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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  Now a classic?! - 2005 Toyota MR2 Spyder
  By Tom Boyd - September 29 - 1:26 am

  The car is wonderful to drive. It is a weekend car due to small storage space but go baby go.

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  Reliable appliance - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Doug - September 28 - 7:33 pm

  My 3rd Toyota. 84 Celica, 89 Celica. Car has been excellent in terms of reliability. Some quality issues with fit and finish. Dash has squeaked annoyingly almost from day 1. Had problems with upgraded JBL radio. Replaced with Pioneer. V6 is great. Wish the rear seats in the SE went down. Very happy with car after 52,000 miles.

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  247,000 and still going - 1992 Toyota Camry
  By donk - September 28 - 2:00 am

  Absolutely best car ever owned. Bought used in 1994 with 44,000 miles on it. My four cylinder now has 247,000 miles and is still going. Still have original exhaust! No major repairs whatsoever. The body looks like new - no rust. The four cylinder is peppy. Great gas mileage and large gas tank.

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  Great car. - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By jenny - September 28 - 1:56 am

  Very impressed. after owning two accords, I finally made the switch, and this car is excellent so far. Im in love with it. The only disappointment I had was leather was not standard, and it was the only XLE on the lot in my whole metro area so Im just getting after market leather.

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  Great compact option - 2013 Toyota RAV4
  By steelrain - September 26 - 11:29 am

  I have had my Rav for 2 weeks and 1,700 miles and am very impressed. My job requires a lot of traveling and I traded my 2012 Silverado White Diamond Edt for it and could not be happier. I have driven a full size truck for the last 10yrs and was afraid at first about trading in on what is considered a compact suv. My mileage at the moment is 24mpg with all highway, which is a great improvement over the 15 I was getting w/my Silverado. The interior space is very surprising and comfortable. It has plenty of power for interstate driving and more features than I would have ever expected for the price I got it for. I would check it out if you want something thats practical and comfortable.

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  Best SUV - 2006 Toyota Land Cruiser
  By runski - September 26 - 9:40 am

  Quieter than my Subaru Outback, Honda Civic and my Cherokee. Superb built interior/exterior. Examined underneath, almost every component is massive and solid. Fitting is tight. If you are contemplating buying one, just do it, you will not regret it.

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  2014 4 Runner - 2014 Toyota 4Runner
  By scotta72 - September 25 - 5:26 pm

  This 4 Runner is fun to drive. With all the options and what I got for the money was a better deal in my mind than I could have gotten for other SUVs on the market. I looked at purchasing an older model with similar options, but found that the value of the used ones were very close to the price I paid for a brand new one, that I like better anyhow. The instrument cluster looks much better than the older ones and is lit with blue LEDs. The seats are not quite as comfortable as other SUVs I tried, but they do the job. The offroad and snow performance even with highway style tires is where this vehicle shines. This is a nice SUV, I am happy with my purchase.

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  The last Toyota Ill own - 2010 Toyota Tundra
  By mylast1 - September 24 - 11:43 pm

  It looks good on the outside, drives great, and is fast but this is last Toyota Ill buy. Not because of all the recalls. Its the way Toyota skimps on features. Even the top end packages will give you the comfort features that other makers have. Here are just a few: no 1-touch window down/up for driver (and pass.), no windows down/up using remote, and not all interior controls light-up at night. The $500 enhanced radio provides poor sounds. And beware of the display panel switch: Only the limited models get the advertised Blue/White displays. All others get the Halloween orange lights display panel.

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  Better than the 2014 Civic - 2014 Toyota Corolla
  By golden33 - September 24 - 6:50 pm

  Bought both the 2014 Civic and the 2014 Corolla about the same time. The Corolla interior was re-designed and that was the main reason I chose it. Inside it feels much more solid than the Civic, both have the same Eco and leather trim with power seats. Mileage is at least 3 more mpg than the Civic, at highway it gets an easy 40 mpg with the A/C on. Toyota has a two year free service included which Honda lacks, big plus. Also its free traffic information screen is better than the Civic, including traffic accidents on the traveled road along with the weather. Around town it gets 34mpg with no problem, the Civic 31.

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  Met Expectations - 2008 Toyota Highlander
  By Jim - September 24 - 3:46 pm

  This vehicle was purchased because of the towing package option - allowing for a 5,000 lb towing capacity which exceeded most other crossover vehicles of similar size. The vehicle has performed well in the first 9 months. However, initial electrical wiring problems required the vehicle to be returned to the dealer for repairs early on.