Consumer Reports is a fantastic tool for drivers to learn the latest news and trends for automobiles around the world. But for manufacturers, what comes to light in Consumer Reports can often create awareness that they prefer drivers didn’t know. Consumers, however, deserve to have information available to them to keep them safer on the road and driving their vehicles longer because they were able to select a vehicle while being informed. Likewise, our auto repair shop also believes that consumers will be able to drive their vehicles longer by maintaining with preventative maintenance services.

The November 2013 Consumer Report states that they are dropping the recommendation of the Toyota Camry and other models due to safety concerns. A recent crash test done by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showed that some vehicles are better at protecting the occupants in a vehicle in certain types of frontal collisions than others. Apparently, as a result of the poor results in this frontal crash test, Consumer Reports has decided to drop the recommendations of the Audi A4, Toyota Camry, RAV4, and the Prius V. These are obviously some interesting surprises regarding the performance and safety of these aforementioned vehicles which leads us to believe that the original models may have been better all along. The good news? According to Bengt Halvorson of The Car Connection, “the automaker (Toyota) – and its Lexus luxury counterpart – still ranked above all others in reliability.”

Sometimes, older is better. The original models of the Toyota Prius are still reliable and have been noted as being safe and reliable. Still thinking about purchasing a Toyota hybrid? Well, despite losing their recommended ratings, both the Camry and the Prius V still were awarded a Top Safety Pick rating overall, thanks to good performances in other tests, according to Green Car Reports. Here at our Hybrid Shop, we can maintain and repair hybrids and save you money in the process. If you love your hybrid  and are now skeptical from reading this Consumer Report, don’t forget about our battery conditioning services. Hybrid batteries, after time, can lose function and power. Although this service is quite expensive and many drivers end up seeking newer hybrid models, we offer this service to you with a huge savings and will have your hybrid battery back in shape in just a short time.