Toyota Prius V

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Toyota Prius v, 2012: Roomier, supple sedan expands best-selling hybrid lineup

If you like the Toyota Prius, but want more room than the standard model offers, meet the larger, roomier new 2012 Prius v wagon. The four-door hatchback Prius v expands the Prius line. It’s longer, wider and taller than the standard Prius, although it doesn’t look as attractive. Its rear end seems to be grafted onto a standard Prius, which is no beauty contest winner, anyway. List prices for the front-wheel-drive Prius v are $26,400 for the base “Two” version, $27,165 for the mid-range “Three” version and $29,990 for the top-line “Five” which I tested. All are well-equipped. Even the Two has climate and cruise controls, AM/FM/CD stereo, back-up camera, keyless entry and power windows and mirrors. The Three’s items

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Toyota Prius v, 2012: New hybrid wagon has room and a view

Introduced in Japan in May 2011 and six months later in the United States, the 2012 Toyota Prius v joins carmaker's four-member hybrid family. The "v" in Prius v stands for versatility. It's an apt description since the Prius v is a family sized, modern-looking hybrid wagon with 50 percent more cargo area than the original Prius. The Prius v is also six inches longer, three inches taller and one inch wider than its globally popular older relative. There are 34.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the seats and 38 inches of leg room. There's also a new rounded exterior design and an extended roofline that allows the Prius to emerge from its staid previous appearance. The Weekly Driver

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Toyota Prius c, 2012: At less than $20,000 and 53 mpg, it's all the rage

The 2012 Toyota Prius c was destined to attract a lot of attention. And less than a week into its debut, that’s certainly been the case for the smallest car in the Toyota lineup and the most fuel efficient non-plug-in hybrid in the United States. A starting price of less than $20,000 and the dethroning of its older sibling, the original Toyota Prius, as the country’s most efficient fuel-sipping car hasn’t hurt, either. Add it all up and the Prius c, which debuted at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show as a concept car, is EPA rated at 53 mpg in city driving and 46 mpg in highway driving. Combined, the Prius c is rated at 50 mpg, the same as

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Lexus, Toyota, Scion shine in 2012 J.D. Power dependability study

Paced by Lexus, which earned the No. 1 overall rating, eight Lexus, Toyota and Scion models captured segment awards in the 2012 J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study Lexus is the number one nameplate improving by 23 fewer problems/100; Toyota is the highest ranked non-premium nameplate and tied for third place overall, improving by 18 fewer problems/100; Scion achievrd its highest ever position at fifth place, jumping 17 positions and improving by 55 fewer problems/100. Lexus was the highest ranking nameplate in the industry in the 2011 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study and earned more segment awards than any other premium brand. The Lexus IS won the entry premium car segment in the 2011 J.D. Power and Associates Automotive

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Toyota Prius c, 2012: Prices revealed for four models in expandng hybrid family

Toyota has announced a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) range of $18,950 to $23,230 for the 2012 Prius c which extends Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive to the subcompact segment. The five-door hatchback will arrive at Toyota dealerships in March 2012. Designed to function as a city-friendly vehicle with an engaging driving experience, hatchback utility, and an EPA-estimated city fuel economy rating of 53 mpg, Prius c offers the highest city mpg rating of any vehicle without a plug. The Prius c joins the Prius Family, which includes the third generation Prius Liftback, the new Prius v and the Prius Plug-in Hybrid, which will be available in early 2012. The Prius c will find favor with younger shoppers seeking a smartly

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Kiplinger's Best, 2012: Toyota Prius V, Honda Odyssey, Ford Escape Hybrid

Kiplinger has been published for 90 years and now for the 61st time it's publishing its annual buyer’s guide of best value new cars. Kiplinger’s Best in Class and Best New winners are based on rankings that weigh performance, value and safety. Half the score comes from performance and value and about a third from vehicle safety. The remaining score is based on Kiplinger test drives of the cars, during which we assess design, comfort and dashboard layout. Sedans are ranked within price categories while crossovers, SUVs, minivans and wagons are not broken up by price but scored on a scale that rewards lower prices. The results are presented monetarily in categories and sub-categories, under $20,00 to more than $50,000,

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NAIAS 2012: Honda Accord Coupe 2013, Scion FR-S 2013, Toyota Prius C 2013

Honda Accord Coupe Concept Honda unveiled the Accord Coupe Concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, providing the first official glimpse of the athletic styling direction, as well as revealing new technologies for the ninth-generation 2013 model. It's set to go on-sale this fall. The 2013 Accord will feature three new powertrains, including the first U.S. application of both a 2.4-liter direct-injected engine and two-motor plug-in hybrid system from Honda's suite of next-generation Earth Dreams powertrain technologies. In addition, the V-6 Accord will be the first Honda sedan to feature a six-speed automatic transmission. The Accord Sedan and the Accord Coupe models are expected to achieve class-leading fuel economy ratings and will be available many new safety

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Toyota Prius V, 2012: Family wagon boasts best crossover hybrid mpg

Toyota introduces the 2012 Prius V to the growing family of Prius models. Additionally, a compact version and a plug-in model are scheduled for release later in 2012. Defying classification, the Prius V blends the space and utility of a family wagon, small crossover, and SUV into a vehicle easy on the environment and capable of getting better than 40 mpg. Our week with the Prius V and several hundred miles rewarded me with 41 mpg overall. Fuel economy numbers are very good and Toyota claims the Prius V has the best fuel economy rating than any SUV, crossover, or wagon on the market. What they do not mention is the agonizingly long wait for the Prius V to attain

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Toyota, Lexus sales slump in 2011 as Japan disaster recovery lingers

Toyota Motor Sales, which included Toyota, Lexus and Scion, reported annual sales of 1,644,661 vehicles in the United States in 2011, down 7.0 percent from t2010 as inventory continued to recover from shortages due to the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Toyota Division recorded year-end sales of 1,446,109 vehicles, a decrease of 6.1 percent from 2010. Lexus reported sales of 198,552 units in 2011, down 13.7 percent from the previous 2010. Scion was the surprising segment. reported sales of 49,271 units for the year, up 7.5 percent over 2010. "We are encouraged by the strong close of 2011 as December was our best volume month of the year. We successfully launched several new vehicles, including the all-new Camry, which retained

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FOX News picks BMW, Nissan, Ford among favorite 2011 cars

Like many other print and electronic publications, the online edition of Fox News has announced its selection for "Five Favorite Cars of 2011." The selections couldn't be more surprising and diverse — BMW to Fiat, Ford to Nissan. Dodge is in the mix, too. Fox chose its cars via one consideration: "Memorability." Gary Gastelu, the FOX News reviewe, has nice things to say about the Lamborghini Aventador (who doesn't?) and he defines the Toyota Prius V as "possibly the most practical yet created." But neither of the two cars made the "favorite" list. The choice that makes the most sense but simultaneously is illogical is the BMW 1 Series Coupe. The choice doesn't make sense because no one can now

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Toyota Prius 2012: Prices announced for five models

The Toyota Prius has increasing competition in the hybrid car segment. But as the most successful green car in history, Toyota has now announced pricing for the 2012 Prius liftback while the MSRP for three new Prius family members, the Prius v, Prius Plug-in Hybrid and Prius c, are still pending. The Prius Liftback will be priced from $24,000 (Prius Two) to $29,805 (Prius Five), reflecting a price increase ranging from 2.0 percent to 4.3 percent. The 2012 model year Prius receives a refreshed front fascia, revised tail lamps, newly styled 15-inch wheel covers and LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL) with on/off feature. The 2012 Prius interior is updated to include a standard 6.1-inch Display Audio system with USB for

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Chevy Volt, Honda Insight top best gas mileage cars in past quarter century

With gas, hybrid, electric and now natural gas vehicles now all vying for better gas mileages averages and the marketing fuel efficiency among manufacturers at its peak, it’s hard to keep track of what carmakers top the list. What might come as a surprise, it’s not all current models make the all-time list of best gas mileage average — at least dating to 1986 — or the last quarter century. Here are the top-10 gas mileage average (internal combustion engines) dating to 1986: 1. Chevrolet Volt (2011–12), Plug-in hybrid, 4 cyl, 1.4 L, auto (variable gear ratios), premium gasoline, 60, city; 58 highway, combined, 62.2. Honda Insight (2000), 3 cyl, 1.0L, manual 5-speed, regular gasoline, 53/49/61.3. Toyota Prius (2010–12), 4

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Honda Civic Natural Gas, 2012: Green Car of the Year

The 2012 Honda Natural Gas, which for the first time is nationally marketed and available in dealers throughout the United States, is the Green Car of the Year. The designated has been awarded yearly since 2005 at the Los Angeles Auto Show by the publication Green Car Journal. The cleanest running internal combustion vehicle certified by the EPA, the redesigned 2012 Civic Natural Gas is the fifth generation of the alternative fuel vehicle and the only assembly-line produced natural gas passenger model manufactured for sale in the United States. It runs on a clean fuel almost exclusively domestically sourced and priced about 30-50 percent less than gasoline. While averaging 38 highway MPGe, the Honda Civic Natural Gas is an Advanced

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Mitsubishi i-MiEV top mpg on EPA 2012 list, Nissan Leaf 2nd

As expected, the much-touted 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV has the highest gas mileage of any vehicle available in the United States, according the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The new Mitsubishi gets a combined 112 mpg, with the combined mileage weighted via 55 percent city and 45 percent highway mileage calculation. The Mitsubishi attained a 126 mpg average in city driving and 99 mpg on the highway.

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Hybrid market expands in 2012, Toyota Prius v to BMW

Citing impressive statistics, the Auto Channel on MSN.com has a comprehensive listing of 2012 hybrids, from the industry standard Toyota Prius to its new sibling, the Prius v, as well as debuting high-end offerings from Porsche and Mercedes-Benz. MSN.com states as many as 50 hybrids could be on the market by 2015 and that ghe overall hybrid market share has nearly doubled in 2011 to about two percent. Here, for example. is what MSN.com said about the 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Toyota Prius v: Hyundai Sonata: "This impressive hybrid entry is fast gaining converts, and it's not hard to see why: The Sonata is a fully equipped, smartly designed midsized fuel sipper, comparable to but cheaper than hybrid versions

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Toyota Prius v, Mitsubishi i among five best 2012 'green' cars

The 2012 Ford Focus Electric, 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas, 2012 Mitsubishi i, 2012 Toyota Prius v and 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI are the finalists for The Green Car of the Year award presented by the Green Car Journal yearly at the Los Angeles Auto Show. For the seventh consecutive year, the Green Car of the Year will honor environmental leadership in the automotive field, with the winner being announced during a press conference Nov. 17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. These five finalists are also honored as Green Car Journal’s Top 5 Green Cars for 2012 for rising to the top of a field replete with increasingly more environmentally conscious and exciting models. What is notable about this

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