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The 2012 Toyota Prius, 2012 Toyota Prius V and 2012 Scion iQ all made the Kiplinger Most Fuel-Efficient Car Value list. Green is still a red-hot buzzword in the auto industry and not every winner is a paragon of green technology, but each vehicle we spotlight is the least thirsty in its class based on annual fuel cost.

Eight Lexus, Toyota, and Scion models captured segment awards in the 2012 J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study, a performance equal to all other vehicle brands combined and more than twice as many as the runner-up nameplate. The study also found: -Lexus is the number one nameplate, improving by 23 fewer problems/100; -Toyota is the highest ranked non-premium nameplate and tied for third place overall, improving by 18 fewer problems/100; -Scion achieves its highest ever position at fifth place, jumping up 17 positions and improving by 55 fewer problems/100. “We are extremely pleased that not only did we win awards in eight of the 14 model segments, but that in two segments we finished one-two and made the podium in 12 segments overall”, said Jim Lentz, president and COO of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

More people are moving towards purchasing smaller cars. With a smaller car, you get better gas mileage, but many people ask about safety. Do you know that in the small car category, the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) has the following Toyota vehicles ranked as the safest: Toyota Corolla Toyota Prius Toyota Yaris Scion tC Scion xD Scion xB Click here is the Forbes Article about small car safety! Click here for the Ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety!

The Los Angeles Times reported on Jan. 24, 2012 that Toyota ranked #1 for overall brand perception in Consumer Reports’ 2012 Car-Brand Perception Survey. Although Toyota slipped 17 points in the survey, other top brands – Ford, Honda and BMW – saw their scores drop more than 20 points. The two leading General Motors brands – Cadillac and Chevrolet – did relatively better with only single-digit declines. Toyota scored 96 points more than 19th ranked Hyundai, which was exactly in the middle of the 38 brands scored this year. Click Here for the Full Story in the Los Angeles Times Click Here to read the Consumer Reports Story and data

There are always articles or stories that come out about buying American. The fact is that many people do not realize that Toyota supports the American Economy and American people MORE then some domestic automobile makers support America. Toyota produces 12 models in North America: Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Matrix, RAV4, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma, Tundra, Lexus RX350 and Venza. Click here to read the story about Toyota Production in North America in 2011.

Toyota celebrated production of its 3-millionth vehicle, as members of the Toyota team pose Tuesday with the commemorative vehicle, a Toyota Sienna minivan. Production of the Sienna, which was ranked first in minivan sales in the U.S. for 2011, began at the TMMI plant in January 2003. Also produced at the production facility are the Sequoia sport utility vehicle and the midsize Highlander sport utility vehicle. The plant began production in 1998 with the Tundra pickup. Click Here for the Full Story in the Evansville Courier & Press.

How important is loyalty to you? Are you loyal to a particular brand for soda, coffee, ice cream or anything else? How about the type of car you drive? Kelley Blue Book reports that Toyota was #1 in brand loyalty on its www.kbb.com website for the 4th quarter of 2011, bumping Hyundai, and Lexus was #1 among luxury brands. Toyota last held the top spot in the 3rd quarter of 2010. Toyota’s brand shopping loyalty for the quarter was at 50.6 percent, a 2.7 percentage point jump from the previous quarter. Hyundai was second at 50.2 percent, Ford was third at 47.1 percent, Kia was fourth at 46.5 percent and Honda rounded out the top five at 46.4 percent. Lexus was eighth on the overall list but first among luxury brands, followed by Audi at ninth and Mercedes Benz at eleventh. “Toyota has done a laudable job overcoming these issues, introducing programs such as ‘Toyota Care,’ while getting its supply back online. The redesign of its flagship, the 2012 Toyota Camry, also helped drive interest to the brand and retain owners.” Click Here to read more in USA Today!

Are you looking for a more compact and affordable Hybrid? Do you live in the city? Do you like saving on gas? Toyota has the all new Prius c and it is coming soon! Here are a few highlights: • Highest rated city fuel economy of any vehicle without a plug • Introduces proven hybrid powertrain at MSRP below $19,000 • Wide array of available convenience and premium technology Click here for the full story on the new Prius c coming in March, 2012.

Have you had the opportunity to see the all-new 2012 Toyota Camry yet? Consumer Reports has made a big announcement today and named the Toyota Camry Hybrid Top Sedan! Click here to read more! When Toyota updated their top-selling midsized sedan for 2012, they addressed what needed to be improved without messing with the Camry’s recipe for success. Click Here to watch the Official Consumer Reports review on the 2012 Toyota Camry. Click Here to read the story on Fox News. Click here to see what Consumer Reports wrote about the New Camry.

There is a great show on the BBC called Top Gear which tests many different sports cars and we couldn't resist sharing this one with you. This is the all-new 2012 Lexus LFA. Built by Toyota, the LFA is the most amazing sports car that Toyota & Lexus have ever built. What do you think of the LFA? What color would you want? White, Black, Red, Yellow? Tell us what you think. Click here and here to watch the Top Gear Road Test videos!

How important are safety ratings to you when you are researching to buy a car? It is always great to hear about safety being recognized. Now, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has come out with their awards and Toyota has some amazing recognition with 15 Awards, more than any other automaker. The 2012 model year winners are: Toyota Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Prius, Prius v, Sienna, Tundra Crew Cab, Venza, and Yaris; Lexus CT 200h and RX, and Scion tC, xB, and xD. Click Here to read more on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website. Click Here to read an article on Wall Street Journal Website. For our Toyota News Release click here. Of particular note is that the top-selling Camry sedan made the grade for the first time after the car maker changed the design of its seats and head-restraints to improve protection in rear-end crashes. How important are safety ratings to you when you are researching to buy a car?

Do you like to drive your car for over 200,000 miles? Do you keep your car for a long time? Is reliability important to you? Forbes Magazine has come out with a list of cars that run for over 200,000 miles. The list has 14 different models on it. Of the 14 models, Toyota makes up for five of them! Scion xB. Toyota Highlander. Toyota Sienna. Toyota Tundra. Lexus RX350. Here is an example what they said about the Toyota Highlander: “This Camry-based seven-passenger crossover is eminently likeable, with its graceful curves and gentle overall demeanor. A 187-horsepower four-cylinder engine is standard and should suffice for most buyers, while a smoother and stronger 270-horsepower V6 is also offered.”