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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  Purchased in Sept. 07 - 2008 Toyota Matrix
  By Tashadog - December 25 - 12:10 am

  I decided on purchasing a Toyota Matrix in Sept., after my new 07 Chevy Malibu was totalled in a car accident in August. It took me a little while to get attached to the Matrix, as I really liked the Malibu. Im getting almost 30 MPG (all city driving) with the Matrix. Its just a basic car - no bells and whistles, but its comfortable and, being a Toyota, Im expecting it to be around for a long time. Though it looks a bit small, Im actually able to fit my family of five in comfortably.

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  New to me, happy so far - 2012 Toyota Venza
  By aguy8910 - December 24 - 5:53 pm

  I recently purchased a used 2012 Venza (3.5l, AWD) and am very happy with it so far. I am wagon fan and had a hard time finding a suitable replacement for you 2005 Subaru Legacy GT. Ive had many Subarus, but really did not feel like going down that road again and was very happy with what the Venza had to offer. The car is very solid, powerful and comfortable. The only issue I have so far is that my favorite coffee cup doesnt sit well in the oddly shaped cup holders... Also, the MPG isnt great, but I knew that when opting for the more powerful V6 version.

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  Great Truck, But... - 2007 Toyota Tacoma
  By kpri101 - December 24 - 10:20 am

  It looks great. Its fun to drive. Its not very comfortable. It gets awful gas mileage. It has junky breaks. It has cheap paint. It doesnt offer an Mp3 adapter...even 5 years after its introduction...come on Toyota, whats the problem? No sunrooof option, thats a no brainer. Ok, thats enough. I still like my truck but next time around Ill be a little more picky.

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  Fifth, but Last ,Toyota Pickup - 2006 Toyota Tundra
  By red rider - December 24 - 12:36 am

  This is my fifth Toyota truck. It is not as reliable as the other four. Delivered it with a badly warped disc brake rotor. I had the front rotors replaced. I also had the recalled ball joints replaced. Now, at 18,000 miles, the outside of the right front tire is worn bald. The auto-dimming rear view mirror and the Homelink circuits have been repaired twice.

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  More fun than you deserve - 2002 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By DanDeb - December 23 - 10:00 am

  What a fun car to drive. Hugs the road like nothing Ive ever driven before. Fast little sucker with a great 5 speed sport shift. Took only a few times to get used to the shifting and once you do, youll never go back to manual. Stereo /CD/Tape player is more than adequate with the to down. Build quality and Paint finish are superb!

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  Little Red Truck - 2002 Toyota Tundra
  By jmday - December 23 - 10:00 am

  The truck rides and drives very good. I have over 7000 miles on it now with no problems so far. This is my first Toyota and Im hoping to get a good truck this time. Its been a long time since I owned a truck that didnt need to go to the shop on a regular basis. I hope this is it. The main thing I dont like about it is that its not comfortable. The seats take some getting used to.

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  Worst riding truck Ive ever driven - 2007 Toyota Tundra
  By primo - December 23 - 8:10 am

  I have owned or worked out of 14 different trucks in the last 10 years and can safely say that this vehicle has by far the worst ride of them all. The amount of reverberation from the rear of the truck on concrete roads is insane. Hitting a speed bump at 10mph causes shockwaves to travel up to the front of the truck for 5 seconds while the bed bounces up and down like a diving board. This problem is supposedly only confined to the DC models so do yourself, and your pancreas, a favor and get the crew- max. Toyota has been told repeatedly about the ride issues with the DCs and still refuses to aknowledge it. I will be trading in this back killer as soon as I can.

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  Just O.K. - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Just O.K. - December 22 - 7:36 am

  Bought this car pre-owned. Some friends owned one. Would caution pre-owned purchasing. Thought Toyota had a better car.This car is slow when first pushing on the gas, and shifts slow. Thought it would get better gas mileage than it does. The good news, its fast when it finally gets going. Also, expected a quieter vehicle, but I have found that it makes little noises as if it wasnt pieced together tightly and some things are now loose.

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  Still great 1.5 years later! - 2008 Toyota Prius
  By hondoman45 - December 22 - 3:13 am

  I wrote a while back about my experience with my Prius. It is still a very reliable car that has not let me down. I replaced the 12 v battery myself as the original one was getting tired and wouldnt hold a charge any longer. Still get around 42 mpg in the cold and 46+ in warmer weather. This is great considering the car is driven an average speed of 72+ mph on the highway where it spends most of its time. The nav system isnt worth getting as it is woefully outdated and Im not willing to pay a couple hundred for an update at the dealer. Car rides well and is fairly quiet, but still dislike the leather seats as church pews are more comfortable. Very happy with my purchase!

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  TIRE PROBLEM LIKE NEVER BEFORE ????? - 2017 Toyota Highlander
  By White Highlander owner - December 20 - 9:42 pm

  This may be isolated to my vehicle but, at about 8500-9000 miles on the 2017 Limited AWD, the tires began to vibrate and make a mild grinding noise. The dealership rebalanced them and I suspect rotated the front to the rear. It was taken back to the dealership for a more through test. The problem was identified to be in the rear tires. Added weights were installed on those tires. I now have a new car that drives and sounds like I have off-road noisy grinding vibrating tires as low as 30 MPH on very smooth road surface.