Safety Applications

We want your trip behind the wheel of a new or used Camry Champaign residents can purchase at our store to be convenient but safe at the utmost of importance.  The use of Entune reinforces this.  First off, it can be used via a voice recognition system, so a driver can access the features offered by Entune by keeping their hands on the wheel and attention on the roadway.  Moreover, Entune is designed to work in conjunction with Toyota’s Safety  Connect, which offers a driver several safety features such as Emergency/Roadside Assistance, aid in locating a stolen vehicle, and collision notification.  The Safety Connect system will most likely have the ability to be accessed via Entune.  This could help bring aid much quicker in an emergency or safety compromising situation that we hope never happens.

Entertainment Usage

Toyota’s Entune system will also be partnering with several websites to provide you with all the tools you need for an eventful day or evening out.  Some of the services working with the app will include the following:

• Bing:  providing navigation to million of places you might want to visit
• Open Table:  a service that easily allows you to make a dinner reservation.  No more going back and forth on where to eat!
• MovieTickets.com
• Traffic, Sports, Weather, and Traffic information given in real time for a more stress-free travel experience
• Access to a plethora of music via Pandora, XM Radio, HD radio, and  USB connection for portable music players

Entune should no doubt be a bit hit for mobile users who proudly drive a Toyota model purchased from their favorite Champaign used car dealer!

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.

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.

Let’s start with the basics of both vehicles – each is a four-door sedan with seating and storage for five but the Camry has 15-cubic feet of space, a shade more than the Accord. With the way my wife and kids travel, I know I need all the space I can get so I always choose the vehicle with more cargo room.

Moving on to performance, the sedans are closely matched. The Camry runs on a 179 horsepower 2.5-liter inline four or a 268 horsepower 3.5-liter V6 with the choice of a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. These powertrains help the Camry sneak ahead of the Accord for fuel economy, earning 19-22 mpg in the city and 28-33 mpg on the highway. So whether you’re driving the city streets in between business meetings or traveling the country on your family’s next vacation, the Camry will save you money at the pump.

What’s equally as important as the equipment under the hood is the equipment inside the cabin and the Camry and Accord both have exciting technology to fill this role. For an entry level model, speed-proportionate power steering and a CD player come standard in both while higher-end models come equipped with a 6-CD changer, audio upgrades, dual-zone climate control, a sunroof, and navigation. One feature the Camry can boast about is the 440-watt 8-speaker JBL audio system, which provides better sound quality than the Accord’s model. This is something I know will come in handy when we’re on a road trip and I need to drown out my kid’s never-ending cries of “Are we there yet?”

When it comes to buying a car for my family, safety is a top-priority – as I’m sure it is for everyone reading this. Both vehicles are safe thanks to airbags, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with brake assist, and stability control. However, Five-Star ratings in all of the NHSTA tests put the Camry above the Accord and make it the safer choice.

As if all of that wasn’t enough, the Camry’s price tag and cost of ownership drive the point home. My family is on a tight budget and every dollar counts so with the Camry’s five-year cost of ownership at $33,194, a figure lower than the Accord’s, it would be hard not to choose the Camry.

So if you’re in the market for a family sedan, I strongly recommend the Toyota Camry! Urbana dealers have a great selection of Camry’s to choose from – visit them today and see for yourself. Whether you’d be interested in a new or used Camry, Champaign car dealer, O’Brien Urbana Toyota, has just the car for you!

There have been rumors for a long time about the Toyota Prius minivan, but now Toyota is a lot closer to developments than ever before. The Prius seems to be expanding its fleet with its new Prius Plug-in Hybrid and the emerging hatchback Prius that is supposedly going to be launched sometime in 2011. Check in with your local Champaign Toyota dealerships for information on the Plug-in Hybrid Prius.

The Nikkei newspaper were the first to report that Toyota will begin producing a hybrid minivan, which should be expected in 2011 making itself the first Toyota production vehicle equipped with a lithium-ion battery pack developed in house. The Prius minivan will seat seven and will market itself towards the family oriented buyer.

An early price quote was said to be around $25,000, but this price could fluctuate depending on the economic situation in 2011. Considering there are very few other automotive companies pursuing hybrid minivans it will be very likely that the Prius minvan will become the first ever hybrid minivan available in the United States. This is a commodity that the public has shown interest in for a long time, being able to haul around seven people in a car with a decent fuel economy is something important to most Americans.

It was also confirmed that the minivan will use the lithium-ion batteries, which would be a first for a non-plug-in Toyota model. The lithium ion battery pack has a three-row battery situation and utilizes its core battery as the only source to provide an all-electric option. Once this all-electric battery source is depleted it will activate a second back up battery and following its depletion the system will resort back to the traditional Prius functionality.

Check out your local used Camry Champaign dealerships for information on Toyota’s best selling minivan, the Sienna, and news on the upcoming Prius minivan.

Toyota has asked president of ABC News David Westin to retract and issue an apology for an unfairly reported story by ABC news reporter Brian Ross.

Ross’ report centered on a test conducted by an Illinois professor David Gilbert, which claimed to figure out a way to induce an unintentional acceleration in Toyotas without the triggering of an error code, which would permit the mechanics of the Toyota to diagnose the problem. Gilberts test was intended to show that it is theoretically possible for Toyotas to accelerate without command while failing to show signs of doing so afterwards. Videos like this are the reason why sales at a used Camry Champaign dealership might have spiraled downwards following the recalls.

During the report there is a scene where Ross is driving a Toyota and there is a cut scene that shows an unintended acceleration via a tachometer as it acts uncharacteristically. The video clip of the tachometer was actually filmed while the car was stationary and parked, but the editing team threw it into the scene seamlessly creating the effect as if the tachometer was in fact surging.

After the video was aired, there was concern about its validity and the online news version was eventually reedited to be truthful.

This was not the only aspect of the news story that turned out to be false. When Gilbert conducted the test on the Toyota he had previously reconfigured and rewired the vehicle to respond the way he wanted it to. Gilbert rewired the Toyota to accelerate without command and without generating the error code, which can be done on several other cars including Honda, Subaru, Chevrolet and Ford. The rewiring of the car to gain unfavorable responses was not something unique to Toyota.

None of this was revealed in the aired version of the report. Test drive a Camry for yourself at your local preowned Prius Champaign dealership.

Sports world, meet Toyota.  The automaker was at the top of the car market and feasting like a king.  As we all know, the recalls hit and the once peaceful kingdom of Toyota found itself in the middle of a catastrophic battle.  And now, just like all past “greats,” Toyota has mounted its comeback.  May I recommend all lesser players stand back?

On March 1st, Toyota joined in the Madness.  Our Champaign Toyota dealer announced zero percent financing for up to sixty months, subsidized leases, and free maintenance incentives for up to two years, thanks to a statement made by Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A.   After just the first eight days of March, Toyota sales were dominating with a fifty percent increase from the previous month.  That’s equivalent to a 20-0 run to start the first half. 

And don’t think Toyota, or our Champaign Toyota dealer, O’Brien Toyota of Urbana, stopped there.  Toyota finished the month with an increase in sales of 30 percent from a year ago.  One break out star has been the Toyota RAV4.  The versatile man car in the middle came through big for the automaker selling over 22,000 units in March.  In addition, all used Camry Champaign drivers should consider substituting their worn out model for the incoming star, the 2010 Camry, which can purchased as a hybrid.

So with this all star line up back and playing at their best, coach and Toyota U.S.A. leader Jim Lentz said ““Our loyal customers are coming back. The challenge is going to be attracting conquest buyers. They are going to come back. It will not be weeks. It will be measured in months, hopefully not years.”   But Toyota is doing the only thing a champion can do to gain back their first place position: take it one game at a time.

The 2011 Toyota Sienna has so many great features it’s hard to know where to start! Imagine a day when our kids aren’t getting along or they’re just plain driving you nuts but you have errands to run and you have to take them with you (we all know we’ve been there!). The 2011 Sienna has just the solution: its dual headrest Rear Seat Entertainment System. It will keep your kids entertained and quiet by letting them watch movies, play video games or even listen to music. There’s no better way to run errands than with quiet kids!

Other features that will prove useful for on-the-go moms like myself include an optional sliding second row with lounge seating and a Smart Key System with a push button start. There is also a back up camera with 180º view, which I’ll be honest, will come in very handy for me!

Starting at $25,500, the 2011 will be offered in five trims – base, LE, SE, XLE, and Limited. It will use either a 3.5 liter, V6, 266 horsepower engine or a 2.7 liter four cylinder that gets 187 horsepower. Either engine option is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. For the first time, Sienna drivers will get electric power steering instead of hydraulic power steering that was used in the previous models. This should deliver a more solid direct on-road feel.

The Toyota Sienna is the perfect choice for the on-the-go family. Visit your Champaign Toyota dealer today and the friendly sales staff can tell you even more about this outstanding vehicle. If you’re in the market for a smaller car, they can also offer you a great deal on a used Camry. Champaign Toyota dealer has the perfect car to meet anyone’s need!