Archive for the ‘Prius’ Category

Pull into any fuel station and you’re faced with a choice: 87, 89, or 91 octane, regular, premium, or super. But is there any quantifiable difference in how a car performs when filled with one over the others? Does premium gas do anything other than cost more? Experts say, unless your car was built before 1990, probably not in any way that you’re going to notice.

If your car has a computer, technology has improved vehicles to the point where engine knocking—the pre-computer reason for needing higher-octane fuel—has become a non-issue. Censors and other high-tech installations under the hood prevent engine damage by constantly regulating the vehicle. Higher-octane fuel doesn’t change the computer’s abilities or programming.

If you’re not on a racetrack, you’re not going to notice a difference. It may take an extra half-second to go from 0-60 if there’s regular in the tank instead of premium. While that may be important on a race track or in a lab setting when cars are being tested and evaluated for performance, humans can’t tell split-second differences like that and everyday driving conditions rarely (if ever) call for 0-60 in very few seconds.

If you drive a hybrid or other highly efficient vehicle, you’ll achieve high miles-per-gallon so that even a mile or two extra per gallon won’t make a noticeable difference in fuel expenditures. To break down the math, someone driving a 35MPG vehicle 15,000 miles per year would spend the same amount of money buying mid-grade gas to get one mile per gallon more, and that’s if the higher-octane improved fuel efficiency at all.

Check your driver’s manual. Just as it would be disastrous to put diesel in a standard engine (or vice-versa), your car may require higher-grade fuel. If this is the case, then use it. On the other hand, if the manual simply recommends a higher-octane gas, save your money and go with regular instead.

Looking for your own fuel efficent Toyota car, truck or SUV? Check out our selection of new and used vehicles on our website 24/7 @greshamtoyota.com!

Searching for a fuel-efficient vehicle with tremendous versatility? Check out our inventory of pre-owned Prii at Gresham Toyota! The Prius is the best-selling hybrid of all-time for good reason: amazing fuel economy, plenty of cargo space, and dynamic design. See our internet specials below and come in for a test drive!

2008 Toyota Prius $17,995

2007 Toyota Prius $17995

2010 Toyota Prius Two $22,778

2008 Toyota Prius $21,929

2008 Toyota Prius $24,888

Looking for your own innovative Toyota car, truck or SUV? Check out our selection of new and used vehicles on our website 24/7 @ greshamtoyota.com!

Last week, we outlined the first in a “family” of 2012 Prii with the spacious Prius V. Toyota hinted at a wide variety of different Prii for the coming years, including possibilities of a minivan, SUV, and even a convertible – but no one expected this.

As Motor Trend reports, the Prius Sports Coupe is currently in the works for 2014 – a model that will add a whole new dimension to a vehicle that was thought of only as a fuel-saver for those in a specific demographic. Although this one won’t make its debut for a few more years, it does provide a glimpse into an evolving hybrid market and the future of Toyota.

The image displayed on the right is one artist’s vision of what the Prius Sports Coupe might look like. The development of this model represents the gravitation toward hybrids that are more fun to drive as they increase in popularity and become more mainstream. Insiders of the situation report that the next generation of Toyota hybrids will incorporate the plug-in hybrid unit, rear-drive platform, and a manual transmission option.

Other future rumors include Prius as its own separate brand under the Toyota umbrella, potentially where all Toyota hybrids will fall. Toyota may also be developing a new hydrogen-powered sedan for the coming years, all of which we are excited about. Stay tuned for more news as it develops here and on Facebook!

Looking for your own innovative Toyota car, truck or SUV? Check out our selection of new and used vehicles on our website 24/7 @ greshamtoyota.com!

Perhaps the greatest challenge in creating fuel-efficient vehicles is achieving a large enough size to fit the whole family without sacrificing big bucks at the pump.

Enter the 2012 Prius V.

As Motor Trend reports, the second in the “family” of 2012 Prii presents a more fuel-efficient option to the consumer who enjoys the space of vehicles in the crossover and SUV categories. Toyota noted that Americans often seek increased comfort and more cargo space in mid-sized vehicles rather than cramming more passengers into a third row seat, so the 58% extra space is utilized for extra passenger comfort and cargo space.

The “V” in this Prius stands for versatility, and it delivers exactly that. Despite being 238 pounds heavier than the standard Prius, it still delivers an impressive 44 city MPG. Also reported was a “level of driving elegance that’s simply absent from the normal car”. They were especially impressed at how such a large hybrid could handle so smoothly around the California curves. Rather than targeting existing Prius owners who need more room, Toyota is launching the Prius V to provide a better option to Crossover and SUV owners who aren’t excited about $4.00/gallon fuel prices. The company predicts this model to account for 15-20% of 2012 Prius sales.

We’re excited for the new lineup of Prii, each with their own unique personality and benefits. Read the full article and stay tuned for more information as it rolls out!

Looking for your own innovative Toyota car, truck or SUV? Check out our selection of new and used vehicles on our website 24/7 @ greshamtoyota.com!

Here at Gresham Toyota, we strive to deliver the best customer experience possible when assisting you in finding your next vehicle.

We are extremely proud to share this wonderful letter from Colette, a recent customer who was served by salesman Jim Lane.

To Gresham Toyota Management and Jim,

Last night I made a hopeful call to your dealership around 7:30 pm in an effort to determine why my Prius was not working.

After a long day of work and running my grand children to after school sports I was quite frazzled when listening to the radio in my Prius all of the dashboard lights started flashing, then fading and my car died. I had never experienced this in this car before. I was totally stumped. I had only ever looked under the hood once. Then, while juggling hungry children, I frantically tried to read the car manual to decipher what the symbols I saw flashing meant.

As a last ditched effort to decide what to do, tow the car or spend a cold night (windows were down) in the car while waiting for a return phone call from my husband (a message he never received). I called Gresham Toyota. I was greeted with a pleasant voice that told me that the service team had gone home, but that there might be another person who knew about the Prius. She then connected me to my hero of the night, Jim Lane! He first determined that I had most likely run down the batteries and was trying to give me step-by-step instructions over the phone on how to jump the car.

Now picture this, I have three children in the Prius, one baby (1 ½ months old), a four year old, and an eleven year old. The four year old is jumping around trying to kiss the baby, talking loudly in my ear while I am trying to write out the instructions Jim is attempting to give to me. The eleven year old is in and out of the ear (she is a social butterfly) and the baby is getting fussy.

I don’t know if Jim picked up on all this background action as I asked him several times to repeat his instructions, but he came up with a solution, a perfect fit and why I will always come back to Gresham Toyota…. Service above and beyond the call of duty!

He took the time to come to the scene of my potential meltdown and showed me how to jumpstart the car. Simple as that is, I don’t carry jumper cables and I was beyond logical thought processes at that point. He saved my day!

So a big thanks to Jim and all of you at Gresham Toyota! We have many stories of good service at your dealership. This one is at the top!

Please know that we spread the good stories around and when the time comes for us to purchase we will be visiting you!

Thanks again Jim and everyone at Gresham Toyota,

Colette

Colette, it was a pleasure serving you. You can count on this level of service every time you visit us. We look forward to seeing you again soon!

Looking for your own innovative Toyota car, truck or SUV? Check out our selection of new and used vehicles on our website 24/7 @ greshamtoyota.com!