Evelyn Kanter Eco Report » Toyota

April Car Sales Climb 20%, Indicating the Economy is Stronger

Evelyn Kanter — Thu, 06 May 2010 18:44:57 +0000

2010 Audi A3 TDI

Car sales are a great indicator of the state of the economy. when car sales are down, so is the economy. In April 2010, car sales were up 20% over April 2009. That’s a good sign that the economy is turning around.

Of course, some brands did better than others.

2010 Nissan LEAF [...]

Most Stolen Cars in USA

Evelyn Kanter — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 20:58:29 +0000

1994 Honda Accord is most-stolen vehicle

An estimated 2,650 cars are stolen each and every day in the USA. That equals about one car, SUV, minivan or pick-up truck stolen every 33 seconds. So, in the time it takes you to read this article, two vehicles could have been stolen. Or three, depending on how quickly you read.

It’s not just fancy cars [...]

Five Ways to Improve Driving Safety

Evelyn Kanter — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:18:33 +0000

Photo: carcrashes.com

Every year there are some 37,000 deaths on America’s roads. The on-going recall of Toyota and Lexus models for problems with sticking accelerators, steering and brake issues have made us all think more about automotive safety.

First, know what to do in an emergency if your gas pedal sticks or brakes fail to work.

Here are five more easy, free things you can do every day to drive smarter:

1. Buckle up. Wearing a safety belt is the easiest way to reduce deaths and serious injuries on the road. In 2008, some 14,000 died because they were not buckled up.

2. Don’t mix drinking and driving. Alcohol was involved in nearly 12,000 fatalities in 2008. That’s a staggering 32 percent of all highway deaths. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, three in every 10 Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash in their lives. Choose a designated driver, or take the keys away from friends who have had too much to drink, and you will help prevent thousands of deaths.

3. Avoid distractions. Distracted driving is at least as dumb and dangerous as drunk driving. A University of Utah study found that distraction from using a cellphone can slow a driver’s reaction time as much as having a blood-alcohol level at the .08 percent legal limit, whether the cell phone use is hand-held or hands-free. Nearly 6,000 deaths were attributed to distracted driving in 2008. So, don’t talk on a cell phone or send or read text messages.

Toyota Recall: What To Do If Your Gas Pedal Sticks

Evelyn Kanter — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:20:15 +0000

2010 Toyota Camry

We’ve all heard about the worldwide recall of top Toyota models for a gas pedal that can stick and jam into an unsafe speed. Toyota has stopped sales of eight top models, including the best-selling Camry and Corolla, and is trying to fix the problem.

In the meantime, what do you do if your accelerator sticks [...]

Top Ten Green 2010 Cars

Evelyn Kanter — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:35:44 +0000

2010 Honda Civic GX tops green car list

The top-rated green vehicle of 2010 is not the 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid, which tops most such lists. The greenest vehicle title goes the Honda Civic GX, powered by natural gas. Okay, the Toyota Prius is number two, and Honda Civic Hybrid claims spot three.

The top three green cars list from the [...]

Most Researched Car Brands of 2009

Evelyn Kanter — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 21:44:07 +0000

2009 Honda Accord was most researched car of year

The five car companies that interested car-buyers most in 2009 were Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chevrolet and Nissan, in that order, according to the Kelley Blue Book. But, the top five specific models researched were all named Honda and Toyota.

The Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Honda Civic have been the top three researched models on the KBB website in one order or another since 2004. Rounding out the high five for 2009 were the Honda CR-V and Toyota Corolla.

Ford and Chevrolet models were in the top 20, not the top ten. Chevrolet’s all-new redesigned Equinox SUV and Camaro muscle car both made the most researched list for the first time. That’s good news for beleagured General Motors, which started 2009 by declaring banruptcy.

2009 Ford Fusion

Also new to 2009 top 20 are the revamped Lexus RX 350 SUV and the Ford Fusion, which was Ford’s top-selling model in 2009. KBB says website interest in Ford grew steadily throughout 2009. KBB says its because Ford — unlike GM and Chrysler — stayed out of bankruptcy. I say its because Ford kept making good news headlines, with the Fusion and Taurus getting top safety ratings, and with new technology breakthroughs such as inflatable seatbelts for rear seat passengers.

The combination of lower gas prices and last summer’s phenomenally successful “Cash for Clunkers” drew buyers away from subcompact cars such as the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and MINI Cooper, which were heavily researched in 2008.

Here’s the complete list of the top 20 most researched cars of 2009:

Toyota Hybrid Minicar Concept Intro at Detroit Auto Show

Evelyn Kanter — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 02:14:12 +0000

Toyota hybrid concept minicar teaser photo

Green cars were the big news at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September and the Los Angeles Auto Show in December 2009, and the expectation is that hybrid cars, plug-in electric cars and hydrogen fuel cell cars will be making headlines at the important Detroit Auto Show in January 2010.

The rumor is that Toyota will introduce a hybrid mini-car. Why else would they release teaser photographs — a fender here, a hood there.

According to CNET, this will be a new Toyota model, not a hybrid version of one already on sale.

Top Green Rating for No. Carolina Hotel

Evelyn Kanter — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:37:28 +0000

Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C., is LEED Platinum

How appropriate — the hotel with the world’s top green rating is in the city of Greensboro. It’s the Proximity Hotel, one of the few hotels anywhere to achieve the LEED Platinum rating. Don’t think you have to give up luxury to travel green — this hotel has an AAA Four Diamond rating.

Platinum and diamond — that’s a great combination.

The Priximity Hotel was built to use 40% less energy and 30% less water than a comparable hotel, and features such state-of-the-art technologies as the first installation in North America of the regenerative drive for Otis’ Gen2 elevator. This system reduces energy usage by capturing energy and feeding it back into the building’s internal electrical grid.