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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  Best car for the money!! - 2007 Toyota Camry
  By Sandra Dobbins - November 15 - 1:20 am

  Absolutely love it! Drives and rides extremely well. No problems at all with exceleration. Great gas mileage. Hope this Toyota is as good as the last one I owned. shopped for weeks before I choose the Camry. Others were not even in the race after driving one. You will love it!

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  2017 Camry le - 2017 Toyota Camry
  By Steven R - November 14 - 10:03 pm

  The Camry le has all the items I wanted. Long wheel base at 109.3" for smooth ride. 2.5l 4cyl for good mph Im getting 28.7 in my first 3 fills. 6 speed auto trans. not a cvt . Disc brakes front and rear, easy to replace. bluetooth music and phone. steering wheel controls. Nice interior trim, fabric seats cool in Arizona heat. Manual a/c rather than dual zone (less or not control failure issues) like my Audi. Overall a really nice car.

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  4WD BASE - 2007 Toyota RAV4
  By Scarlett - November 14 - 8:56 pm

  Good power in 4CYL, good fuel economy for SUV, great style. Ive had this SUV for a month, and it is awesome. It drives like a car. It has the interior space of an SUV, but is still small overall. Ive received tons of compliments on it. I have driven my 4WD on ice, and it performs remarkably.

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  none better - 2010 Toyota Prius
  By ima10 - November 14 - 11:40 am

  great car, gpm, 44@80.best,56@55.speed counts when driving.Have had no problems whatsoever.I guess a lot of people never take a demo ride before they drive a new car. most poor mileage and problems can be blamed by looking in the mirror.Ill give up my prius when they pry my cold dead feet off the gas pedal.

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  2010 Corolla S - 2010 Toyota Corolla
  By Ed - November 14 - 11:33 am

  I am pretty happy. I drove so much that it paid to trade in my other car for one with high MPG. The exterior is an improvement from the previous generation. It also has the XRS odometer. I also got a lifetime powertrain warranty. Its a 100 dollar deductible, but I figure in 5 or 6 years Ill have 200K miles and get a new engine and transmission under warranty.

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  Love this Ride - 2002 Toyota Camry Solara
  By Badjura - November 14 - 10:00 am

  All the reliability of the Camry, all the looks of a sports coupe, and all the luxury of a Lexus. It gets great gas mileage and the 2.4L engine has enough get up and go to satisfy. Big enough back seat to accomodate two adults in comfort and has a large trunk. You will not be disppointed if you choose to buy this car.

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  Toyota Best Buy - 2003 Toyota Tacoma
  By Mr. Staab - November 14 - 10:00 am

  I sold my 89 Toyota after buying my 2oo3 Toyota not because I needed $2500, but because I would never drive it after driving my 2003. The 89 toyota had 125000 miles and never saw a repair or service shop. I performed all service myself, valves,brakes,fuel filters etc. In other words I thought the 89 was the best. The 2003 is 100% better. What more can I say. Toyota is Best!

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  2nd corolla - even better than the first - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By MonkeysCanBiteU - November 14 - 10:00 am

  This is my second corolla, and I love it. Its better than my 99 in every way. While performance is mediocre, it is an incredibly fun car to drive when mated with the 5-speed transmission. Handles superbly for stock suspension with semi-independent rear. A little more road noise than I would like, but for $14k, I cant complain.

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  Worth the wait...... - 2004 Toyota Corolla
  By 1nyknight - November 14 - 10:00 am

  First time "New Car" buyer. I ordered my 2004 "S" fully loaded w/o side air bags. I have been testing every feature this Corolla comes with and I can say I am very satisfied. This Corolla EATS the roads, hills, straigts, curves!!!!!!!!!

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  Just a little more interior style - 2003 Toyota Camry
  By DonW - November 14 - 10:00 am

  The 02 Camry is a great car, except two areas. The dash/console area and the exhaust system. To give the interior a more appealing look the gear shift console should be an extention of the dash. Also the exhaust system hangs to low. When veiwed form the rear the car appear to have a defect or damaged exhaust system, very unappealling.