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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  Comfort, quality and fuel-effiicent - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By yankel18 - April 21 - 2:00 am

  I kept reading all those reviews about what a good but dull car this is. Well, if comfort, quality, security and fuel-efficiency is boring, count me in. The fit and finish is tight, the drive is secure and the interior is laid out in an intuitive way. Its peppy enough and I find it pretty exciting not to be giving much money away to the oil companies and terrorist-sponsoring countries. When you add up what you get, its a pretty good value for the money (I got side air bags, automatic, ABS, cruise, upgraded CD player for $15,200.

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  Great small SUV - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By Don - April 20 - 11:16 pm

  The V6 4WD Limited has all the options I need in a SUV. Im getting about 24 MPG which is good for the performance. At first the seats felt uncomfortable however the more I drive the RAV4 the better they feel.

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  My Avalon on its 6th birthday - 2011 Toyota Avalon
  By jhon - April 20 - 7:47 pm

  The car lives up to its reputation as a "poor mans Lexus".

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  Great Car for family - 2009 Toyota Venza
  By jnayak - April 20 - 4:30 pm

  We bought a 2009 Toyota Venza, we got a good deal on a V6 3.5L for the Price of 4 cyl 2.7. The build quality of Venza is far more superior than the Ford Edge, Nissan pathfinder and the Murano. We like the standard features which includes most of the updgrades in other cars. The only disappointment was that the sales lady at the dealer ship was not quite up to speed with the recall on the floor mats for the venza. When i asked her about it she said that Venza is not impacted but I found out on the Toyota website about the recall on Venza. Overall we are very happy with the car, the ride is smooth and the interior feels like a lexus.

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  Great handling vehicle - 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser
  By 338win - April 20 - 10:40 am

  The looks, acceleration, handles much better that the H2 and H3, great SUV.

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  Great car - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By Wayne - April 20 - 9:20 am

  Have been averaging 50+ mpg commuting to work, around town, running errands, etc. Comfortable car with good options, and it makes driving fun. People love it, the blue color is beautiful, and remember: Starships dont have keys.

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  Very solid car - 2003 Toyota Matrix
  By Andy - April 20 - 6:03 am

  We chose a Toyota given their excellent record and reliability. To date, we have not been let down. In retrospect, we should have spent the additional $$$ and gotten the sport version for added pick up. Perhaps the best feature about the car is its excellente fuel economy. Our other car is a Honda CR-V and it pales in comparison. With rising gas prices, we do appreciate having to fill up the Matrix less frequently.

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  Outstanding - 2000 Toyota Tundra
  By Parrothead - April 20 - 2:40 am

  I purchased my Tundra new in September of 2000. Since then I have put 140,000 on it. Other then normal maintenance (oil changes, wiper blades, brakes) I have had only one expense which was an oxygen sensor. Replaced OEM tires with the BFG AT/KOs..love them. Definitely would buy again!

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  Very reliable transportation - 2013 Toyota Camry
  By Cori White - April 19 - 6:00 pm

  Great gas milage, beautiful interior, at highway speeds a little noisy however I like my music loud so you dont really hear the noise. Super quick off the line but governor kicks in way too soon. For a six speed you would think the power would remain consistent, but due to the governor kickingredients off so quickly you hit high rate of speed in just 4th gear. Good, clean car for the money, just be sure you have 2 jobs to make the payment......way over priced for a 4 banger.

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  Serendipity to the 4th power - 2012 Toyota Camry
  By shellspell - April 19 - 1:33 pm

  The 2012 LE Camry is my 4th Toyota. I agree with other review about cloth interior, dog nails catch on it and shows snags (hate leather). Easy fix- seat protectors. I set out to buy a 2014 Corolla trading in my 09 Corolla- then I test drove this Camry. I put a car through a hard test drive, doing excellerations on rural roads and interstates, hard stops, and taking sharp curves while speeding. Ive had many types of vehicles and this beats them ALL. Not sure what the bad reviews previously are about, but Im a Toyota cheerleader. Its super comfortable, (my friend has 2013 Lexus sedan and says its just as comfortable), reliable, surprising in ice and snow, n fun to drive!