Toyota is on top according to the latest Consumer Reports survey

 

Japanese brands took the top seven spots in Consumer Reports' annual reliability rankings, pushing aside their U.S. and  European rivals. Toyota Motor Corp.'s Scion, Lexus and Toyota brands took the top three spots and the Toyota Prius C, a subcompact hybrid, got the best overall score. Mazda, Subaru, Honda and Acura were close behind.

The rankings, released Monday, predict the reliability of 2013 model-year vehicles based on surveys of Consumer Reports' readers. This year, 800,000 people submitted information on 1.2 million vehicles from the 2010 to 2012 model years. The rankings are critical for auto companies, since Americans frequently cite Consumer Reports as a main source of car-buying advice.

Ford and Lincoln, once top performers, plummeted to the bottom of this year's rankings because of persistent problems with glitchy touch screens and bumpy transmissions. Ford was also hurt because three normally reliable models — the Ford Escape, Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ — are all new for 2013, so Consumer Reports couldn't predict their reliability.

Also near the bottom were Chrysler Group's Chrysler, Dodge and Ram brands, which have been getting a fast makeover since partnering with Italy's Fiat three years ago. Consumer Reports says models with more features and more powerful engines, like the V-8 versions of the Chrysler 300 and Jeep Grand Cherokee — had the most issues.

The best-performing U.S. brand was Cadillac, from General Motors Co.

Volkswagen AG's luxury Audi brand made the biggest strides in this year's survey, climbing 18 spots to No. 8. It was the best-performing European brand. Glitch-free new models like the A7 sedan got high marks from Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports' director of automotive testing.

"They're out-BMWing BMW, easily, in terms of the driving dynamics," he said.

Electric cars also got impressive results. The all-electric Nissan Leaf was Nissan's best performer, partly because its electric motor has fewer parts than a gasoline engine, Fisher said. But the Chevrolet Volt — an extended-range electric car that has both an electric system and a conventional engine and transmission — also got the highest score of any GM vehicle.

"GM took a lot of painstaking time to develop that car," Fisher said.

The Volt was recalled earlier this year because vehicles crash-tested by the government showed a risk of fire when coolant leaked from the battery. But Consumer Reports' rankings don't reflect that, since the magazine only asks respondents to note issues that have happened on their own vehicles. Only vehicles with 100 or more responses are included. Among 2012 models, the magazine got the most responses for the Honda CR-V, with nearly 3,000.

Fisher said the magazine is getting about the same number of complaints as it did five years ago. But issues with electronics, audio and touch-screen systems have increased while complaints about mechanical problems are down.

 

Courtesy of Yahoo News

Hurricane Tips to Stay Safe During Sandy

Before a Hurricane

To prepare for a hurricane, you should take the following measures:

• To begin preparing, you should build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan.
• Know your surroundings.
• Learn the elevation level of your property and whether the land is flood-prone. This will help you know how your property will be affected when storm surge or tidal flooding are forecasted.
• Identify levees and dams in your area and determine whether they pose a hazard to you.
• Learn community hurricane evacuation routes and how to find higher ground. Determine where you would go and how you would get there if you needed to evacuate.
• Make plans to secure your property:
• Cover all of your home’s windows. Permanent storm shutters offer the best protection for windows. A second option is to board up windows with 5/8” marine plywood, cut to fit and ready to install. Tape does not prevent windows from breaking.
• Install straps or additional clips to securely fasten your roof to the frame structure. This will reduce roof damage.
• Be sure trees and shrubs around your home are well trimmed so they are more wind resistant.
• Clear loose and clogged rain gutters and downspouts.
• Reinforce your garage doors; if wind enters a garage it can cause dangerous and expensive structural damage.
• Plan to bring in all outdoor furniture, decorations, garbage cans and anything else that is not tied down.
• Determine how and where to secure your boat.
• Install a generator for emergencies.
• If in a high-rise building, be prepared to take shelter on or below the 10th floor.
• Consider building a safe room.

During a Hurricane

If a hurricane is likely in your area, you should:

• Listen to the radio or TV for information.
• Secure your home, close storm shutters and secure outdoor objects or bring them indoors.
• Turn off utilities if instructed to do so. Otherwise, turn the refrigerator thermostat to its coldest setting and keep its doors closed.
• Turn off propane tanks
• Avoid using the phone, except for serious emergencies.
• Moor your boat if time permits.
• Ensure a supply of water for sanitary purpose such as cleaning and flushing toilets. Fill the bathtub and other larger containers with water.
• Find out how to keep food safe during and after and emergency.

You should evacuate under the following conditions:

If you are directed by local authorities to do so. Be sure to follow their instructions.

• If you live in a mobile home or temporary structure – such shelter are particularly hazardous during hurricane no matter how well fastened to the ground.
• If you live in a high-rise building – hurricane winds are stronger at higher elevations.
• If you live on the coast, on a floodplain, near a river, or on an island waterway.

Read more about evacuating yourself and your family. If you are unable to evacuate, go to your wind-safe room. If you do not have one, follow these guidelines:

• Stay indoors during the hurricane and away from windows and glass doors.
• Close all interior doors – secure and brace external doors.
• Keep curtains and blinds closed. Do not be fooled if there is a lull; it could be the eye of the storm – winds will pick up again.
• Take refuge in a small interior room, closet or hallway on the lowest level.
• Lie on the floor under a table or another sturdy object.
• Avoid elevators.

After a Hurricane

• Continue listening to a NOAA Weather Radio or the local news for the latest updates.
• Stay alert for extended rainfall and subsequent flooding even after the hurricane or tropical storm has ended.
• If you have become separated from your family, use your family communications plan or contact FEMA or the American Red Cross.
  • FEMA has established the National Emergency Family Registry and Locator System (NEFRLS), which has been developed to help reunite families who are separated during a disaster. The NEFRLS system will enable displaced individuals the ability to enter personal information into a website database so that they can be located by others during a disaster.
  • The American Red Cross also maintains a database to help you find family. Contact the local American Red Cross chapter where you are staying for information. Do not contact the chapter in the disaster area.
• If you evacuated, return home only when officials say it is safe.
• If you cannot return home and have immediate housing needs. Text SHELTER + your ZIP code to 43362 (4FEMA) to find the nearest shelter in your area (example: shelter 12345).
• For those who have longer-term housing needs, FEMA offers several types of assistance, including services and grants to help people repair their homes and find replacement housing. Apply for assistance or search for information about housing rental resources
• Drive only if necessary and avoid flooded roads and washed¬ out bridges. Stay off the streets. If you must go out watch for fallen objects; downed electrical wires; and weakened walls, bridges, roads, and sidewalks.
• Keep away from loose or dangling power lines and report them immediately to the power company.
• Walk carefully around the outside your home and check for loose power lines, gas leaks and structural damage before entering.
• Stay out of any building if you smell gas, floodwaters remain around the building or your home was damaged by fire and the authorities have not declared it safe.
• Inspect your home for damage. Take pictures of damage, both of the building and its contents, for insurance purposes. If you have any doubts about safety, have your residence inspected by a qualified building inspector or structural engineer before entering.
• Use battery-powered flashlights in the dark. Do NOT use candles. Note: The flashlight should be turned on outside before entering - the battery may produce a spark that could ignite leaking gas, if present.
• Watch your pets closely and keep them under your direct control. Watch out for wild animals, especially poisonous snakes. Use a stick to poke through debris.
• Avoid drinking or preparing food with tap water until you are sure it’s not contaminated.
• Check refrigerated food for spoilage. If in doubt, throw it out.
• Wear protective clothing and be cautious when cleaning up to avoid injury.
• Use the telephone only for emergency calls.
• NEVER use a generator inside homes, garages, crawlspaces, sheds, or similar areas, even when using fans or opening doors and windows for ventilation. Deadly levels of carbon monoxide can quickly build up in these areas and can linger for hours, even after the generator has shut off.

 

Courtesy of FEMA

 

Check out the new Toyota Auris Hybrid

Toyota Challenges Teachers & Students to Help Teens Stay Safe Behind the Wheel

Toyota and Discovery Education today announced that the Toyota Teen Driver Video Challenge and Toyota Teen Driver Educators’ Challenge are now open for entries. These challenges invite teens and their teachers to share their most creative ideas to help promote teen safe driving habits.  Entries for both programs are due by Feb. 14, 2013.

Motor vehicle crashes remain the number one cause of death for teens.  In fact, current research shows that 35% of all teen deaths are a result of car crashes -- more than cancer, suicide, heart disease and homicide combined. To address this challenge, Toyota and Discovery Education teamed up in 2010 to create Toyota Teen Driver, a comprehensive program and online destination providing safe-driving tools and resources to educators, students and parents.

Safe Driving Programs for Both Teens and Teachers

The Toyota Teen Driver Video Challenge encourages students to create and develop an original video describing what they can do in their communities to help make their peers and themselves safer drivers. The top ten videos will be chosen by a panel of experts for their originality and compelling content, followed by a public voting period on ToyotaTeenDriver.com to select the winner. The first, second and third place winners will receive $15,000, $10,000 and $7,500 cash prizes, respectively. In addition, Discovery Channel film crews will visit the top three students’ hometowns to hear their stories and capture their visions for safer driving for pieces that will air on ToyotaTeenDriver.com and additional Discovery online properties. The seven runners-up will each receive $1,000.  The Video Challenge is open to students in grades 9-12.

Recognizing that educators also play a key role in ensuring teens stay safe on the road, Toyota and Discovery Education have also opened applications for the 2013 Toyota Teen Driver Educators’ Challenge.  For this Challenge, educators are asked to create innovative action plans for keeping students safe on the roads. The grand prize winner will receive a 4 day trip for two to Washington, D.C., to attend a safe-driving conference and a $10,000 cash prize. In addition, that teacher’s school will be awarded a Virtual Driver Interactive simulator and a safe-driving assembly, led by Toyota Teen Driver experts.  The second place winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a driving simulator and safe-driving assembly for their school.

“At Toyota, we are deeply committed to the notion that everyone deserves to be safe,” said Patricia Salas Pineda, Toyota’s group vice president of National Philanthropy and the Toyota USA Foundation.  “We are glad to be working with Discovery Education to bring critical safety information to schools and students across the country.  This is an important commitment for Toyota and a vital part of our efforts to help ensure that drivers and passengers are safe at every phase of life.”

In addition to Toyota Teen Driver, Toyota’s work to help keep teens safe on the road includes: Toyota Driving Expectations, a free program for teens and their parents which provides hands-on, real world defensive driving experiences; groundbreaking safety research partnerships with major North American research universities through the company’s $50 million Collaborative Safety Research Center; and national teen safe driving partnerships with DoSomething.org and the National Safety Council.  Toyota also has a national program in place to help ensure safety for child passengers (Buckle Up for Life) as well as a major partnership with AARP to address driver safety for seniors.

Courtesy of Toyota Newsroom

Voting Begins as Completed Vehicles are Unveiled this Saturday

After weeks of following four accomplished Toyota racing drivers and their talented build teams create four utterly unique and exciting vehicles for the Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge, anxious fans will finally get to see the completed vehicles when each is unveiled on the Dream Build website (www.toyotaracingdreambuild.com) this Saturday, Oct. 20. 

On that day, after countless hours have been poured into their builds, NASCAR stars Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch plus NHRA hot shoes Antron Brown and Alexis DeJoria put their Dream Build vehicles on the line for all to see. Then the voting begins.
For the next 10 days after “the polls” open, fans will be able to vote once per day via Facebook for their favorite car and team. As the voting period progresses, they can track the progress of each team as they race to the finish. Fans can also change who they vote for from day to day while they also compete for daily prizes, plus a chance to win the big one: The Toyota Racing Dream Trip Grand Prize.

The Dream Build website will also have a fresh look, with views of each completed vehicle on the home page and a graphic depiction of the total votes for each build. The site will be mobile-device friendly as well, for easy access on the go.

Then as quickly as the race began, it all comes to a screeching halt at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time on Monday, Oct. 29 when voting concludes and the final votes are tallied in the early morning hours. 

Finally, on Tuesday Oct. 30 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific time, the Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge winner will be announced live at Toyota's SEMA Show press conference in Las Vegas by television racing commentator and Top Gear USA host, Rutledge Wood. The winning team will take home $50,000 for their designated charity, with second place receiving $25,000, third place $15,000 and fourth place $10,000.






Courtesy of Toyota Newsroom

Check out this hot hybrid SUV!

Looking for a hybrid so you can save some cash on gas? Here's the SUV for you! This 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid features remote keyless entry, rear camera parking sensors, and outside temperature display. Click here for more details!

 

Meet the Prius family, now a family of four!

Watch the Toyota Tundra pull the Endeavour live here

 

Click here to watch the countdown and track the progress at The Tundra Endeavour’s website!

Beauty and comfort exist in harmony with the 2012 Camry SE

 

 

Make an impression with this barely used 2011 Corolla

It's a gas saver, move quickly! This good looking 2011 Toyota Corolla has only had one previous owner. With 34 MPG highway, occupant sensing airbags, speed control, and power windows this beauty is ready for a roadtrip anywhere!

Click here to check it out for yourself!

 

The Tundra Endeavour- A Story of American Triumph

Toyota's helping you save with $20 off your next service

Click here to view and print your coupon for $20 off your next service at Toyota Center. Present at time of service.

 

Share this video to show your support for our nation's veterans.

 

 

Experience the 2012 Toyota Avalon at Toyota Center

Enjoy the elegance and satisfaction of the 2012 Toyota Avalon. This vehicle is outstanding. Visit us today and check it out. Click here to learn more about the Avalon.

Toyota showcases Smart Insect concept car

Toyota's latest concept car is dubbed the Smart Insect and is somewhat reminiscent of a Smart car, if only a tad smaller.

Nevertheless, Toyota's concept - which will likely never see production in its current iteration - still boasts some pretty sweet tech designed to recognize and anticipate driver feedback. 

The little electric vehicle charges from a standard 100 V outlet and is equipped with gull wing doors that open widely. The Smart Insect also boasts a comprehensive motion detection system powered by a Microsoft Kinect sensor that is used to recognize and respond to a driver based on face and body shape.

Toyota also claims the motion detection technology can predict the driver's behavior by analyzing his or her movements and determining when to open the door automatically. Frankly, this sounds a bit unnerving to me, as if you make a strange move while stopped at a red light it seems the doors could possibly open accidentally.

Then again, one could probably safely assume that Toyota installed some sort of integrated safety technology  designed specifically to prevent the doors from opening - unless the vehicle is completely stopped and in parking mode. In any case, the motion detection technology also activates a front and rear display - showing a welcome message and opening a door (based on voice recognition) when the driver approaches the car.

In addition, Toyota has fitted a wireless charging pad for smartphones, along with a dash mounted display that connects to your handset. The concept car supports close integration with mobile apps, allowing the owner to adjust air-conditioning and lock the doors using their smartphones.

One of the most interesting features of this concept car? It is only equipped with a single seat. So if you're wondering how some of these odd concept features might translate into a production, simply put, they won't. Toyota has been clear that it will not be producing this vehicle, although some of the tech is likely to find its way to future vehicles rolling off the production lines and onto American streets.

Courtesy of: http://bit.ly/QCnCUl

Thanks for this great review, Kido

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