Toyota Camry Hybrid ran smooth and quiet during our test drive and review.

The Toyota Camry Hybrid has been one of the top selling cars of all-time. The sedan is powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine producing 147 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque. The electric motor produces another 45 horsepower.

The Toyota Camry can operate on any combination of the two power sources. Its power is transferred to the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The CVT was chosen for its ability to keep the gas engine in its most efficient power band.

Our Camry Hybrid test drive found that the combination of the gas and electric motor felt surprisingly robust. The acceleration seems much better than most four-cylinder vehicles and within the same limits of a six-cylinder. The automobile can go from 0-60 mph in just 8.3 seconds.

Camry offers various packages and some options include sunroof, leather upholstery, heated front seats, a four-way power passenger seat, a navigation system, satellite radio and a JBL sound system with a six-CD changer and Bluetooth. We sat in one of the cars with the high-end package and fell in love with the leather seats. The seats felt very comfortable and were well fitted for any person.

Toyota built this vehicle to perfection as we could tell by the quality. The automobile can operate on electric power at speeds up to 30 mph. However, rapidly acceleration will automatically turn on the gasoline engine.

The Toyota Camry Hybrid has an advanced Technology Partial-Zero Emissions Vehicle rating. This is the cleanest possible rating for a gasoline-burning car in terms of air pollution. In some cases, a city’s air could actually be dirtier than what’s coming out of this vehicle’s tailpipe.

Toyota Camry features standard front-seat side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, a driver knee airbag, anti-lock brakes, stability control and traction control. In the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash testing, the car received five out of five stars in all front and side collision categories. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety also awarded the vehicle its highest rating of “Good” for frontal-offset and side collision protection.

The Camry Hybrid provides plenty of headroom and leg room. The sedan provides a serenely quiet environment when running on its electric power. It is so quiet, that it’s difficult to tell if the vehicle is still running.

Overall, Toyota continues to build a great car while maintaining the Camry tradition. The automaker didn’t cut any corners with this vehicle, but provided quality and great fuel economy.

SOURCE: NewsOxy

The 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid is still one of Toyota’s best selling cars. Camry Hybrid has a starting price of $26,150 and can deliver up to 34 miles per gallon. Camry is unique with its new green technology that can deliver better than average fuel economy, according to NADA’s Fast Facts.

Toyota Camry achieves over 10 mpg above its gas-powered automobiles and has a 0 percent emission rating. The Camry hybrid comes equipped with luxury features found in Toyota’s top-of-the-line XLE model. The vehicle has proven reliability and is still a best-seller.

Fuel economy should be the main reason to buy a hybrid vehicle. Some hybrids offer up to 40 mpg, but make sure you check the specs on what you’re buying. The Toyota Camry Hybrid is reliable and the price is worth the savings in gas.

If gas prices were to go up to $3.96, which most analysts predict, you will be saving $1,746 each year on fuel. If fuel prices rise again, as they did in 2008, Toyota Camry owners will be saving more each year. There are also government tax credits, although most have expired (check with your tax planner or the IRS for additional information).

New car owners are encouraged to adopt new driving habits, which will also increase mileage for the Camry hybrid. Some of these driving techniques include coasting to red lights or stop signs, instead of immediately braking, and slowly accelerating after completing a full stop. Camry drivers should also keep the windows rolled up while driving on highways in an effort to make use of the vehicle’s aerodynamic technology.

SOURCE: News Oxy

Toyota have previewed the Toyota Camry Hybrid that will be assembled in Thailand. The Thai-assembled Camry Hybrid will be the first Camry Hybrid to be based on the Aurion-based Camry body. Currently the Camry Hybrid sold in countries such as the US are based on the JDM Camry, which to me looks more funky and sporty, somewhat like an overgrown Altis.

As the Camry sold in Thailand and the rest of the ASEAN region are based on the Australian Toyota Aurion, it only makes sense that Toyota bases the Thai Camry Hybrid on the Aurion body. The Thai assembled Toyota Camry Hybrid features its own front grille and rear tail lamp design as well as a front bumper that looks similiar to the one found on the facelifted Toyota Camry, but with some differences in the fog lamp area.

The Australian-assembled Camry Hybrid will likely continue to be based on the JDM Camry body, as indicated by the Toyota HC-CV Hybrid Camry Concept displayed at the 2009 Melbourne Auto Show.

Toyota Motor Thailand president Mitsuhiro Sonoda says the Camry Hybrid will be priced quite closely to exiting petrol-powered Camry models in Thailand, predicting a premium of not more than 100,000 Thai baht. This is because the Camry Hybrid is subject to an excise duty of only 10% instead of 35% in Thailand.

Since a top of the line Camry 2.4 can go for over 1.7 million Thai baht (it starts from about 1.5 million for the cheaper 2.4G), the Camry Hybrid would likely be priced at about 1.8 million Thai baht. I don’t think he was referring to the 3.5Q which retails for nearly 3 million Thai Baht.

The warranty for the Toyota Camry Hybrid will also be extended to 5 years or 150,000km, which is longer than the regular 3 year warranty that you get with Toyota cars there. This is to help ease public acceptance of the relatively new technology which many fear will be expensive to maintain once the warranty period ends. Toyota has also partnered with insurance firms there to offer the same premiums as the regular models despite the Camry hybrid having more expensive parts.

I am not sure whether the Thai Camry Hybrid will share the same hybrid powertrain as the US market Camry with different styling, but under the US car’s hood is the 2.4 liter Atkinson cycle 2AZ-FXE engine producing 147 horsepower at 6,000rpm and 187Nm of torque at 4,400rpm, paired to a 30kW (40 horses) electric motor with 270Nm of torque. These two are combined and send power to the front wheels via an E-CVT transmission. The Thai Camry Hybrid should use something similiar.

SOURCE: PaulTan.org

Toyota Motor Sales, USA originally launched the 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid with a base MSRP of $25,500. The car has been one of the top-selling hybrid vehicles for the automaker. The Camry can actually achieve 33-34 miles per gallon on average and is fully loaded with optional accessories.

For starters, the Camry Hybrid has a zero percent emissions rating. The price also includes Toyota’s green technology which delivers better fuel economy. The automaker equipped the hybrid with luxury features found in its top-line Camry XLE model.

The headlamps are multi-reflector halogen with auto on/off features. The Camry features an acoustic noise-reducing front windshield which is one of the newer technologies unveiled in this automobile. The glass is High Solar Energy-Absorbing (HSEA) which comes standard.
Engine and Fuel Economy

The Toyota Camry engine is a 2.4-liter DOHC 16-valve VVT-i-4-cylinder. It can deliver 147 horsepower and has 138 lb.-ft. torque. The hybrid vehicle meets the Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (AT-PZEV) classification.

Camry 4-cylinder models are also certified as Partial Zero Emission Vehicles (PZEV). In short, this means that all emissions and related components are covered for 15 years or 150,000 miles, whichever occurs first. The battery is a Sealed Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) which converts chemical energy into electrical energy.

Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) is introduced in the Camry Hybrid. This is an electronic system designed to help the driver maintain vehicle control under adverse conditions. These factors including speed, road conditions and driver steering input.

Toyota Camry Hybrid Fuel Efficient Practices

It is possible to achieve a higher MPG rating on the Camry Hybrid. This involves driving practices including slow acceleration and costing to stops instead of braking. It also depends on road conditions as these technics don’t always warrant.

Since the Camry includes several aerodynamic technologies, drivers should always close the windows when cruising on the highway.

SOURCE: NewsOXY

Denny Hamlin didn’t break 110 mph Tuesday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, but he still was impressed with a car whose speed pales in comparison to that of his Sprint Cup ride.

“I thought it wouldn’t take off as well as a combustion engine,” Hamlin said after about an hour making laps in a 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid that will pace the Coca-Cola 600 on May 24 at the 1.5-mile oval. “The pickup was surprising; I’m amazed it takes off as good as anything.”

Acceleration was an important feature in winning approval for the vehicle, which will become the first hybrid used as a pace car for the duration of a Cup event (a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid led the field to the green flag in the 2008 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway before yielding to a 2010 Ford Fusion Sport).

From a standing start at the pit exit in Turn 1, the 187-horsepower, four-cylinder Camry (which wasn’t modified from the street model that retails for about $33,000 and gets an EPA-estimated 33 miles a gallon) had to reach 100 mph by the exit of Turn 2 to satisfy NASCAR’s standards for pacing the 600-mile event, the longest on the 36-race Cup schedule.

Ed Laukes, manager for motor sports marketing at Toyota Motor Sales USA, said the approval process took about a year and included an on-track test Toyota passed with flying colors.

Hybrids have competed in the American Le Mans Series. Laukes said Toyota has interest in eventually racing them in NASCAR.

“I know it’s a ways away, but I wouldn’t be surprised down the road sometime if there’s hybrid technology in a race,” he said.

Hamlin, whose Lowe’s appearance was timed to coincide with today’s celebration of Earth Day, plans on his next personal car being a Lexus hybrid (“it’s smooth and quiet and everything I look for in a daily driver”) but would prefer to remain behind the wheel of an internal-combustion-powered car when driving for Joe Gibbs Racing.

“For an everyday street car, it’s not as important, but race fans still love the sounds and noise of a combustion engine,” Hamlin said. “I’d prefer a stock car in knowing how exciting it is to hear the engine roar, but I think NASCAR drivers are embracing the green outlook of hybrids.”

Toyota, which has sold more than 1 million hybrids in the USA, is hoping NASCAR fans will embrace hybrids through its marketing of the pace car, which also will appear at Infineon Raceway, Chicagoland Speedway, Watkins Glen International and Martinsville Speedway and in the Oct. 17 race at Lowe’s. The car used in the 600 will be given to a fan who finds a “golden can” of Coca-Cola Classic.

“There’s stodginess about hybrid technology among the public that we’re trying to erase,” Laukes said. “This is a way for us to demonstrate the hybrid used on the track is the exact same car you can buy at a showroom.”

SOURCE: USA Today

Toyota’s hybrid sales in the U.S. have surpassed the 1 million mark, the Japanese automaker said Thursday, underlining the rising popularity of the ecological vehicles.

It took seven years for Toyota Motor Corp., the world’s biggest automaker, to sell 500,000 hybrids in the U.S., but has taken just two years to sell the next 500,000, the Japanese company said in a statement.

But Toyota’s U.S. sales have been battered by the ongoing slowdown, tumbling 39.8 percent from a year earlier in February.

Gasoline prices, which surged during the first half of last year, have come down drastically, and it is unclear whether gasoline-electric hybrids will continue to sell as briskly as they have in recent years. U.S. sales of Toyota’s Prius hybrid were down 33.6 percent on year in February.

Toyota is introducing the third-generation Prius later this year, but that’s expected to meet intense competition from the Insight hybrid from Japanese rival Honda Motor Co. The Insight starts at $19,800 in the U.S., where it will go on sale March 24, as the cheapest hybrid on the commercial market.

Since going on sale about a month ago in Japan for 1.89 million yen ($19,000), Honda has racked up 18,000 orders for the Insight, more than triple the 5,000 that Honda targeted. Toyota has not disclosed prices for the upcoming Prius.

Toyota, who also makes the Camry and Corolla sedans, introduced gasoline-electric hybrids to Japan in 1997, and the U.S. in July 2000, with its Prius. The Prius is still the world’s top-selling hybrid.

“One million hybrids in less than nine years indicates how quickly American consumers have accepted this important technology,” Jim Lentz, Toyota’s top U.S. executive, said in a statement.

Toyota controlled nearly 75 percent of the U.S. hybrid market over the past decade, and cumulative worldwide sales of the company’s Prius and luxury Lexus hybrids topped 1.7 million vehicles through January.

Toyota has sold 600,000 Prius cars in the U.S., more than half the 1.2 million sold worldwide.

SOURCE: Gazette.com

Toyota Motor Corp. said on Wednesday that Toyota hybrid and Lexus brands in the US top 1.7 million sales globally through January of this year.

It also said, it has a nearly 75% share of the U.S. hybrid market, indicating American consumers have accepted the world’s first mass-produced gas-electric vehicles.

Jim Lentz, TMS president, said the company is aiming to reach one million sales per year of gas-electric hybrids world-wide “sometime early in the next decade,” As it continue to expand, with 10 new hybrid models by 2012.

In 2008, Toyota Motor Corp. sold about 159,000 of its Prius hybrids alone, while Ford sold 19,524 Escape and Mariner hybrids, which plans also to begin selling all-electric battery and plug-in vehicles by 2012.

The company said it expect new RX 450h and HS 250h Lexus’ fourth hybrid and the most fuel-efficient vehicle this summer.

SOURCE: International Business Times

As the Melbourne Auto Show draws to a close, several premiers are still news worthy.  Toyota premiered the Toyota Camry Hybrid Concept called the HC-CV.  This concept closely hints at what the production version will look like when Toyota starts production early next year.

The Toyota Camry Hybrid HC-CV concept was designed at Toyota Motor Corp. Australia Ltd.  After designing the concept car in house, the Australian branch of Toyota will be awarded the right to make the production version of the Camry Hybrid slated for production one year from now.

According to Toyota, this concept car is their most important vehicle on display in Melbourne.  The Toyota Camry Hybrid concept is making its world premiere in Melbourne in part because it was designed in Australia.

According to Toyota Australia president, Meo Yasuda, “The Camry Hybrid, which will share some key deisgn features with the HC-CV, will play a key role in bringing the future to the Australian manufacturing sector.”

The HC-CV shares similar styling to other Toyota hybrid vehicles.  A streamlined appearance, sharp lines, large intake openings, and an aerodynamic upper grill are trademarks of most Toyota hybrid designs and are shared with the HC-CV.  Toyota points to forms found in nature and serene details that create a calm feeling for the vehicle.

Look for production of the Hybrid Camry to start next year and sales to follow shortly after.

SOURCE: All Cars Electric

Toyota Motor Corp. reported a dismal sales for February.  But the beloved Toyota Prius hybrid that has captured the hearts and minds of the green class posted dismal sales numbers as well.  The economy and cheap gas prices are at least making the Prius a major disappointment.  Toyota might even be hiding just how low the demand for hybrids is because it did not break out hybrid unit sales for its Highlander and Camry hybrids like it did in 2008.

The Prius mid-size gas-electric hybrid posted February sales of 7,232 units, down from 10,895 a year earlier and 14.5% fewer than in 2007.  Even if we take out the one day difference for the calendar sales days, this drop would be more than 30%.

Camry and Camry Hybrid remained Toyota’s volume leader in February, posting combined sales of 20,634 units.   The automaker sold 5,008 units of the Highlander Hybrid posted combined sales of 5,008 units.  As you will see in last year’s reporting, Toyota used to break out the hybrid sales.

• FEB-2008 SALES DATA: Passenger-car sales were led by Camry, which posted best-ever February sales of 34,914, an increase of 4.3% over the FEB-2007. Camry Hybrid reported sales of 4,121 units in February, up 19% over FEB-2007.  Highlander and Highlander Hybrid posted combined sales of 10,513 in February, up 7.7% over FEB-2007. The Highlander Hybrid gas-electric mid-size SUV reported sales of 1,938 units for the month.

Just yesterday we noted how Honda Motor Co. has become a thorn in the side because of a much cheaper competing model to the Prius.

The difference of one less selling day this February compared with last year is not even a footnote considering the results.  The trends are just bad.  Fewer jobs means fewer car buyers.  Less credit and lower car trade-in prices means fewer cars bought.  Less job security means lower auto buying.  Gas being under $2 per gallon takes out much of the urgency to go green.  And on, and on.

It is becoming obvious that when when consumers have less green in the bank, they are less green all around.

SOURCE: 24/7 Wall Street

There are two specific occasions when you will really notice that you’re driving a hybrid vehicle. The first comes when you push the start button and roll out of your parking space almost without sound. The second comes when you stop at the gas pump and realize the last time you were there was over 500 miles back down the road.

Even though the price of gas has recently dropped back to levels we never thought we would see again a few short months ago, no one can predict when it will shoot back up again and now we’re told reducing our reliance on oil is a matter of national security. Whether you buy into that or not it’s hard to belittle 34-mpg performance.

We took the Camry Hybrid on an extended jaunt into the flatlands over the holidays and found with a mild tailwind and the long slow descent into the plains the Camry managed to hit 35.7-mpg. Coming back uphill and fighting a fierce 45 to 60-mph headwind, the rate dropped to 27.5-mpg.

When driving east from Denver, the sun setting in the west creates a sky of wispy primrose clouds dappling streaks of lavender and blue. The Toyota Camry has blazed a streak through the American auto market for years. For six years the Camry has been the top-selling sedan in America with good reason – world famous Toyota reliability plus great consumer value.

For a base price of $25,850 you get a comfortable, well-appointed and well-powered car that’s still economical and right at home on city streets or busy highways. Throw in another $5K and you’ll have features once only available in luxury cars and still pay just over $30,000. Things like heated leather seats and heated side view mirrors; alloy wheels and DVD navigation; CD changer with auxiliary input and satellite capability; smart key, compass and auto-dimming rearview mirror.

Meanwhile it scores five stars front and back, driver and passenger in crash tests and even gets four stars in rollovers. As a hybrid it ranks high in environmental friendliness.

The combination of gas and electric engines has no problem maintaining highway speeds over the long haul or with passing at high speed for that matter. It may not be as quick as the Beamers and Infinitis, but like the tortoise and the hare, the Toyota will probably breeze past them when they stop for fuel.

The 2008 Toyota Camry has so much going for it we can’t wait to see what 2009 brings – that fact may lead to deals on this year’s model. The current economic climate may be causing problems for car dealers and buyers alike, but that’s a funny thing about problems – most of them have solutions. Just keep looking around until you find one.

SOURCE: Cherry Creek News

Toyota HC-CV Concept Toyota Camry is going to be produced down under for the first time and Toyota’s Australian division is intending to reveal a new concept variant of the highly economical sedan at the Melbourne Motor Show to ignite excitement.

However, the concept is basically a regular Camry Hybrid that has been selling locally back in the US beginning 2006. Now called the Hybrid Camry Concept Vehicle (HC-CV), the show car was thought out and made in-house by Toyota Style Australia and it will come with new bumpers and alloy wheels plus an enhanced interior.

The HC-CV is described by the carmaker as a car that points to the gasoline-electric Camry that will be produced early in 2010 at the Toyota’s Altona car factory in Victoria. Toyota has announced that it will provide this new Camry with special paint finishes options and a more athletic appearance in contrast to the regular Camry lineup.

The Australian Camry will most probably come with the same powertrain as its American counterpart as part of its Hybrid Synergy Drive System: a 2.4-liter gasoline engine paired with a continuously adaptable transmission with an EPA fuel-consumption rate of 33mpg (7 liters/100km) in city driving and 34mpg (6.9 liters/100km) highway.

SOURCE and ADDITIONAL PHOTOS: AutoSpies

If you’re looking for the very best fuel economy and insurance you can get, it’s a no-brainer that a hybrid car will have to be your choice, at least if you’re doing a lot of city driving, but even among hybrids there are varying levels of economy.

If the cars rated in the 2008 (and now 2009) model year seem somehow less impressive than their predecessors, or at least, less improved, remember that the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) overhauled their ratings system in 2007, with 2008 models the first to be measured by the new standard, which is based on combined city and highway driving.

Nevertheless the top three cars of the year were all hybrids. Here’s a brief look at each of them:

• Toyota Prius: A five-seat lift-back with a plug-in version expected in the 2010 model year, the Prius has long been the poster-child of hybrid technology, despite the fact that it wasn’t actually the first to be sold. The old numbering system rates it at 48 mpg in the city and 45 mpg on the highway, thanks to its 4-cylinder, 1.5 liter gas engine and electric motor which work together to provide 110 horsepower. Currently, the only transmission available is a CVT (continuously variable transmission) system. No manual transmission is offered, or planned, at this time.
• Honda Civic Hybrid: Frequently compared to its direct competitor, the Prius, the Honda Civic Hybrid was actually the first such car to be marketed in the USA. Its gas engine is smaller the Prius’s, but more powerful (1.3 liters & 95 bhp) while its electronic assist motor is less powerful. The current version of the Civic Hybrid (2nd generation) is based on the 4th generation standard Civic.
• Toyota Camry Hybrid: While most other hybrids (Prius, Civic) are smaller cars, the Camry, which ranks as the third most fuel efficient hybrid, is on the larger side. This mid-sized sedan offers a roomy interior, the same clean, curves as the standard Camry, and a gas-electric powertrain system that produces something close to a V6 engine cranking out 187 hp. Its combined fuel economy is 35 mpg.

What about 2009?

For 2009, the first two cars on the most efficient list remain the same – Toyota Prius in the number one spot and Honda Civic Hybrid in number two, but the Toyota Camry Hybrid falls to sixth place, with the Nissan Altima Hybrid rounding out the top three instead. It has a combined fuel efficiency of 35 mpg for 2009, while the Camry is only rated at 33 mpg.

Does this mean prospective purchasers should only be looking at the Prius and Civic? Of course not  – unless they want the absolute best fuel efficiency available, and don’t mind getting it in a small package.

Source: Insurance Specialists

Toyota has announced pricing on its 2010 Camry lineup, noting that prices across the board have increased by $281. However, the 2010 Toyota Camry Hybrid, with a price tag of $26,870, including a $720 destination charge, undercuts the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid by $1,125.

The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid starts at $27,995, including a $725 destination charge.

The 2010 Camry, which gets modest tweaks for the new model year, goes on sale in March.

The base 2010 Camry standard model with a new six-speed manual transmission starts at $20,115, including destination. The top-of-the-line 2010 Camry XLE with a six-speed automatic transmission starts at $29,765, including shipping.

The gasoline Camry gets a new grille and front bumper, an enlarged lower intake, larger projector headlamps and restyled taillamps. The Camry Hybrid gets such upgrades as restyled fog lamps, a wider lower intake and 16-inch alloy wheels.

Source: Edmunds Inside Line

If you’re in the market for an ultra fuel-efficient hybrid that makes a convincing family sedan, your best choice has always been a Toyota — until now. Toyota’s Camry Hybrid and Prius have been the only realistic alternatives for many. Most American-built hybrids simply haven’t matched their fuel economy, and the Nissan Altima Hybrid remains rare and hard to find.

A new entrant in the contest, however, may have knocked the Toyotas from their lofty perch.

The automotive press has begun testing the all-new 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid in recent weeks. Two prominent publications have now published comparisons pitting the Fusion Hybrid against its Toyota competition, and the Ford has won both.

USA Today writes: “OK, let’s just get it out there: The 2010 Ford Fusion hybrid is the best gasoline-electric hybrid yet. What makes it best is a top-drawer blend of an already very good midsize sedan with the industry’s smoothest, best-integrated gas-electric power system. It’s so well-done that you have to look to the $107,000 Lexus LS 600h hybrid to come close.”

“The Toyota Prius crowd will protest,” they note, but USA Today says Ford’s car simply drives better. “A car is, after all, a driving machine. Brownie points for saving somewhat more fuel or offering a cargo-friendly hatchback, but driving feel is most important. And there, Fusion is without equal among hybrids.”

Car and Driver set the Fusion against the Camry Hybrid, Chevy Malibu Hybrid and Altima Hybrid, but the result was the same. “Ford has pulled off a game changer with this 2010 model, creating a high-mpg family hauler that’s fun to drive,” they write. “Nothing about the leather-lined test car, optioned up from its $27,995 base price to $32,555, seemed economy minded except for the mileage readings. On that score, the Fusion topped the others, turning in a 34-mpg score card for the overall 300-mile test run.”

In our time behind the wheel of the Fusion Hybrid, we quickly came to a similar verdict. The Fusion Hybrid corners with as much agility as its conventionally-powered cousin – one of the best-handling cars in the midsize class. With standard SYNC technology, it allows the driver to control Bluetooth-enabled phones and music players through the car’s speakers with voice commands. And its standard leather and high-quality stereo give it an upscale feel for an affordable price. Ford has a hit on its hands.

We had one minor complaint. Ford’s SmartGauge instrument cluster does a great job coaching the driver to drive more efficiently with information-rich displays, but the cutesy display that grows leaves as the driver reaches peak efficiency is distracting and can draw your eyes from the road. Still, following the device’s prompts, we hit 37.7 mpg in city driving on the first try.

The Fusion Hybrid qualifies for a federal tax credit of $3,400 until the end of March, but few of the cars will reach dealerships by then – if you’re in the market, you might want to consider ordering yours before the credit disappears.

If any Ford product has your eye, you should be aware that Ford is offering some of the deepest discounts we’ve seen in years this month.

Source: US News and World Report

Toyota’s ascension to the world’s largest automaker, over General Motors, has come with its first fiscal-year loss in nearly six decades. The company sold 1.84 million vehicles worldwide in the third fiscal quarter from October to December, or 443,000 fewer vehicles during that time than it did during the same quarter last fiscal year.Now, faced with big losses, the auto giant Toyota is revising downward its predictions for the full fiscal year ending March 31. Toyota predicts that total vehicle sales will be 7.32 million units, which would be 220,000 fewer vehicles than the company had forecast in December.

The company expects a roughly $3.9 billion loss for the quarter, three times what it had told analysts and investors to expect late last year. The company said full-year losses will be $5 billion, versus the $1.7 billion it had predicted.

In a release, Toyota EVP Mitsuo Kinoshita said the company is responding by developing a new product line-up “that responds to the customers’ requirements in each region. For the mid-term, we plan to enhance the development of hybrid and compact vehicles, which we believe are the key to our future growth.”

The next-generation Prius will launch in May, followed by Lexus’ first exclusively hybrid vehicle (rather than a hybrid version of a traditionally powered car), the HS250h this summer. “We are also thoroughly reviewing our entire business to reduce costs across the board. … in the areas of research and development, and production and sales operations.”

For Toyota’s big losses for the third fiscal quarter — ¥4.8 trillion, a 28.4% decline versus the same period last fiscal year — Kinoshita blamed revenue and profit declines on poor sales in the U.S. and Europe, and the appreciation of the yen against the U.S. dollar and the euro. In North America, Toyota sold 521,000 Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles, a decrease of 235,000 units. In Europe, vehicles sales were 235,000 thousand units, 73,000 fewer vehicles than the period last year.

Adolfo Laurenti, senior economist at Chicago-based Mesirow Financial, says Toyota’s dour news does not translate to good news for Detroit. “The important point is that the loss in sales is nothing specific about Toyota and other automakers; it’s a reflection of market weakness,” he says.

“The problem is that the economic fundamentals are so bad everyone is suffering, but Toyota does not have much to change, because their mix of cars seems to be right. When the economy bounces back they will have the right mix.

“They have a strong reputation, and they have lower cost structure because they operate in the South; they don’t have additional costs associated with unions, and they don’t have legacy costs. In that sense they are much more flexible which means they have the flexibility to react more promptly to market changes and more leeway in their balance sheet.”

Source: MediaPost News