If you watch the video above, you’ll be taken through every aspect of the 2011 Toyota Sienna, which is a model that has been updated to be stylish, simple, and useful. The second and third row seats adjust easily to create 150 cubic feet of cargo space, more than the Odyssey or Town and Country. The engine provides a smooth and swift ride around town. Although minivans are not as popular as they once were, the Toyota Sienna has a great shot at winning a lot of people back to this body style. You can’t beat this model for value and practicality.

O’Brien Toyota, your Champaign Toyota dealer, has a full inventory of 2011 Siennas. We’re pretty sure you’ll find one that suits you. Again, the updated style, interior cargo design and slew of tech features make this vehicle more than a minivan like the ones you used to know. This is a modern, practical minivan for the new age.

Every American knows Toyota is reliable, long lasting, and gets great gas mileage. What they might not know and be thankful for is Toyota ranking top on the list for crash test performance. We’ve all seen pictures and videos of cars being demolished and thought how cool that looked. The other side of the reaction we don’t think about is what happens if I’m in the car when that happens.

Toyota, despite  all the bad press of late, still has its customers at heart. Any company can put better speakers or more comfortable seats in a vehicle, but not all of them care enough to make you safe when a truck tries to turn your car into a crumpled pop can.

If you’re in Champaign, Toyota dealers of central Illinois are ready and waiting to help keep you and your family safe on the road. If you head east through Urbana, Toyota dealers there will have the same goal and the cars you’re looking for.

Toyota cars look great on the road, feel great when you’re driving, and are easy on the wallet both with price and upkeep. It comes as a great comfort when the things you don’t think about are the things that may matter most when the worst happens. The solid fact is no one ever wants to be in an accident and certainly no one wants to have their car destroyed. If you had to choose, would you rather have no car and lose the things you care about, or be the guy in the television that comes back one last time to see the car that saved his life? Again, no one wants to lose their car, but I’m glad when my accident happened, I walked away.

In many ways, the 2011 Avalon can be compared to the Lexus ES 350. These two models are similar in many ways, but the base price of the Avalon is $3,200 less expensive than the ES. The Avalon’s additional five inches of legroom guarantees Champaign Toyota shoppers more car for a lower price. Starting at $33,205 the 2011 Avalon offers a luxurious feel without the price tag or flashiness of the similar Lexus ES.

Flashy it is not, but this large car is most definitely a presence on the road. Offering more space than the Toyota Camry, the Avalon measures 197.6 inches in length and has a width of 72.8 inches. This car is large, but not to the point of intimidating. In fact, the 2011 Avalon is focused on the comfort of its driver, passengers, and others on the road.

Many of Avalon’s new changes were made with the idea of comfort in mind. For example, the Limited model includes a ventilation system that blows heated or cooled air through the pores of the front seats’ upholstery. Speaking of seats, they are “thickly padded leather” and come standard in the base model. As a bonus, the rear seats recline. Adding to the car’s comfort is ample foot room and ultra plush carpets. Not only does this car feel relaxing, but also there is minimal road and engine noise inside the Avalon making it a virtually silent ride. If nothing else, Champaign Toyota drivers will not be sore after riding in the 2011 Avalon.

The mechanical elements have stayed the same as the 2010 model, but the new Avalon sports changes in other areas. Among them are a matte wood finish interior (as opposed to the old model’s shiny wood), voice-activated navigation system, rear-view camera, a wider grille, and additional chrome trim. To see the other changes, hurry over to your local Champaign Toyota dealer, O’Brien Toyota, and look at their large selection of 2011 Avalons.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has yet to release any information on the subject and declined to make any comment in the Journal’s report.

This year has been unfortunate for Toyota who is related to a string of high-profile accidents and lawsuits involving its cars and trucks and has had to institute many recalls, most of which were related to stuck accelerators and floor mats. Also, there were a few recalls relating to electronic issues such as the antilock brake issue with the Toyota Prius.

The United States Department of Transportation has not finalized any decisions yet, so for Toyota there is still some uncertainty in the air. However, Toyota has denied any electronic related issues that may have resulted in sudden unintended acceleration. The Journal’s report seems to be backing Toyota’s position in some ways.  Members of Toyota’s internal investigation commented, “The Toyota findings appear to support Toyota’s position that sudden-acceleration reports involving its vehicles weren’t caused by electronic glitches in computer-controlled throttle systems, as some safety advocates and plaintiffs’ attorneys have alleged.”

In Illinois, there are still many great Toyota vehicles available for purchase.  At Champaign Toyota dealers there are many unbelievable sales going on.  One of the best buys is the used Corolla, Champaign car shoppers would be foolish to not at least test drive this quality and affordable sedan.  The Corolla is actually one of the top economy cars on the market today.  Most buyers have no trouble putting over 100,000 miles on this car and still report the car to be running smoothly.  The current Corolla comes in five trim levels.  The base level is well-equipped but lacks some power accessories that the higher trim levels feature.  Test drive one today!

Same thing when you drive by some of those really skeezy-looking used car dealerships with loads of pre-owned potpourri sitting on the lot, gigantic stickers with prices that you know for a fact are way too much for heaps of trash like what you see displayed. If you’re like me, you can’t help but wonder why anybody in their right mind would blow their hard-earned cash on a car that’s not going to be any good.

And really, all you have to do is a little research. Buy a Consumer Reports, hit up the internet to read reviews, talk to your friends and family about makes and models that have been reliable for them. Do that, and you’ll probably start seeing some trends in which cars are going to do you right in the new-to-you market. One of the names that probably will keep popping up is the Toyota Prius, for more than a few good reasons.

Every Champaign Toyota dealer has had overwhelming success with the Prius over the last six years as people have become more and more concerned with their fuel economy. This hybrid was really the first to go mainstream and has received nothing but rave reviews since it first hit the market in 2004. At first, waiting lists for the Prius made it seem almost impossible that there would ever be new ones available, let alone used ones, but we’re finally starting to see some pre-owned Priuses trickle down to certified lots, and that’s a really good thing for customers looking to save money on a used car purchase.

If you’re looking for the new 2010 Prius, Champaign Toyota dealerships can certainly hook you up and give you the latest, most fuel-efficient, technologically advanced model. But honestly, the upgrades aren’t necessarily worth all the extra cost of buying new. The new and old models look and drive essentially the same, and either way you won’t be the person people look at out on the roads and say, “Ew, what is that guy driving?”

In the massive corporate world that is the auto industry there are many twists and turns in the route the truth seems to travel. In the early spring it was all over the news, print, and radio that there had been some faulty electrical problem. Then later it was discovered that some of the people involved were less than honest about the circumstances they experienced. In some cases it was revealed that drivers intentionally floored the accelerator and claimed uncontrollable circumstances in an evil effort to acquire money at any price.

Integrity seems to be a fading concept in this country and it weighs greatly on my heart. I am, however, very grateful for people like the staff at the O’Brien Champaign Toyota dealer. When I was looking for a used Camry, Champaign became the X that marked the spot. Having done business with the O’Brien team in the past I knew when it came time for a good quality used car I could count on them. When I heard the acceleration scare may have been a hoax, my confidence in the Japanese auto maker was quickly restored and I traded up for a new Camry right away.

There is plenty wrong in this world without people trying to make other things wrong for profit. I remember feeling something wasn’t right during the whole process the way it all happened at once. My worst thought was for the cop in California that used his own car and risked his life to supposedly slow down an out of control Toyota. That officer put his own life before that which he believed to be an honest person in trouble. What does that mean for the future? As the son of a cop, job or no job, if the integrity of your life is called into question before it is saved, you have to think your chances are probably going to go down.

The Silicon Valley Leadership Group in San Jose is one of the lucky companies that received a prototype of the hybrid vehicle.  The president of the group, Carl Guardino announced at a news conference that he intends to sell his Volvo on Craigslist and buy a plug-in Prius when they hit the market in 2012 at New and Pre-Owned Prius Champaign dealerships.

Coulomb Technologies, who was recently awarded a $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to install public charging stations in metropolitan areas across the nation, will supply the charging stations to be used by the leadership group.

The new hybrid still combines a gasoline engine with a lithium-ion battery pack that is able to be recharged at home or work.  Supposedly the car will be able to drive exclusively via electricity for 13 miles before the gas motor kicks in.  The new hybrid utilizes the same Hybrid Synergy Drive seen in the 2010 Prius.  Indeed, as GreenCarReports.com points out, the 2012 Plug-In Prius is essentially a Prius with a larger lithium–battery pack and the ability to plug into the wall to recharge.

The Inside Line team at Autoblog.com noted the similarity between the original Prius and the Plug-In and went on to say that it was a bit of a let down.  They had accumulated approximately 500 miles on their prototype and were averaging about 62 mpg, which is very impressive, but no different from what drivers were averaging on the original Prius.  They did observe that the added weight of the batteries allowed the car to handle better.

Before investing in a new Plug-In Prius, you may want to visit your local Pre-Owned Prius Champaign dealer and consider the 2010 Prius.  Inside Line tracked the cost for charging the Plug-In Prius and came back with an average of 65 cents per fill.  Champaign Toyota dealers estimate a base price of around $27,550 for the 2012 Plug-In model, a $4,000 premium over a traditional Prius.

According to Champaign Toyota dealers, the 2012 Plug-In Prius is expected to be just one in a fleet of Prius-badged cars in a move meant to solidify the Japanese auto-giant’s place as one of the greenest automakers.

Toyota has just launched a new advertising campaign centered on its Star Safety System.  The Star Safety System combines five safety technologies that come standard on all new Toyota vehicles.  The five technologies are Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC), Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist.

The commercials feature Toyota customers and engineers speaking on points of safety and quality through all types of media including television, radio, digital, and print.

“From Yaris to Land Cruiser, Toyota is the first full-line manufacturer to combine these five key accident-avoidance technologies as standard equipment on every model,” said Bob Carter, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager.  “Toyota customers tell us they want to know more about the Toyota safety story, and the Star Safety System is just one of the features that reassure them about the safety and quality of our vehicles.”

All five Star Safety System components feature advanced accident-avoidance technologies, including the following.

1. Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) reduces the amount of wheel slip and loss of traction by cutting engine power and using brake force to the wheels when needed.
2. Traction Control (TRAC) allows cars to keep traction on all types of surfaces by using extra braking force to the wheels.  TRAC sensors are heightened when one of the wheels starts to lose traction.
3. The Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) reduces the chance of the brakes locking up by “pulsing” pressure into each wheel in order to help the driver remain in control in emergency situations.  Without ABS the brakes would lock up and cause skidding.
4. Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) is part of Toyota’s ABS technology.  EBD works to maintain vehicle stability and balance when braking.  EBD can help with extra cargo because it will allow the back breaks to use more force to slow the heavier side of the car more smoothly.
5. Brake Assist is valuable because is detects sudden braking and adds extra emergency pressure to avoid a collision.  The addition pressure creates quicker stopping times.

Toyota is continually working to engineer safer vehicles, and it can be seen that they have made great strides demonstrated by the five Star Safety System.

For Southern Illinois residents, there is no better place to go for a Toyota than a Champaign Toyota dealer.  There are many great cars including the 2010 Prius; Champaign drivers need to take notice of the great deals now.

With companies worldwide taking notice of social media tools, it’s to no surprise that Toyota, whose cars are sold at used Camry Champaign dealerships, is continuing their partnership with MySpace.

A program that started in 2009 was designed to help spread Toyota brand awareness in the MySpace music fans and bands community. Toyota collaborated with MySpace in an American Idol-eqe contest to find out who made the best music demo in 2009. This year they are continuing this approach with the development of the “Toyota Music Rock the Space 2,” promotion that is focused around Toyota and the MySpace Records, where potentially the next big band might be found. Toyota wants to assuage all negative thoughts associate with their brand, aside from this social outreach their local Camry Urbana dealerships have been open extended hours to fix the recall debacle.

They are pushing for fans to visit Toyota’s MySpace Music site at MySpace.com/ToyotaMusic, and submit an MP3 demo where it will ride the wave around the web. Virtual demo tapes that look like cassette-tapes have been sent from artist to listener for the past couple months

Bands and artists had until June 7, where then a music industry panel selected 10 semifinalists who were given top billing on the Toyota Music profile providing both the auto company and MySpace Records with an advantageous outreach program.

The effort, which ran through June 7, aimed to get artists and fans to visit Toyota’s MySpace Music site at MySpace.com/ToyotaMusic. Bands had an opportunity to submit an MP3 demo and spread their music around the social web. Fans were provided with the opportunity to vote on which brand deserves a shot at 15 minutes of fame. The competition is down to 10 so now the MySpace community has to vote on their five favorite finalists.

MySpace will vote for a “fan favorite” for the sixth finalist. Fans vote the winner and the winner gets a recording contract and $10,000 worth of musical instruments from Fender. The 2009 win was Call the Cops which has their debut album coming out this summer as they will be promoting it on the Vans Warped Tour.

After inventing our common everyday items, like the incandescent light bulb and the electric internal combustion engine, Tesla’s imagination set its sights much higher. A Tesla coil was to be a military applicant for defense of a fixed position. A highly concentrated electric discharge focused in a direction to repel oncoming advance and attack. A phenomenal idea, unfortunately is reserved only for an upgrade in computer games. Think of what was, and what was never allowed to be. The world followed Edison’s path because he was better at selling it. If you ever watch a History channel special you soon learn that it was a mistake and has cost us precious time.

Thankfully for us, the American beautiful people, there are still those out there pursuing Tesla’s vision of a world run in every manner on electricity. The Tesla Motors group of California has been working for six years on producing a truly electric car. If anyone out there remembers a company called Ballard Power, you’ll remember that they were working on the same thing. Where are they now? They are buried under the miles of red tape GM put on them after buying them to delay their product from hitting the market. Now Toyota has bought a stake in Tesla Motors for possibly the same reason.

The Toyota Prius is the top selling hybrid car in the world right now. When you’re the best you don’t want to hear about that rookie that’s going to take your seat when the music stops. If you’ve been trying to find your own 2010 Prius,Champaign is a great place to start. Everywhere on the roads and lines of newbie’s on the lots. Maybe you want to really help the environment and recycle. If you’re looking for a preowned Prius, Champaign is still your best start to that treasure hunt. It shocks me how many people trade up from last year’s enclosed golf cart to next year’s. Either way, not sure I know a soul who would scoff at 75 miles to the gallon.