Toyota

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Toyota recall: 3.8 millon Lexus, Toyota vehicles could have faulty floormats prompting stuck accelerators

The recall will cover recent versions of the Camry and Avalon sedans, the Prius hybrid, the Tacoma and Tundra pickup trucks and luxury Lexus models, the IS250 and the IS350 as well as the ES350. The U.S. safety recall would be the largest in Toyota‘s history. Toyota and U.S. safety regulators warned owners to remove all driver-side floor mats from eight Toyota and Lexus models sold in the United States, including its Prius hybrid, as an immediate safety precaution. The U.S. safety recall would be the largest in Toyota‘s history. A cost estimate for the company’s still-developing recall was not immediately available. In August, an off-duty California state trooper and three members of his family were killed in the San

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Toyota Yaris, 2009: The Weekly Driver Car Review

And it’s one of many reasons the Yaris is firmly positioned among several economical vehicles ideal for tight budgets but that don’t scrimp on safety or workmanship. The Weekly Driver’s Ratings Acceleration (4) Cars in the sub-compact segment can’t be expected to be sports cars.  The Yaris is a 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder vehicle with 106 horsepower. As such, it gets the job done steadily. But don’t expect much more. Braking/Steering/Handling (5) The Honda Fit is the segment leader in many areas, including these three categories. But the Yaris is no slouch. It has a small turning radius and ABS is standard on all models. Steering is fine, too. Again, it’s not a sports car, but fun in a sub-compact sort of

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Toyota Venza, 2009: The Weekly Driver Car Review

The Japanese manufacturer introduced the vehicle with hopes of attracting customers who want the comforts of a passenger car (camry) with the versatility of a sport utility vehicle (highlander). The combination defines crossover. In other words, the Venza is a modern-day station wagon. The Weekly Driver’s Ratings Acceleration (6) It’s standard for its vehicle segment, but doesn’t have the same peppiness as its primary competitors, the Mazda CX-7 or Nissan Murano. I drive often to the Monterey Peninsula and the stretch over the Pacheco Pass has a winding, hill section ideal for braking, acceleration and handling. The Venza fared well, with some moments of hesitation when accelerating on short, steep hills — even with the optional Braking/Steering/Handling (6) The AWD

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Honda Insight 2010 set for earlier distribution, lower price than Toyota Prius

The 2010 Honda Insight will be available sooner than previously announced, according to the New York Times. The gas-electric hybrid will be available beginning March 24 at a starting price for the base LM model of $19,800. According to the newspaper, the total price (with destination charge) will be $20,470 or about $2,250 less than Toyota Prius, the best-selling hybrid in the United States. A new Prius is also scheduled to soon debut, but its price has not been announced. In the Times article, Dick Colliver, executive vice president of American Honda, said: “Insight is the most affordable new hybrid available in the U.S. In addition to making good environmental sense, hybrid technology is now entering a new era where

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Toyota, Lexus top Consumer Reports' 2009 best car lists

Consumer Reports has selected the 2009 Toyota Prius (Touring) as best overall value among 300 American and foreign cars reviewed. The Lexus LS 460, Mini Cooper, Infiniti G37, and Toyota Highlander are among the top cars of 2009 as rated by Consumer Reports. The Mini Cooper, Volkswagen Rabbit, Honda Civic EX and the Honda Fit completed the top-five selections among the best valued cars, according to magazine. In its yearly auto issue, Consumer Reports highlights the best new-car value vehicles in nine categories: small cars, family cars, upscale cars, hatchbacks/wagons, sporty cars, minivans, small SUVs, midsized SUVs and pickup trucks. Here are the highlights: Best Value Small Cars: Honda Civic EX, Honda Fit (base), Hyundai Elantra SE, Toyota Corolla LE

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Toyota Prius (again) tops most fuel efficient cars for 2010

Nine of the top-10 most fuel efficient vehicles in the U.S. are hybrids. The agency, which sets guidelines and gives estimated fuel costs and mileage standards each year in its Fuel Economy Guide, released the following EPA ratings for 2010 models: 1. Toyota Prius, 51 mpg city/48 mpg highway; 2. Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan, 41/36; 3. Honda Civic Hybrid, 40/45; 4. Honda Insight (hybrid), 40/43; 5. Lexus HS250h (hybrid), 35/34; 6. Nissan Altima Hybrid, 35/33; 7. Ford Escape Hybrid FWD, Mazda Tribute Hybrid 2WD, Mercury Mariner Hybrid FWD, 34/31; 8. Smart fortwo Cabriolet (automatic) Smart fortwo Coupe (automatic), 33/41; 9. Toyota Camry Hybrid, 33/34 10. Lexus RX450h (hybrid, 2WD), 32/28. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45

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Toyota Prius, Corolla, 2009: Weidel On Wheels

As a consumer and parent who usually who pays my daughter’s gas bill, her thinking is applauded and appreciated. Even with gas taking a much needed downward turn, prices are still high enough that gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles are no longer the rage. In fact, auto manufacturers are beginning stray from SUVs. With gas price still an over-riding theme and shoppers seeking value, here are two gas-conscious vehicles offered by Toyota in 2009. * Prius — A good friend owns a Prius and swears by its considerable merits. The gas mileage (he claims close to 50 mpg) is fabulous, even if you don’t drive the car like my buddy, whose road habits resemble a cautious 70-year-old woman. But even the

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Toyota Prius, VW Jetta Top Only 15 Cars In U.S. Averaging At Least 30 mpg

Chevrolet (Cobalt, Aero) and Honda (Civic hybrid and Fit) each have two vehicles on the list. Six of the vehicles are hybrids and the total of 15 are the only new offerings in the United States averaging more than 30 mpg in combined driving averages. Here’s the list in deceasing order, with city, highway and combined gas mileage averages listed: Toyota Prius (hybrid, 2008, (combined 46 miles per gallon); Honda Civic (hybrid), 40/46, 42 mpg combined; Smart Fortwo, 2008, 33/41, 36 mpg combined; Volkswagen Jetta TDI, 2009, 30/41, 34 mpg combined; Nissan Altima (hybrid), 35/33, 34 mpg combined; Toyota Camry (hybrid), 33/34, 34 mpg combined; Mini Cooper, 2008, 28/37 32 mpg combined; Toyota Yaris, 2008 29/36, 32 mpg combined; Ford

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Dubious honors for old Honda Civics, Accords: Thieves' favorite cars

Beauty is in the eyes of thieves. That’s the ruth in terms of stolen cars since the most No. 1 hot-wired car in the United States is a 1995 Honda Civic. According to a new report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB, the Civic is followed by its older sibling, the 1991 Honda Accord in terms of susceptibility to thieves. According to the report, published in Forbes Magazine, “junkers” like older Honda Civics and Accord are more valuable to thieves because they can easily strip the cars and sell the parts on the street. According to the  NICB, a car is stolen in the United States every 2.5 seconds. Here’s the list of the top 10 most stolen cars

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Toyota Announces New Strategies Including New U.S. Prius Plant

Toyota is responding to changes in consumer demand and improving the production efficiency and stability of its North American operations by adjusting production mix at three plants. The changes include the addition of the Prius hybrid sedan to its North American lineup. The changes include: * Prius will be built at a plant under construction in Blue Springs, Miss. Production is scheduled to begin in late 2010. Prius, which will join the Kentucky-built Camry Hybrid as the second Toyota hybrid built in North America, enables Toyota to better respond to increased consumer demand for hybrid vehicles. * The Highlander mid-size SUV, originally scheduled to be built in Mississippi, will now be manufactured in Princeton, Ind., beginning in Fall 2009. *

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Cool Toyota Prius Even Cooler In 2010 With Solar-Powered Air Conditioning?

Toyota plans to purchase the panels from Japanese electronics maker Kyocera. The panels would produce approximately the same kilowatts as a rooftop solar array on a typical house. Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco declined comment. The Prius is currently the most successful hybrid vehicle. In the United States, Toyota sold more than three times as many Prius models in 2007 than any other manufacturer. The Prius is also the commanding hybrid sales leader through the first six months of 2008. Toyota’s success with its hybrid has prompted the manufacturer’s promise to offer hybrids in every model in its line-up soon after 2020. Toyota has sold more than a million Prius models during the past decade and is planning to sell a

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Want To Get Lucky? Don't Buy These Cars, Pontiac Aztek to Toyota Prius

This top-10 list is a dubious, but practical list of “Top 10 cars, guaranteed to ensure your family line ends with you.” The writer, Vol85, begins with the premise: “I was recently in Knoxville (recently being about six hours ago), and I saw a bunch of Pontiac Azteks at used car lots there. I was thinking, ‘No wonder. Who would want to ruin their life by being seen in one?’ So, the idea for this list was born.” “ . . . These are the cars that say, ‘Nobody in the history of mankind, has had a bulge big enough to compensate for this loser-mobile.” (Comments in quotes are the original author’s remarks.) 10. Mazda 5 —  “it’s like a

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Toyota Highlander, 2008: Weidel on Wheels

There was no urgent need for changes. Toyota already had success with the Highlander, a trend-setting model introduced seven years ago. It quickly became a template for a segment of crossover sport utility vehicles. Yes, the Highlander has been around since 2001. And during that time nearly every manufacturer has taken a shot at producing a crossover SUV. It’s a market segment with increasing popularity despite increasing gas prices. Despite its success, Toyota decided to make improvements to its beloved mid-size SUV. The Japanese automaker succeeded with the second generation redesign, taking suggestions from Highlander owners and addressing two main areas — size and performance. Some may have been skeptical. Why would Toyota make a more powerful vehicle with a

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Toyota Corolla, 2009: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Its name connotes royalty, but who would have known 40 years ago when it was first sold in the United States that the Toyota Corolla actually deserved such a lofty title? Corolla means “little crown,” and now in its fifth decade and with more than 33 million sold, there’s no reason to deny it. The Toyota Corolla, a little engine that could, continues to be royalty. The 2009 Toyota Corolla isn’t a hybrid, nor does it boast any other high-tech refinement or embellished marketing campaigns. The Corolla remains what it’s always been — among the finest basic transportation cars ever made. The Corolla debuted in the United States in 1968, two years after it debuted in Japan. In five decades,

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Toyota Sequoia, 2008: Weidel on Wheels

Jeff Weidel Many reasons exist to literally steer away from purchasing a large sport utility vehicle. Lack of gas mileage is one negative. Every time I drive a behemoth SUV, it seems like one eye watching the gas gauge dip as another $70 fill-up looms. But it’s a shame gas concerns and environmental considerations have brought down the desirability of large SUVs, since they’re being built better than ever. Driving dynamics and interior design are among the improvements, yet owning a heavyweight SUV seems impractical for many current car buyers. The Toyota Sequoia is an SUV that should be highly desired. But it’s been overlooked, even with its first redesign since its 2001 debut. The 2008 Sequoia features a move

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Toyota, Tata Motors Named Among World's Most Innovative Companies

In its list of the world’s 50 most innovated companies, Toyota and Tata Motors of India are both in the top-10 list. Apple, which debuted the iPhone and the MacBook Air in the past year, was named the world’s most innovative company. Here’s the top-10: 1. Apple; 2;.Google; 3. Toyota; 4. General Electric; 5. Microsoft;  6. Tata Motors; 7. Nintendo; 8. Proctor & Gamble; 9. Sony; 10. Nokia. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif.,

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