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Do you like to drive your car for over 200,000 miles? Do you keep your car for a long time? Is reliability important to you? Forbes Magazine has come out with a list of cars that run for over 200,000 miles. The list has 14 different models on it. Of the 14 models, Toyota makes up for five of them! Scion xB. Toyota Highlander. Toyota Sienna. Toyota Tundra. Lexus RX350. Here is an example what they said about the Toyota Highlander: “This Camry-based seven-passenger crossover is eminently likeable, with its graceful curves and gentle overall demeanor. A 187-horsepower four-cylinder engine is standard and should suffice for most buyers, while a smoother and stronger 270-horsepower V6 is also offered.”

The awards and accolades keep coming in for the all new and redesigned 2012 Toyota Camry. Kelley Blue Book has recognized the Camry as one of the top redesigned cars of the year. America's best-selling car for the past nine years gets a well-focused remake, highlighted by an absolutely brilliant new iteration of its mileage-maxing Hybrid model. Bolder looks, more comfortable seating and an even-longer roster of standard features on this recast mid-size sedan are complemented by improved fuel economy, significantly better handling and a stronger emphasis on value pricing that extends across the entire Camry lineup. What do you think of the new design of the 2012 Camry? Do you like the new look? Let us know your thoughts.

Toyota’s Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) today announced four new research projects and three new research partnerships aimed at advancing the development of innovative vehicle safety technologies across the automotive industry. The CSRC pursues automotive safety research through a collaborative model that prioritizes sharing Toyota’s talent and technology with a broad range of institutions. Click Here for the full story!

Too often, we hear about concussions on the football field and in other athletic venues. Toyota is directly involved to help research and study brain trauma. Do you know someone who has had a concussion before? Toyota has a history of collaborative research programs with universities. One program involving Toyota, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest School of Medicine was honored on Monday at the Brain Trauma Foundation’s (BTF) Honors Dinner, where Toyota was recognized for helping significantly advance the understanding of brain trauma. Using accelerometers attached to the helmets of football players, university researchers collected data that has led to the first safety ratings system for football helmets. The data will be also used by Toyota to enhance its “THUMS” virtual human model and will contribute to new vehicle safety technologies that help reduce the occurrence and severity of head collisions. “We are confident our research advancements will help reduce the risk of traumatic brain injuries in both automobile crashes and the football field,” said Dr. Stefan Duma, Principal Investigator for Virginia Tech. “We are grateful to Toyota for its support of this important, lifesaving research and to the BTF for its recognition.” “We are proud at Toyota to have been able to help contribute to the growing body of knowledge in this research area and are honored to be recognized for our work with Virginia Tech and Wake Forest School of Medicine,” said Mr. Gulash. More information about all of CSRC’s research projects can be found at www.Toyota.com/CSRC.

You keep up with your scheduled maintenance.  Your oil is changed on time, your tires are inflated, and your transmission hums beautifully. But your job isn’t done when you leave the dealer. “Walk through” your car once a month to check things your mechanic might miss. Pay special attention to the glove box and the trunk. Are your car’s registration and insurance cards valid? Is the spare tire ready to go? Is it inflated? Do you have a working jack? A quick monthly check will save you hours if you break down or get pulled over.

Who is concerned about safety? Where does it rank when you go and buy a family Sedan? For most people it is at the top. That being said, there is great news from the U.S. Government. The All New 2012 Toyota Camry is one of three vehicles thus far that has received the 5 Star Safety Rating! The redesigned 2012 Camry earned a five-star overall rating, getting four stars in the frontal test, five stars in the side-crash test and four stars in the rollover test. Check out the article below that was in the USA Today:

We are really impressed with this new Scion. Take a minute and read this post and check out the images of the 2013 Scion FR-S Sports Car. What are your thoughts on the 2013 Scion FR-S Sports Car? With the introduction tonight of the 2013 Scion FR-S, the triumvirate of oh-so-similar sport coupes born of the joint venture between Toyota and Subaru is complete. With its introduction, the FR-S also marks the return of some excitement to Toyota's lineup of products in the U.S., even if it is branded as a Scion. The Japanese automaker hasn't offered a true performance machine in the U.S. since the MR2 Spyder ended production in 2007. The more hardcore Supra disappeared from American soil almost a decade earlier in 1998. Click here for the full story. To check out the photo gallery, click here. What do you think?

We want to thank all our customers and friends for attending the WOGL 98.1 Bob Seger Concert Ticket Giveaway on Saturday November 26, 2011. In addition to free Tickets, we gave away some additional great prizes to everyone and had a great barbeque for all our customers. Did you attend the event? Are you going to the Concert on Saturday December 3rd? We want to hear from you!

Fancy yourself a mechanic? Do you have a big shelf in the garage at home, full of motor oil, wiper fluid, cleansers--everything your car might need in a pinch? Great! But remember to read the label. Car fluids have a 'sell by' date, after which they deteriorate rapidly. Their effectiveness isn't just compromised; old fluids can actually harm your car. Remember--you wouldn't drink expired milk, so don't feed your car the bad stuff! Your dealer will hook you up with all the up-to-date products you need to keep your car running smoothly.

2011 Progress Report on Quality, Safety, Reliability & Value Two years ago, Toyota Motor Corporation President Akio Toyoda recommitted the entire company to ensuring that Toyota products met the highest standards for quality, safety, reliability and retained value. The results of this global effort have become increasingly evident based on the long list of third-party accolades Toyota and its vehicles have recently received in recognition of this progress. QUALITY Lexus was the highest ranking nameplate in the industry in the 2011 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study and earned more segment awards than any other premium brand. The Toyota Division moved up 14 positions to place seventh in the study. Toyota ranked as the #1 manufacturer for lowest percentage of “check engine”-related failures and lowest average related repair costs, looking at 2001 to 2011 Model Year vehicles over the past year, according to the first annual CarMD Vehicle Health Index. According to ALG’s Fall 2011 Perceived Quality Study, Toyota’s perceived quality score rose more than two percent over the last six months, closing the gap with Honda, while Lexus once again was ranked #1 among luxury brands. The Lexus IS won the entry premium car segment in the 2011 J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study. Toyota and Lexus won 11 awards – more than half the 21 total awards – in IntelliChoice.com’s Best Overall Values of the Year. SAFETY Eleven Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles were named 2011 “Top Safety Picks” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, including the Toyota Avalon, Corolla, Highlander, Prius, Sienna, Tundra and Venza, the Scion tC and xB, and the Lexus CT 200h and RX. RELIABILITY Toyota and Lexus brands took home seven top awards in J.D. Power’s 2011 Vehicle Dependability Survey -- more than any other full line manufacturer. Toyota was rated the “Best Durability of any full-line manufacturer" by R.L. Polk, based on longevity for U.S. vehicles in operation registration statistics MY1987-2010. 90% of Toyotas sold new in the 15 years between MY1996 and MY2010 are still on the road, according to R.L. Polk. RETAINED VALUE Kelley Blue Book named Toyota the 2012 Best Resale Value Brand for the second time in three years and Lexus as the Best Resale Value Luxury Brand in the 2012 Best Resale Value Awards. ALG named Lexus the Best Luxury Brand in its 2011 Residual Value Awards.  Toyota and Lexus segment award winners include Toyota Tacoma, Toyota Tundra and Lexus CT 200h. ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENT Toyota was ranked #1 overall among Interbrand’s 2011 Best Global Green Brands. Toyotas account for two-thirds of all hybrids on the road today (R.L. Polk) Toyota and Lexus hybrids comprise nearly three-quarters (73%) of all hybrids Prius alone makes up half (52%) Nine out of 10 (91%) of all hybrid-only models on the road are Prius vehicles In April 2011, Toyota announced the one-millionth sale of the Prius in the U.S., while worldwide sales have topped the 3 million mark The 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in, which will go on sale in the spring of 2012, earned Decisive magazine’s annual Urban Green Vehicle of the Year Award.

How annoying is it when your check engine light comes on? Well, this past weekend CarMD came out with some great news about check engine lights and Toyota's. Guess what? Toyota had the lowest percentage of red light reports/problems seen. The first annual CarMD Vehicle Health Index ranked vehicles using real-world, statistically-based data for the fewest average repair incidents and lowest average repair costs for model-year 2001 to 2011 vehicles in the U.S. Click Here for the full story! Plus, Click Here to check out the CarMD Website. Do you have questions about check engine lights? Let us know and we would be happy to help.

People are always asking, "Are Hybrids Safe?" Well now there is research and data to prove they are. Research by an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows hybrid vehicles are safer than their conventional counterparts when it comes to shielding their occupants from injuries in crashes. Click Here for the full story! We have a question. What is the most important feature you look for when looking at cars? Is it safety? Let us know.