A short while ago in March, when the tsunami struck Japan, for the few months that it took and then to recover and rebuild, the Toyota Prius was in short supply in America. During that period of time, existing owners of recent Prius hybrids found something interesting– they could actually sell their year-old used Toyota Prius for a couple of hundred dollars more than they paid for its to buy it.

The market in a used Toyota Prius is a robust one. It is a car that holds its value on the market. If you’re a first-time hybrid buyer – maybe you’re wondering if hybrid really will work for you – you may want to try your hand at one first with a used Toyota Prius instead of a brand-new one. It’ll cost less. There are all kinds of resources out there that’ll help you Learn about what’s good about buying used and what might be problem areas.

Basically, the Toyota Prius is greener when bought used, because the high-tech manufacturing process does take a lot of the environment. If being green is an important reason why you’re going the hybrid way, try to read everything you can.

The Toyota Etios Liva Diesel is one of the most popular cars in the Indian market today, mainly because of the fancy design and excellent fuel economy despite the power. The Liva Diesel can churn out a maximum torque of 205 Nm at 1800 rpm and a peak power of 87 Bph at 3800 rpm. The Toyota Liva diesel is laden with tons of features that make it a very comfortable and very safe car to drive on Indian roads. Some of the great notable features of the Liva Diesel are 20 km per liter fuel consumption on the highways and an average of 14 km per liter in the city, anti-lock brakes, power steering, power windows and central locking system.

After the good reception of Etios Liva petrol in the Indian market, Toyota couldn’t wait to bring new variants of this new small car concept. Hence Etios Liva diesel was launched. Priced between 5.84 and 5.87 lakhs, Etios Liva diesel is the new practical yet trendy option for automobile customers all over the world. Hence it is also being launched in Russia and South America, apart from India. It is available in two variants and seven attractive colors. It houses the same engine as Corolla Altis but it has been fine tuned to increase the fuel efficiency to around 22 kmpl on the highway. It has a attractive, roomy interiors and many useful features such as power steering, power windows, 2 airbags, and an optional Dash Integrated Music system.

Etios is a whole range of four-door supermini and subcompact cars by Toyota. It is a sedan designed to hold a 1.4litre D-4D engine with a horsepower of 67Bhp. Toyota Etios comes in various options of J,G, V and VX. Etios comes in a collection of six magnificent shades including White, Symphony Silver, Celestial Black, Vermilion Red, Serene Bluish Silver and a Harmony Beige. The Etios is equipped with an engine to run 23.59km per liter. The Toyota Etios variants are all of 1499cc and contain four cylinders. The Etios are available and petrol consumption which increase their demand in the market. The seating capacity can accommodate five persons at a time. Toyota Etios is a range of manual cars but it does not have a power steering.

I have a Lexus IS350 and ever since the Toyota Recall thing has hit the news I have wondered if my Lexus is OK.

I love my car and it is fantastic! But that doesn’t mean it can’t have problems I am not aware of. In fact – they mysteriously removed the floor mat at my last oil change. I told them NOT TO even though there was a recall – but sure enough it was in my trunk.

They said there would be a replacement mat. So far nothing.

Now – I can’t say I miss the mat, but the floor is getting dirty. I just can’t see how removing the mat would make the car safer. Sure, the Toyotas are having gas pedal issues – but it is mechanical issues not mats, right?

Oh well – in any event – I still love my car and it is fast as hell and a joy to ride – but I can’t help but be a little irked at the way they are handling this recall issue on my Lexus.

Need a very fuel efficient and affordable car? Check out the 2008 Toyota Prius Hybrid. The 2008 Toyota Prius is a full-featured midsize car that just so happens to be the most fuel-efficient car on the market. The fact that it now starts at less than $21,000 is icing on the green-colored cake.

MSRP: $21,500 – $23,770

Invoice: $20,210 – $21,816

MPG: 48 City / 45 Hwy

The Prius is first and foremost a hybrid — and the benchmark upon which all others are based. Capable of running on electricity alone or in concert with the small gasoline four-cylinder engine, the Prius is capable of fuel economy that no current mainstream car can match — even with the lower, revised 2008 EPA estimates. Like most hybrids, the 2008 Toyota Prius is best suited to drivers whose travels rarely take them farther than the city limits. Around town and in stop-and-go traffic, the Prius’ electric motors and regenerative braking are optimized to provide superior fuel economy and optimal power delivery. It’s OK on the freeway, but without consistent braking or coasting, the battery runs down, forcing the anemic four-cylinder engine to carry most of the load.

One disadvantage of the Prius and all other hybrids is their winter performance. Cold temperatures decrease battery capacity, just as they do for the average 12-volt battery. As a result, the engine must run at first to top off the battery and then more often throughout use to keep it charged. The mileage hit is not small. We’re talking several mpg on average. Chicago’s maddening weather actually came in useful in this test because I drove for days in temperatures below freezing and at times near 0 degrees. The trip computer said I was getting between 30 and 40 mpg in mixed driving. Then the temp shot up close to 60 degrees, and suddenly I was getting more than 50 mpg without even trying.

But all in all the Toyota is like any other car but somehow more fuel efficient and comes with in a very low price.

Completely redesigned, the Scion’s iconic xB has grown in size, style, power, and features. Remaining a fully loaded high-value package with either a 5M or 4A trans as its sole factory option, the slightly softer-edged xB now boasts a 158-hp engine, enhanced driving dynamics. The current Scion xB was all-new for 2008. Although it maintains the previous generation’s boxy profile, it is a much different vehicle, with larger dimensions and more thrust. A 2.4-liter inline-4 shared with the Scion tC and Toyota Camry boosts output to 158 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. Fuel efficiency went down, but we think that’s an acceptable trade-off considering its substantial acceleration improvement.  xB was praised by critics for its defiantly unstylish appearance, its beefed up four-cylinder engine, its safety features, and its reasonable (but growing) price tag.

Price Range: $16,230 – $17,275

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