Sometimes it's hard to make up your mind, but when it comes to the Corolla you can never be wrong.

Just a friendly reminder, Alban Arts Center from St. Albans, WV is a finalist today for the 100 Cars for Good program! Voting is opened from now to 11:59 p.m. ET. Please make sure to take a few minutes to vote.

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Happy Wednesday Fans! Did you know: The first cars didn’t have steering wheels. Drivers had to steer with a lever! So basically, it was just like a games console…but REAL!

Just a friendly reminder, Alban Arts Center from St. Albans, WV is a finalist today for the 100 Cars for Good program! Voting is opened from now to 11:59 p.m. ET. Please make sure to take a few minutes to vote.

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Help give back to the ones that do good year round. Click Here to Vote!

Toyota Announces Pricing for 2013 Venza Crossover

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today announced the manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRP) for the 2013 Venza crossover vehicle. The Venza will begin arriving at Toyota dealerships next week.

The Toyota Venza crossover now offers enhanced exterior styling, added value through several new standard convenience features and updated option packages, which include the Entune® multi-media system for the 2013 model year.

Venza’s aerodynamic shape has been tastefully modified with a new upper and lower grille, fog lamps and rear taillights. The updated styling is complemented by a new 19-inch wheel design and three new exterior colors: Attitude Black, Cypress Pearl, and Cosmic Gray Mica. Venza is available in three interior colors: Ivory, Light Gray, and Black, which is new for 2013. Each color is offered in fabric on LE and leather on XLE and Limited.

The 2013 Venza is available in LE, XLE and Limited grades. The LE and XLE models are available with all powertrain combinations: four-cylinder, V6, front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD); the Venza Limited is powered by the V6 engine only, in front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive configurations. Both engines are teamed with a six-speed sequential-shift electronically controlled automatic transmission with intelligence (ECT-i).

Value has been augmented and ordering simplified with the addition of many standard features in all three grades. All Venza models will be will equipped with a standard blind-spot mirror and outer mirror turn signals with puddle lamps.

Additional key standard features include dual-zone automatic climate control with air filter and second-row-seat vents; eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with power lumbar; 3.5-inch LCD multi-information display; a tilt/telescopic adjustable wheel with integrated audio controls; an overhead console with map lights; rear-seat adjustable personal reading lamps and three 12-volt power outlets. The XLE and Limited models add to the abundance of standard features with many audio and convenience upgrades.

Entune Multi-media System
The 2013 Venza now offers the Toyota Entune multimedia system. Entune leverages the mobile smartphone to provide a richer in-vehicle experience with fully integrated access to navigation, entertainment and information services.

Toyota Entune supports engaging mobile apps, such as Bing, OpenTable, and movietickets.com, along with accessing useful travel-related services, such as live weather, traffic, fuel information (location and price), stocks, and sports. Toyota Entune has a large selection of music options available to a vehicle, including iHeartRadio’s 750+ stations, and Pandora’s personalized music service.

The audio systems combined with Entune feature a best-in-class, advanced conversational voice recognition system that helps the driver to stay focused by eliminating the need to memorize thousands of voice commands.

The base MSRP for the 2013 Venza LE will range from $27,700 for the front-wheel-drive (FWD) four-cylinder to $30,970 for the V6 all-wheel-drive (AWD), reflecting an increase $270 to $275, or 0.9-1.0 percent.

Pricing for the Venza XLE will range from $31,360 for the four-cylinder FWD to $34,630 for the V6 AWD, an increase ranging from $1,580 to $1,585, or 4.8 to 5.3 percent.

The Limited grade Venza will be receive a base MSRP of $37,420 for the FWD model, while the AWD model will be priced at $38,870. Both prices reflect an increase of $955, or 2.5 percent for the AWD and 2.6 percent for the FWD.

The MSRP for the 2013 Venza does not include the delivery, processing and handling (DPH) fee of $810. The DPH fee for vehicles distributed by Southeast Toyota (SET) and Gulf States Toyota (GST) may vary.

All 2013 Venzas will be assembled at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky (TMMK), in Georgetown, Ky.

Courtesy of Toyota Pressroom

From Bayous to Beltways: Two for the Road

Even after driving his truck more than 1 million miles, Glen Allen doesn’t think the old girl has reached the end of the road. She keeps on rolling, even on a long trip.
 
“I can leave right now, punch your address into my GPS and drive with as much confidence as I have when I drive to the grocery store a quarter mile away,” says Allen, who lives in St. Amant, La.
 
That’s important for a man who makes his living driving across the country, escorting vehicles carrying oversized loads.
 
Allen bought his 1996 pickup truck in January 1997 from Price LeBlanc Toyota in nearby Baton Rouge. The truck had six miles on it.
 
It was his fourth Toyota vehicle, the only brand he’s ever owned. “I bought my first one when I was 21 years old,” he says. “It was an ’84 Xtra Cab, white with gray interior.”
 
He later bought a ’91 Corolla and a ’93 Toyota pickup truck. “I’ve been very impressed with Toyota’s products,” he says. “I really don’t have the desire to purchase anything else.”
 
He’s particularly pleased with his current truck. “For a small truck, it has plenty of leg room and head room,” he says. “It’s been a comfortable little truck for me. I can reach anything I need from the driver’s seat.”
 
Comfort is vital to Allen, who can rack up 90,000 miles a year escorting trucks carrying bulldozers, cranes and other heavy equipment. “I could get a call in the next five minutes telling me to go to Minnesota,” he says. “I never know where I’m going or when I’m going. I’ve got to keep my bag packed.”
 
Despite the uncertainty, he says, “It’s exciting because I get to go to a lot of places I never dreamed of going. I’ve been to 38 states and Canada. I enjoy taking back roads, running into little hole-in-the-wall restaurants.”
 
Allen doesn’t spend all of his time on the road. He sometimes spends hours in parking lots while the big trucks are being loaded. But he doesn’t mind waiting because his cabin is comfortable enough for naps. “I get some of my best sleep in my truck,” he says.
 
Even during Louisiana’s scorching summers. “I can sit in my truck all day long with the air conditioning on, and the temperature never goes up,” he says.
 
Allen calls his truck “My Little Red Demon.”  As for the gender, he says, “I think a vehicle is always a ‘her,’ isn’t it? You treat her nicely, and she’ll take care of you.”
 
Allen has treated his vehicle nicely. “I don’t dog the truck,” he says. “I don’t hot rod it at all.”
 
He gets the tires rotated regularly and changes the oil every 5,000 miles. He replaced the original engine at 658,000 miles. “The original clutch looked so good, the mechanic was tempted to put it back in.”
 
He got the truck painted a couple of years ago because “I wanted her to look good when she turned a million.”
 
Yes, Allen was confident his truck would reach that milestone. “Once I saw how far the first engine got me, I thought I could get to a million.”
 
Today, his truck has about 1,080,000 miles on it. Although his family and friends have urged him to get a new truck, he’s in no hurry. “It’s still in great shape,” he says. “Even if I get a new truck, I’ll keep this one for local jobs.”
 
When the time does come, Allen will probably get a Tacoma “unless I’m just completely blown away by a Tundra.”
 
In the meantime, he says, “I take care of my truck the best I can and boogie down the road. We spend a lot of time together. She’s the love of my life, what can I say?”

 

Courtesy of ToyotaDriverSeat.com

Here is a Wednesday Maintenance Tip!

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Coolant-antifreeze eventually degrades and becomes contaminated. Flush it from your cooling system as recommended in your manual (typically every two years; every five years for newer coolants). Failing to do so can damage your radiator, clog your heater core, and cause the thermostat and water pump to fail.

The Toyota Venza broke out in 2012 now offering three choices: LE, XLE, and the Limited. Which one is your favorite?

Toyota to Increase V6 Engine Production in Alabama

Toyota announced today (Friday) it will expand its Huntsville, Ala.
engine facility to increase North American production of V6 engines. The
approximately $80 million investment will bring total plant investment
to more than $700 million. Approximately 125 new jobs will be created,
increasing employment nearly 10 percent to 1,150.
 

The expansion will allow Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Inc.
(TMMAL) to build an additional 216,000 engines each year, boosting total
V6 annual capacity to 362,000. A new 300,000 sq. ft. building will be
constructed. The increased production will begin in March 2014.
 

TMMAL currently assembles 4-cylinder, V6 and V8 engines for eight of 12
Toyota North American built vehicles. TMMAL is the only Toyota plant
globally to produce these three types of engines in one facility.
 

This investment will increase engine production at the Huntsville plant
to more than 700,000 annually, and will increase total Toyota engine
production in the U.S. to more than 1.4 million per year.  Toyota also
builds engines in Kentucky and West Virginia.
 

“We are proud to announce our fourth expansion, only a few months after
celebrating 10 years of success in Huntsville and Madison County,” said
Jim Bolte, President of TMMAL. “Today wouldn't be possible without
continued commitment from our outstanding team members and support from
our community partners.”
            

“Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama has been a dedicated corporate
citizen in Alabama for more than ten years, and today’s announcement is
an exciting new chapter for this company and this community. Toyota’s
success in Alabama is a testament to the hard-working men and women of
the production and leadership teams who have dedicated themselves to
producing quality products,” said Governor Robert Bentley. “This
expansion is also a testament to the business climate we’ve worked hard
to create in Alabama – a climate in which companies are encouraged to
expand, innovate, and create new jobs. We thank Toyota for the company’s
continued confidence in Alabama and Huntsville, and we look forward to a
continued long-term relationship."
 

Today’s announcement is the latest in a string of Toyota production
increase announcements since February including Toyota plants in
Indiana, West Virginia, Canada and Kentucky. Cumulative investment total
is approximately $645 million and more than 1,100 jobs are being added.
 

“This V6 line addition continues to reflect our growing optimism for an
improving North American market, and we continue to study more
localization in North America,” said Steve St. Angelo, Executive Vice
President of Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America,
Inc.

Courtesy of Toyota Media Newsroom

Learn how to use your Prius multi-information display. This quick tutorial will show you what to do!

Here are the Top 10 cars for teens

The great thing about all the lists out there is they are all slightly different because everyone always switches up the parameters. With that in mind, just in time for graduation, insurer USAA presents -- drum roll, please -- its Top Ten for Teens list of cars.

Just so you know, the list is based on a survey of what USAA says parents considered as their top attributes in picking a car for a teen. They are reliability (81%), a high safety rating (73%) and cheap to insure (62%). Still, the list has to make you wonder when you don't see a single model from a Detroit brand. With that in mind, here's the list:

   1. Scion tC.
   2. Nissan Cube.
   3. Honda Fit.
   4. Scion xD.
   5. Scion xB.
   6. Toyota Yaris.
   7. Honda Civic.
   8. Hyundai Elantra.
   9. Honda CR-Z.
   10. Kia Forte

 

Courtesy of USA Today

Voting for Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good Opens This Morning at 10 am ET/7 am PT

At 10:00 am ET/7:00 am PT today (Monday), Toyota will open voting for the second year of 100 Cars for Good, a national philanthropic program that will award 100 cars to 100 nonprofits over the course of 100 consecutive days. Winners will be selected each day through public voting on Facebook at www.100carsforgood.com.

Five nonprofit organizations will be profiled each day. Registered Facebook users will be able to vote once daily for the nonprofit they think can do the most good with a new vehicle.  The organization with the most votes at the end of the day will win a new vehicle. The four runners-up will each receive a $1,000 cash grant from Toyota.

100 Cars for Good voting will be open every day from 10:00 am ET/7:00 am PT to 12:00 am ET/9:00 pm PT. Voting will continue through Tuesday, August 21. 

“At Toyota, we appreciate what a big difference a new car or truck can make for organizations working to improve lives and strengthen communities across America,” said Jim Lentz, President and Chief Executive Officer of Toyota Motor Sales. “Over the past 20 years, Toyota has contributed more than half a billion dollars to nonprofits throughout the U.S. 100 Cars for Good allows us to build on that commitment in new ways, putting the public in the ‘driver’s seat’ as we work to help community organizations make an even bigger impact. We wish all of this year’s finalists the best of luck.”

The 500 finalists for 100 Cars for Good represent all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Profiles of all of this year’s finalists can be found at www.100carsforgood.com.

Winning nonprofits will be able to choose from one of six Toyota models: Camry Hybrid, Highlander SUV, Prius v hybrid, Sienna minivan, Sienna Mobility or Tundra full-sized pickup. A six-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty will also be provided for each vehicle, compliments of Toyota Financial Services. 

To help participating nonprofits with their 100 Cars for Good campaigns – and to help them develop lasting digital marketing and social media skills that are critical to today’s nonprofits – Toyota has provided each finalist with a toolkit that includes a digital video camera, training materials  and free online advertising credits. The company is providing social media training support online to the finalists as well.

Courtesy of ToyotaNewsroom

See how Camp Casey in Detroit brings smiles to children with the Toyota Tundra they won from 100 Cars for Good last year Don't forget to vote for this year's winners starting May 14.

Look at the great offers from Spitzer Toyota! You won't be able to turn them down. The choice is yours! Two great Toyota's for one great price.

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Take a look at this beautiful 2009 pre-owned Toyota Camry, on special now at Spitzer Toyota! Stop by today to take it for a test-drive!

The Most Improved Cars for 2012

For more than a decade, the Ford Focus was an also-ran among small cars, unable to keep up with far-superior compacts like the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and even the Hyundai Elantra. Distracted by its success with trucks and SUVs, Ford Motor didn’t invest what was needed to keep passenger cars like the Focus in the game. Now, however, Ford has gotten serious about fixing the car side of its business, and the Focus, redesigned for 2012, is vastly improved.

How much better is it? The Focus went from middle of the pack to the segment leader, according to Total Car Score, a new online resource that aggregates car reviews from multiple sources. The 2012 model scored 80.68, tops among compact sedans and wagons, up from 72.73 for the 2011 model it replaced, according to Karl Brauer, editor-in-chief of Total Car Score. (The average score for 2012 compacts was 74.68.) The Focus’ leap from one model year to the next was the highest of any new vehicle, said Brauer, making it the most improved car of 2012.

The consensus among car critics is that the European-inspired Focus gets kudos for its sporty handling, supple and controlled ride and excellent steering feel along with a stylish interior that’s loaded with upscale amenities and advanced electronics. At 31 mpg combined city and highway driving, it’s also fairly fuel-efficient. But it’s not perfect: a quirky automatic transmission and cramped rear seat were common complaints. Still, sales of the Focus were up 12.5 percent in April, showing consumers like it too.

Other cars on the Most Improved list are the Hyundai Accent, the Toyota Camry and Camry hybrid and the Toyota Yaris. All were redesigned for 2012. Among SUVs, the Cadillac SRX, Kia Sportage and Honda CR-V also made the list, having scored much higher after they were redesigned.

Auto reviewers, like movie critics, aren’t always unanimous in their points of view, however. A clever feature to one might be a pet peeve to another. Some reviewers put more weight on vehicle performance, while others emphasize safety or fuel economy or affordability. An overall consensus would be useful.

That’s exactly what Brauer is attempting with Total Car Score, which, he said, aims to be the Rotten Tomatoes of the auto industry. Rotten Tomatoes is a website that culls movie reviews from top film critics and assigns a “certified fresh” or “rotten” icon depending on the percentage of reviews that are positive. (More than 60% positive earns the fresh label.) It provides movie-goers with a quick overall opinion of a flick without having to research dozens of individual reviews. Likewise, Total Car Score wants to simplify the task of researching a car purchase.

“Nobody ever says I need more information about automobiles,” said Brauer, pointing to the vast amount of automotive content already available on the Web. “There are a bunch of good sites out there. I brought them all together.”

The problem is not all car reviews use the same scale. Some use a 1-10 scale while others use bubbles, circles or stars. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety uses words to describe its crash test results: good, acceptable, marginal or poor. No matter the format, Total Car Score takes the ratings from nine well-known automotive authorities including Consumer Reports, Edmunds.com, Consumer Guide and J.D. Power & Associates and converts them into a simple percentage representing what the car could have scored from each source versus what it did score. Then it merely averages the number from all of these sources to get a vehicle’s Total Car Score.

If it seems oversimplified, that’s the point. This is the lazy man’s way to research a car. The vehicle’s absolute score is less important than how it ranks relative to its peers in a particular segment. That at least gives you a starting point to build your shopping list.

What I like about Total Car Score is that it’s totally transparent. It’s not trying to steal anyone else’s content and it shows exactly how each car’s score was calculated. There’s also a “scoring report card” for each vehicle, a page with excerpts and links directly back to each review that factored into the scoring. At the bottom of each vehicle page are links to the related manufacturer website, owner’s manual, forums and road test pages for that vehicle.

It’s the closest thing to a one-stop shopping guide for automobiles.

#4 Toyota Camry
Already a good car, now the Camry is even better, with more fuel-efficient engines and more engaging driving characteristics in the 2012 model. One of the highest-ranked mid-sized sedans, the Camry earned a Total Car Score of 81.64, up 6.84 points.

#5 Toyota Camry Hybrid
Like gasoline-powered versions of the redesigned Camry, the Camry Hybrid has crisper styling and is roomier on the inside. The big change is in Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive System, which has been re-engineered to provide up to 30 percent better fuel economy. Reviewers like the seamless transition between hybrid and gasoline modes. Its Total Car Score was 85.59, up 6.77 points.

#6 Toyota Yaris
Panned by Consumer Reports for its rough handling and Spartan interior, the redesigned Yaris nonetheless is one of the most improved cars for 2012 by virtue of a 6.51-point jump in its Total Car Score, to 75.42. Overall, reviewers praised the Yaris' reliability and safety features.

 

Courtesy of ForbesMagazine

Check out Kelley Blue Book's review on the 2013 Avalon!

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2012 Toyota Prius C is last month's quickest selling car

One factor that's influential in determining whether a model is one that dealers won't be able to keep in stock on the lot is, of course, demand. If buyers are lining up 'round the block to get their hands on a certain model, this frenzied enthusiasm will likely have an impact on inventory levels.

The other factor concerns supply. Brand-new models frequently make the list of quickest-selling vehicles because with these models, manufacturers often choose a cautious approach when it comes to supply; production is grown slowly and carefully with the intention of making sure that the products aren't plagued with glitches.

A manufacturer's own general production constraints also play a role. This has been an issue in recent months for both Audi and Hyundai. These manufacturers have done well with models like the Audi Q7, Audi A6, Hyundai Elantra and Hyundai Veloster, but sales numbers for all these vehicles would be even better if the manufacturers were able to achieve greater production capacity.  

The models listed below are those with the lowest days to turn for the month of March. "Days to turn" is the number of days between a vehicle's delivery to the dealer floor and its purchase by a customer.

You'll see that the Prius C is at the top of the list. Last month, that model stayed on the lot for only about 8 days until a buyer escorted it to a new home. According to Edmunds.com research, last month's industry average when it comes to this particular metric is a whopping 53 days.

The Prius C isn't the only fuel sipper on the list. Also included are hybrids like the Toyota Camry Hybrid and Toyota Highlander Hybrid.

Other picks on the list include the BMW X3 and X6. The Kia Soul also makes this cut; this model, it turns out, has been outselling its competitors by a wide margin. Land Rover's Range Rover Evoque, Mazda's CX-5, Porsche's Cayenne and Honda's CR-V also make appearances.

 

Courtesy of Edmund's Insideline