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2015 Toyota Highlander: Raising Standards

The much anticipated 2015 Toyota Highlander has hit the pavement and it will be sure not to disappoint. With so many new features available for this year’s model, you won’t even recognize the ride as the Highlander we have all come to know and love. It is innovation at its best and though the familiar body shape will have you cruising in style. With a fuel efficiency of 20 miles to the gallon city and 25 miles to the gallon highway, the newest model will be easy on the wallet as well.

This iconic sports utility vehicle has a bold grille that surprisingly isn’t only for cosmetics! It also aids airflow within the suv! The LED daytime running lights (DRL) increase visibility as well as letting you drive with style. The integrated Chromtec roof rails aren’t only for strapping down your gear for the weekend trip, but also serve to minimize the noise coming from overhead. The 2015 model also has 185 horsepower and sleek Chromtec wheels available in different sizes per model version. 

The new Highlander seats up to 8 people with reclining third row seats for a more relaxed feel all around. A seating option for 7 is also available is you choose to go with second row captain’s chairs versus full second row seating. The leather-trimmed, heated, 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat is the ultimate luxury for the captain of this smooth cruising ride.

Come on in for a test drive at Hixson Toyota of Leesville 11981 Lake Charles Highway Leesville, LA or give us a call at 337-239-3434 today!

2015 Toyota Prius

2015 Toyota Prius c: Light, Tight, Bright and the Highest City Fuel Economy of Any Vehicle Without a Plug - There’s much more to the Prius c than super-high fuel economy. A restyled front with standard single LED projector low- and high-beam headlights, new exterior colors whose names demand almost as much attention as their hues (Electric Lime Metallic, Tangerine Splash Pearl and Sparkling Sea Metallic), (read more) http://qoo.ly/4bfgg

2015 Toyota Camry: Taking Leaps and Bounds

Much is in store for the 2015 Toyota Camry! Redesigned and redefined, the new model takes the cake! With interior and exterior updates, this year’s model offers a completely different driving experience than that of previous year that is invigorating. The new model comes equipped with new facial styling including LED fog lamps and headlights, chrome trim around the window frames and a chrome bar across the rear deck lid. It is a quieter ride with sound deadening throughout the vehicle and improved aerodynamics to reduce outside noise.

More improvements include a widened track. The vehicle is now 1.8 inches longer! It has electric power assist steering system and new brake tuning as well as a larger center console and a huge 4.2 inch LCD screen. As far as the engine goes, this year’s model is locked and loaded with a 2.5 Liter, 4 cylinder engine with 178 horse power and 170 pounds of torque. It is also very fuel efficient! The 2015 Camry gets 25 miles per gallon city and 35 miles per gallon highway. This is the ideal sedan as far as the mechanics, and, well, everything else for that matter, goes!

As for the cherry on top, there is an immense amount of safety features available for the model such as lane departure warning system, blind spot monitoring system, rear cross traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control with forward collision warning. 

Come on in and test drive a Toyota at Hixson Toyota of Leesville 11981 Lake Charles Highway Leesville, LA or give us a call at 337-239-3434 today!

Toyota Tundra: American Made.

The Toyota Tundra is the most refined, over-engineered, secure-handling and powerful pick up in its class. Though designed by a Japanese automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota, Aichi, Japan, most of the vehicle is actually American manufactured! The new chrome grille featured on the beautiful Tundra was designed by Toyota Calty Studios in California. The various engines the different versions of the truck has to offer such as the 4.0 liter, 270 horse power V-6, the 4.6 liter, 310 horse power V-8, and the 5.7 liter, 381 horse power V-8, were all manufactured in Alabama.

Also, the transmissions included in the 2014 model of the Toyota Tundra were made in North Carolina. Though revenue from the vehicle sales goes directly to Japan, through purchasing the Toyota Tundra, you are indirectly supporting American jobs on American soil. “The Tundra is by percentages of content among the most American-made of full-size trucks.” says the Wall Street Journal. And, while other major car companies tend to fudge numbers about their towing capacities, Toyota uses a series of repeated tests to verify a certain towing capacity per model. In 2011, Toyota adopted the SAE J2807 towing standard.  

Along with being mostly American manufactured and providing customers with real and reliable information about towing capacity, the CrewMax Limited 4x4 Toyota Tundra can go 0-60 in 9.5 seconds, has an EPA fuel economy of 17 miles per gallon highway and has a verifiable towing capacity of 9,000 pounds.

Come on by and check out our line-up Hixson Toyota of Leesville 11981 Lake Charles Highway Leesville, LA or give us a call at 337-239-3434 today!

Gulf States Toyota Unveils the 2015 Toyota Tundra Bass Pro Shops Off-Road Edition

Vehicle Available Exclusively in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas
September 25, 2014

HOUSTON (Sept. 25, 2014) – Gulf States Toyota introduced the new 2015 Toyota Tundra Bass Pro Shops Off-Road Edition today at the 2014 State Fair of Texas. This marks the first retail vehicle collaboration between Toyota and Bass Pro Shops, the nation's premier outdoor retailer.

With the capability to handle a tough trail or provide a comfortable ride, the new 2015 Toyota Tundra Bass Pro Shops Off-Road Edition is equipped for all your outdoor adventures. The vehicle, available exclusively in Silver, features a 4x4 CrewMax SR5 configuration, which offers extra space for outdoor gear while providing first-class comfort for family and friends. It offers the same power and capability the Tundra is famous for with a rugged drive train powered by a 381 horsepower 5.7L i-Force V8 engine and 6-speed automatic transmission. It also includes a tow package that allows drivers to confidently take a boat, ATV or UTV along on the journey. With top braking technology and Toyota’s Star Safety System, the Tundra is built with safety in mind.

The Bass Pro Shops Off-Road Edition package includes:

    20” Milled-Matte Black Wheels and All Terrain Upgrade
    Custom Bass Pro Shops Carpeted Floor Mats
    Bass Pro Shops Off-Road Bed Decals
    5” Oval Black Step Tubes
    Spray-On Bedliner
    Pocketed Fender Flares
    Stainless Steel Exhaust Tip


“In the Gulf States pick-up trucks and being outdoors are a natural way of life, and that’s why we’ve developed the 2015 Toyota Tundra Bass Pro Shops Off-Road Edition,” said Marty Collins, president and general manager of Gulf States Toyota. “This vehicle not only has all the capability to take you where you want to go, but you’ll look good doing it.”

The special edition Tundra will be exclusively available for purchase at Toyota dealerships in the Gulf States Region (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas) in October 2014. The 2015 Toyota Tundra Bass Pro Shops Off-Road Edition has a manufacturer’s suggested price starting at $43,975.

With the purchase or lease of a 2015 Toyota Tundra Bass Pro Shops Off-Road Edition, customers will receive their choice of a special fishing, hunting, camping or marine outdoor gear lifestyle package from Bass Pro Shops, valued at approximately $1,000.

Built in the U.S. by 2,900 hard-working Americans on the historical JLC Ranch in San Antonio, the Tundra features one of the highest U.S./Canadian parts content of any full-size pickup. Started in 2003, the plant has produced more than 1 million Toyota Tundra and Tacoma trucks in the U.S. In addition to its 2,900 team members, the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas (TMMTX) plant also provides thousands more American jobs at its 21 onsite component suppliers.

For more information, visit www.basspro.com/bpstundra.


About Bass Pro Shops®
Bass Pro Shops®, which specializes in outdoor fun, operates 88 retail stores and Tracker Marine Centers across America and Canada that are visited by more than 116 million people every year. Bass Pro Shops stores, many of which feature restaurants, offer hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor gear while their catalogs and website serve shoppers throughout the world. The company’s Tracker Marine Group® (http://www.trackermarine.com/), which has produced the number one selling brand of fishing boats for more than 35 years, manufactures and sells a variety of boats for fishing and cruising. Family fun is on tap at Bass Pro Shops resort Big Cedar Lodge® (http://www.bigcedar.com/) voted number six by Travel + Leisure Magazine as World's Best Hotels for Families. For more information, visit http://www.basspro.com/. To request a free catalog, call 1-800-BASS PRO. Follow us on Facebook at https:///www.facebook.com/bassproshops.

About Gulf States Toyota
Houston-based Gulf States Toyota is the independent distributor of Toyota vehicles in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas. The company serves 154 Toyota dealerships in the region. These dealers account for more than 13 percent of Toyota sales in the U.S. The company introduced Toyota vehicles to the region in 1969. The parent company of GST is The Friedkin Group, led by CEO Dan Friedkin.

About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), the world's top automaker and creator of the Prius, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through its Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands.  Over the past 50 years, Toyota has built more than 25 million cars and trucks in North America, where it operates 14 manufacturing plants and directly employs more than 40,000 people.  The company’s 1,800 North American dealerships sold more than 2.5 million cars and trucks in 2013 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today.  For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Toyota's most rugged Land Cruiser is back in Japan

Published August 26, 2014
Associated Press
Source: Fox News

Toyota Motor Corp. is bringing back the Land Cruiser 70 in Japan, catering to nostalgic demand for the rugged off-roader that's favored for challenging terrains and as an aid agency vehicle in disaster zones.

The 3.6 million yen ($35,000) Land Cruiser 70, the toughest of the Land Cruiser models, arrives at Japanese dealers Monday. But it's on sale for only a year, with planned production of 200 a month.

Japan sales were discontinued in 2004, but fans have long wanted the model back because of its fun-to-drive features.

"If you ever have to entrust your life with a car, I'd choose the Land Cruiser," chief engineer Sadayoshi Koyari told reporters at an event for car fans in Tokyo.

The 70 model first went on sale in 1984, and it's still sold in the Middle East, Africa, Australia and other places, averaging 6,400 vehicles a month in sales.

Its durability is based on its ladder-frame chassis and suspension, according to Toyota, the world's top automaker. It's designed for places where a breakdown is not just a hassle but also possibly fatal.

But Japanese fans have long wanted the model back since it was discontinued here in 2004.

Masahiro Terada, 67, a Kyoto lumber merchant and fan of the Land Cruiser for decades, heads a network of about 50 Japanese Land Cruiser owners, who gather at unusual spots such as bumpy volcanic areas near Mount Fuji and rivers in southwestern Kyushu, to test the vehicle's off-road features.

"A Land Cruiser is a toy for a big boy, those adults who never grow up," he said with a laugh, vowing to drive a Land Cruiser until the day he dies.

The U.N. and the Red Cross use the Land Cruiser for relief efforts in disaster zones, making it a model Toyota is proud to claim as part of its brand.

The Land Cruiser is Toyota's longest-running nameplate, with a cumulative 7.9 million units produced worldwide.

Its long history means there are plentiful parts from models sold around the world, including in emerging economies where easy and reliable maintenance is crucial.

The comeback offering, which is also available in a 3.5 million yen ($34,000) pickup version, boasts up-to-date safety and smart-key features, a 4.0 liter V6 engine and five-speed manual transmission.

Redesigned 2015 Toyota Yaris Sub-Compact: Sharper Styling, More Comfort and Value Priced

 Sharper Styling, More Comfort and Value Priced

July 23, 2014

TORRANCE, Calif., (July 23, 2014) – A bold new look with a distinct European flavor.  A new, quieter interior crafted from improved materials. And a new attitude. The redesigned 2015 Toyota Yaris checks all of the boxes for small-car shoppers. And then it adds and checks two more boxes for fun and value. In 3-door or 5-door liftback models, the 2015 Yaris makes every day driving less every day. 

The 2015 Yaris, like the previous-generations, comes in 3-door and 5-door liftback configurations, but the style is all-new. The new 

Yaris combines an energetic shape with a more comfortable cabin. The 2015 Yaris receives an aggressive new look with a horizontal chrome grill treatment that appears to continue right in to the headlamp.  A larger, bolder grille opening gives this fun-to-drive car just the right touch of “attitude” in its look.

Newness permeates the Yaris cabin. Sitting in premium seats, the Yaris driver faces a sporty new dashboard design and touches new, softer materials throughout.

Retuned suspension, a more rigid body structure, additional sound insulation and attention to aerodynamic details all help to give the 2015 Yaris a smooth, dynamic and quieter ride. With safety always at the forefront, the Yaris continues to come equipped with nine standard SRS airbags, including curtain shield airbags and front seat cushion airbags.

Altogether, that’s a lot of new packed into an easy-driving small car with big fuel economy numbers and the brand’s penchant for high QDR (Quality, Dependability and Reliability).

The Value of Fun

Fun, functionality and value come together in the 2015 Yaris. The smooth-revving 1.5-liter, 16-valve, four-cylinder DOHC engine equipped with variable valve timing with intelligence (VVT-i) produces 106 hp at 6,000 rpm and 103 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,200 rpm. The broad torque curve makes those numbers seem even bigger when you’re driving the Yaris, which offers snappy response with either transmission.

A smooth-shifting five-speed manual transmission, made smoother by an improved hydraulic clutch, is standard. An available four-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission features a compact, lightweight design and low friction for high fuel efficiency.

 

Toyota Value Through and Through

The Yaris comes in base L, premium LE and sporty SE models, each a single-spec trim that eliminates option packages. Standard features on the L grade include air conditioning, 60/40 split fold-down rear seat, new, quick ratio, sport-tuned Electric Power Steering with power-assisted rack-and-pinion, power windows with driver’s side auto down, three-spoke tilt steering wheel, power door locks, Daytime Running Lights, and 15-inch wheels with wheel covers.

The Yaris LE adds the convenience of cruise control, power mirrors, steering wheel audio controls silver/metallic interior accents and remote keyless entry with an engine immobilizer.  The LE rides in style on 15-inch alloy wheels.

The SE package turns the Yaris into an urban-cool sporty ride, with projector headlamps and LED daytime running lights, integrated fog lamps, rear spoiler and special gloss black with machine-surfaced 16-inch alloy wheels.   The SE adds a sport-tuned suspension, now with a solid stabilizer bar, and four-wheel disc brakes that are one-inch larger in the front.  

Inside, the SE is equipped with a leather-trimmed tilt three-spoke steering wheel and shift knob, sport meter and tachometer.  The SE has its own unique sport fabric and includes gloss black accents throughout.

All Yaris models get Entune Audio with a 6.1-inch touch screen, an AM/FM CD player with MP3/WMA playback capability, six speakers, HD Radio™ with iTunes® Tagging, auxiliary audio jack, USB port with iPod® connectivity and control, hands-free phone capability, voice recognition, and music streaming via Bluetooth® wireless technology.

For the first time in a Yaris, a navigation system is available as a dealer-installed option.

The redesigned mono-spec Yaris adds up to an excellent value.  

Plano is putting a lot of money down to take Toyota home

By WENDY HUNDLEY AND TERRY BOX

Staff Writers The Dallas Morning News

Published: 10 May 2014 11:32 PM

When Plano rolls out the welcome mat to Toyota this week, officials will be offering the automaker the largest economic incentive package in the city’s history.

The deal includes a $6.75 million grant that’s linked to developing a 1 million-square-foot corporate campus, transferring or creating up to 3,650 jobs, and making use of Plano hotels during the relocation period.

The Plano City Council will vote Monday on the package that also includes creation of a 100-acre reinvestment zone on the northwest corner of Legacy and Headquarters drives, and a 10-year, 50 percent abatement on real and business personal property taxes.

Many experts say deals like this are common, but some are beginning to question whether cities are getting their money’s worth.

In the past, Plano has attracted other major companies such as J.C. Penney, FedEx and Pizza Hut with lucrative offers, but no deal comes close to the proposed package for Toyota.

While the city’s offer is generous, “I don’t look at it through a prism of what the incentives represent,” said Sally Bane, Plano’s executive director of economic development. “I look at it as an amazing opportunity for this community.”

Others agree that Toyota’s consolidation of three divisions in Plano is a move that will reverberate throughout the area.

“Plano, as a site for doing business, has captured national attention,” said Terry Clower, director of the Center for Economic Development and Research at the University of North Texas. “That matters in your ability to attract other firms.”

Clower said economic development offers are difficult to draft because cities don’t know what other deals are on the table. “You have to offer these things, and you don’t know if Toyota would have come in any case,” he said.

N. Texas competition

Experts say that Plano’s economic incentive package is not unusual among North Texas cities, which often compete to attract companies.

“That’s fairly typical of what a lot of cities offer — even for much smaller deals,” said Jim Gandy, who heads the Frisco Economic Development Corp.

Toyota’s property tax break is less than what the city of Irving offered to lure 7-Eleven’s corporate headquarters from Dallas.

Irving is giving the developer of 7-Eleven’s headquarters a more than 80 percent property tax break for 13 years. The 7-Eleven offices will house about 1,250 workers.

Irving is also providing sales tax incentives to the company.

Ten-year, 50 percent property tax abatements, like the one offered to Toyota, are fairly common.

Plano’s total assessed property values are projected to be $28.8 billion for the 2014-15 fiscal year, according to the city’s three-year financial forecast.

“Plano probably won’t miss the revenue,” said Bernard Weinstein, adjunct professor at SMU’s Cox School of Business. “It’s really not that much for the return to the state and the city.”

And Toyota’s move could attract other employers.

“This is a really big deal in terms of jobs, prestige and what may follow — suppliers and vendors,” Weinstein said.

Still, he wonders if such largesse is really necessary.

“Should taxpayers be giving tax breaks to the most profitable and the largest car manufacturer in the world?” Weinstein said. “That’s icing on the cake.”

Clower said an economic development incentive grant of almost $7 million is “impressive but it’s not out of line with the number of jobs that will be created.”

Other auto moves

In addition to Plano’s incentive package, the state will kick in $40 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund. On the whole, that appears modest in comparison with what others have offered for similar auto-industry moves in the past.

In 2006, when Nissan decided to relocate its headquarters from Gardena, Calif., to Franklin, Tenn., the state provided a $197 million relocation assistance package.

Nissan moved 1,300 jobs to Franklin.

In addition to the relocation assistance, the city of Franklin spent $15 million to purchase a 50-acre parcel for Nissan’s headquarters and then leased it to the automaker.

Also, Nissan got a $5,000-a-year tax credit for 20 years for each new job created by the relocation.

Clint Brewer, a spokesman for Tennessee’s Economic and Community Development Department, said the state had not attempted to determine the overall economic impact of the move.

“We don't do economic impact studies on projects as long as they create the jobs they are supposed to and make the capital investments promised,” Brewer said. “And Nissan has always met its commitment.”

In 2011, local, state and federal governments gave Volkswagen $577 million in incentives to build a $1 billion assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tenn.

The plant employs 2,000 people.

Moreover, when Toyota selected San Antonio as the site for a new full-size pickup truck plant in 2006, the state provided $133 million in incentives.

The package included $27 million to train the plant’s 2,000 full-time workers, $47 million in waived fees and phased-in taxes, and $14 million for land.

Local officials also offered Toyota $34 million in school- and hospital-district tax abatements, but the automaker declined to take them, saying it wanted to contribute to the local economy.

Gov. Rick Perry maintained that the incentives given to the truck plant will yield an 18.3 percent return over 10 years.

Toyota expected the new truck plant to build 150,000 full-size Tundra pickups a year — a goal yet to be met.

The company sold 112,732 Tundras last year.

It has added production of Tacoma midsize pickups to San Antonio to keep the plant operating at full capacity, and last year said it is considering expanding the plant.

Staff writers Steve Brown and Matthew Watkins contributed to this report.

AT A GLANCE: Other incentive plans

The Plano City Council is scheduled to vote on a Toyota economic incentive package that’s the largest in the city’s history.

Here are some other cash incentives approved in recent years by the Plano City Council to attract, expand or relocate businesses to the city:

February 2014 — FedEx Office and Print Services receives $1.6 million to relocate from Dallas

July 2012 — Plano provides $4 million to Tollway 121 to build a new $53 million hotel

March 2012 — Ericsson receives $1.9 million to expand and retain 500 employees

November 2010 — Encana Oil and Gas receives $2.4 million to relocate to Plano from Denver

November 2009 — Pizza Hut receives $2.1 million to relocate from Addison

SOURCES: Dallas Morning News research, Plano City Council documents