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?”

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.

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.

For the government or media to expect infallible cars all the time is unattainable because in reality all cars come with an inherent risk. At the same time, the government is concerned about driver safety and Toyota officials understand and appreciate this. To address the government’s concerns, CEO and President Akio Toyoda appeared in front of the US Congress. The session proved taxing for Toyoda but it did not get him, or his company, down. Instead everyone who is a part of Toyota has become more determined and more results-driven and they are working hard to regain customer confidence.

The steps that Toyota has taken in the wake of the recall situation are unprecedented. To start with, Toyota dealers across the country immediately began fixing the recalled vehicles, including the 2010 Prius. Champaign dealers helped Toyota to process 50,000 vehicles a day! That’s pretty impressive if you ask me. What’s even more impressive is that those same dealers even provided loaner vehicles and paid rental car and taxi fees to anyone who was getting their car worked on. These intense responses truly demonstrate Toyota’s commitment to customers.

Additionally, Toyota has begun offering lucrative incentive offers to make sure their customers continue coming back. They will sell any new car or truck to any qualified buyer by providing five-year, no interest loans; they’re providing oil changes and complete maintenance for free for the first two years; and they’re giving rebates of up to $3000 on certain models. All of these are great offers!

The actions by Toyota show that the car company is as determined as ever and should not be counted out. To learn more about what O’Brien Toyota of Urbana is doing for customers, stop in today and talk to their friendly sales staff. And if you’re in the market for a new vehicle, they have a wide variety to choose from, such as a new or preowned Prius. Champaign car shopping has never been so fun and easy!

Even though I recognize Toyota’s mistakes, I am keeping a rational perspective about the situation. All businesses make mistakes and more importantly they all learn from their mistakes. Toyota has clearly learned a lesson from this situation and is doing everything they can to restore customer’s faith in them.

The first step they’ve taken is to fix all of the vehicles that are affected by the recalls, such as the 2010 Prius. Champaign dealerships have trained all their technicians and service support personnel on how to fix the issues and have extended hours to make sure the repairs get done quickly and conveniently.

The second step Toyota has taken is to have engineers rigorously test all solutions and to make sure that no problems exist with the electronics in the vehicles. With the help of an independent firm, they’ve also conducted comprehensive safety analyses and the interim reports show very positive results.

Finally, Toyota is taking steps to make sure this doesn’t happen again. They’ve done a top to bottom review of quality controls worldwide and have hired independent safety experts to ensure quality controls meet and exceed industry standards. They are also promising to listen more closely to customers, gather information faster, respond more effectively when there’s an issue, and increase outreach to government agencies that are charged with protecting the safety of motorists and passengers. All of this is in the name of providing the highest-quality, safest, and most reliable automobiles.

It is very clear to me that Toyota knows that it has to work hard to regain customer’s trust. I know that with hard work from employees like those at your Champaign Toyota dealer, Toyota will soon be back to the car company with the highest-quality, safest, and most reliable vehicles.

Maybe it’s the fact that Toyota has vowed to make their cars environmentally-friendly and help the planet move forward in terms of sustainability. Visit your 2010 Prius Champaign dealer and you’ll know what we mean. Toyota just announced a subcompact hybrid vehicle at the Detroit Auto Show and looks forward to creating hybrids across all models in the near future. Oh, and did we mention that Consumer Reports named the Prius the #1 most fuel-efficient car, getting 55 mpg on the highway? The Toyota Camry hybrid, Yaris Base Sedan, Corolla LE and Corolla (base, manual) also ranked among the top 15 models. And the 2010 Prius was named WhatGreenCar’s Car of the Year. See your Champaign Toyota for more.

Or it could be the fact that Toyota’s are incredibly reliable. In the 2009 Annual Auto Reliability Survey put out by Consumer Reports, not one, not two, not three nor four…but FIVE, HALF of the top 10 most reliable models were Toyota vehicles. Those models were the Venza (4-cyl), Yaris Hatchback, FJ Cruiser, Prius, and 4 Runner (V6). Not a single Toyota was among the 10 least reliable cars.

Or, it could just be a matter of price. Excuse us, not just price – value. Kelley Blue Book’s 2010 Residual Value Study gave Toyota the Best Resale Value award. And the 2011 Sienna was just given a very affordable price tag. Just one more reason to stop by your Champaign Toyota to see what Toyota has to offer.

Toyota also tops Consumer Reports’ brand perception study, taking into account safety, quality, value, performance, design/style, technology/innovation, and environmental friendliness. It even tops online auto searches for 2009. One thing is for certain – Toyota customers aren’t shopping around. With decades of quality and innovation under its belt, Toyota is just getting started.

Take a 2010 Prius Champaign test drive at your Champaign Toyota dealer and find out for yourself why you still can’t top Toyota quality, affordability and fun.

Initially, due to the large number of recalled vehicles, many Toyota owners were left wondering just how many individual recalls were actually in effect. Recently, that number has jumped to three.

The first recall was initiated last year. It attributes unintended acceleration on gas pedals that can become stuck in the driver’s-side floor mat. Both Toyota and Lexus models were affected. The total number of recalled cars is more than one million. Unsure if yours is among them? Well, Toyota has removed all the guesswork and begun issuing notices to owners of these vehicles.

The notification recommends drivers remove their mats and not to replace them. Toyota plans to reconfigure the accelerator pedal so it won’t interfere with the floor mat. On certain models, the automaker will redesign the floor shape beneath the pedals.

The second recall went into effect Jan. 21 and affects around 2.3 million vehicles. This recall also concerns unintended acceleration; however, it links the cause to a faulty accelerator mechanism. Also unlike the previous one, no Lexus or Scion vehicles possess the defect. Toyota has sent letters to the owners involved in this recall as well.

In Champaign, Toyota dealer technicians are prepared to remedy the problem. They will install a stainless steel reinforcement bar into the pedal assembly. It’s designed to keep the pedal from sticking and assure that it returns into place.

Most recently, Toyota has issued a voluntary recall on the 2010 Prius. Champaign owners might have experienced an issue with the antilock break system (ABS) when it’s activated on rough or slick roads. These surfaces cause an inconsistent break feel, which can be remedied through a software update at a local Toyota dealer.

This recall applies to only the 2010 Prius model since prior editions use a different ABS system.  Therefore, for those who purchased a preowned Prius, Champaign Toyota dealers won’t likely have to administer the update.

Although a large portion of its vehicles were affected by the recalls, Toyota remains more committed than ever to providing its customers with the superior service to which they’ve grown accustomed.

That number is approximately double the previous year’s production level of 500,000 units, which accounted for nearly eight percent of the car manufacturer’s total output. The decision will likely solidify Toyota’s position as the leader in the ever-growing hybrid vehicle market and ensure that these eco-friendly cars are a must-see on the roadway for all Urbana Toyota owners.

Accompanying this increase in production is an expansion of the Prius line, which will become more diverse with the addition of a compact offering. The FT-CH concept model, unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, demonstrates how this future Prius compact might look and function.

Despite its compact size, the FT-CH rivals the current hybrid offerings at preowned Prius Champaign dealers. Losing less than an inch in overall width, the concept is lighter in weight and more fuel efficient. It will also be more affordable than 2010 Prius Champaign models. With this price reduction, Toyota can bring the hybrid experience to a younger generation and lay the foundation for a future low-emission driving experience.

However, the FT-CH is merely Toyota’s first step in growing the Prius line. In addition, 10 new hybrid models are scheduled to enter into production next year. Although yet to be unveiled, each will boast the leading hybrid technology Urbana Toyota Prius owners have come to associate with Toyota’s low-emissions vehicles.

The two-fold production increase really demonstrates the public’s growing demand for eco-friendly cars. To accommodate, Toyota has already expanded its hybrid production sites beyond Japan to include China, the United States, Thailand, and Australia. In order to reach its 2011 goal, however, the automaker plans to open more sites this upcoming year.