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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  my truck - 1997 Toyota Tacoma
  By me123456789 - May 10 - 10:00 am

  Great reliability and gas mileage.

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  airbags do not work!!! - 2001 Toyota Celica
  By kerston vaughn - May 10 - 10:00 am

  I rearended someone in my toyota celica and totaled the front end of my car. I had passenger and driver airbags and neither one of them came out. This car is very dangerous if you rely on your airbags as protection.

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  Comfortable Drive - 1999 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Canadian - May 10 - 10:00 am

  My kids are desperate to drive this beauty but this is Dads "chickmobile"! The car runs so quietly I have probably torn a few teeth off the starter thinking it has stalled! The front strut mounts (as I see with others owners) have both had to be replaced. The ABS brakes are way too sensitive and kick in at the least unevenness in the road surface when braking. It is a very comfortable drive for long journeys and has only let me down once with a dead battery. Had an window motor blow up which scared the pants off me but overall I would buy another Solara, providing it has the same quality interior as my 99.

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  Trixin it 2004 - 2004 Toyota Matrix
  By Bill Harkins - May 10 - 10:00 am

  This little car is an awesome performer. I have put 46,000 to date with out any returns to the dealer for anything. The only complaint I have with this car is that I feel Toyota should look into using a more forgiving paint, As for the car has more paint ship down to the bare metal than for Ford Contour had after 150,000 miles. I would reccomend this car to anyone. Great Car.

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  Peppy performance & excellent fuel economy - 2006 Toyota Tacoma
  By michael bryan - May 10 - 7:46 am

  The fuel economy has been pleasant surprise avg. 27 mpg once got 27.76 over 400 miles mixed driving never less than 25.23. The larger than avg. 2.7L 4 cyl has plenty of low end torque with the manual trans. This trucks interior is very comfortable. The truck feels very safe and stable at high interstate speeds. I spend most of my driving on public roads where this truck feels stable and manuverable, not tippy.

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  *BEWARE* - 2002 Toyota RAV4
  By Lee - May 10 - 4:50 am

  Loved this car at first, started getting a lot of wind noise, and noise from rear, had it looked at, but found nothing. Now, with only 120,000 miles on it, it started slipping. Had it checked and transmission is gone, of course its past warranty, plus the ECM (engine control module) would also need to be replaced, costing me $4,800.00.

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  BEST MIDSIZE SUV - 2003 Toyota 4Runner
  By Frank - May 10 - 4:30 am

  In my experience I cannot say anything bad about this SUV. Very reliable, owned for close to 3 yrs. never had any problem what so ever. Good on snow. Performance wise I cannot complain it had enough power for me when passing or high speed highway driving.

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  Toyota Sequoia SR5 - 2002 - 2002 Toyota Sequoia
  By Ricardo Jalube - May 10 - 3:10 am

  It is a SUV built to last. Excellent reliability and build quality. After 48K Miles looks, smell and sound like brand new.

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  Trunk Noise - 2004 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Dsevig - May 10 - 2:13 am

  This car has been reliable so far and I wouldnt hesitate to go cross country anytime. Gas mileage stays on 30 mostly city driving. The passenger window came loose from the guide bracket and I had a trunk noise looked at at each 5K mile service. Finally after talking to the service manager personally the problem was found. The noise sounded like someone beating on an empty 50 gallon drum in the trunk when running over rough surfaces or stones. I think Toyota has a fix for this of replacing the rear shocks. The problem ended up being two rods forming an X inside the trunk and just under the rear window a piece of foam between the two rods fixed the problem. Rear seat long trips are a nightmare

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  2007 Toyota Tacoma - 2007 Toyota Tacoma
  By Matt - May 9 - 9:56 pm

  Precisely what you should look for in a mid-size. Truck feel but car comfort. Plenty of power for highway acceleration. Gives full-size general duty for V6 gas mileage (20.5 mostly highway driving). Great utility constuction truck!