How Well Do You Know Toyota?

By: Steven Symes
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
How Well Do You Know Toyota?
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About This Quiz

Do you know the difference between a Corolla and a Camry? Can you explain how the Tundra is superior to the Tacoma? Do you have a mini shrine at your house dedicated to the 2JZ? 

Toyota is one of the biggest automakers in the world, with it constantly contending against the likes of Volkswagen and GM for that top spot. It sells more of single models like the RAV-4 and Corolla in a single month than some automakers sell in total cars for a year. To call the company a giant would be an understatement. One of the many things that keep Toyota on the top of the heap is its obsessive cost control methods, something that has been ingrained in the culture for decades. The automaker also spends a considerable amount each year on research and development, plus emphasizes manufacturing excellence. 

But, Toyota is about more than just shelling out a bunch of boring cars that are built well. It's created plenty of amazing performance machines, too, from the legendary Supra to the MR2 and the Lexus LFA. There's plenty of deep history in this brand. How much do you know about it all? Take the quiz now and find out! 

What city is home to Toyota's global headquarters?
Tokyo
Celica Nation
Toyota City
Located in Aichi Prefecture, a little over 400,000 people live in this city, where 10 operational Toyota factories are located.
Shanghai

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What was the first year Toyota released the Prius?
1997
Way back in 1997, the Prius launched, first in Japan and then in other markets. It wasn't a runaway hit at first, but today boasts the most hybrid car sales in the world.
2000
2005
2006

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What car did Toyota release back in 1971 as a rival to the Ford Mustang and other pony models?
Supra
MR2
Celica
The Toyota Celica arrived in the United States for the 1971 model year and stuck around all the way until 2005, having transitioned long before into a lightweight and tight-handling sporty car.
Mirai

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What was the name of the mid-engined, two-seater Toyota model?
Celica GT
Spyder
MR2
The second-generation MR2 featured a sleek design that made many people mistake it for some kind of Ferrari.
MR3

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Which model was the first Toyota sold in the United States?
Corolla
2000GT
Camry
Crown
Technically, the Crown was sold as a Toyopet and not a Toyota, starting in 1958 and ending in 1973. It's still alive and well in the Japanese market.

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When the Scion brand was discontinued, what did the FR-S become?
Lexus ISF
Toyota 86
Only some of the Scion models were transitioned into the Toyota brand lineup, with the FR-S becoming the 86.
Toyota Corolla XRS
Lexus Gazoo Coupe

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What Toyota model has been in existence the longest?
4Runner
Tacoma
Land Cruiser
Production of the Land Cruiser started back in 1951. Today, it's by far the most expensive Toyota for sale in North America, partly because it's only sold fully-loaded.
Camry

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Which of these brands has never been owned by Toyota?
Lexus
Scion
GAZOO
Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi is actually owned by Renault Nissan and has never been associated with Toyota.

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What luxury brand did Toyota launch in 1989?
Acura
Lexus
To better cater to a more upscale market in North America, Toyota launched the Lexus brand back in 1989. Thanks to cultural differences, it held off on using the Lexus name in the domestic Japanese market until 2005.
Infiniti
Audi

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Where did Toyota originally have its US operations base?
Detroit
Hollywood
Toyota bought a former Rambler dealership in Hollywood in 1957 and sold a mere 288 vehicles in the US that year.
Seattle
Atlanta

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What Toyota vehicle holds the title of the best-selling car of all time?
Corolla
At the last official global tally, the Corolla had racked up over 44 million sales, with many millions more sold since. Yeah, that's impressive.
Camry
Celica
Avalon

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What vehicle pushed the Toyota brand into the mainstream in America?
Corona
Toyota designed the Corona specifically for the American market, giving it plenty of power and factory-installed AC.
Corolla
Camry
Celica

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What year did Toyota launch the Scion brand?
1998
2003
Scion debuted with three budget-friendly options, plus a marketing program that was aimed at younger buyers, helping to push sales in the US to over two million vehicles the next year.
2005
2006

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What kind of vehicles did Toyota open its plant in San Antonio to build?
trucks
In 2006 it opened this plant, which was the 10th one the company had operating in the United States. It caused a big stir, because the move showed how much ground Toyota had gained in this market.
SUVs
coupes
sedans

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What was Toyota's first supercar?
Celica GT
2000GT
Funny enough, this car was supposed to be the Nissan Fairlady Z, but the other automaker rejected the design for not fitting a sporting image they desired. Today, the 2000GT is often described as one of the most graceful Japanese car bodies ever created.
Celica Supra
MR2 Spyder

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In what year did Toyota become the third best-selling automotive brand in the United States?
1994
2001
Toyota passed up Dodge that year, grabbing over 1.7 million sales and turning a lot of heads.
2008
2016

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What important milestone did Toyota reach in 2009?
more Camrys sold than Corollas
first Lexus LFA sold
500th dealership opened
one million hybrids sold in the US
Toyota and Lexus hybrids were on a roll by this point, although total hybrid sales have shot way past this milestone.

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What big move did Toyota make with the Prius in 2011?
It unveiled a V-8 option.
It added all-wheel drive as an option.
It added turbocharging.
It launched multiple lines.
Toyota unveiled not only the third-gen Prius, but also the Prius v, Prius c, and the Prius Plug-in Hybrid.

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What's the popular nickname for the Toyota Tacoma?
Yolo
Iron Sides
Taco
People have had all kinds of fun with this nickname, including pulling off the M and A from the badges.
Tank

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If you wanted to drive a Toyota fuel-cell vehicle, what would be your only option right now?
FCV Camry
Mirai
Residents in certain parts of California can lease the Toyota Mirai, which currently is the only Toyota fuel-cell vehicle available in the United States.
RAV-4 FCV
4Runner FCV

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What was the first supercar Toyota made under the Lexus brand?
TC50
LFA
Jeremy Clarkson, the former host of Top Gear, famously said it was the best car he'd ever driven, and he doesn't like many cars.
RC80
Trueno

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What was the first dedicated hybrid Lexus vehicle?
RX 450h
CT 200h
HS 250h
Even though the HS 250h didn't become a roaring success, it did show the luxury brand's continued dedication to hybrid tech.
LS 450h

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What terrorist organization was Toyota wrongly accused of supporting?
Al Qaeda
ISIS
Under the Obama administration, an official investigation was launched because ISIS fighters were known to drive newer Toyota Hilux pickups, but the investigation concluded that ISIS and Toyota had zero ties.
Irish Liberation Front
Earth First

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What year marked Toyota's 50th anniversary of being in the United States?
1996
2007
To celebrate this big milestone, Toyota released a new generation of the Tundra, plus the second generation of the Scion xB.
2008
2005

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What Toyota van had the engine positioned midway in the body?
Sienna
Previa
Even though the Previa only had a four-cylinder powerplant, it was positioned in a way that made the minivan a blast to drive on winding roads.
Solara
Odyssey

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Which is the smallest Toyota on sale now?
Camry
CH-R
Corolla
Yaris
The Yaris is a subcompact five-door hatchback that isn't known for performance, but boasts amazing reliability.

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What does TRI stand for?
Toyota Running Intelligence
Toyota Research Institute
The Toyota Research Institute was founded as a new company by Toyota in 2015. It works on R&D projects like robotics and artificial intelligence.
Toyota Research Initializer
Toyota is Really Interesting

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What was the first Toyota manufactured in the United States?
Corolla
On October 7, 1986, a Corolla FX16 rolled off the assembly line at the New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. plant, making history.
Camry
Land Cruiser
Supra

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What important milestone did Lexus reach in 1991?
one million cars sold
number one import luxury brand in the US
Just two years after the brand was launched, Lexus was able to best both BMW and Mercedes-Benz, thanks in large part to its reputation for reliability.
first factory in Mexico
100,000 LS sedans sold

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Where is Toyota's North American headquarters located today?
San Jose, California
Irvine, California
Plano, Texas
In 2017, Toyota officially opened the doors to its humongous campus in Plano, relocating employees from sites in California and other parts of the nation.
Atlanta, Georgia

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What was the "Toyota jump"?
a marketing tool used in ads
In the 1970s Toyota was riding high on a reputation of making cars that didn't constantly break. To communicate the enthusiasm owners felt for their Toyotas, the company portrayed them as jumping into the air in various advertisements.
when the suspension would break
when Toyota sales suddenly surged
the effect of a surge in sales each September

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The Toyota Tundra launched in what year?
1995
1997
1998
The Tundra was designed and engineered specifically for the North American market, being Toyota's first full-size pickup truck ever.
2000

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What was the big safety scare for Toyota vehicles back in 2009?
unintended acceleration
Although the official conclusion was that floor mats were getting stuck under pedals, some safety experts think drivers were panicking and getting the accelerator confused with the brake.
exploding airbags
weak frame joints
exploding hybrid batteries

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In what year did Toyota become the top-selling brand in America?
2008
Even though the recession was beginning and Toyota's sales figures were down, the brand was able to leapfrog past Chevrolet to become number one.
1997
2015
2011

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What year did Toyota become the top-selling import brand in the United States?
1972
1975
Volkswagen was the top brand, but Toyota finally got the momentum to pass it up and grab the crown.
1976
1978

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