toyota

Toyota: Prius plug-in gets 65 mpg

DETROIT -- Toyota Priuses with plug-in hybrid technology are averaging 65 mpg in combined gasoline and electric-mode testing.

"That is real-world driving," said Bill Reinert, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.'s national alternative-fuel vehicle manager. "I ask my guys to drive them as you drive your normal Prius."

By comparison, the redesigned 2010 Prius, a parallel hybrid with nickel-metal hydride batteries, will have an estimated 50 mpg rating.

U.S. sales of a Toyota plug-in hybrid will begin sometime after 2010.

"It would make sense that we would do it with a Prius, but … Read more

Toyota recalls 1.4 million cars

Toyota Motor plans to recall 1.4 million cars throughout the world for minor defects.

About 830,000 cars in Europe, North America, and other regions are being recalled, and another 536,000 in Japan. The defective models include the Yaris (called the Vitz in Japan), Belta, and Ractis models built between January 2005 and April 2008.

The recall concerns the tensioner on seat belts that may melt or catch fire in some collision situations. On some models, there's also concern that the exhaust pipe will crack under extreme heat.

An official safety recall with the National Highway Traffic … Read more

Why some cars get stopped by cops and others don't

Highway patrolmen have a lot of time to contemplate cars. And I've always wondered why they stop the car going 10 mph over the limit rather than the one that just overtook it in the outside lane at the speed of Joan Rivers' mouth.

So I am grateful to CNET's Wayne Cunningham for revealing the list of the 10 most ticketed cars and the 10 least ticketed:

Most ticketed     Rate        Least ticketed     Rate Hummer H2/H3 463% Jaguar XJ 11% Scion tC 460% Chevrolet Suburban 16% … Read more

Top 10 cars for traffic tickets

A study by ISO Quality Planning identified the 10 most ticketed vehicles and the 10 least ticketed. The study puts the Hummer H2 and H3 at the top of the list, followed closely by the Scion tC. Actually, two other Scion models, the xB and xA, also make the top 10 list. A couple of Mercedes-Benz AMG models, the CLK63 and CLS63 also make the list, which shouldn't come as a surprise. The 10 least ticketed cars include a healthy dose of minivans and trucks.

Most ticketed     Rate        Least ticketed &… Read more

Quicksnap ice tray pops out one cube at a time

As the day of the big game draws closer, households everywhere are planning menus, inviting guests, and figuring out just how many TVs it takes to actually host a successful Super Bowl party. However, some of us prefer to keep things a bit less extravagant, instead opting for a small gathering as opposed to an all-out affair. Years of study (42 to be exact) have shown that the optimum number of invitees for a Super Bowl party is eight people. Large screen or small, this number (which coincides nicely with the amount of previous games) is scientifically proven (or arbitrarily … Read more

2010 Toyota Prius video

Toyota gives the third generation Prius a face-lift that even Joan Rivers would find daunting. This new model features larger dimensions, more fuel economy, and a few new safety and efficiency tricks, but did they get it right?

The Detroit auto show goes electric (photos)

The green momentum in the automotive industry is undeniable, with every automaker developing towards the electrification of the car. A surprising number of electric concepts were on display at the 2009 Detroit auto show, including cars from GM, Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, and Smart. Some of these concepts are far-flung, but some are currently on the road, being tested for eventual mass production.

See the new breed of electric cars from the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

More 2009 Detroit auto show coverage.

Hybrid shoot-out: Honda Insight vs. Toyota Prius

Given the grim financial condition of the auto industry, the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week has been, by many accounts, a relatively somber affair.

At the same time, the industry appears to be on the brink of major technological change: many automakers this week announced plans to introduce electric cars of various types in the next two years.

Toyota plans to introduce an all-electric car in 2012, but it said its primary technology will be the gas-electric hybrid, used in the iconic Prius and now some Lexus models.

At the auto show, it introduced the next … Read more

Honda Insight versus Toyota Prius: The great hybrid shoot-out

Honda generated a lot of excitement last year when it announced the 2010 Insight, a new dedicated hybrid. Could it unseat Toyota's Prius from the hybrid throne? But Toyota wasn't about to let this upstart go unchallenged, announcing an update to the current generation Prius, which has been in production since 2004. We got to see both production vehicles at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, and set them against each other in a series of photos. Will the Insight bring fresh thinking to the hybrid space? Will Toyota sit on its laurels, or give the Prius the update … Read more