What is Entune

Yesterday, October 17, 2011, I posted a question on Handy Toyota of St. Albans, Vermont’s Facebook page that asked “what do you think of the new Entune?” Though only three of the 800 plus of you out there answered the question, the results, lacking scientific merit or not, were disturbing to say the least. Here were the available answers:

1. It’s great!
2. Meh…
3. Not a fan
4. What’s that, a new planet?

Obviously sounding like Neptune, the furthest planet from the sun (or a Greek god, after whom the planet was named, if you prefer) I added that last bit as a comical way of asking what the heck Toyota’s Entune system was, but I didn’t think 100% of you would choose that answer! Again, I realize this isn’t a viable study since only three out of over 800 folks answered, but 100% is a complete answer pool regardless of the sheer quantity of submissions.

In other words, someone (yours truly) hasn’t done his job properly.

So what is Entune? Simply put, Toyota’s Entune is the next evolution of the Toyota vehicle radio. What was once a simple AM tuner grew to include the various fluctuations one finds in FM radio, which gave way to 8-track cassettes, which shrunk in size and became “tapes,” which lead to the huge information and clarity increases found in compact discs, and now finally we can plug in a 3.5 mm cord into our head units and listen to hours and gigabytes worth of digital audio. As you know that was soon followed by SiriusXM satellite radio, beaming unedited, commercial free radio from orbit into your car (and your pocket providing you have a mobile version of some sort), and the satellite radio was heightened by the touchscreen audio controls. Once again, Entune is the next evolution thereof.

However keep in mind that I keep saying it’s related to the audio – that’s really just a part of the puzzle. The Entune system, now equipped on the 2012 Toyota Camry, the upcoming 2012 Prius v, the 2012 4Runner, and soon every Toyota vehicle in VT and beyond, is actually a central hub on the up to 7-inch LCD touchscreen that connects your smartphone with your car. The obvious attractions include easier syncing between phone contacts and your hands free calling controls located on many new Toyota vehicles, but beyond that you can use the Entune application to find restaurants, directions, internet radio channels, and so much more to come!

To summarize once more, Toyota’s Entune system ports a variety of once smartphone-only applications onto a centrally located, easy to view, and perhaps most importantly safer location in your car: the head unit.

For more on Toyota Entune, send our sales team an email today and ask them why you should consider buying a new Toyota with the new system. Cars that come with Entune right now come with a free three-year trial subscription, which is quite an amount of time to see what it can do and to see how it expands. If you’d like to see a demonstration, check out the Handy Channel YouTube page which has a video as compiled by Toyota Prius experts “The Prius Chat Show.”

Chris Dugan
Handy Toyota
St. Albans, VT 05478

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More Toyota jobs, this time in Alabama

One thing that has always irked me especially ever since adorning the Toyota emblem across my chest is the whole buy American ideology.  It’s not that I’m against buying American even, but rather I dislike how it is sent towards Toyota vehicles, because the truth of the matter is that Toyota is and has been for a long while one of the most predominant American-made vehicles in the automotive industry.  In fact, this is a big part of why Handy Toyota of St. Albans, VT is so proud of every Toyota Camry we sell to our Burlington area customers, because the Toyota Camry is actually the Most American Car based on its production location, percentage of American made parts, and sheer quantity on our roads.  Take that so-called domestics.

In all seriousness I get it:  Toyota is “made” in Japan, therefore it is not a domestic.  But regardless of all the previous information, one thing is abundantly clear:  Toyota Motors USA cares about US jobs.  Literally thousands of people from across our great nation are employed by Toyota, and for that we at Handy Toyota of St. Albans, VT salute you big-T.  And today we are happy to report that Alabama has just had a new I4 engine facility opened as part of the $147 million Toyota has recently dumped into US jobs.

How many jobs, you ask?  Try a grand total of 240, which isn’t half bad.  Am I stating that Toyota’s engine plant in Alabama is going to cure the job woes of this country?  Of course not.  But between this plant and the few that opened previously, I once again tip my hat to Toyota for putting a dent in that seemingly unwavering unemployment number.

The new Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama plant is actually expanding in a sense, as the new I4 engine facility is an extension of a plant that’s been in operation for over 10 years.  This new I4 engine, used in such vehicles as the Toyota Rav4, will help the Canadian effort to push out Rav4s and the upcoming Rav4 EV, the all-electric variant that is soon to release.

Said Alabama Governor Robert Bentley:

“Now, ten years [after Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama's (TMMAL) opening, we have] made a major economic impact in this region.  TMMAL is an enduring, reliable and dedicated partner in building healthy communities in Alabama which can, in turn, strengthen our nation and our world.” -Toyota In The News, “Toyota Kicks Off I4 Engine Production In Alabama.”  toyotainthenews.com, October 13, 2011.

Finally, take a look at what these new 240 jobs will have a part in building.  Who knows… maybe they’ll be building your next engine.

• Toyota’s I4 or 4-cylinder engines produced at the TMMAL factory:

Toyota Camry

1. Toyota Camry
2. Toyota Highlander
3. Toyota Rav4
4. Toyota Sienna
5. Toyota Venza
• Toyota’s V6 and V8 engines produced at the TMMLA factory:
1. Toyota Tundra
2. Toyota Tacoma
3. Toyota Sequoia

Chris Dugan
Handy Toyota
St. Albans, VT  05478

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2012 Toyota Camry pricing (finally) revealed

We have been talking a lot about the upcoming 2012 Toyota Camry, the newly redesigned, sportier, and for lack of a better term, well, better car.  But alongside all that news one thing has been clearly missing:  pricing.  That was not a mistake but rather a purposeful omission, as Toyota Motors and Toyota Motors USA has sent out a gag order to all dealers, holding us to the promise that we would not release information until given the word “go.”

Luckily for you Camry fans out there – of which there are many – that time is now.

So without further adieu, take a look at the tentative suggested retail prices on the upcoming 2012 Toyota Camry line.

• Camry Luxury Edition – known throughout the world as THE Camry of choice, proven by the mere fact that 60% of all Toyota Camry purchases are in fact of the LE variety, the MSRP has dropped by over $200 to $22,500.Camry SE – the sporty Camry for the everyman (or woman) with a need for speed is perhaps one of the most sought after editions of the Camry ever conceived, as it conveys the perfect harmony of speed and elegance, making for a vehicle that can be driven under any circumstance.  Add one more to the pile, beause this year the price is cut by almost $1,000 to a starting price of $23,000.
• Camry XLE – if the LE in Camry LE means luxury, the X in the Camry XLE surely means extra luxury.  Featuring a 4-cylinder or V6 model, the Camry XLE with a basic engine starts at an incredibly low $24,725, an unheard of decrease year over year of $2,000!
• Camry Hybrid LE – yes, you read right!  If you are late to the 2012 Camry party, you will be happy as a lark to find out the 2012 Camry Hybrid now comes in the LE trim (as well as the XLE model), giving you more choice when your main concern is the combination of stunning vehicular design and amazing fuel economy.  The mid-grade Camry LE starts its first year at $25,900, over $1,100 below 2011′s standard Camry Hybrid model.
• Camry Hybrid XLE – the extra luxury Camry Hybrid XLE, featuring all the bells and whistles one would expect in the gasoline Camry XLE as well as 42 miles per gallon combined and 200 horsepower makes its debut at $27,400, again, $800 lower than the base/only Camry Hybrid of 2011.

Do you want more information on the 2012 Toyota Camry?  Click here to view past blogs about the Camry of tomorrow, check back with the Handy Toyota Blog for constant updates until the 2012 Camry is a common occurrence, or subscribe to our blog by clicking here for the most up to the date news.

Chris Dugan
Handy Toyota

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Another Nod for Toyota’s Eco-efforts

Way before the Prius was synonymous with the fight against emissions, gasoline costs, and so forth, Toyota Motors and their cars – a distinction that’s anything but superfluous – were known for being fuel efficient and ultra low emissions vehicles.  I owned a 1991 Toyota Camry LE when I was 16 (the year was (2000), and even with my ’91 Camry I was able to achieve 30 to 32 miles per gallon.  When you look on a sticker today, the Camry reads “22 mpg (city) / 32 mpg (hwy),” so you’re probably wondering how I can claim such a thing, right?  Keep in mind folks that these EPA estimates – with estimate being a very key word – take into account all driving methods, from lead foots to coasters, meaning you could very well get more than the “estimate.”  In the year 2000, my 1991 Camry did just that, achieving slightly higher than the norm of a current Camry LE.

I digress, the point of all this is that the Toyota brand has been all about economical cars for years, across a wide array of meanings, but for the point of today’s blog we’re talking about green reasons.  This past week, Toyota earned yet another award commending the company and their vehicles on the great work they’ve done, which of course is headlined by the Toyota Prius.

A global study performed by Interbrand, a company that researches all sorts of products the world over, found that the people, be they customer or no, find Toyota to be a leader in eco-friendly initiatives and performance.  This wasn’t a Japanese study or American study either, mind you; data was collected from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the United States, Japan, Brazil, and India.   Furthermore, in this study factors that Interbrand heard numerous times included Toyota’s dominance in the hybrid market, which combined with Lexus hybrid sales has amassed the company over 3.2 million hybrid vehicle sales since the late 1990s.

As I said to start, there is a very clear distinction to be made between Toyota Motors the company and Toyota Motors the cars.  Although much of this publicity is in fact aimed at cars and the Prius in particular, it’s important to remember the entire Toyota philosophy that is at the heart of making any of these vehicles.  Toyota’s business pyramid is completely surrounding sustainable company growth, customer satisfaction, and green manufacturing practices the world over.  And though I know you folks are much more likely to thank Toyota for the 50 miles per gallon and all the cash your Prius saves you, keep in mind all the initiatives Toyota performs behind closed doors, initiatives that have earned them Interbrand’s title of the World’s Greenest Brand.

Chris Dugan
Handy Toyota

“Not a Geezer Pleaser”

Let me start today’s blog by apologizing to the older folks reading this blog.  The title “Not a Geezer Pleaser” may seem offensive, but that’s why I wrapped it in quotes.  I didn’t make this saying up, but rather a Californian Toyota dealer said as much after seeing the redesigned 2012 Toyota Avalon.  You see the notion is that as a luxury car, older folks who are retired and have saved their pennies buy themselves a nice car, an Avalon, and hence the name.  Anyway, I apologize if it offends, but I repeat this wasn’t my intention nor my own words.

Dan Luneau, Handy’s owner and GM, mentioned to me the other day something… well, not similar I guess, but he did mention how neat the new Avalon was.  Toyota In the News has said it’s got “Jaguar or Audi A7-like lines,” whereas my GM told me it was akin to a high end Lexus or Bavarian make.  The Toyota rep that coined “geezer pleaser,” at least coined it in regards to the Avalon not being one, and Dan were both at the same Toyota dealership owners’ conference in Las Vegas, an annual event where the upcoming products are unveiled.

I’m rambling a bit, but needless to say the car impressed everyone.  Holding true to the 3.5L V6, optional all-wheel drive, and all the bells and whistles that separates it from a Camry, the new Avalon is striking at the heart of the competition with a new design scheme that looks, as stated, like an luxury import (which it is, although hasn’t been taken as such in the past).

Keep tuned for more on the upcoming 2012 Avalon, which isn’t due in dealerships until fall of the same year.

Chris Dugan
Handy Toyota

The Prius Reclaims Its Thrown

As some of you may know, the recent earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan caused a problem for many Toyota dealers in VT and indeed the world.  Although Toyota vehicles made in North America such as the Tundra, Tacoma, Camry, and Corolla have been fairly accessible, one vehicle in particular is darn near impossible to find and conversely highly demanded:  the Toyota Prius.  Luckily for Handy Toyota our sales managers stocked up on quite a few models to allow us some breathing room as Toyota dealers and keep our customers in the Toyota cars they desire, but again around the country Prii are hard to come by.

What’s my point, you ask?  Astonishingly the Toyota Prius is still the highest selling hybrid for the month of June 2011!  In April only 4,876 Prius hybrids were sold, making it perhaps one of the lowest selling months in the vehicle’s history, or at least its popular history (in other words not counting the early years before the craze took hold of the global populace).  In comparison this is a 40% decline of sales in March, a month that was considered a flop in its own right.

As I said, however, June was a stellar month for Toyota’s flagship hybrid vehicle, earning a whopping sales number of 19,429 units.  With the state of inventory these days, I seriously don’t know how this was possible, but it seems there are other Toyota dealers out there that made the same call as Handy’s and kept stocking Prii anyways in the dire months of March and April when the hybrids in question were not selling.

But alas, fear not, as July was the first date Toyota has stated production of all vehicles will hit 90% with an anticipated return to full production levels by September.  For more on the availability of the Toyota Prius, check out our inventory by clicking here or simply fill out an online contact form.  You can also call our Internet Sales Consultants at 888-352-5749 extension 35 for details.

Chris Dugan
Handy Toyota
cdugan@handycars.com

There Can Be Only One

As many of you are probably aware, the go-to name in safety ratings is generally the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an organization you’re most likely more familiar with by the IIHS.  What you mightn’t know however is that for the 2011 model year the IIHS changed the way it ranks vehicles, particularly in the rollover crash test.  The rollover crash test is usually a pretty safe pass for a lot of passenger cars like the Corolla, Camry, or Matrix, as these vehicles not only do well in the test itself but due to their design have a low center of gravity and thus less chance of rolling over than, for example, a more rounded vehicle like a minivan (meaning the Sienna, which gets crazy high scores in its own right).

Another vehicle that by its very nature does not have the low center of gravity of a sedan or small hatchback is a full sized truck, i.e. the Tundra.  Similar to when we speak about fuel economy, the Tundra isn’t meant to fit in this bracket; because it’s a full sized truck, made for working, hauling, etc., there’s no way it could be the size of a Matrix–that much is obvious to anyone.  But what isn’t obvious is the rollover crash test scores that the 2011 Toyota Tundra earned for this year, and that is a remarkable statistic.

In short, the IIHS only named one full sized truck a Top Safety Pick:  the Toyota Tundra.  Even with raised qualifications, the Toyota Tundra passed the bar and looked back with a smirk as the competition sat in its dust, weeping.  I’ll repeat myself here:  no other truck got a Top Safety Pick as per the IIHS.

So where does that leave us?  Best in class power, best in class towing and hauling capabilities, best in class durability, best in class safety, and best in class resale value.  I’d say it’s hands down the “best in class,” wouldn’t you?  To those of us who drive a Tundra every day–be it you as an owner or me as a Toyota car peddler–we know that the Tundra’s best in class; heck, the handling and ride alone could rival some of the sedans in today’s marketplace! 

If you don’t get to drive a Tundra often or at all, you’re in luck, because Handy Toyota has a huge quantity of Tundra trucks of all different models from the 4.6-liter V8 if you don’t need the total power package and want to save a bit of fuel or the 5.7L V8 Tundra Platinum with more options than a luxury sedan and everything in between.  We also have two customized Toyota Tundra trucks sitting on our lot at this very moment:  the 2011 Toyota Tundra custom TRD Off-Road package and the 2011 Tundra custom Texas Ranger Edition, either one of which would make a surefire statement that you rule the road (not to mention the lovely little fact that nobody has the same truck as you!).

 

Whichever Tundra trim and model you pick you’re sure to enjoy, and you’ll really enjoy the available 0% APR financing for up to 60 months or up to $2,500 Toyota Customer CashHandy’s is offering right now as well (through July 5, 2011).  So come on in and see us quickly, because even though we have a ton of different configurations available most of the time, this great finance or cash incentive won’t stick around much longer.  Click here to send us an email now, call us at 888-352-5749, come and see us at 39 South Main Street in St. Albans, VT, or click here to view our Tundra inventory.

Chris Dugan
Handy Toyota
cdugan@handycars.com

A Summer Time Blog

The trip to Staten Island in New York City went better than I expected this past week, and even the flight gave us nothing to complain about.  Not being a flier by desire and seeing a prop jet at our gate waiting to be boarded could have been a sour note, but alas the flight was great; some minor turbulence on the trip to the New Jersey airport was a downside, but coming home went very well.

Staying with longtime friends and formally meeting and spending time with their families was a great time.  Our Saturday trip to Monmouth Race Track in New Jersey was a good time as well.  We hit every race and the Pic 4 and Pic 5, and as an added benefit the food at all these venues was delicious.

Toyota Motors has begun the arduous process of getting back into the normal swing of things after the disaster in Japan, and this month we received a better than expected amount of new Toyota vehicles.  The new Toyota specials, which you can view by clicking here, are very competitive to say the least.  In other words if you’ve been thinking about buying a new Toyota car, truck, SUV, or minivan, now is a very good time.  Some of the best deals from our point of view on the 2010 Toyota Matrix and from a corporate point of view the 2011 Toyota Highlanders and 2011 Toyota Tundras also have some amazing deals available.  The Toyota Camry has returned to available 0% financing for qualified buyers for up to 60 months, and best of all Handy’s has a good supply on most Toyota vehicles with financing specials or lease specials (click here to view all of our special incentives).

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are setting the stage for yet another classic September battle in the Major League Baseball 2011 season, and both teams have a couple of rough spots in their respective lineups.  I am sure a couple of well placed dollars can buy a cure.

Though baseball always hails summer’s arrival, the bad news is that in just 19 short days the hours of daylight will begin to shorten, so enjoy summer while it is here.  I had my first corn on the cob on Sunday, and boy was it was good.

I will be back in a week.

Tom “the Blogmeister” Young
Handy Toyota
tyoung@handycars.com

Toyota Earns the Number One Spot in a New Arena

You can’t engage in a Google search that houses the words “Toyota news” without coming up with “something-something #1″ in the results category.  And why not?  Toyota’s actual sale slogan for this month is “#1 For a Reason,” that reason being the number one rated brand in automotive consumer sales in 2010, and Toyota Motors and the vehicles belonging to the namesake constantly earn number one spots for safety, resale value, low cost of ownership, gas mileage, and overall value by class.

But today Toyota was named number one in a new arena:  supplier relations.  When one considers the recent disaster in Japan, however, the likelihood of Toyota earning this distinction becomes clearer as they were in desperate need of Toyota parts generally manufactured in the demolished island country of Japan and they came out of it with flying colors.  As I reported last week, Toyota is already back up to 70% of its previous total manufacturing numbers thanks to the efforts of the North American Toyota car, truck, SUV, and minivan plants, and by the end of June seven of the most popular vehicles including the Camry and Corolla will already be back up to full capacity.

According to Planning Perspectives, a Birmingham, Alabama research facility, Toyota probably would have ranked even higher had it not been for the overblown “sudden acceleration” issue that plagued Toyota’s good name throughout this and last year.  Even so, Toyota blew second place finisher Honda out of the water by a score of 327 to 309.

“Suppliers constantly say [Toyota Motors] provide[s] the best people and the best support to those companies that are most trusting–just as you do more for friends you trust than those you don’t,” said John Henke, Jr., president of Planning Perspectives.  Henke went on to explain how Planning Perspectives scores each automaker on the aspect of trust in parts, stating that his company takes into account many factors such as overall trust levels, communication between companies and the ease or amount thereof, and even items such as price cuts for certain, large purchases (view the image on the left to see the score sheet of Toyota and competing companies).

When all is said and done it doesn’t mean much for you, the customer, or does it?  Consider this:  when you need Toyota parts or even a brand new Toyota car, don’t you want to know that your purchase is readily available?  Well rest assured that thanks to Toyota Motors’ high standing with its part makers and distributors you shouldn’t have a problem.

Chris Dugan
Handy Toyota
cdugan@handycars.com

[Image Source:  Planning Perspectives' "Automotive Parts Supply & Customer Relations" Study, courtesy of The Detroit Free Press.]

I Reiterate: Toyota = American

For something like twelve months I’ve been desperately trying to convey this one simple fact: the stigma that Toyota is an “import” is wrong. I’m not discrediting the fact that Toyota Motors and their excellent Toyota cars, trucks, and SUVs are Japanese in origin, but the time when Toyota equals un-American is over. The biggest inclination of this of course would be CNN’s “Most American Cars” list, which you can see by clicking here, an article in which CNN described a list of ten vehicles that are “most American” by its makeup of parts, literal composition as in putting the vehicle together, and sheer volume in the United States. A I’ve said many a time, the Toyota Camry was number one, the Toyota Tundra truck was number eight, and the Swagger Wagon, the Toyota Sienna, was number ten. And though the Toyota Tacoma didn’t make the cut, I suspect it wasn’t far behind the number ten spot: 80% of the parts are put together in the newly designated Toyota Truck-land, San Antonio, Texas. Come on folks: it doesn’t get much more “American” than San Antonio, TX!

Well Toyota’s Americanism has reached another milestone in yet another breadbasket of our great country, this time in the land of country how-do-ya-do’s, Kentucky. The year was 1976, and America was in the middle of an arms race with Russia, the economy was in full swing in the pre-Reagan but well past World War II boom, and things were looking good. The college town of Georgetown, KY, already doing well one would suppose because of the school, decided it was ready to take a step forward and open an automotive powerhouse. Who do you suppose they chose? (Well of course you know as this is Handy Toyota’s blog, but suspend your disbelief for a moment or just skip to paragraph three.) Ford? No. Chrysler? Nah. Peugeot? Yeah, right. No my friends, they chose Toyota, and in came the as of now most American car company there is.

Today, Kentucky is the number three automotive giant in the United States thanks in part to the Toyota plant in question, closely following Ohio and Michigan, the latter of course being the Mecca of the U.S. automotive industry. “I don’t think any of us realized the impact on communities all over the state,” said Larry Hayes, Kentucky’s economic development secretary of the countless jobs the Toyota plant has allowed for, including over 100 automotive part suppliers in the state. Rick Hesterberg, a spokesman for Toyota, followed this up by saying “we consider suppliers to be our business partners, because they are so integral to the quality of our vehicles and the satisfaction of our customers.”*

So I’ll say it for the tenth or perhaps twentieth time, although certainly not the last: when you think Toyota, you must remove that negative, non-American connection, because the truth of the matter is that Toyota Motors, Toyota vehicles, Toyota parts, and Toyota service keep a pretty hefty chunk of our nation working. And as far as this lowly writer’s concerned, having a good, well-paying job is what it means to be American and the definitive property of the American dream.

Chris Dugan
Handy Toyota
cdugan@handycars.com

*Quotes Source: Toyota In The News, “Toyota Celebrates 25 Years In Kentucky.” toyotainthenews.com, May 5, 2011.