Archive for the ‘Camry’ Category

The coveted Top Safety Pick designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) used to be quite exclusive—and a way for safety-conscious shoppers to narrow down their possibilities to a few top-rated vehicles in a segment. But since 2007, the number of Top Safety Picks has roughly doubled each year, going from just 23 vehicles then to 94 models—a huge portion of the new-car market—for 2009.

That’s slated to change beginning with 2010, as the IIHS requires that vehicles be rated ‘good’ in its new roof strength test in order to be named a Top Safety Pick.

The result—at least so far for 2010—is that the Institute’s 94...

One week ago today, owners of eight Toyota and Lexus models got an urgent plea from the U.S. Department of Transportation, delivered via the media: Remove your driver's side floor mat immediately, and don't replace it until you've taken your car to the dealer.

With much of the coverage calling it a recall of 3.8 million vehicles,  Toyota issued a cautious statement the next day saying that it wasn't yet a recall but a "safety advisory."

Well, it's a recall now.

The company will send letters to customers before the end of the month--and it left open the possibility that the list vehicles being recalled might expand beyond those already...

When it comes to best sellers, a few names come to mind. Oprah. Clancy. And Taurus.

Sure, it's been a while since the Ford Taurus sat atop the monthly sales charts--but in its heyday in the 1990s, the Taurus had a vise grip on the slot. Introduced in 1986, the Taurus went on to be the best-selling car in America for seven years, until it was dethroned by the Toyota Camry. And then demoted further by the Honda Accord.

Today, the charts show the Camry at number one, but the Accord's catching up quickly. And there's a new Taurus coming to showrooms. Sound like a championship playoff round to you? It sounds like a car comparison to us.

By now...