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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  Very good, but a few minor complaints. - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By JF - February 7 - 10:30 am

  Ive had no significant transmission problems. There is some hesitation when starting quickly from a stop (if there is a fix for this, I will likely have it done). Other than that the tranny has been very good. No reliability problems of any kind thus far with nearly 18K on it. My mileage averages 25, but it easily gets 30 or over on the highway. Overall the smoothness, ride and handling is excellent. Power is adequate for a 4cyl, and just about what I expected.

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  Not too shabby - 2003 Toyota Corolla
  By lauren - February 7 - 2:00 am

  This car is my first sedan, and I am impressed. I really like driving it and after almost a year absolutely nothing has gone worng. Its fun to drive, but could go a little faster on an incline. The gas mileage could be better but its acceptable. Overrall, I love my car, but I definitely get the egg smell at times, too.

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  JBL Premium Audio System with 10 speakers - 2015 Toyota Camry
  By KJordan - February 6 - 10:53 am

  The Toyota Entune JBL Premium Stereo System with the 10- Greenleaf speakers is terrible! Absolutely no bass whatsoever, no matter what you do to try an achieve it. When you fade all of the volume to the rear of the car, there is barely any volume. When you look in the trunk, you will see that Toyota left the passenger side large speaker housing empty. For a car that stickers for around 35K, you would think you would get a stereo that would be impressive. This is definitely not the case. I get so frustrated, I just turn it off. Toyota needs to fix this for their owners!!

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  Beats a Lexus GX470 hands down - 2006 Toyota Sequoia
  By Bmac - February 6 - 8:06 am

  We needed a little more room with the addition of a third child to our family. We traded in our Lexus GX470 and the only thing we miss is the complimentary loaner car a few times a year for oil changes. The Sequoia goes through any mild to medium difficulty 4wd trails with no problem. On more difficult stuff, I feel a lot less guilty about bottoming out a Sequoia than a Lexus...and my pocket book doesnt pay nearly as much for the plastic you replace on the Lexus. If I had it to do over, I would have bought a Sequoia 4wd in the 1st place. Sure, the Lexus won 4wd drive magazine 4- wheeler of the year a few times, but how often do you do Rincon. I can bang my Sequoia around w/no regrets.

• 

  Small price for a head turner - 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By k100 - February 5 - 7:13 pm

  I pick the CQ & Sport package plus the roof rack & tow hitch package. The ride is excellent especially in the beaten up city road (NY City). Although the engine is silky smooth, the exhaust is kind of loud when starting at slow speed. Blind spot is an issue, make sure you order the rear sonar. Im ordering a rear view camera as too many kids play around my driveway. This truck is tall, makes you feel sitting in a bigger truck, great view, in return, it need 69" clearance for indoor parking clearance with the roofrack. Gas mileage is as expected at about 20 mpg hwy @ 75-80 mph.

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  Oh how I miss my baby. - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By missjessymae - February 5 - 9:30 am

  I bought my corolla new in 2004. She was totaled a little less than a month ago with 130+ miles on her. I believe I replaced the tires maybe 2 to 3 times in the 7 yrs I had her. The brakes I replaced once in 2006. I never had to put her in the shop for anything other than usual maintenance. I had 1 battery replacement in 2010. I would recommend to anyone...very good car.

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  1998 4runner has rusty frame - 1998 Toyota 4Runner
  By executor - February 4 - 6:43 pm

  I just discovered the frame on my 4-runner is rusty just like the Tacomas. It is rusted on the drivers side rear wheel where the leaf spring "A" bracket is welded to the frame. The bracket is structurally sound but the frame, not so much. Serious safety issue! Emailed Toyota a week ago and my email has been pushed to management review. The frame is the same frame as the Tacoma and it has the same results but no one else seems to be bringing this issue up. Please examine your vehicles as this is a potentially deadly situation.

• 

  Solid Truck - 2013 Toyota Tacoma
  By bukstr - February 4 - 1:01 am

  Bought a TRD Off-Road version and have already put 25K miles on it. The truck is very comfortable to drive, relatively quiet inside, and it is just the right size for my needs. The JBL sound system is comparable to the upgraded sound systems on most luxury cars. The V6 provides more than adequate power, but Id love to see the Tundras 4.6 V8 as an option. The BFG tires that come with the off-road strike a great balance between on road and off road driving. Also despite the Edmunds review the brakes are not at all spongy, if anything they are grabby.

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  Wonderful Truck - 2002 Toyota Tundra
  By Greg - February 3 - 4:46 pm

  I am very happy with this truck. It rides great, handles good and is very quiet and comfortable. I have a 91 Toyota truck with 191,000 miles on it and that one runs almost perfect. I cant imagine purchasing anything but a Toyota. I am confident this truck will go at least 200K without needing any repairs.

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  after 20K - 2003 Toyota RAV4
  By fraczekp - February 2 - 11:40 pm

  Very nice design inside and outside. The engine is a joke but one can get used to it. The AWD is useless - the car is more uncontrollable than FWD and it is very poor on gas mileage (average 19mpg!). Consolation prize - the value seems to be holding well compared to other cars.