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On February 19 th, Toyota Motor Sales announced that three popular Toyota models, Camry mid-size sedan, Highlander mid-size crossover and Sienna van, have made the list of “15 Best Family Cars” by KBB.com. The people who judged the 15 best family cars were families and expert editors from KBB.com. - Camry, the best-selling car in America for the last 13 years, received a new design for the 2015 model year. - Highlander offers families three powertrain choices, head-turning exterior styling, and a roomy and refined interior with advanced technologies and exceptional utility. - Sienna oozes fun and function as it has something for every member of the family. Kids enjoy Sienna’s Blu-Ray Dual View Entertainment Center while parents easily communicate with them through Toyota’s Driver Easy Speak system. For parental peace of mind, Sienna was named a 2015 IIHS Top Safety Pick +, and is the only van in its segment to offer all-wheel drive.

Toyota went to the head of the class today, taking the top spot in the motor vehicles sector of Fortune magazine’s list of the World’s Most Admired Companies. The automaker also scored well in a larger pool of peers, No. 24 overall. Fortune’s annual list is widely considered to be the definitive report card on corporate reputation. The survey measures nine attributes considered crucial to a company’s global success, including quality of management, social responsibility, people management and global competitiveness, among others. Toyota’s overall rank increased from 25th in 2014, and its No. 1 spot in the Motor Vehicles category also represented a bump (from No. 2 last year).

The Philadelphia Inquirer had a great article in their July 23 rd, 2013 Edition today in which they discussed the opening of a training facility for mechanics complete with a test course that simulates 13 driving conditions, including cobblestones and bumpy roads. The new facility might not end recall problems, but will help the automaker respond more quickly, Toyoda told reporters. Other automakers have similar training and test-course facilities, and Toyota also has other training centers. But the Tajimi center is among the biggest for any automaker. Click here to read more.

It was excitement at Max Paul’s Ardmore Toyota when we learned that Toyota has unveiled the all-new 2014 Corolla. The unveiling took place in Santa Monica, Calif., on June 6 th, 2013. Here are some highlights on the new 11 th generation 2014 Corolla which has been around for 47 successful years. Toyota believes the 2014 Toyota Corolla will change consumer perceptions of the iconic compact. •           a modern cabin with premium materials •           a longer wheelbase for enhanced ride quality and interior roominess •           improved efficiency with an available 7-speed continuously variable transmission •           an available Corolla LE Eco trim level that is targeted to receive a highway rating of over 40 mpg Want to read more and see photos on the new 2014 Toyota Corolla? Click here. Max Paul’s Ardmore Toyota is excited to get the new Corolla in soon!

Lexus LS and Toyota Camry won their segments in the 2013 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS) and the LS again posted the best score of any model in the study.  The study measures problems per hundred (pph) reported by consumers surveyed after 90 days of new-vehicle ownership. The study found: -Camry, the best-selling passenger car in the United States for the past 11 years, improved its IQS ranking from 4th last year to 1st this year with a score of 70 pph. -The Toyota brand improved two places to 6th overall, its best overall ranking in the IQS since 2008, and ranked 3rd among non-premium brands. Three manufacturing plants where Toyota and Lexus products are assembled also earned awards. To read more, click here.

Five Toyota and Lexus models won their segments in Edmunds.com’s third annual “Best Retained Value Awards,” more than any other automobile manufacturer, autoremarketing.com reported today. The four winning Toyota models are the Tacoma, Prius, 4Runner and Venza. The winning Lexus model is the LX 570. The Toyota brand tied with Ford for the most model wins by a brand in the 22 segments. The Best Retained Value Awards are projections of the residual value of new models after five years based on their average True Market Value price when sold new. To read more, click here. Toyota Captures Most Segments of Any Manufacturer in ‘Best Retained Value Awards’

Toyota sharpened its focus when it developed the all-new 2013 RAV4 crossover SUV. The new five-passenger RAV4 aims for the bull's-eye in the middle of the crossover SUV market. The RAV4 competes with five-seat crossovers such as the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, Kia Sportage, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester and Volkswagen Tiguan. It's hard to get attention in that crowded segment. The RAV4 makes its pitch with good fuel economy, a roomy interior and excellent voice recognition for phone calls and navigation. Click Here for the Full Story.

On May 23rd, 2013, Toyota announced a $250,000 donation to support relief and rebuilding efforts for victims of the tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma and the greater Oklahoma City area on May 20.  Funds will be allocated to immediate response and for mid-to-long term needs in the areas of food, small business revitalization and home rebuilding.  Toyota will also match employee contributions. “On behalf of Toyota, we express our sincere condolences to everyone impacted by this devastating tornado. Our thoughts are with the affected families as they work to rebuild their lives,” said Latondra Newton, group vice president of philanthropy and chief diversity officer.

Kelley Blue Book has released its Top 10 list of Best Family Cars and the Toyota Prius v and Avalon made the 2013 list.  Prius v ranks third, while Avalon came in sixth place for scoring high in areas like safety, roominess, comfort and value. KBB.com editors selected the Prius v because it comes “jam-packed with all the Prius-ness you crave while also offering roughly 50 percent more cargo space.” Editors thought the fully redesigned Toyota Avalon can now add “high style” to its list of highlights.  KBB said, “In addition, laudable fuel economy coupled with an exemplary reputation for reliability and quality make the 2013 Avalon a smart buy for today’s value-conscious family.” To see the full list and editorial commentary for the 10 Best Family Cars, please visit click here.

According to the 2013 Automotive Executive Survey from KPMG, Toyota is the fourth fastest growing car company in the world.  A story on Forbes.com says Toyota will remain a dominant force around the world with 68 percent of KPMG survey respondents saying it will increase market share.  Just 7 percent think Toyota could lose market share in the next five years. Of the top 27 companies on the KPMG survey list, GM and Ford were ranked No. 14.  Forbes said the Detroit automakers will find it harder to build market share among increasing competition from Asian automakers, some of which they already partner with in China in particular.  Survey respondents (44 percent) think GM and Ford will increase their market share, and 23 percent think their market share will decrease by 2018. The Forbes report can be found here.

It received little more than passing mention in the Lavishly Expensive Roadster Edition of Wheelies, but something significant happened a couple of weekends ago. It wasn’t earth shattering, but it was noteworthy: RM Auctions sold a 1967 Toyota 2000 GT for nearly $1.2 million. It ended up being one of the higher priced cars in a batch that included Ferraris, Porsches and one-off concept cars like a 1954 Chrysler GS-1 Special that sold for $616,000. According to the figures David Kinney – publisher of Hagerty’s Price Guide – came up with, the yellow ’67 is not only the most expensive production Toyota in history, but also the highest-priced Asian production car ever. But 2000 GTs were never cheap cars. An article in the February 2009 issue of Automobile magazine puts the list price of one when new at $7,230, which is more than $50,000 in today’s dollars. By comparison, a Chevrolet Corvette sold for $4,663 and a Jaguar E-Type for $5,559. Even a Porsche 911 was only $6,190. The 2000 GT saw only limited production. Although the exact number of cars built varies from source to source, RM Auctions claims Toyota built 351 of the curvaceous little sports cars from 1967 to 1970. Although the 2000 GT was a short-lived nameplate, it left a lasting legacy. It was the car that showed Japanese car manufacturers that they were capable of building more than just stodgy family cars that many considered knock-offs of European designs. Toyota, and later other Japanese automakers, knew they could do sporty, and they knew they could do beautiful. For full Story in the New York Times, Click Here.

Toyota is the top Full Line Automotive Brand of the Year, according to the latest Harris Poll EquiTrend study, which assesses companies based on familiarity, quality and purchase consideration. “Understanding the health of your brand is a critical component in determining the business priorities for companies in any industry,” said Aron Galonsky, senior vice president at Harris Interactive.  “The higher scores point to increased consumer affinity and likelihood to purchase from these companies.” To view the Harris Poll EquiTrend results, please click here.