Parents Magazine and Edmunds.com Rank Toyota Sienna a Top 10 Family Car of the Year

Parents Magazine and Edmunds.com Rank Toyota Sienna a Top 10 Family Car of the Year

June 02, 2016

It’s the only minivan on the market with all-wheel drive. That distinction, along with recent technological and safety enhancements, is earning Toyota Sienna accolades from automotive industry leaders. Edmunds.com and Parents Magazine have named Toyota’s long-cherished minivan one of the 10 best family cars of the year, and the winner in the Best Minivan category. The “Best Family Cars of 2016” feature appears in the July 2016 issue of the magazine, as well as on Parents.com.



Rankings were based on factors including quality of ride; safety; comfort and capacity; fuel efficiency; kid-friendly features; price and value; reliability; interior and exterior workmanship; visibility, controls and instrumentation; and attributes such as appearance, ergonomics and special design features that set the cars apart.



“The endlessly roomy Sienna stands above its competitors for two reasons: It’s the only one with available all-wheel drive, and the especially user-friendly controls help you stay focused on the road,” Parents Magazine writes.



With the Sienna, Toyota wants to make parenting easier. The van, for example, is equipped with four LATCH locations for securing child seats. In addition, the Sienna’s Driver Easy Speak option reduces the need to shout commands from the helm. Using the microphone from the Sienna’s voice-command multi-media system, the system conveys a driver’s voice through the audio system’s rear speakers.



For families who appreciate fun during road trips, a Dual-View Entertainment Center—featuring two displays within a 16.4-inch widescreen image—combines Blu-Ray capability, an HDMI input and an SD card reader that can play 10 different audio and video formats from two separate sources. The screen can be easily seen from the third row of the van, and can be operated from any seat via remote control. The option also includes a pair of wireless headphones.



With the third-row seat stowed and the second-row seat removed, the Sienna provides up to 150 cubic feet of available space. Numerous storage bins, spaces and cupholders are located throughout the cabin. Sliding the second-row seats all the way to the rear creates a walk-in aisle, making it easier to enter and exit, install a child seat or place a child in a seat.



Toyota made several technological enhancements to the 2016 Sienna, including upgrades to the Entune multimedia head units that integrate Siri® Eyes Free mode, and a new Connected Navigation Scout® GPS App Link for Entune® Audio Plus, which uses a smartphone to provide navigation functionality through the head unit.



The standard Toyota Star Safety System™ equips the 2016 Toyota Sienna with Anti-lock Brakes, Electronic Brake-Force Distribution, Brake Assist, enhanced Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control, and Smart Stop Technology. For certain grades, a Blind Spot Monitor (relying on sub-millimeter wave radar) alerts a driver to a vehicle in a blind spot with side-mirror indicators. In addition, the Rear Cross Traffic Alert function assists with backing out of a driveway or parking space.

What Is a Million-Mile Toyota Tundra Worth?

What Is a Million-Mile Toyota Tundra Worth?

Learning from a Toyota Truck after Eight Safe Years on the Road
 

May 11, 2016

BATON ROUGE, La. (May 11, 2016) –Toyota customer Victor Sheppard was so satisfied with his Toyota Tundra, even after he had safely driven 1 million miles, he continued driving it. When Toyota saw the well-kept truck, they asked: What is a Toyota Tundra with more than a million miles worth?
 
For Toyota’s production engineers and team members, the truck’s longevity offers invaluable insight for future products. For Sheppard, it was worth a new truck.
 
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. swapped trucks today with Sheppard at Greg Leblanc Toyota in Mr. Sheppard’s hometown, Houma, La., in a brief ceremony.
 
The million-mile Tundra, a 2007 model year, was one of the first of its kind assembled exclusively at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Texas, in San Antonio. Since purchasing the truck, Sheppard has been the sole owner and has put an average of 125,000 miles a year on the odometer, regularly driving long-haul trips from his home to North Dakota, Wyoming, and Virginia for his job. The truck still has its original engine, transmission and paint job.
 
“Most people can’t believe how much on his truck is original,” said Ron Weimer, general manager of Greg Leblanc Toyota. “Victor has been loyal to his maintenance and kept it up.”
 
Sheppard’s truck has drawn attention in the past, leading to it being showcased in Toyota’s outdoor truck display in September 2012 at the Texas State Fair in Dallas. The truck has also been regularly featured on the Facebook page for LeBlanc Toyota. The dealership even posted his odometer reading when it hit 999,999 miles. In maintaining his truck to the extraordinary million-mile mark, Sheppard has logged 117 dealership service visits over nine years, ranging from timing belt replacements, oil changes, and the manufacturer’s regularly scheduled check-ups.
 
“My truck looks great, and, except for a few little dents, it’s almost like new,” said Sheppard. “Even the seats look just as they were when I bought it. They’re not as clean, of course, but they’re not busted or worn out.”
 
While high-mileage vehicles help validate the quality of the manufacturing processes the company employs, Toyota engineers are interested in how the engine and transmission as well as other components and parts, such as the seats, have held up. And as one of the first Tundra trucks from the San Antonio plant, Toyota’s chief truck engineer from Toyota Technical Center, Mike Sweers, and his team want a chance to get a better look under the hood and everywhere else to learn how the vehicle holds up after so many miles and rigorous use.
 
“Having a million-mile truck in as pristine condition as this one with original parts is a truly rare find,” said Sweers. “Our team plans to tear down the entire truck, bumper-to-bumper, top-to-bottom to evaluate how the quality and safety we designed, engineered and built into the Tundra has held up to over one-million miles of real-world driving and help us continue providing ever-better vehicles for our customers.”
 
The disassembly process is expected to take months as engineers examine each part of the engine, chassis, body, and other components. With the knowledge gained, the engineers will apply their findings to future trucks.
 
As for Sheppard, his million-mile truck has been replaced by a new 2016 Tundra. Ironically, the 2016 Tundra is also his 16th Tundra.
 
“Mr. Sheppard says he is a believer in Toyota quality and safety,” said Weimer. “He believes in the brand.”
 
“I believed [reaching a million miles] wouldn’t be a problem,” said Sheppard. “These trucks are safe and dependable. I think, if you see a Toyota on the side of the road, it might be a scam because they just don’t break down very often.”

Toyota Motor Sales’ Lexus Brand Ranks Highest in J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study for Fifth Consecutive Year

Toyota Motor Sales’ Lexus Brand Ranks Highest in J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study for Fifth Consecutive Year

• Toyota brand ranked 4th overall
• Four of the top 10 models belong to Toyota Motor Sales
• Toyota Motor Sales receives six segment awards total

February 24, 2016

TORRANCE, Calif., Feb. 24, 2016 – The Lexus brand captured the highest ranking in vehicle dependability among all nameplates for a fifth consecutive year in the 2016 J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS).  Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) received six segment awards total, and four of the top 10 models belong to TMS.  The study measures the number of owner-reported problems of 2013 model year vehicles in their third-year of ownership. 

In addition to the brand’s highest score in the overall nameplate ranking, Lexus received three segment awards. The Lexus ES is the most dependable premium model overall, reporting the lowest average number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) and was ranked highest in the Compact Premium Car segment. The Lexus GS was awarded for the Midsize Premium Car segment and the Lexus GX luxury utility vehicle was awarded among Midsize Premium SUVs, with the Lexus RX coming in second in the category.

The Toyota brand was ranked 4th overall and also received three segment awards. The Toyota Prius v was awarded for the Compact Multi-Purpose Vehicle segment, while the popular Toyota Sienna received the award in the Minivan segment. The Toyota Tundra led the Large Light Duty Pickup segment with a segment award .
 

Segment	Ranking	Model
Compact Multi-Purpose Vehicle	1	Toyota Prius v
Compact Premium Car	1	Lexus ES
Minivan	1	Toyota Sienna
Midsize Premium Car	1	Lexus GS
Midsize Premium SUV	1	Lexus GX
Large Light Duty Pickup	1	Toyota Tundra

 

Make	Ranking	PP100
Lexus	1	95
Toyota	4	113
Scion	24	167

 
J.D. Power’s VDS finds long-term durability continues to be an important consumer purchase consideration.  The number of problems an owner experiences affects their repurchase intent and their vehicle’s retained value. 

The VDS results are just the latest in a series of recent industry honors taken home by Lexus and Toyota.
 

• Kelley Blue Book recognizes 11 Toyota and Lexus vehicles with “Best Resale Value Awards” for 2016.  For the fifth year in a row, Lexus took top honors for luxury brand. 
• Toyota Corolla, Camry, Prius c and Highlander Hybrid and the Lexus RX and LS flagship sedan each won Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com 5-year “Cost to Own” awards in their segments for new cars in their initial five-year ownership period. 

Hybrid Law, a Peter Byck film

Toyota Camry Hybrid Enforces More Law Per Gallon

New Short Film: Hybrid Law

January 21, 2016

ARKADELPHIA, Ark., Jan. 21, 2016 – On the surface, it’s just an environmental thing: A gas/electric hybrid is going to emit less pollutants than a gasoline-only power train. But it’s also going to use less fuel and get more mpg and at low speeds, it’s quieter than a gasoline engine.  Think of it as a “stealth mode” when running only on electric power.  For a cop car, that makes it easier to sneak up on the bad guys.  These are just a few of the advantages discovered by the Arkadelphia, Arkansas Police Department when they replaced 10 of their aging Crown Victorias with Toyota Camry Hybrids.



At first, “I was dead set against it,” says veteran officer Don Cleek.  “To me, a police car’s supposed to be rear wheel drive, V8 and can go through ditches.” In short, he didn’t believe the hybrids would be up to the job.  But that didn’t stop city manager Jimmy Bolt from pushing Chief of Police Al Harris to give the Camry Hybrids a try.  After a few months in the field, it was pretty clear:  The hybrids were doing every bit as well on the job as the Crown Vics.  What’s more, they were getting about 27 mpg in all-city driving (compared to about 12 to 14 mpg on the Crown Vics) AND thanks to the fuel savings and much lower maintenance costs, the city of Arkadelphia was saving itself about 3% of its annual budget.  In short, even Officer Cleek now agrees it’s a lot easier to be an environmentalist when you’re catching the crooks and saving money to boot!



You can see the whole story for yourself in a new short documentary by filmmaker Peter Byck, director of 2011’s Carbon Nation. Click here to watch the film. To learn more about Toyota’s Hybrid Technology, visit the Toyota display this week at the Washington, DC Auto Show, January 22-31, 2016, at the Washington Convention Center.

About Peter Byck

Peter Byck is a Professor of Practice at Arizona State University’s School of Sustainability and Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.  He’s directed 2 award-winning documentaries: Carbon Nation, 2011, IVCA Clarion Award; and Garbage, 1996, Best Documentary, South By Southwest Film Festival.  www.carbonnation.tv

BEHIND THE SCENES: first feature film shot entirely on Prius backup camera

Sometimes a camera comes along that changes everything you thought you knew about filmmaking. This -- is not that camera.