Handy Toyota

After a much needed hiatus from the blogosphere I am back to the drawing board, or writing pad as it were. So much has happened since the last time I blogged that I will have to be selective in what I write about or it could turn into an epic of Homerian quantity.

Let’s start with the big deals. I am proud to announce that I am now a five-time grandfather! The baby, Payton, is my third granddaughter and blessed my life on January 8 of 2012. Weighing in at a healthy 7.5 pounds, she and her mother, Erin, will be up in Vermont for a visit in March.

In lesser personal news but perhaps equally heavy to the world at large, maybe we should discuss the recent Carnival Cruiseline accident in Italy. As you might know I’m an annual cruiser, and as such many people have asked how I feel about cruising since the horrifying incident. I have cruised on Carnivals enormous ships several times with little disdain for the actual voyage, but having witnessed two catastrophes – and yes, to those involved, the surrounding public, and Carnival as a business it’s nothing short of that – I have to say it’s been eye-opening.

Having said that, 21 people died recently in a terrible, mulit-car pileup in Florida recently and, no, I not start walking to work. I have considered this very thing since the last of many questions surrounding the Italian cruise’s fate, so I guess I still see cruising is a pretty safe means of transportation. It’s important to note that I’ve never been strip searched, delayed seemingly without end, nor have I been cursed with an overnight (or extended) stay in port due to weather delays or cancellations of another reason.

Flying? Well, I won’t fly unless the almighty hand of Thor renders all other means useless or improbable.

My third big piece of news only comes as a good bit to you food critics out there: since my last blog Vermont opened its first 5 Guys Fries and Burgers and just as I had heard previous to trying the eatery I must say the processes, food, and overall service is exceptional. Price is a bit on the high side, however, but my party over ordered now that I look back. My hope is that someday we’ll be able to purchase a Yingling to go with my 5 GUYS burger… hey, you never know.

My Super Bowl prediction, though sadly not posted by Chris, our blog publisher, in time to remain credible, was a bold statement indeed: the New York Giants are playing too well to lose. I don’t think the New England Patriots’ defense can stop Big Blue, and short of playing the game of the year the NFC, e.g. the Giants, who have all the talent in the world, will be bringing home the trophy.

For my own Super Bowl part, food was centered on the always-delicious Nathan’s Hot Dogs in honor of the Giants and a linguine in clam sauce to honor the Patriots. It’s too bad the Philadelphia Eagles weren’t in the game because, honestly, I’ve developed a “Best Ever” Philly cheese steak and Philly cheese steak dip. Much to my chagrin this isn’t going to suffice for the teams in question.

As you know on this 46-degree day, weather has been a good. I don’t ski or ice fish, though, so if I did I’d likely be cursing Mother Nature. So far here at Handy Toyota of St. Albans, Vermont we have yet to move the entire lot for plowing. I would venture a guess that this has never occurred over an entire winter but… well, I think I just sensed a nor’easter coming on!

That will be all for this week’s blog, but hopefully you enjoyed the romp through my weeks of absence and will be back for another next week.

Tom “the Blogmeister” Young
Handy Toyota
St. Albans, VT 05478

Truth be told, it’s not really that difficult to stay on the road in Vermont during the blustery winter time. Sure, unforeseen things such as black ice, sudden, violent snowstorms, and natural disasters the likes of the ice storm of the mid 1990s can make all the preparation in the world for naught, but with a little pre-planning and added caution, just about any winter driving accident can be avoided.

Since we’re in February in VT here at Handy Toyota of St. Albans and it has historically been one of the coldest months of the year here (though, and forgive me for jinxing it, this year’s been mild compared to others), we thought we would give you a winter driver’s safety tip blog to get you through to March and April when the (oh-so-looked-forward-to) thaw finally arrives with the birds and luscious green foliage.

For more on winter driving, be sure to check out Handy Toyota’s Winter Car Care Guide from earlier in the winter (please note some of these tips could overlap; that just means they’re good tips!) for a refresher on any of the content we discussed. If you think you need a tune up or some such, schedule a service appointment with our Toyota service and car repair technicians or send them an email today. You can also check out our winter tire menu sizes, pricing, and order forms if you think a little extra grip will make the difference you require.

Part 1 | Prepare

Snow tires

Most people think snow tires are a must for winter driving. The truth of the matter is it depends on where you will be driving. Not only do you need to ask yourself this vital question, but what about the value of sound and comfort to your drive? A set of Cooper Discoverer Mud and Snow tires will do wonders to those of you bombing along the trails (or haphazardly driving around city streets, if that sounds like you), however some of us can get away with a simple set of Cooper all-season tires.

Contact your Handy Toyota service and car repair technician or master parts manager Ray Quilliam to get give an example of where you drive, how you drive, and what you want to be able to do throughout the winter. Our service and parts team will gladly explain the advantages of each tire.

Get your car serviced and perform routine maintenance

One of the biggest things that will kill a car is poor maintenance. It isn’t even just the obvious like having no oil in the engine; bad struts can kill tires, dirty gas filters suck down fuel efficiency, and gross air filters cause lowered fuel economy coupled with the potential, in serious cases, to damage our health!

But aside from all the loss of fuel economy (and money) and such, a properly maintained car is more likely to get you from point A to point B in the winter time – and that’s priceless. Check out our service menu composed of small car service, small SUV/small truck service, and large SUV/large truck service options as well as service intervals A, B, and C. To find out where you fit within the grand scheme of vehicular optimization, contact us today.

Keep your gas tank full

Imagine getting stuck in a snow bank during a 30-degree below zero snowstorm. You cannot move the vehicle, that much is certain, and luckily you brought a mini-survival kit (like blankets, maybe some road flares, etc.), and you’ve accepted the fact that you’ll be here for a couple hours. You turn the car on to stay warm, and notice the gas light is on! Oh S#*&!

Don’t let this happen to you. Always keep your gas tank above a quarter tank at the lowest point. In fact, I personally fill mine at a half tank (not only does it fill quicker and keep me from standing at the pump, freezing, it feels better on my wallet!). Anything under a quarter tank not only keeps you from being able to keep the car running in an emergency but can allow the gasoline to freeze in the gas lines and other internal automotive components.

If you really want to be safe, stop by the Handy Toyota parts and service counter and pick up a few-dollar-bottle of IsoHeet or whatever brand of gasoline anti-water/anti-freeze we have available. This will absorb any water that may have accumulated in your gas tank and keeps it flowing freely throughout the gas lines, ultimately preventing a low gasoline-freeze situation.

Dress for winter driving

It might sound silly at first, but a lot of accidents are caused because of overdressed drivers. Heavy, thick coats restrict movement, especially in the neck area, and heavy boots restrict your overall foot sensation, i.e. the gas pedal.

We’re not saying don’t dress warm – but when you can, dress warm and light. Keep a set of heavy boots, pants, and a coat if need be in your passenger seat, in the back, or something along these lines. Allowing yourself to move around freely, turn your head properly, and feel the gas pedal (along with the road’s bumps and tells) is tantamount to making it out and home safely in the winter.

Keep a winter driving kit… always

We’ve discussed this in previous blogs and mentioned it briefly above, but it’s really, really important: keep a “just in case” cache in your trunk at all times. From a first aid kit to warm blankets, jumper cables and tow straps, to road flares, batteries, water for drink, and even some sand, salt, and chains, the more prepared you are FOR the accident the more prepared you’ll be at the time of the accident.

Always, always, ALWAYS plan ahead!

Part 2 | Drive Safe

Ice covered snow tips

Don’t you hate when you see black ice coming or, worse, when you don?t? What about the ice that seems to be slipperiest when it’s covered in a light dusting of snow? Truth is, any time you can avoid driving on ice, the better off you’ll be. We aren’t saying veer into oncoming traffic to avoid a frozen puddle, but whenever possible keep to the snow. Ice is unpredictable, and not even the most rigorously tested, studded snow tires can keep you perfectly gripped to the icy roads.

Keep an eye on your car’s thermometer

Every car in today’s world has a thermometer somewhere, usually around the center dashboard or the rear view mirror. Keep a very keen eye on that thermometer!

As you know, water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, right? But what happens at 33 or 31? What actually happens at 32 is kind of a flip of the coin; since most thermometers aren’t sensitive enough to show 32.1 versus 31.9 degrees, a good rule of thumb is to plan on dangerous roads from 28 to 34 degrees. At 34 degrees you’ll likely see some melting on the top layer, but that melted snow/ice just acts as a lubricant for the danger that lurks below. Similarly at 28 degrees the melted snow/ice or wetness can just be freezing again, so be wary of this temperature range.

Test your tires… when it’s safe

You know those moments of Zen when you’re driving in a messy winter storm and there is nobody around? One of those times when it’s not super dangerous but you can still take it nice and slow because you’re all alone on the road? This is a great time to see what your tires are made of.

Keep in mind we are not advocating donuts, whipping the tail end around, or testing out the traction control on your car. But it IS a good time to go 5 or 10 miles per hour (pending safety) and jam on the brakes. Try this a couple times and see when you slide to get a feel for where that breaking point is between safe stopping and simply sliding. Knowing this threshold will also save you from an accident in many dangerous situations.

Drive gently
Regardless of what else you do, accelerate and decelerate slowly. Not only will this keep you safe but it will ensure that you can actually get where you need to go. At a hill, don’t hit the gas and hope for the best; accelerate smoothly and you’ll not slide a bit pending horrible conditions.

The same applies when you need to slow down, and this is where the brake testing from the previous item comes into play. It’s never a good idea to jam on your brakes, but luckily today’s cars will override this very natural reaction with smart braking and ABS controls to evenly stop you better. If you need to slow down and even the slightest tap of the brakes makes you slide, try shifting to a lower gear (either when downshifting a manual or shifting into D3 and D2 with an auto transmission). What this does is make your engine work harder to drive the same speed, and since these transmissions aren’t meant for high rates of speed they will effectively slow down your car… without stopping your tires like the brakes will.

Getting out of deep snow

The worst mistake people make when attempting to get out of snow is gunning the gas. Once your tires start spinning you’re not only digging into the snow but melting the snow and making it nice and icy underneath!

Instead, rock the car gently back and forth by tapping the gas and letting go… tapping the gas and letting go… and continue. Eventually your car will build momentum and pop out of the snow in a simple case of being stuck. You can also pack quick dry or “Speedy Dry,” kitty litter, sand, salt, and chains, and I’ve actually used my floor mats to gain traction… although that killed the floor mats.

And remember: if you’re in a ditch or really buried just call a tow truck. It’s not worth making it worse, freezing all night, and/or possibly damaging your car to save the $100 tow fee. Seriously, folks, we know the tow fee stinks, but repairing a car is costly too!

For more on our winter driving tips to success, email us today and ask us about whatever is on your mind. You can also get your car prepped for winter at our Toyota-certified service center, view our service menu, view our tire menu, or get the winter gunk off your vehicle with a professional car wash and detail service.

Chris Dugan

Handy Toyota

St. Albans, VT 05478

After months of speculation, the Prii, meaning a four-car family of Prius hybrid vehicles, are finally getting let out of the gates. A couple of weeks ago we broke the news in our blog “The Prius v arrives to Handy Toyota” that we had finally received our first Prius v, the first new member of the Prius family that gets up to 44 mpg in the city while increasing the cabin area by 58%, and those of you who subscribe to our blog might have read our blog about the Prius Plug-in test drive blog, in which I explained my thoughts after having been given the chance by Toyota Motors to take a short, two-mile jaunt in the new plug-in hybrid vehicle. So considering the current original Prius is obviously already on the lot that leaves just one more of the Prii: the Prius c.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Toyota Prius c (not to mention anyone getting confused by all the letters and Roman numerals being utilized), the Prius c is basically a compact version of the Prius. This is an exciting prospect to folks that live in a tightly packed city Boston, MA with its absurdly out of date, narrow streets, a highly populated and congested area like New York City or Washington, D.C., or even commuter neighborhoods like Burlington, VT. Not only does the smaller size of the Prius c as shown in the image above make for a great new Toyota vehicle to purchase in Burlington, but it also has a sportier feel due to the small size, great fuel economy, and today Toyota announced very likely the smallest price tag of the bunch.

In a press release issued earlier today, Toyota Motors announced that the latest version of its still-mid-concept Prius c hybrid vehicle is going to get upwards of 50 mpg in the city. Though no suggested retail price of any kind has been issued, this could mean the Prius c will start in the $20,000 range, perhaps even plus or minus a thousand dollars or so (keep in mind this last bit is my personal speculation, not a confirmation of any sort otherwise).

Additional features of the Prius c will include, as USAToday.com reports, “an unexpected level of convenience, capability, and technology.” This includes Bluetooth phone connectivity, steering wheel-mounted audio and phone controls, an impressive nine airbags (where do they put them all?!), and very likely Toyota’s new Entune infotainment head unit.

For more on the Prius c, check back with the Handy Toyota blog in January 2012 when the new, compact version of the Prius hybrid vehicle is released in showroom form at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Chris Dugan
Handy Toyota
St. Albans, VT 05478

For at least 12 months, the Handy Toyota blog you know and love so much has been throwing new versions of the Prius, dubbed the Prii family, down your throat.  The Prius 5, the Prius v, the Prius c, and of course the Prius Plug-in are generally about 10% of what our staff, by which I mean me mostly, blog about.  And why not?  The next evolution of the world’s favorite, most loved, and best received hybrid vehicle?  Who wearing a Toyota emblem on their breast wouldn’t be jazzed about such an occasion?

But along with all these blogs one thing has surely become abundantly clear to you folks:  it’s all conjecture.  Will it work, how does it work, what’s the mileage, what kind of cost are we looking at are all questions we know you’ve pondered or asked aloud whilst in our St. Albans, VT Toyota dealership, and today I’m happy to tell you I have some firsthand knowledge that may answer some burning questions.

For the better of the week ending Sunday, November 6, 2011, Toyota Motors hosted a “Ride and Drive” event at the University Mall on Dorset Street in South Burlington, VT, giving folks the chance to not only ride in a Prius Plug-in but, as the name implies, drive one (assuming you have a clean, valid driver’s license and are willing to sign a liability form).  Strictly playing consumer for the day I did just that.

I reiterate:  I did not attend the Ride and Drive as a Toyota employee.  I was treated the same as any other attendee would be, so I am only divulging non-privileged information.  With that said, here are a few features I think you’re going to love.

Green leather
This probably sounds like a pretty flagrant use of an oxymoron, doesn’t it?  Well that’s what I thought at first too.  It turns out, Toyota’s eco-friendly and/or green consciousness doesn’t end with the amazing Hybrid Synergy Drive platform anymore.  Adding to superlative green initiatives like the Prius v’s use of the new GreenEdge sound system from JBL, Toyota has manufactured a new form of “leather” seating that isn’t real leather at all.

Now before you say it, no it is not pleather, which for those of you who don’t know is a cheap, fake type of material that feels and looks similar to leather.  The green leather Toyota has fabricated is a whole new material that actually has a supple, almost squishy or stretchy feel to it while retaining the nice leather feel.  As it was put to me, “no cows were hurt to make this ‘leather.’”  So vegans, vegetarians, strict Buddhists, Hindus, animal lovers, or any other group that abhors the endangerment of animals for which I’m ignorant:  rejoice.  You can now have leather without feeling guilty or breaking a single rule.

EV, Normal, and Power modes
We have gone over this in previous blogs, and in fact this feature is being used in the all new Prius v.  Using these three modes, you can effectively choose the way you want your Prius Plug-in to operate.

Coming up on a steep hill a mile ahead?  Hit the Power mode to fire up the gasoline engine to gain a little speed (all the while keeping in the Prius-like high 40-mpg range).  Doing some simple, city driving?  Make sure you’re in EV mode and you won’t use a drop of gasoline for 13 or more miles.  Finally, normal mode basically operates like a current generation Prius, the only difference being that this still is an EV.  As such, a Normal mode driver will benefit from exemplary regenerative braking, electric engine driving when driving under 25 miles per hour, gasoline engine-powered battery recharge, and essentially get the best of both worlds.

Luminescent readouts on the windshield
For those of you who shop for new cars on our sister website, handychevy.com, you may have noticed that many Camaro models come with a luminescent speedometer and tachometer.  If you have never seen this gadget it’s basically an LED projection onto your windshield that shows your speed digitally.  This is a great tool for keeping one’s eyes on the road at all times, but it serves and even greater  purpose for new Prius owners who may not be used to the Prius’ speedometer location in the center console.

So what else is so neat about this?  Well in and of itself it’s pretty excellent, but the Prius Plug-in takes this a step further and adds in navigation and battery power projections.  When equipped, this means you can now take your eyes off the road for two less reasons altogether – and these three reasons are pretty much the only reason you ever need to!  Navigating down an unknown road and while waiting for a left turn to approach on the map usually equates to staring at the LCD screen every couple of minutes, but this alleviates that issue.  On top of speed and navigation information, the projection also gives indicators as to how well you are maximizing the EV’s battery power via an abbreviated “flow of energy” display many Prius vehicles have had for years.

As an added bonus, this luminescent speedometer and battery meter is slightly customizable.  Using a simple control button next to the shifter, you can move the gauge’s projection up, down, left, and right, as well as adjust the brightness.  I’m sure this will come in handy plenty for taller and shorter folks as well as night and day scenarios.

Technology comes standard
This is kind of a trend in Toyota vehicles today (and a great/necessary one at that), but the Prius Plug-in comes with a variety of standard features that are upgrades on many other makes and even other Toyota models.  Touch screen navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, the Entune smartphone application system, and (sources say) a backup camera (this isn’t confirmed as of the time this article is published) all comes in the initial package.

What’s the cost to drive?
As mentioned on our Prius Plug-in information page, this is a hard concept to nail down.  Due to fluctuating rates amongst utility providers, times of the year, and different people and their driving habits, there are many permutations that will show very different results.

For some clarification and a ballpark estimate I spoke with a gentleman who lives on the outskirts of the Washington D.C. metropolitan area.  Keep in mind that power is likely more per kilowatt hour in the D.C. area than it is in rural St. Albans or even Burlington, VT.  He calculated a month without the Prius Plug-in charging from his house (which again charges from a simple, 120-volt house outlet), calculated the kilowatt hour usage after a billing cycle with the Prius Plug-in, and did the math accordingly based on the kWh charge.

Keep in mind once more that THIS IS BY NO MEANS A GUARANTEE, however the cost he uncovered was 45 cents for each 13-mile charge.  In other words you could THEORETICALLY charge the Prius Plug-in eight times, drive 104 miles within those eight charges, and have paid the same in electricity as you would have one gallon of gas at $3.60 per gallon.

Take a look at that figure:  that’s 104 miles, or two rounds of – you guessed it – 52 miles, the current generation Prius’ highest fuel economy rating per gallon.  Not too shabby, eh?

Charging stations
One thing I have been kept in the dark, or rather should I say mislead about was the aesthetics of the charging stations.  If you keep tabs on our Facebook and Twitter streams or subscribe to our blog you may have noticed a blog about Leviton, a supplier of electronic apparatuses, won Toyota’s bid for charging stations.  Having read the blog in question, you might have seen a large, gas pump-looking charging station shown in the press materials.  This is what I (and likely many others) thought the charging station was – that is the entire unit.  I was wrong.

The upgraded 220-volt charger from Leviton that allows the Prius Plug-in’s battery to refill after only an hour and a half is about the size of a briefcase, or maybe even a half thereof volume-wise.  It gets mounted to the wall, plugged in, and you’re ready to go.

The charging indicator
In today’s technological world, folks claim that batteries don’t hold a “memory.” In years past, rechargeable batteries, such as those you would have found in an early 1990s mobile phone, would “remember” the amount of juice they could hold based on your charging habits.  For example, if you were to plug your phone in at night when it still had 20% of its life and charge it until only 90%, over time the battery would learn this and only hold that 70% charge while calling itself full.  This is due to the chemical composition of battery’s ions (today lithium and nickel usually) very literally learning their own capacities coupled with a finite lifespan.  Conversely you could essentially burn out older rechargeable and mobile batteries by plugging the unit into a power source and charging past 100% for long periods of time.

Modern batteries are said to not have this property, and it’s considered okay to make the following faux pas of the past.  For the most part this is bologna.  My iPhone doesn’t get charged as it should be from empty to full and depleted thusly, and I’ve noticed a serious decline in battery life over the past year or more.  Granted it’s nowhere near as severe, but suffice to say this still occurs.

To accommodate this phenomenon (which is really more a chemical and scientific equation than phenomenon as pointed out above), the Prius Plug-in has a simple LED indicator on the “fuel tank,” by which I mean the outlet.  When the light is on, your Plug-in is charging; when it’s off, the Prius PHV is powered up.  It’s that simple, and it takes the guess work out of the situation.  Don’t forget that Toyota has been dishing out a severely impressive hybrid vehicle warranty for batteries either:  the Prius Plug-in will be no different, holding a seven-year/150,000 mile hybrid battery warranty, one to four years past the average vehicle ownership timeframe.

The A/C button
What do you think an A/C button found on the key fob (the keyless entry remote) would do?  I would assume it turns on the air conditioning, wouldn’t you?  Again, I was wrong.

A/C stands for “accessories,” and this is a neat trick.  The morning of the Ride and Drive, (November 5, 2011) my 2011 Toyota Corolla Sport was COVERED in a thin film of VT winter frost.  I had to go out, start my car, and turn the heat on because I had turned it down the previous evening.  If I owned a Prius Plug-in I could have avoided this or similar situations.

Imagine you own a Prius PHV and you know the next day is going to be a scorcher.  After you park your car for the evening, you crank up your air conditioner and turn the car off.  The next morning you point the remote out the door, click the A/C button on the remote, and it activates – you guessed it again – the accessories!  So instead of waiting the five or more minutes for the air conditioner to fully chill your car’s cabin you can then get into a nice cool car.  And of course, the same applies for the wintertime example above.  Assuming you preset the accessories the night before (or whatever the timeframe may be – from morning to night if you will), you just hit the button and wait a few seconds.

When I thought about this, the first question that popped up in my head was “with no timer, how does this work?”  Then it dawned on me:  because of the electric engine of course!  Instead of having the auto start feature, you only need to “ignite” the electric components!  What an ingenious use of the battery power that is presumably charged and ready to go!

Driving impressions
I’m sure most of you skimmed, searched for, or jumped right to this section and I don’t blame you.  I do, however, have to disappoint you… slightly.  I’ll tell you what the vehicle’s like, but to summarize I’ll tell you this:  it’s the SAME.  That’s right.  I drive Prii a LOT, and I didn’t notice HARDLY a thing.  This isn’t to say nothing’s different, though.

One of my favorite features occurred when I turned the car off.  Looking at the high, middle console screen (up on the dashboard area), the Plug-in gave me an estimated fuel economy for the trip:  about 1.3 miles, 9.97% battery power used up, and 99.99 miles per gallon.  The miles per gallon measurement is based off a new measure which is actually based off gallons of gas and electric power consumption, and since I had used only electric it measured the highest possible readout of 99.99 mpg.  Realistically my miles per gallon rating for the trip was infinite since the “G” in mpg means gallons, and zero gallons were used (or conversely the fraction is undefined as one cannot divide by zero, but we’ll leave the geek talk at that…).

Steering felt truly phenomenal, and I dare say it handled even more tightly than a current Prius, albeit not in a better or worse way necessarily.  It just had more rigid than feel than, for example, my Corolla, but not as loose the current Prius.  It was a good middle ground, and perhaps reflected the heavier weight of the Prius Plug-in overall.  Though I didn’t get to really jostle the car from left to right in a slalom fashion, I will say the turns I took felt sporty yet refined and perfectly Prius hybrid!

As for acceleration, there is nary a hiccup in the system.  I didn’t even hear the engine turn on once while driving in EV mode, but once I flipped the switch and entered Power mode it came alive just fine – it’s loud by comparison, by still quieter than my Corolla and just what you’d expect from the Prius namesake.  Whether in EV mode, Normal mode, or Power mode, on the flat terrain I was on (sadly I didn’t get to hit a hill and truly put Power mode to the test), acceleration was smooth, even, and tremendously responsive.  Don’t let the EV moniker fool you – when you need power, it’s all there at once, which is one of the items people seem to not realize and/or forget about these electric vehicles.  Unlike a gasoline combustion engine, the electric car doesn’t need to burn fuel to generate power.  The electricity is always flowing, and as soon as your foot tells the pedal to tell the engine to feed the power, it’s there.  This is why electric cars have seemingly 100% torque right up front; something a gas engine can’t compete with.

I will say one big difference was the braking.  I’m not sure if it was because of the regenerative braking (which if you’ll remember adds energy to the battery as you create friction between the brake pads and the rotor), but a light tap on the brakes almost feels like I’m jamming the brakes on my Corolla.  It took a second to get used to, but by the time I was done my drive, and again this was only 1.3 miles, I had the hang of it and loved the braking.  It really makes you feel safe, and I’m not sure why exactly – I guess in the end I felt like I had more control over the car, odd though that is, and this is something I really, really enjoyed.

Obviously in the end I was impressed, coming away with a bevy of answered questions and new ones to boot.  I for one cannot wait to get some extended time with a delivered model when this spring 2012 hits and we get one here at Handy Toyota of St. Albans, VT.  If you’re in the same boat, hurry and sign up today!  The Priority Registration form closes soon and only those who sign up will be eligible to buy the first batch of Prius Plug-in’s when they’re released.  Vermont IS one of only 14 launch states so we’ll be able to get them for you as soon as they release, but it’s imperative that you sign up!

For more on the Prius Plug-in, check out our information page or view previous blogs full of questions, answers, speculation, and more.  You can also send us an email with any questions, concerns, or order inquiries you may have.

Chris Dugan
Handy Toyota
St. Albans, VT  05478

The bottom line is that the desktop computer or personal computer (PC)/Mac market is dwindling. As humanity moves along the crazy train of “I want need it now” at alarmingly quickening speeds, the days of the Jetson’s-esque future and implanted mobile telephones seems further and further from science fiction and gets increasingly close to ho-hum reality. Within a year – yes, in around 365 some odd days – mobile devices ranging from BlackBerry to Android, iPad to Samsung Galaxy tablets will have overtaken the desktop computer age as people continue to want information in a moment’s notice (and perhaps even that moment is far too long to wait).

In order to stay cutting edge, Toyota has recently unveiled their new Entune infotainment system and head unit, by which a free mobile phone application allows for a simple pairing between phone and car, on which you can use Bing to search for just about anything, find restaurants using apps like UrbanSpoon, or even stream free Internet radio through iHeartRadio or Pandora. Better yet, having seamlessly integrated Entune into a crystal clear, capacitive touchscreen LCD screen on the new Toyota vehicle?s center console all of this information, once only available while sitting at a desk or after dangerously (if you?re not following the law and driving your car) and clumsily pulling your mobile device from your pocket, is now located centrally on the Toyota?s dashboard.

Even though Toyota’s Entune is only available on the freshest releases in Toyota’s library such as the all new 2012 Toyota Camry or the recently released Toyota Prius v, already we’re learning Toyota Motors is far from over. Technology website engadget.com has broken news that Toyota is working on yet another infotainment system called Touch Life, which takes the “pairing your phone and car” idea to whole new levels.

In the simplest terms, downloading the upcoming Touch Life application on your mobile phone, you will be able to mirror the phone screen?s contents on your Toyota car?s LCD touchscreen. What?s more, Toyota has plans in the works to release an incredibly large, widescreen touchscreen that will be more similarly shaped to most phones (when held horizontally of course).

This means things like Netflix, for example, would be able to be viewed on the large dashboard screen, or maybe you could have your college roommate correct your term paper. Though still in the elementary stages the possibilities are endless, and when coupled with the power of the most recent phones such as an iPhone 4S, emails, calendars, and even slideshows if you want can be instantly viewed on a tablet-sized screen. Speaking of tablets, what?s the point if you have a screen that size to begin with? Well I don?t know about you, but I?ve tried using computers and tablets in a vehicle, and I always end up tapping the wrong key a hundred times, get frustrated, and give up. Obviously this applies to a moving car (and nobody would ever use Touch Life whilst moving of course), but the passenger theory remains.

A final question you likely have relates to which operating systems the upcoming Touch Life infotainment system will work on, and so far the early answer is just about all of them. Ranging from the standards like Windows phones, iPhones, and BlackBerry phones, Toyota also plans to implement what I call the dying breeds such as Nokia and possibly Palm.

For more information on the new Touch Life infotainment system and other Toyota technologies, subscribe to our blog today.

Chris Dugan
Handy Toyota
St. Albans, VT 05478

Click here to watch the 2012 Prius v demonstration video on the Handy Channel on YouTube.

Once more and not to insult anyone but I personally have trouble due to the use of the letter V, today’s blog is in regards to the all new 2012 Toyota Prius v, also called the Prius MPV and not to be confused with the Prius (Roman numeral) V or 5.  The Prius (Roman numeral)V would be the next version of the original Toyota Prius which has yet to arrive, whereas the new Prius v has 58% more room as outlined in the “Prius v to world:  go big or go home”.

I digress, today I am happy to announce Handy Toyota has received our first Toyota Prius v hybrid, with 44 mpg in the city, up to 58% more room on the interior, Toyota’s new Entune system, the new JBL GreenEdge Audio System which reduces power consumption while conserving audio quality, and other neat, seemingly commonplace technologies like a rear back-up camera, touch screen LCD monitor, and more.

The Prius v is also the first Prius to feature push button power options such as EV (full electric vehicle driving for up to around 9 miles), ECO mode which is synonymous with normal Prius driving, and Power mode which reduces fuel economy in order to, for example, make it up a steep hill.  New features include one-touch power windows on all four doors, push button ignition and keyless entry, and Yokohama Blue Earth tires which enhance the already stellar fuel economy via their incredibly low rolling resistance.  In fact the lightweight alloy wheels also help this factor when compared with more common, heavier wheels.

Features that don’t have to do with fuel economy also include sporty headlights and a sleek physique, something that will help the new Prius v appeal to men and women, young and old, and all shades in between and outside.  In fact, as shown below, the Prius v doesn’t even really look a whole lot different from the original Prius; you’ll likely notice the fact that the rear hatch protrudes a big more, but in this writer’s opinion for a huge increase in space such as the not so subtly mentioned 58%, this change in shape is minor.

For more information, check out our Prius v inventory, or learn more about the vehicle by reading the plethora of Prius v blogs written over the past few months.

Chris Dugan
Handy Toyota
St. Albans, VT  05478

Another week has passed in the world of Handy Toyota of St. Albans and as you can see from the picture above the steel frame is taking shape for the new Handy Toyota facility.  The weather has been challenging but I must say the crew working on this element is the best.  Pete Conroy is the foreman and we could not ask for better.  The frame may be pre-engineered but is it no simple task putting it all together.  We are so excited to witness the day to day progress.  Pete and his crew are working feverishly knowing what lies ahead weather wise.  Next week I am hoping to have a picture for you of a completely framed structure ready for roof and sidewall covering.  If the weather cooperates, I am quite confident they will be successful in achieving this time line.

Last evening our sister store, Handy Chevrolet, played host to a Franklin County Regional Chamber of Commerce mixer.  Based on the number of folks who attended I would rate the mixer a big success.  As I was looking around the room it felt good to see the many people that share working in our business community here in the greater Saint Albans, Vermont area.  We all have a lot in common and in the final analysis we are all in business together.  Each merchant, restaurateur, banker, real estate broker/salesperson, manufacturer, health care provider, professional person, etc. work with the same folks in the same general area and in our own unique ways in an attempt to reach out to drive our businesses in a successful manner.  What these mixers are all about is to put us all in contact in a social setting with the goal that we will have the opportunity to network to our mutual benefit.  That said, I would agree that it worked for me and my opinion would be that it worked for most of the folks that attended.  In the future I will attempt to attend more of these functions.

My plan is to work outside all weekend as we will not have many more weekends before snow and (I cannot wait!) ski season will start.  Smuggler’s Notch traditionally opens the day after Thanksgiving and that is only a few short weeks away.  My gear is ready and it will be good to be on the mountain for another winter in beautiful Vermont.

My time is up for this morning.  See you next week.

The best!

Dan Luneau
Handy Toyota
St. Albans, VT  05478

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

Those of you who keep tabs on our Facebook or by following us on Twitter @handytoyotavt might have heard that the Handy Toyota gang was at this past Sunday’s Fight Against Breast Cancer walk in South Burlington, Vermont, and not only did we all have a blast walking, donating, and fighting for a cure, but the turn out was really something special.

Folks from all walks of life and many Vermont business’ such as a team of firefighters, a team from Vermont Precision Tools in Swanton, Vermont, and Handy Toyota of St. Albans, Vermont among many others took to the streets to raise funding for one of the biggest dangers in life:  breast cancer.

Below are some photos from the event, which you can view more of on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

For more information, go to our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter @handytoyotavt.

Chris Dugan
Handy Toyota
St. Albans, VT  05478

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