2012 Toyota Camry SE Review: America’s favorite ride is #1 for a reason

What’s the need to “review” the #1 selling car in America?  It’s like trying to review Bon Jovi, or beer. Whatever anyone thinks of the Camry – and it has its nit-pickers and detractors – you can’t argue with #1.  

 

Regardless, I arranged a week’s test to see what the continued love-fest was about. Within a few minutes, I saw, felt and heard for myself, and I was sold. The Camry’s roomy, comfortable, stylish and powerful, and gets a combined city/highway mileage of 25 MPG. For a sedan big enough to hold a small family, that’s not bad. There’s also a Hybrid model returning about 40 MPG combined city/highway. 

So what if the steering is ever-so-mushy for a 6-cylinder, or that every now and then I didn’t feel the road as much as I would have liked when cornering? These are small complaints, especially in a ride that starts at $22,055, and I forgot about them after the week was almost up.

Besides, the Camry’s been completely redesigned for 2012 – a bold move in a world where a single misstep can cost a company sales. It’s got a more powerful engine and better interior materials than in previous trims, for starters, and your front seats are more supportive and have been repositioned to allow rear passengers more legroom.  It’s offered in L, LE, SE and XLE trim levels, with the L featuring 16-inch steel wheels, air conditioning, power windows and mirrors, cruise control, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, split-folding rear seats, Bluetooth and a six-speaker CD sound system with auxiliary input and USB jacks. The LE trims brings auto headlamps, power locks with remote keyless entry, Bluetooth streaming audio and a central touchscreen interface for audio, phone and car information.

I liked the Camry’s up-to-the-second technology, which was easy to use – good news for the tech-timid among us. Even the base Camry L comes with Bluetooth and iPod/USB connectivity, but if you splurge on the LE for a few hundred dollars more, you'll get a standard 6.1-inch touchscreen interface that controls the stereo and a variety of vehicle settings. If you really want to go nuts, opt for the optional Entune infotainment system, which connects your smartphone with power six touchscreen-based apps - including Pandora. If nothing else, having Pandora in your car removes the choke hold that SiriusXM has on anyone wanting an alternative to the advertising-clogged AM/FM airwaves.

The Camry’s relatively cheap, reasonably roomy, speedy when you need it to be – what’s not to love?

http://nydn.us/PmsaMW

 

Your Monday Maintenance Tip: The Importance of Oil Changes

Having your oil changed on a regular basis is one of the most important things you can do to keep your car in proper running order. Literally speaking, there is no better way to keep your car in tip top performance and have it run for hundreds of thousands of miles than to keep your oil changed whenever it is recommended by the car manufacturer or the oil change shop. Oil changes cost under fifty dollars, even if you choose to have the top of the line oil added into your car, so there is really no reason why you could not afford such a simple and painless procedure. By getting your oil changed on a regular basis, you will not only improve the life of your cars engine, but you will also allow your car to maximize the horsepower it puts on the road; and you can make sure that all of your cylinders are firing and working as properly as when the car was new. 

The benefits of oil changes are not so great as the drawbacks of not getting your oil changed, which are catastrophic. While you do increase the life of your engine and keep your horsepower maximized by getting your oil changed regularly, these are not as significant as the problems that can arise if you do not change your oil when it is recommended to do so. Firstly, not changing your oil often enough can cause significant damage to your engine, as the oil is necessary to keep all of the moving parts lubricated. By not having enough oil or by using oil that has outlived its usefulness (is filled with dirt or has low viscosity), you run the risk of allowing parts to not work as efficiently as they possibly could.

In the long run, such parts grinding together without lubrication in such a stressful environment as an internal combustion engine could eventually lead to such parts fusing together, jamming up or altogether failing. This is catastrophic to your engine, as the engine could simply stop working or actually explode if enough parts refuse to work.

When you go to get your oil changed, you really have one of two different options. You can either choose to spend less money and simply purchase whatever oil you want to put into your car from a store and add it in yourself; or you could have a professional do it. Because of all of the major restrictions on what you can and cannot do with oil nowadays, it makes much more sense to have a professional do the oil change, as they have special ways in which they are able to dispose of it. If you do the change yourself, you will have to save all of the oil which you remove from the car and take it to a place like your local fire station to have professionals dispose of it, instead of you simply taking it to the dump or pouring it down the drain. Since there are so many hassles involved in changing the oil yourself, you may want to simply have professionals do it, even though it is more expensive.

 

Courtesy of Ezilon

Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Gets Royal Treatment in Europe

MONACO — The first production Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid in Europe was delivered to His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, as the Japanese automaker employs some royal cachet to market the car.

The prince will use the Prius Plug-in Hybrid for "private purposes," said Toyota in a statement. The prince has a two-month loan on the car from Toyota, which notes that he currently has a standard Prius in his automotive stable.

Prince Albert may be Toyota's best unofficial salesman in Europe. A one-off Landaulet edition of the Lexus LS 600h hybrid took center stage at his 2011 wedding to Charlene Wittstock.

Of course, with the handover of the keys to the Prius Plug-in Hybrid, Monaco also gets to strengthen its position as one of the green leaders in Europe. Even though the principality is just 48 acres with a population of 35,000, it is also home to 424 free charging stations.

The link between European royalty and cars is a strong one. Witness the media frenzy that ensued after England's Prince William and commoner Kate Middleton celebrated their nuptials last year with a joyride in an Aston Martin DB6 Volante.

Courtesy of Inside Line

We would like to thank our happy customer for the kind words. We appreciate the rave review!

"Went to Advantage to check out gas efficient vehicles. My 14 year old Toyota Sienna van was running great but was not gas efficient. Talked to a gentleman named Matt Turley and he showed me several vehicles based on what I said I wanted in a vehicle. His knowledge of their inventory and product comparisons allowed me to make an informed decision. I purchased a two year old certified toyota hybrid Camry. Since then I have been very happy with my updated vehicle especially with the navigation system and backup camera. I have no worries since this car came with six more years on it's bumper to bumper warranty. Thanks Matt."

Auto giant tops 49 brands in 13 sectors

Toyota has been named the world’s Best Global Green Brand for 2012 for its leadership in innovation, environmental sustainability and fuel efficiency. It’s the second successive year the automotive giant has held the top spot of all world brands in 13 sectors.

The Best Global Brand Top 50 awards are bestowed by Interbrand, the world’s leading brand consultancy firm (specializing in brand strategy, analytics and valuation, corporate design, digital brand management, packaging design and naming).

The rankings were determined by a survey of more than 10,000 respondents in 10 countries to analyze each company’s environmental record and how the company is perceived by consumers.

Toyota was singled out for its unparalleled sustainability leadership. In particular, Interbrand praised the deeply ingrained environmental sustainability in the company culture, which has been a core management priority since the early 1990s.

That dedication to sustainability is credited for keeping the company ahead of the clean vehicle trend and resulting in steady improvements in energy use, water consumption, waste, and toxic emissions year after year. And, it continues to embark on company wide initiatives to improve environmental performance and build on reputation for cutting-edge eco vehicle development through innovation, key partnerships and strategic campaigns.

At the centre of the company’s success, says Interbrand, is the halo effect generated by the success and long-term visibility of Prius, which, in many people’s minds, has become synonymous with the term “hybrid.”

 

Courtesy of AutoNet