Toyota Prius

2012 Toyota Prius v: Car of the Year front runner

The recently debuted Toyota Prius v is touted by the manufacturer as having attributes that will “meet the needs of growing families with active lifestyles.” After driving the Prius v at the Green Drive Expo, a media launch in Richmond, Calif., and speaking with Wayne Gerdes, owner of the site, www.cleanmpg.com, and my test drive colleague, I had four quick reactions: 1. The Prius v, like Gerdes espoused several times, is the most fairly priced model in Toyota‘s green fleet; 2. The Prius v logically should prove so popular, Toyota may find it has two Prius models competing against each other for top hybrid honors; 3. The Prius v, is being promoted by Toyota as having the highest fuel efficiency

Read more

Toyota Prius, 2012: Plug-in hybrid debuts, 87 MPGe

Toyota has introduced the Prius Plug-in hybrid, joining the third-generation Prius Liftback and the new Prius v and Prius c models, the latter of which is set to debut in 2012. The Prius Plug-in combines the benefits of the standard Prius model’s hybrid vehicle operation with extended electric vehicle (EV) driving. Marketed as seating five, the 2012 Prius Plug-in Hybrid is expected to achieve a manufacturer-estimated 87 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) in combined driving and 49 MPG in hybrid mode. The recent introduction of the larger Prius v and the Prius Plug-in Hybrid gives Toyota four eco-focused vehicles, including the Prius c, which will debut in 2012. The 2012 Prius Plug-in Hybridwill allow EV operation and performance for up

Read more

Ford, Toyota announce auto marriage for hybrids, SUVS

In perhaps the most overt example of the ever-changing automotive industry, Toyota and Ford Motor will collaborate to develop hybrid trucks and sport utility vehicles that will be available to the public by the end of the decade. Two companies announced Aub. 22 they will manufacture rear-wheel drive hybrids as well as telephone, Internet and entertainment systems for the vehicles. Developing the hybrids will help each automaker meet stringent U.S. fuel economy standards, said Takeshi Uchiyamada, vice president for Toyota research and development, and Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s product development chief. There are no plans for collaboration beyond rear-wheel drive hybrids and on-board phone, navigation and entertainment systems. Toyota has been the world leader in hybrids (3.3 million) since it introduced

Read more

Honda offers greenest car in U.S. and it's a (natural) gas

With the ever-increasing debuts of green cars, Honda, not Toyota, Nissan nor Chevy is still at the industry forefront. But Honda’s marketing division just hasn’t done the PR spin as well as the manufacturers touting the Prius, Leaf and Volt. Nonetheless, the 2012 Honda Civic Natural Gas, formerly known as the Civic GX NGV, costs about half the price to operate that gasoline cars. And for eight straight years, the Civic GX NGV has named “Greenest Vehicle” by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE). According to a report on Forbes.com via the Mother Nature Network, there are estimated 117,000 CNG vehicles on the road in the U.S., although the majority are commercial trucks. The Honda Civic Natural

Read more

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, 2011: car review

Its lithium polymer battery technology was first showcased at the Los Angeles Auto Show three years ago. And the result is the 2011 Hyundai Sonata, the South Korean manufacturer’s first hybrid. The Sonata Hybrid, which debuted in February, features a 2.4-liter engine with six-speed automatic transmission, a 30kw electric motor and lightweight lithium polymer batteries. Like many of its siblings, the Sonata Hybrid had an impressive arrival. With its new sloping design and other innovations, the Sonata was among five finalists for the 2011 Green Car of the Year. Yet, despite gaining substantial acclaim from publications ranging from the New York Times to Edmunds.com, the Sonata Hybrid’s first five months have been unheralded. Reasons are two-fold: the Nissan Leaf and

Read more

Hyundai, Toyota, Honda, Ford get best used cars honors

Hyundai keeps reaping praise. Edmunds.com, the respected California-based automotive web site, has selected two Hyundai models on its list of the top-15 recommended used cars since 2004. Hyundai, Ford, Honda and Toyota all had two models on the list, with the Hyundai Elantra selected as the best used sub-compact and the Hyundai Azera chosen as the best used large sedan. “With used car prices still soaring, it’s important for consumers to have expert guidance to get the best value,” said Scott Oldham, editor in chief of Edmunds.com. “By taking into consideration a range of factors from consumer ratings to NHTSA crash safety tests, to True Cost to Own metrics, these cars are the most attractive options in the used car

Read more
,

Hyundai, Honda lead new decree: 40 mpg the new 30 mpg

If 40 mpg is the new 30 mpg in the automotive world, then more manufacturers —  Hyundai to Volkswagen, Honda to Toyota — have reached the new milestone as car buyers seek more economical options. Hyundai is at the forefront of the influx of 40 mpg with newly designed 2011 Hyundai Elantra. With its base price of $14,830 and fuel economy of 29 in city driving and 40 mpg on the the highway, it costs an estimated $51 for a tank of gas (at $4 per gallon) and will travel an estimated 538 miles per tank. The 2011 Hyundia Sonata (hybrid) is also listed at 40 mpg in highway driving. Here are several other 2011 models averaging at least 40

Read more

Honda Fit, Lexus hybrid claim Consumer Reports' honors

Consumer Reports, in its latest 2011 automotive survey, has selected the most fuel efficient, worst gas guzzlers and best fuel economy among used cars. “Hybrid and diesel vehicles provide better fuel economy than conventional cars, but they usually cost more to buy, and as gas prices rise, the pay-back time gets shorter,” said David Champion, Senior Director of Consumer Reports Auto Test Center in East Haddam, Conn. Below are recommended models in six categories that provide the best fuel economy. To be recommended, they met Consumer Reports’ stringent requirements for test performance, reliability, and safety. So, not only do they provide excellent fuel economy for their class, but they’re solid overall choices. according to the publication. Subcompact Best: Honda Fit

Read more

Airstream motor coach not quite car reviewer's style

Reviewing a Bugatti Veyron, Mercedes-Benz sedan or any of the new influx of green vehicles — the Toyota Prius to Tesla Roadster — is what Dan Neil does weekly with his column in the Wall Street Journal called “Rumble Seat.” But Neil is an essayist more than a straight-forward reviewer. The facts are all there and Neil has vast automotive knowledge. But the journalist who won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary recently left the his routine reviews that detail performance and comparison shopping among car manufacturers and took on the RV industry. With his family along for the ride, Neil reviewed the 2011 Airstream Interstate 3500. But while providing a detailed article on the motor coach, Neil also discusses a retired

Read more

Toyota Corolla, 2011 car review

With its unparalleled legacy via sheer numbers, the Toyota Corolla stands alone in the automotive industry. Now well into its 40s, the Corolla is the biggest selling car in history (approaching 40 million), with one new Corolla sold somewhere in world about every 40 seconds. Now in its 10th edition, the car that received its name for the Latin word for crown may have reached its saturation point. Manufactured in 15 countries (but not the United States), the Corolla is facing increasingly difficult competition from several manufacturers thriving in the subcompact and compact car categories. They offer faster, more efficient and better equipment vehicles. Still, the Corolla nameplate, now around since 1966 globally and since 1968 in the United States,

Read more

Eco-Friendly Cars: Toyota Prius to Tesla Roadster, Part 2

Despite vast promotions and bright, constant media spotlights, Chevy and Nissan are not the only new green players. Tesla, the Bay Area-based manufacturer, debuted its all-electric, super-quick but limited production Roadster in 2006. About 2,000 Tesla Roadsters with a 244-mile range, have been sold worldwide.  And the Tesla’s less expensive, estimated $50,000 S sedan will be available next year with three range options. Automakers carefully choose when and how they debut new models, although most often it occurs at various auto shows around country throughout the year, The buzz for hybrids and electric vehicles was particularly prevalent at the Detroit Auto Show, the year’s first major show, in early January. Ford unveiled the Focus Electric, C-Max Energi and C-Max Hybrid,

Read more

Eco-Friendly Cars: Toyota Prius to Tesla Roadster, Part 1

Without fanfare or an exact date, there must have a collective automotive epiphany in recent years. Somehow, all major carmakers were in on it, except Toyota. It had its awakening 14 years ago. The Japanese carmaker introduced its hybrid gas-electric car in 1997 and then debuted it in the United States car market in 2001. It wasn’t the first electric or hybrid car available in the country. But it was the first mass-produced gasoline-electric hybrid car in the U.S., and the auto industry hasn’t been the same since. Combine the increasing influence of the environmental movement, pending federal regulation for increased fuel efficiency and diminishing reliance on foreign fuel and the auto industry en masse now gets it. The “greening

Read more

Toyota reveals online registration plan for 2012 Prius buyers

Toyota has announced the introduction of a soon-to-launch online system for customers to order the redesigned 2012 Prius Plug-in Hybrid. The first phase of the online system, called Priority Registration, will launch April 22, 2011. Customers interested in purchasing a Prius Plug-in can visit the carmaker’s site to complete the registration. Toyota’s Priority Registration allows customers first access to the online ordering systems when it’s available later in this year. The new online service will allow customers the convenience of configuring their own vehicle from any web browser, select their dealership of choice (within 15 launch states), and track their order through production, distribution and delivery. The Prius Plug-in will begin arriving at Toyota dealers in 15 launch states in

Read more

Nissan Leaf Named Kelley Blue Book Green Car of 2011

Despite its miniscule fleet in the United States, the Nissan Leaf electric vehicle  has been named the top green vehicle of 2011 by Kelley Blue Book because of its “ground-breaking combination of range, room and price.” The Chevy Volt, an electric car with a range-extending gas engine finished second in the voting by the renowned car guide. Although there about 20,000 active reservations in the U.S. for the Nissan Leaf, less than 500 have been delivered via mechanical issues or the recent earthquake and Tsunami in Japan. Kelley Blue Book  labeled the Leaf as “the first electric car for the masses.” Here’s a list of the top 10 electric cars of 2011, according to Kelly Blue Book: 1. 2011 Nissan

Read more

Ferrari, Nissan, BMW chosen on 2011 All-Ugly car list

It’s not often Ferrari and Mazda or Lotus and Nissan are featured in the same car discussion. But all of them, and several other surprising choices, have been selected on the list of the 10 ugliest cars of 2011. John Pearley Huffman, who writes the appropriately titled Taking Blame column for the Inside Line feature on Edmunds.com, has strong and clever opinions. And he has a good share of detractors because of his selections. Huffman believes the Ferrari California is a ugly as the Mazda3 sedan. And he lumps the Dodge Caliber with the BMW6 series. The trio of newfangled electric-gas hybrids, the Chevy Volt, Honda Insight and Toyota Prius are grouped in an all-ugly category Huffman describes as “one

Read more

Toyota Prius milestone: 1 million U.S. sales since 2000 debut

The Toyota Prius, introduced in the United States 11 years ago as the first mass-produced gas-electric hybrid vehicle, has reached 1 million units in sale, the automaker announced. It is the third milestone for Toyota’s hybrid lineup in the last six months. Last October, global sales of Toyota Prius surpassed two million. And in February this year, overall global Toyota hybrid sales surpassed three million. “Since the Prius went on sale eleven years ago not a year has gone by when it hasn’t been the number one selling hybrid vehicle in the U.S,” said Bob Carter, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager. The third-generation Prius topped the EPA’s list of the Most Fuel Efficient Vehicles for 2011. It

Read more
Previous Next