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-MotorTrend-

In one of the closest finishes ever seen in the 30-year history of Japan’s Car of the Year awards, the Toyota Prius narrowly defeated Honda’s Insight to claim the 2009-2010 Japan Car of the Year trophy.

With 61 jurors and over 100 manufacturer representatives glued to a score screen at the press center inside the Tokyo Motor Show site at Makuhari Messe (30 mins east of Tokyo), the Prius’s 433 votes edged out a strong finishing Insight with 391 votes.

At one stage, in the closing minutes of vote counting, with ballots from 54 jurors counted, the difference between the top two contenders was only six votes, as the Insight’s 393 crept within a hair’s breath of the Prius’s 399 votes.

But when votes from the remaining seven jurors were tallied, and the Toyota picked up maximum votes of 10 points from four jurors, the Prius shot ahead to win by a comfortable margin.

The Volkswagen Golf, which came third with 186 votes, was crowned Import Car of the Year. The Mitsubishi i-MiEV came fourth and the Mercedes Benz E-Class fifth.

In addition, the special award for ‘Most Advanced Technology’ was awarded to the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the first EV to boast Lithium-ion batteries in a real world situation, while the Nissan Fairlady Z (370Z) with its synchro-rev six-speed transmission won the prize for ‘Most Fun.’

The trophy for ‘Best Value’ was awarded to the Subaru Legacy. This year’s award coincides with the 30th year since the JCOTY organization was established, and in a special vote to select the most impressionable “Best 3rd Decade Car” from winners of the 20th to 29th JCOTY, the first-generation Honda Fit (Jazz) has been crowned victor.

–Peter Lyon

Toyota Driver’s Tips – Beyond the Oil Change

Your Toyota is designed to be reliable and provide long-lasting vehicle performance. However, there are things you can do to make your Toyota perform even better, especially in light of rising gas prices.

Maximize Your Mileage

• When you drive a little faster, you burn considerably more fuel. Slow down and increase your Toyota’s fuel efficiency.
• Once you’re out on the highway at cruising speed, use your vehicle’s cruise control. You’ll burn less fuel if you do.
• Slow down for hills. Maintaining your speed up a hill means opening your vehicle’s throttle, which burns more gas. On down hills, use gravity to help increase speed and improve fuel economy.
• Accelerate only when you have to, and only as much as you need to. Avoid jackrabbit starts, bring your Toyota to speed with a light right foot, and maintain smooth progress on the road.
• For slowing down or stopping, get off the gas as soon as you can. Use your brakes when you need to, but allow the other forces working on your vehicle to help slow you down.
• Whenever you can, keep your windows closed to decrease drag. For climate control, use your vehicle’s air conditioning. It’s the lesser of two evils.
• Roof racks and rooftop containers have extremely negative effects on a vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Remove them when not in use.

Enhance Your Ownership Experience

• The most important thing you can do to keep your vehicle running well is to change the engine oil on schedule. And remember to use the proper grade motor oil and a genuine Toyota oil filter.
• Make sure to replace worn out wiper blades to ensure a clear view of the road under all conditions.
• Being able to stop your vehicle is a critical part of driving. Inspect your brakes at regular intervals according to your Toyota’srecommended maintenance schedules.
• Your battery should be checked periodically to ensure you’ve got the power necessary to start your Toyota under any circumstance.
• Keep an eye on tire pressure – losing just a few pounds of pressure in your tires can hurt fuel economy and shorten tire life significantly.
• Be aware that the stop-and-go nature of urban and suburban driving is harder on your vehicle than steady long-distance driving.
• Read your owner’s manual. It will tell you everything you need to know about your vehicle including maintenance intervals.