???2.5l S, Very Clean, Gas Saver, Just 68k Miles, Runs And Drives Great, Save$$$ on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Toyota raises Japanese base wages for first time since 2008

Toyota is on track for record profits, and in return, its Japanese workers are receiving their first increase in base wages since 2008, plus higher pay based on seniority and a larger bonus for 2014. The Japanese automaker predicts the average laborer will net a 2.9 percent income gain.
The average Toyota employee will earn 2,700 yen ($26.28) more each month, a 0.8 percent increase from last year. Workers will also receive about 7,300 yen ($71.09) more monthly based on seniority and promotions. Finally, the company's union pushed through a median bonus of 2.44 million yen ($23,768) for 2014, the highest in 6 years.
The pay boost comes as Toyota forecasts a record 1.9-trillion yen ($18.5 billion) profit for the fiscal year ending on March 31, according to Bloomberg. It has been helped by the Japanese government's efforts to weaken the yen on international markets and expand inflation. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been asking businesses to increase compensation to end years of deflation and offset upcoming higher sales taxes. Honda and Nissan have also raised their wages there in recent months.

BMW, Hyundai score big in JD Power's first Tech Experience Index

While automakers are quick to brag about winning a JD Power Initial Quality Study award, the reality, as we've pointed out before, is that these ratings are somewhat misleading, since IQS doesn't necessarily distinguish genuine quality issues. JD Power's new Tech Experience Index aims to solve that problem. The new metric takes the same 90-day approach as IQS but focuses exclusively on technology – collision protection, comfort and convenience, driving assistance, entertainment and connectivity, navigation, and smartphone mirroring. It splits the industry up into just seven segments, based loosely on size, which is why the Chevrolet Camaro is in the same division (mid-size) as Kia Sorento and the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class is in the same segment as the Hyundai Genesis (mid-size premium). It makes for some screwy bedfellows, to be sure. Still, splitting tech experience away from initial quality should allow customers to make more informed and intelligent decisions when buying new vehicles. In the inaugural study, respondents listed BMW and Hyundai as the big winners, with two segment awards – the 2 Series for small premium and the 4 Series for compact premium, and the Genesis for mid-size premium and Tucson for small segment. The Chevrolet Camaro (midsize), Kia Forte (compact), and Nissan Maxima (large) scored individual wins. Ford also had a surprising hit with the Lincoln MKC, which ranked third in the compact premium segment behind the 4 Series and Lexus IS. This is a coup for the Blue Oval, whose woeful MyFord Touch systems made the brand a victim of the IQS' flaws in the early 2010s. But Ford and other automakers might not want to celebrate just yet. According to JD Power, there's still a lot of room for improvement – navigation systems were the lowest-rated piece of tech in the study. Instead, customers repeatedly saluted collision-avoidance and safety systems, giving the category the best marks of the study and listing blind-spot monitoring and backup cameras as two must-have features – 96 percent of respondents said they wanted those two systems in their next vehicle. But this isn't really a surprise. Implementation of safety systems from brand to brand is similar, and they don't require any input from users, unlike navigation and infotainment systems which are frustratingly deep.

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla Model S in landslide, Plug'n Drive wants EVs

A woman and child survived a landslide in a Tesla Model S. The front of the car was severely damaged with the hood and front fascia badly crumpled. The rear hatch window glass caved in, but while the windshield was cracked, the safety glass held together. While in another vehicle, the occupants could have been crushed by the tree that landed on the car, the cabin structure of the Model S mostly withstood the pressure, saving the humans inside. It's not the typical situation most people think of when considering car safety, but it is a dramatic example of the protection the Model S offers. Read more and see the aftermath at Green Car Reports. The Renault-Nissan Alliance will provide 200 battery electric vehicles for the United Nation's COP21 climate conference in Paris. Together the cars will drive a combined 400,000 kilometers (about 248,550 miles) emissions-free. The cars - a fleet of Renault Zoes, Nissan Leafs and Nissan e-NV200s - will be used as shuttles for the conference attendees. The Alliance will set up a network of 90 chargers for the event, powered by low-carbon electricity. The residual emissions will be offset through a UN carbon offsetting program. Read more from Nissan, or at Green Car Congress. At the Queen's Park Electric Vehicle Day this week, the non-profit group Plug'n Drive called for Ontario to emphasize vehicle electrification. The group says that adding electric power to more cars, "can make a significant contribution to GHG emission reductions in Ontario, while at the same time benefitting the Ontario economy." GHG are, of course, greenhouse gases. According to the group, there are currently more than 12,140 EVs in Canada. Read more in the press release below. Plug'n Drive advocates for electrification of transportation as a key plank of Ontario's climate change action strategy First ever Electric Vehicle Day at Queen's Park demonstrates the benefits of electric vehicles TORONTO, ON, Oct. 26, 2015 /CNW/ - Plug'n Drive is hosting the first ever Queen's Park Electric Vehicle Day today at 11:00 a.m., providing MPPs from all parties, Ministers, public servants, stakeholders and the public the opportunity to test drive electric cars at all price points and to learn about the environmental and economic benefits of switching from gas to electric.