suzuki XL7 for this car. Prius V not as quick, but... that is a given. The prius V rides smooth, and has fewer blind spots. Im comfortable, my kids like the way the back seats lean back. I will keep yaall posted over the next few days/weeks/months. So far Im happy :-)

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  I just like it - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Florida Camry Owner - November 14 - 1:36 pm

  I bounced back and forth between a fully-loaded Accord, Infiniti G35, and this car. I have to say that I have been very pleased with this vehicle. It rides like a dream and you can barely tell its running when in idle. The sound system is incredible, the seats are comfortable, the controls are ergonomic and straight forward and the take off power is quite impressive. Ive gotten a lot of positive feedback about the appearance, inside and out. This is a solid good looking car.

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  My Camry - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By Gus Clemens - November 14 - 10:00 am

  My 1997 Camry is my second Camry. I drove my first Camry for seven years, then passed it to my son who drove it three more, even after it got caught in hail storm. Transportation is transportation -- I want reliability and quality. Both my Camrys delivered. I expect my third one will do so too when I buy it in another year or two.

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  MR2 Spyder - my favorite care - 2002 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By TheMinx - November 14 - 10:00 am

  Even after almost 2 years, I still smile every time I look at my Toyota MR2 Spyder. It handles incredibly well, corners like a dream and accelerates just as I need it to. The huge wheelbase on this small car allows me to take corners marked for 25 MPH at 50+MPH without even a quiver. All the under-the-hood maintenance items are clearly marked and easily found.

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  Avalon worth a look - 1996 Toyota Avalon
  By TXToyota - November 14 - 10:00 am

  This is the first Toyota Ive ever owned. Ive been very satisfied with the reliablilty and performance of the Avalon. Id buy another if the following were taken care of. The distributor/dealer network needs reworking.The distributor network adds after market accessories. The result is the 2 sticker system. The dealer network is substandard. In every case, theyve produced substandard or incomplete at dealer prices. In short, the car was purchased based on Consumer Reports testing. They were right on. You can drive it with just changing oil, air filters, and timing belts and probably drive for 200,000+ miles.