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Three Toyota models have been selected as among the Best Family Cars of 2012 by Parents magazine and Edmunds.com. This is their fifth annual list. Toyota earned picks across three categories including Prius v in the high-mileage category; Camry in the sedan category and the Sienna minivan in the large vehicle category. Click here to read the entire story

Kelly Blue Book (kbb.com) has named the Toyota Prius c, Lexus CT 200h and Scion iQ among the 10 “Best Green Cars of 2012.” Along with outstanding fuel efficiency, editors also weighed factors like value, features and comfort in putting together this year's collection of exceptional efficiency experts. Editors ranked the Toyota Prius c in the No. 1 spot on the list. When it comes to vehicle production and conserving the world's natural resources, editors noted significantly fewer materials are required to build a Scion iQ thanks to its petite dimensions, lightweight design and efficient 1.3-liter gasoline engine. Click Here for the full Story.

Scion is pleased to announce that starting May 1 through July 31, 2012, buyers of a new 2012 Scion iQ will receive a PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita), portable entertainment system, while supplies last. The promotion coincides with the nationwide release of the iQ, Scion’s fourth vehicle and the world’s smallest four-seater. Click Here for the full Story.

At Toyota, we believe that leveraging the diversity of talent, experiences and perspectives is essential to effectively meeting the needs of our customers,” said Shigeki Terashi, president & chief operating officer for Toyota Motor North America, Inc. “Our commitment to maximizing diversity in every aspect of our business is rooted in Toyota’s guiding principles, and we’re grateful to once again be recognized by DiversityInc for our progress in this area. In addition to the being included in the list of Top 50 Companies for Diversity overall, Toyota also ranked seventh in DiversityInc’s Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees. Click Here for the full story.

Answer: the Toyota Prius C hybrid car, according to Edmunds.com’s analysis of March sales and inventory numbers. The Prius C, the newest, smallest, and least expensive member of the Toyota Prius hybrid family, barely has time to dirty its tires because the Prius C, which starts at $19,000, stays on the dealership lot only about eight days until a buyer drives it away. In addition to the Prius C hybrid, the Toyota Camry Hybrid and Toyota Highlander Hybrid also made the list of quickest-selling cars in March; the Prius V, the larger member of the family of three, was on that list in February. Click here to read the full story

Toyota and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) announced today a national partnership through the establishment of a college readiness initiative, which will help fund youth education and improve high school graduation rates. As a founding sponsor of D2D - Diplomas to Degrees, Toyota is providing a $1.5 million grant over three years to help provide tools, resources and support to Boys & Girls Club teens to help prepare them to move from high school to college graduation. The announcement was made at an education celebration event on the campus of Bowie State University in Bowie, Md., where more than 150 local Boys & Girls Clubs teens from the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. region were joined by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, former NBA player and Boys & Girls Club alum A.C. Green, as well as representatives from Toyota and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “I am pleased to join Toyota and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to announce a new national partnership to prepare our children for the future,” said Governor Martin O’Malley. “To move forward in this changing new economy, we must create jobs and expand opportunity – and education is the best tool we have. In Maryland, we have set a goal to improve student achievement and school, college and career readiness by 25 percent by 2015 because we believe in giving our children the tools they need to succeed. Together, with innovative partnerships like this, we can return to the urgent work of building up our children’s future.” Studies have shown that students who fail to graduate high school prepared to obtain a postsecondary education are less likely to gain full access to our country’s economic, political and social opportunities. Therefore, Toyota and BGCA are dedicated to ensuring Club members receive the support needed to succeed in their academic careers and in life. Piloted in ten cities over the past year, D2D – Diplomas to Degrees will now be available in more than 1,000 Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. The program is designed to help youth develop short and long-term goals; explore post-secondary institutions to familiarize teens with the college lifestyle; pursue and secure essential financial assistance; and foster supportive relationships with caring adults who can provide ongoing advice and mentorship throughout the teens’ academic experience. “Toyota is committed to helping improve the quality of life in the communities where we live and work,” said Mike Groff, vice president, Sales, Marketing and Product Planning, Toyota Financial Services. “Our partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs is an extension of our focus on education and a key component of the new D2D program is engaging our associates to volunteer as mentors and college coaches through their local clubs. The ultimate goal of this program is to increase the number of youth who graduate from high school and enroll in a college, university or other postsecondary institution.” In addition to D2D - Diplomas to Degrees, Toyota has provided close to $1 million in academic scholarships for more than 225 Boys & Girls Club alumni and staff and supported thousands of middle and high school youth with mentorships, internships and financial or career programs to help them become productive and caring adults. Toyota has worked closely with BGCA to support Boys & Girls Club of East Los Angeles, investing toward the local organization’s Formula for Impact Grant. “BGCA is committed to working with youth to ensure they are prepared for post-secondary education, but we can’t do it alone,” said Jim Clark, president and CEO at BGCA. “With the help of corporations like Toyota, we now have the opportunity to provide targeted programs for youth through key transition periods between high school and college. Schools, families and community partners are all vital parts of the education equation and we must work together to improve the outlook for our nation and secure more great futures for our youth.”

According to Bloomberg, Toyota Motor Corp.’s U.S. sales of Prius hybrids reached a record in March and in the first quarter, propelled by higher gasoline prices and two new models. Toyota, the largest seller of gasoline-electric autos, sold more than 25,000 units in March of the Prius “family” now comprised of a plug-in Prius and c subcompact, along with the original hatchback and v wagon. The vehicle accounts for half of U.S. hybrid sales. Click here to read the full story!

Toyota Financial Services has created an engaging online contest asking recent grads to submit videos that “tell us or show us how you would spread the word about Toyota’s $1,000 rebate.” We welcome all submissions – music videos, body painting, planking – I’m sure this social-savvy demographic will come up with some great ideas. Beginning April 3 and running through June 4, this playful video contest will be featured. How will the contest work? Recent college grads can submit a video of 60 seconds or less either showing or telling how they would spread the word about Toyota’s $1,000 college grad rebate. The video submission period runs through May 8, and during that time, registered users can rate their favorite videos. There will then be a week-long voting period where TFS judges will select the top 10 video submissions. On May 16, the 10 finalists will be featured on the contest site, and registered voters will then have the chance to vote for their favorites. A combination of voter results and judging feedback will determine the winners. All registered users will also be eligible to win a final sweepstakes prize of $1,000. And participants who vote on the final 10 are also eligible for instant win prizes. Prizes Include: Grand prize = 2012 Corolla S Second prize = $2,500 Third prize = $500 200 Instant Win prizes - $20 Amazon.com gift cards Sweepstakes prize = $1,000 Eligible Participants: Must be 18 years and older Graduated from a two- or four-year college within the past 2 years (similar to rebate criteria) Complete rules are posted on the contest web site – www.toyotagradcontest.com

Toyota kicks off Earth Month by expanding its partnership with the Wyland Foundation to encourage residents nationwide to preserve our natural resources by taking an online pledge to conserve water. Click here to read a full story about this wonderful partnership. Click here to learn about the Wyland Foundation: Save Water, Win a Prius C. For more details, visit: http://www.mywaterpledge.com

Toyota is serving as a major sponsor of a new, once-in-a-lifetime exhibit at Washington, DC’s National Gallery of Art that opens Friday. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Japan’s gift of 3,000 cherry blossom trees to the nation’s capital, the exhibit brings one of Japan's national artistic treasures to the U.S. for an extraordinarily rare visit. The exhibit, Colorful Realm of Living Beings, features thirty intricately painted silk scrolls created more than 250 years ago by revered Japanese artist Ito Jakuchu. This is the first time these works will be shown outside of Japan in their entirety. The National Gallery’s exhibit is open from March 30 to April 29. Toyota will also be sponsoring legacy tree plantings throughout the national capital region and at several of its manufacturing facilities to mark the cherry blossom centennial, an enduring symbol of the powerful partnership between the U.S. and Japan. Click here for the full story.

Of the nine vehicles on the Forbes list of the Toughest Cars for 2012 list, five are Toyota products -- Toyota Highlander, Prius and Sienna and Scion xB and xD. Forbes based its conclusions on the research, dependability studies, and safety testing of J.D. Power and Associates, Consumer Reports, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). First, the publication selected vehicles in each segment (including cars, minivans, SUVs, and crossovers, but excluding trucks) that received a “Top Three” rating in the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study. Next, it compared that list with Consumer Reports “Most Reliable” vehicles, based on its 2011 Annual Auto Study. Any vehicle that appeared on both lists then proceeded to the final scrutiny, the IIHS's Top Safety Picks for 2012. In order to make the list, a vehicle must receive a rating of “good” on all four of the IIHS's crash tests.

Toyota’s subcompact Prius c five-door hatchback, the newest member of the Prius family of hybrid vehicles, is off to a quick start since going on sale March 12. In its first three days on the market, it sold 1,201 units, making it one Toyota’s fastest-selling vehicles and eclipsing Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf sales for the entire month of February. “A number of factors drive the auto market, and fuel prices is one of them,” said Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager of the Toyota Division. “With 53 miles-per-gallon in the city and priced under $19,000, the timing for Prius c couldn’t be better." During the first half of March, the four-member Prius Family, including the new Prius c, roomy v, third-generation Liftback and new Plug-in Hybrid, accounted for sales of 9,821. Last month Prius sales totaled 20,593 and 32,59 3 year-to-date. Click here to learn about the Toyota Prius c and the Hasbro Game of "Life". Do you know that the game of "Life" dates back to 1860?