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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  needs larger seats,and mpg - 2004 Toyota 4Runner
  By wilm - June 8 - 10:00 am

  i found the limited to be full of conveniences and a few inconveniences. i have a 38" waist. the seat belt is hard to find and fasten when i get into the drivers seat.seats need to be a little wider. more options for the money spent would also be a plus. adjustable pedels should come standard with the limited. fuel milege is much worse than a jaguar xj8. which we thought was bad till the limited showed up in our garage.

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  A little disappointed - 1997 Toyota Camry
  By jbarada - June 6 - 7:23 pm

  I bought this car for my wife from an elderly couple who had bought it new. It had less than 70K on it. I didnt look it over a closely as I would normally because of Toyotas reputation. I later discovered an annoying rattle in the front end that turned out to be strut mounts, it burns and leaks oil, I go through four quarts of oil before its due for an oil change. The transmission does not seem to shift properly, especially on uphill grades on the highway. Despite these few let downs I am fairly pleased with its overall performance. It is above par when it comes to road manners, very plush ride, and effortless to drive. It does quite well on gas too usually gets about 28/32 city and highway

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  Avalon: 133k of Reliability & Value - 1996 Toyota Avalon
  By Isoka - June 6 - 10:00 am

  Ive driven my Avalon for six years after buying it used, driving on a combination of high speed freeway and beat up lousy DC streets. The car is bulletproof. No mechanical problems at 133,000 miles. Never replaced timing belt. People get in the car, cross their legs in the back seat, and ask, "what is this car??" Used two different Toyota dealers over this time, but neither was worth a damn. Luckily the cars dont break, so you dont have to see them much.

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  NOt bad - 2003 Toyota Highlander
  By mtc46jw - June 6 - 10:00 am

  Have quite happy with the thing overall, much better than the American equivalents. Wanted to like the Jeep products but one test drive comparsion was enough to go with the "CATruck" Have not been sorry yet!

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  Interior styling????? - 2002 Toyota Camry
  By juzepp - June 6 - 10:00 am

  This is my first Toyota and and I really like this car! One thing really irks me though. The ugly dash! Ive always preferred "waterfall" type cockpits. Look at an Olds Aurora and youll see what a dash should look like! And whats with the open bins? They look SO cheap! Cant Toyota put a hinged door on it???

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  Love It! - 2008 Toyota Corolla
  By wms - June 6 - 4:43 am

  We now own 3 Toyotas and we will buy again. This was by far the smartest purchase we have ever made. We are a family of 4 and this is our main mode of transportation. Now that gas is almost at 4.00 a gallon, it takes roughly $40.00 to fill it up when it is dead on empty. We bought it for the mpg and it performs well. My husband uses it daily for work, and he is rather a large person. I would suggest this car before purchasing a Yaris. The Corolla is really a nice car that you dont mind driving if youre downsizing.

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  Not bad for a Small Car - Great on Gas! - 2008 Toyota Yaris
  By Letgil - June 5 - 2:50 pm

  My driving experience so far has been pretty amazing, the steering is very sensitive and the power for this car seems better than average. The interior is appealling and so is the exterior.

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  Best value in class - 2009 Toyota Camry
  By atb2 - June 5 - 12:50 am

  First-time Camry owner with only 4k on the clock. Combined city/hwy mpg is 30.2 so far. Very smooth and quiet on the road for an I4, with minimal road/engine noise. Truly a solid and well-built sedan. Excellent overall.

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  Nice little car - 2005 Toyota Corolla
  By Larry - June 3 - 10:20 pm

  I love my 2005 Corolla. the only complaint I have is that the front floorboard is not flat. There is a raised area in front of the seat. It makes it uncomfortable to place your feet on the floor. My wife states that since the floor board is not flat all the way acroos it hurts her hip and left foot (passenger side). Bad design. Otherwise the car is wonderful.

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  What I expected!! - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By SLDinCT - June 3 - 11:06 am

  I want my cars to go 10 years or 100,000 miles at least. No problem here. I get 40 mpg often on highway, 5k oil changes, battery, tires, O2 sensors (warr) and filters are only work Ive done at 60k. Car went to FL from CT got 45 mpg for trip, wasnt too comfy, but was reliable. Winter gas mileage goes down to 35 with heat. Awkward drive seat adjustments. Poor OE radio & speakers. OE tires made it 36k. Michi Pilot A/S are SWEET. Open front end differential makes this car less capable in snow than it should be. This is the household 4th Corolla. There will be a fifth in 2015 or so. (Oh yea! No ABS on "S" model? What is that about?!!!)