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Toyota to Debut a Stunning U.S.-Designed Sedan at the 2012 New York International Auto Show

TORRANCE, Calif., March 27, 2012 - Toyota Motor Sales, Inc. will debut an all-new U.S.-designed sedan at the 2012 New York International Auto Show. This global premiere will take place in the Galleria room within the Jacob Javits Center at 10:30 a.m. EDT on April 5, 2012.

The sedan's exciting new design features an elegant yet athletic look.

Media and the public will have the opportunity to participate in a live-streaming video chat with the designers of the new sedan by submitting questions via Twitter and Facebook with the #ToyotaDesign hashtag. The Toyota Design Live chat is scheduled for 2 p.m. EDT on April 5, 2012 and hosted on http://www.facebook.com/toyota.>

 

Courtesy of Toyota

Your Monday Maintenance Tip: Replacing Your Timing Belt

Replacing your timing belt regularly is essential

A significant element of the “brain” of a car engine, the timing belt (aka cam belt), controls your vehicle’s valve timing. The timing belt connects the crankshaft to the camshaft, which controls the opening and closing of valves necessary during the internal combustion process. On some engines, it may also turn the water pump. According to Wikipedia, the first car to use a timing belt was in 1945, and the timing belt first went into mass production in 1962 with the German Glas 1004 car. It hit America with the 1966 Pontiac Tempest, and the 1966 Vauxhall introduced the modern-day use of the timing belt with the four-cylinder overhead cam design that is common to most cars today. Auto manufacturers recommend that the timing belt be replaced at regular intervals, so it is wise to consult your owner’s manual and keep accurate records.

Make changing the timing belt part of regular maintenance

All automotive belts are important to an engine’s proper function, and the timing belt is no exception. It’s made of rubber, so it’s relatively inexpensive. However, it can also snap without warning. Depending upon whether you have the “free-wheeling” type of engine (as AutoMedia.com puts it), a snapped timing belt can cause the engine pistons to bend the valves, which requires the head to be removed. That’s an expensive repair procedure, so have your timing belt replaced regularly. As the timing belt is typically covered up and not easily visible, it’s generally a good idea to have a trained professional perform the inspection and replacement. However, mechanic-savvy consumers can perform the procedure at home. See About.com’s detailed instructions for more info on the procedure, and be careful not to over-tighten.

How long will a timing belt last?

This varies by manufacturer. It could be about 10,000 miles for a belt tension check, or as many as 100,000 miles before total replacement. If there’s any doubt, preventative maintenance is better than waiting until it snaps and the valves warp. If you drive hard and live in a warm climate, you will probably have to change the timing belt more often, as excessive heat causes rubber to crack over time. Exposure to oil or antifreeze can also wear down the rubber, so if you have a leak, you’ll want to inspect the belt. Since the cost of a new water pump is relatively low compared with the cost of having a mechanic go in and check the timing belt, many experts recommend replacing the water pump at the same time as the timing belt.

 

Courtesy of CarDealExpert.com

Toyota Prius c: Budget Flexibility

See more ways Prius c can help you win the Game of Life at
http://www.youtube.com/priusc

Danika McKellar busts out the yoga mat to show you how you can get your budgetary house in order. It's all about flexibility. #priusc

Toyota increasing Prius C production to meet high demand at home and abroad

When we last asked Toyota representatives about the production capacity of the 2012 Prius C, we were told the company's Iwate, Japan plant could make up to 30,000 units each month. That sounds like a lot, but Toyota is currently sending just 20 percent – 6,000 a month – to the United States.

Back in December, when the car went on sale in Japan, the company received 120,000 orders in the first five days it was on sale. As we noted last week, Toyota also sold 1,200 Prius C units in the first three days it was on sale in the States. The baby Prius may not be as popular here as it is at home, but 6,000 a month sure doesn't seem like it's enough.

The C is made at just one plant, run by Toyota's Kanto Auto Works Ltd. affiliate in northern Japan. A strong yen and all those Japanese orders means that the C models that do get made are mostly delivered to the home country instead of be placed on a boat to be exported. Toyota originally planned to produce just 20,000 C models a month, and is now looking at how to go over even the 30,000-unit level.

By increasing efficiencies at the plant and moving production of non-Prius C models (specifically, the not-available-in-the-U.S. Toyota Ractis) from Iwate to other plants, the unspecified increase should be in place by the middle of 2012. Thus far, there is no official talk about making the C at other plants.

 

Couresy of Automotive News via Autoblog

Your Monday Maintenance Tip: Use the Recommended Grade of Motor Oil

You can improve your gas mileage by 1–2 percent by using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1–2 percent. Using 5W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage by 1–1.5 percent. Also, look for motor oil that says "Energy Conserving" on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.

Courtesy of FuelEconomy.gov

Toyota, Volvo & Chevy Trucks Lead the Pack With Vincentric Best Value in America Awards

The 8th annual Vincentric Best Value in America awards were announced earlier today, with Toyota earning the top spot for best value passenger cars, Volvo being named the best value luxury brand, and Chevrolet earning the award for best value truck brand.

The overall Toyota performance was even stronger when including its Lexus and Scion divisions, with the manufacturer taking 13 Vincentric awards total, including four hybrid segments. Chevrolet augmented its truck strength in the electric/plug-in hybrid segment, as the Chevrolet Volt won for the second year in a row. Strong value was also shown by Hyundai vehicles, as the automaker garnered four Vincentric awards, including the two-time winner Hyundai Tucson, while Kia also had multiple winning vehicles. Notable success among the other brands included Honda, whose CR-V won for the sixth year, and Ford, whose F-150 led the popular 1/2 ton pickup segment.

"Our awards take into account all costs involved with owning a vehicle, which enables consumers to understand automotive value and measure the impact that owning a specific vehicle will have on their financial situation," stated David Wurster, President of Vincentric. "Our 2012 results show strong performance from a wide variety of manufacturers, indicating that automakers continue to use cost-of-ownership as a key metric when benchmarking performance against competitors."

Vincentric measures cost-of-ownership using eight different cost factors: depreciation, fees & taxes, financing, fuel, insurance, maintenance, opportunity cost, and repairs. Using a statistical model, the company identified the Vincentric Best Value in America winners by measuring which vehicles had lower than expected ownership costs given their market segment and price. Each vehicle was evaluated in all 50 states plus DC using a range of annual mileage intervals and insurance profiles.

SOURCE: marketwatch.com