Coughlin Toyota of Newark

In the current economic climate, there is uncertainty about the longevity of automotive dealerships and whether they will be there for you for the long haul.

Rest assured that Coughlin Automotive will continue to offer the same great level of service and selection that you've come to expect from us - today, tomorrow and for many years to come.

Since 1991, we've grown to 5 locations with 10 different brands. We are Licking County's largest dealer and will continue to expand operations to serve the automotive needs of Central Ohio and surrounding areas.

Thank you from all of us at Coughlin Automotive.

Seventy-five-point-three miles to the gallon! That was enough to win the 2010 Toyota Prius fuel economy competition that stacked 28 auto journalists against one another in Yountville, Calif. on Feb. 24, 2009. (The results were embargoed until today.) While it was a cheap thrill to score so high?that?s less remarkable than the average mileage for the group of journalists on the media preview drive: 69.9 mpg. 

Of course, this level of fuel economy should not be expected for typical owners of the 2010 Prius. But the fact that it happened, and without applying any black magic or severe ?hypermiling? techniques, is amazing. The drivers took between 70 and 85 minutes, traveling on average between 27 and 29 miles per hour on the 33.8 mile course through Yountville and Napa?not including one outlier that took more than two hours. I drove with the slow traffic and let most cars pass me, but my pace was certainly within legal limits?and could represent the efforts of a reasonable but motivated fuel-conscious driver.

The only way that I kinda cheated was that I fully charged the battery in the 2010 Prius by stepping on the accelerator and the brake at the same time, before I started the course. This trick?which Akihiko Otsuka, the chief engineer of the 2010 Prius, who was on hand, taught me?essentially used the gas engine as a generator to recharge the hybrid battery (which was a bit sneaky and a completely stupid thing to do under normal circumstances).

The average score for the journalists was seven mpg higher than the mileage earned by Chief Otsuka, the man who led a team of 2,000 engineers to create the third-generation 2010 Toyota Prius. So, clearly, all of our scores were a bit rigged by our desire to ?beat the chief? as the competition was named. And yet, the auto journalists?folks who usually make their living by putting cars through high-speed paces?were able, with little effort, to get mileage off the charts. The official EPA numbers for the 2010 Prius are 51 in the city and 48 on the highway.

A Different Kind of Race

The reason that I was able to achieve 75.3 mpg?something I?ve never been able to do in the 2006 Prius that I have owned and driven for the past two-and-a-half years?gets to the core of the improvements in the new model.

Forget for a moment about the new Prius?s sharper more sporty design. Forget about the portfolio of new features, including telescoping steering wheel, adjustable seats, self-parallel parking, lane departure correction, moonroof with solar-powered interior cooling, and heated leather seats. And even put aside noticeable improvements in power, space and drivability in the new model.

The most critical and valuable improvement in the new Prius is the layout for the driver, most notably the dashboard display. The second-generation model, produced from 2004 to 2009, was all about the touchscreen monitor situated squarely between the driver and passenger seats?not at all in the line of vision for the driver. That monitor was required for everything from climate controls, stereo, navigation system, and for monitoring the energy use and mileage. The outgoing model?s graphics and animation indicating the flow of energy between batteries, motors, engine and wheels are, frankly, cheesy.

Great Mileage Within Reach

Otsuka and his team of engineers and designers made a brilliant move to abandon that approach by breaking out the primary driving functions into the three regions: the climate control right above the shifter, the audio a little bit higher up, and all the energy and mileage stuff tucked in just below the windscreen close to your line of vision toward the road.

The position of the old monitor, and the flatness of the dash from side to side, not only forced you to look at the middle of the dash, you had to reach for it. Instead, the 2010 Toyota Prius juts on in a bay of instruments that are much closer to your right hand. The design creates a convenient storage area near the floor between driver and passenger. Audio and air are also controlled on the steering wheel.

The Only Screen You Need

Toyota engineers also made the absolute critical decision to add a ?hybrid system indicator? with a horizontal bar to indicate your level of ?eco-driving.? Drive smooth and steady, and coast as much as possible, and the bar hugs left?exactly what you want. Slam on the gas and stomp on the brakes?sometimes necessary but mostly avoidable?and the bar shifts far right. Play the mileage game well and an ?eco? indicator goes on. (Sorry, we were unable photograph the screen while moving.)

Right next to this display is the instantaneous mileage display, a set of vertical bars. On my 75-mpg trip, I applied even pressure to the accelerator to keep the instant mpg toward the top bar. When I saw it rapidly fall, I took my foot off the pedal, coasted for a few seconds and watched it return to a full set of bars. Then, I gently reapplied by foot to keep my speed.

After finishing the loop, I complimented Otsuka on keeping the graphics very simple?no mood-ring shifting from blue to green like in the new Honda Insight and no digital leaves growing or robotic voices chiding me, like on Ford?s system. In response to my comment about the simplicity of the graphics, he doubled over laughing and pointed to me, as if to say, ?Absolutely.?

With sufficient energy in the hybrid batteries, the 2010 Toyota Prius reliably stays in all-electric mode up to 25 mph, and for nearly one mile.

Other reviewers might make more of the EV, eco, and power buttons?but that?s pretty straightforward. Use the ?eco mode? button as much as possible. Duh. And get into ?EV? as often as possible. If there is not enough juice in the battery, you will be warned about it, and you?ll need to wait until the regenerative braking does its thing. You can stay in EV mode up to 25 mph, but the very second you drift to 26 mph, you will be warned that you fell out of EV mode. That was a bit annoying. But I was able to stay in EV mode for several near-mile stretches through school zones and quiet country roads on the route?which was one of the keys to the 75.3 mpg score.

That?s about it, folks. The 2010 Toyota Prius provides all the comfort, space and power you need to get you and your passengers to where they need to go?and offers all the tools needed to break past the EPA estimate of 50 mpg. What else do you need in a hybrid?

Story from www.hybridcars.com
Published March 24, 2009

By: John Stewart

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety today released new side-impact crash-test results for three full-size pickups that it described as “worse than many cars we have evaluated.” 

The three newly tested trucks were the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500, 2009 Nissan Titan and 2009 Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra 1500. Though all rated Good in front impacts, they all earned either Poor or Marginal ratings in side-impact tests conducted at 31 mph.

The Dodge Ram with standard side airbags received a Marginal rating. The report said the Ram’s side structure/safety cage earned a Good rating, while the Titan’s earned Acceptable. The Ram has standard head-protecting side curtain airbags, but it lacks torso airbags. Both side curtain and side torso airbags are optional in the Titan.

When tested without their optional side airbags, the Titan and Silverado were given Poor ratings by IIHS. The Titan’s side rating improves to Marginal in models tested with side airbags, while the Silverado’s optional side airbags don’t improve its rating over models without them.

2009 Dodge Ram 1500: Side protection ratings are based on a crash test in which the side of the vehicle is struck by a moving deformable barrier that represents the front of a typical SUV or pickup. The resulting 31mph perpendicular impact is used to measure deformation of the body and performance of the airbag system, if so equipped. In this case, the Ram was rated “marginal” because, while the head was protected with side curtain air bags, the torso could have been impacted.

The Silverado’s ratings also apply to the GMC Sierra 1500, both of which were redesigned for 2007, so the ratings apply to 2007-09 models. The Ram is a new design for the 2009 model year. The Titan was introduced in the 2004 model year, so results apply to 2004-09 models.

In theory, the Ram, Titan and Silverado should have an advantage in side crash tests over
smaller vehicles because of their size and weight, and because occupants' higher seating positions put their heads and shoulders above the impact zone. Generally speaking, occupants of cars should be more vulnerable because their bodies are in line with the fronts of vehicles, especially tall ones, that hit them from the side.

“These large pickups don’t have to work as hard as smaller vehicles to protect their occupants," said IIHS senior vice president David Zuby. "Even with their characteristic advantages, the Ram, Titan and Silverado still miss the mark when it comes to occupant protection in side crashes.”

Most conspicuous in the new test results is the fact that the Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra were considered Poor even when equipped with their optional side curtain airbags.

“It’s disappointing to see that the GM truck didn’t perform better,” Zuby said.

The Silverado and Sierra don't have side airbags that protect the torso; they only get side curtain airbags that protect the head. The report stated that the trucks' optional side curtain airbags are designed to protect occupants’ heads, and these worked well, but occupants’ upper bodies remain unprotected even with the optional side curtain airbags, in part because there was more intrusion into the passenger compartment than with other pickups tested.

2009 Chevrolet Silverado 1500: Even though the optional side curtain air bags did protect the occupants’s head, the amount of side intrusion was judged to be sufficient to warrant a “poor” rating with respect to side impact.

“We think buyers should opt for the side curtain airbags anyway,” Zuby said, adding that they do help reduce injury, but that they're insufficient protection “for a truck with that much side intrusion."

 “We are aware of the IIHS tests; we do pay attention to them,” said Janine Fruehan, a safety spokesperson for General Motors. “But the results of one test doesn’t determine overall safety. Our trucks do meet and exceed government tests; the Silverado has a five-star rating in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash testings — that alone confirms that we provide a safe structure for occupants. We think we have great trucks.”

The Silverado is due for a redesign in the 2010 model year. Fruehan said the latest safety enhancements are in the works for the new Silverado.

The 2009 Dodge Ram, which is equipped with standard front airbags, standard supplemental side curtain airbags and a standard electronic stability system, also received five stars in government frontal crash tests.

Zuby said IIHS tests are conducted differently than NHTSA tests, usually at higher speeds.

“NHTSA tests are similar to ours in that they do provide consumer information to allow buyers to make informed choices,” Zuby said. “Our tests are different because we try to look at accident data and, based on that data, design tests that aren’t being done to address those issues. To get the most complete assessment, look at both tests.”

With regard to the Silverado/Sierra and Nissan Titan, he said IIHS tests show “there are better choices out there.”

The new test results add more models to IIHS’ list of pickup trucks tested for front, rear and side-impact crash protection. Earning Good ratings in front, side and rear impacts were the Honda Ridgeline, Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra. All those trucks have standard side airbags with torso and head protection.

2009 Nissan Titan: This shows the amount of damage to the occupant compartment of the Titan. Footage of dummy inside the Titan without airbags showed that the drivers head moved far enough outward so as to approach the window sill.  With side curtain bags, the head was better protected.