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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  Outstanding Vehicle - 1993 Toyota Camry
  By SY - April 6 - 3:00 pm

  This Camry has been top-notch. It has saved my life twice in desperate situations by its agility and power, and kept me out of many potential situations. Its required only normal maintenance, with the exception of the axle boots. These tore, probably from one of the desperation moves. If you have a shimmy (between 50mph and 55, and widening with time) thats hard to diagnose, and the front end is tight, look to the boots. This car should make it to 300,000 now.

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  Awesome Used SUV - 1997 Toyota 4Runner
  By Steve Kania - April 6 - 12:16 pm

  Outstanding value through and through! Runs and looks great! Extremely durable and reliable and gets much better gas mileage than I thought it would. Have over 150,000 miles on it and it looks like itll go another 150,000!

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  New car - 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid
  By Kos - April 6 - 6:10 am

  Good car. Seating could be more comfortable, mileage has averaged around 35.

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  Excellent truck - 2008 Toyota Tacoma
  By Michael - April 6 - 2:53 am

  This is a very nice truck; probably the best deal for your money until you need something F-350/F-450 sized. Lots of towing capacity (6.5klbs) with the towing package, and performs great off- road. Both the 5 spd. auto and 6 spd. manual transmissions perform very nicely. If you do your own work, all components are very nicely spaced out and accessible.

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  Love my Highlander! - 2005 Toyota Highlander
  By Terri Hurtado - April 5 - 3:46 pm

  This is a great car to own, sporty yet dependable..this is my first Toyota! Everyone said I would love owning one and its true so far!

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  23.5 mpg in four wheel or not, air on or not. - 2010 Toyota Tacoma
  By Robert Pickard - April 5 - 3:08 am

  look at the head lights if you buy this truck used. not that theres a problem with them, but the dealer ran mine thru a car wash and cracked them and I hadnt noticed til I got it home. (too late) also I would be very careful waxing it. the dealer detailed mine with wax. what a terrible job they did( got it all over the cladding). no problems with the truck its self just watch your dealer.

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  Excellent/reliable - 2005 Toyota Camry
  By Melanie - April 4 - 5:00 pm

  The Camry has more pep than people think. I passed a Prius on the road thinking "How bad does this look that a Camry is speeding by?" Although many Camry drivers may be the more cautious type, they drive as fast as the driver wants.

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  Great, fun car to drive! - 2001 Toyota RAV4
  By Isela - April 4 - 6:53 am

  Ive had my Rav 4 for almost 5 years. Im about to go over the 100K mile mark and its been doing great. The only downside is that the 2001 model has something wrong with the Oxygen sensor software. I had it fail on me around 65K miles and again at about 82K. It was covered under warranty both times and is around an $80 fix for the next time it comes down the line. Not really a big problem, but it makes the check engine light go off.

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  MR HS - 2005 Toyota RAV4
  By JIM H. - April 4 - 6:40 am

  SNAPPY LITTEL SUV, DRIVES AND HANDELS WELL, WE LOVE THE IDEA OF SHOPPING BAG HOOKS IN REAR COMPARTMENT, JUST ONE PROBLEM NOTED MOST PLASTIC BAGS ARE TOO LONG AND DRAG ON FLOOR. NOT ENOUGH UP FRONT SMALL STORAGE AREAS (NOOKS)GOOD IDEA FOR PLACEMENT OF POWER OUTLETS. GRATE INOVATION FOLDING REAR SEATS WORKS PERFECT. SHOULD HAVE ELECTRIC ADJUSTABLE SEATS

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  Back Pain - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By BWC - April 4 - 2:33 am

  Even though specs say car is bigger, it seems smaller inside; feel crunched. All Corollas have slanted seats (toward back, fall into a "V" shape) which kills the back unless you use a slanted cushion. Id like to know who designs cars and why dont they get consumers input?