Metro Toyota

DETROIT (Reuters) - Trouble with new technologies, including a clunky control system for its radios, pounded Ford Motor Co's ranking in a closely watched quality ranking, just a year after the U.S. brand led its mass-market rivals.

In a reversal of fortune, Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp's namesake brand, which last year tumbled to its lowest ranking ever due to a series of damaging recalls, pulled off a corresponding rebound, according to the influential study of U.S. consumers released on Thursday by J.D. Power and Associates.

Ford, the only U.S. automaker to avoid bankruptcy and…

Toyota believes one shouldn't be greedy over good ideas. Case in point: Virginia Medical Center's ability to cut the amount of time it takes a patient to receive chemo treatment by 50 percent.

How did they do it? Simply by adopting the lean management style used by Japanese automaker, Toyota...Let's start from the beginning, shall we?

Back in 1998, Virginia Medical Center started to lose a substantial amount of money. In search of a solution, CEO, Dr. Gary Kaplan set out to visit countless hospitals and talk with a vast array of industry gurus.

After two…

If you have not purchased a vehicle lately, you should know that how plates and titles work has completely changed. In this issue, we'll address this topic as it applies to leases.

In the "good old days", lease plates expired on the lessee's birthday. Today, they expire on a date selected by the lending institution. For Metro Toyota clients, that typically means October 20th (if the lending institution is Toyota Finance) or December 20 (if the lending institution is U.S. Bank). Check your vehicle's registration to determine which date applies to you.

Another change: Lending institutions used to send out paper Powers of Attorney and reminders to the lessee. This is no longer the case. Powers of Attorney are handled electronically now, and no reminders are sent. This is important because - aside from a possible ticket for expired plates - at press time, the state charges a $20 fine if you do not purchase new plates or tags before the old ones expire, on top of the cost of the plates or tags themselves.

·  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.