Top 10 Best-Selling Cars: January 2012

After capping 2011 with four decent months, the auto industry hit 2012 running. Analysts expect auto sales to outpace 2011 figures anywhere from 6% to 10%, which could make 2012 the best sales year since 2007.

January enticed consumers with total incentives — including financing offers, automaker and dealer cash, and trade-in bonuses — amounting to 16% off the average car’s MSRP, CNW Marketing Research reports. That beats January 2011, when shoppers saw only 13.5% off the average MSRP.

Shoppers took advantage. January sales jumped 11%, beating Tuesday’s expectations. This marks the best annualized month since 2009, Automotive News reports. Chrysler, Nissan and Hyundai-Kia saw double-digit sales gains, with GM the only top-seven automaker to post a loss.

Most Popular Car Seat Checks

Parents, grandparents and caretakers know what a pain it can be to install child-safety seats into a car. Imagine doing it over and over and over again. That's what our Car Seat Check team does nearly every week as it tests new cars to find out how easy it is to use the Latch system.

Car Seat Checks are performed by Cars.com editor Kelsey Mays, Cars.com photographer Ian Merritt and Cars.com editor and certified car-seat technician Jennifer Newman.

Recall Alert: 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2011 Toyota Sienna

More than 500 2010-11 Toyota Corollas and 2011 Toyota Siennas are being recalled due to the potentially flawed installation of aftermarket navigation, overhead entertainment and Bluetooth systems by Southeast Toyota Distributors, the world’s largest Toyota franchise distributor with 173 dealerships in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

During the installation of aftermarket non-Toyota Bluetooth, overhead entertainment and navigation systems, an installer at the facility was found to not be following instructions. On the 518 affected vehicles, the retention clip for the A-pillar trim may have been damaged, which could allow the trim panel to come loose and potentially injure vehicle occupants in a crash. Southeast Toyota estimates that approximately 25% of the vehicles listed have damaged A-pillar covers.

Southeast Toyota dealers will inspect the A-pillar trim panel and replace it if necessary free of charge. The recall is expected to begin this month. Owners can call Southeast Toyota at 800-301-6859 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

2012 Toyota Corolla: What's New

After its mild refresh for 2011, the 2012 Toyota Corolla gets more standard features, along with new audio, multimedia and navigation options.

The Corolla still comes in L, S and LE trims, like last year. The base L trim now has exterior-color power side mirrors, power windows with driver-side auto-down, power door locks and remote keyless entry, all standard. Those features were previously optional. The LE trim adds 16-inch steel wheels and steering-wheel audio controls to the standard roster. The S trim gets new double-stitched upholstered seats and the same radio upgrade found in the LE.

Toyota Camry Most Stolen Car

The Toyota Camry was the most stolen new passenger car in 2009, according to the most recent information provided by the National Crime Information Center, a government agency that is part of the FBI.

Out of all the Camrys produced in 2009, about 781 were stolen. Keep in mind that the Camry was (and is) the best-selling passenger car. So the fact that it leads the list isn't remarkable; in fact, the rate at which it was stolen was nearly half the national average. 

2011 Toyota Corolla: Car Seat Check

This Car Seat Check was first published in April 2011 on MotherProof.com.

For 2011, Toyota restyled the Corolla's look and improved the sedan's aerodynamics. The Corolla seats five passengers.

For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide 30 rear-facing infant-safety seat, a Britax Roundabout convertible child-safety seat and Graco high-back TurboBooster seat.

2011 Toyota Corolla: Car Seat Check

This Car Seat Check was originally published in April 2011 on MotherProof.com.

For 2011, Toyota restyled the Corolla's look and improved the sedan's aerodynamics. The Corolla seats five passengers.

For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide 30 rear-facing infant-safety seat, a Britax Roundabout convertible child-safety seat and Graco high-back TurboBooster seat.

Toyota's U.S. Production Returns to 100%

Toyota confirmed that production at its North American plants has returned to normal this week. The news comes after nearly five months of slowed production due to limited supplies from the automaker’s Japanese part suppliers. Toyota’s 13 North American plants make the company’s best-sellers in the U.S., including the Camry, RAV4, Corolla, Highlander and Sienna. In all, nearly 70% of the cars Toyota sells in the U.S. are made in North America.

The recovery is ahead of schedule; Toyota originally stated that it didn’t expect to get everything up and running again until November or December at the latest.

The company will now focus on replenishing dealer inventories with overtime and Saturday shifts at some plants. Toyota expects there to be a 15% increase in its supply in the last three months of 2011.

The company also says that construction work on its 14th North American assembly plant, a Corolla factory in Mississippi, is almost complete. Production will begin there in October, employing 2,000 workers. 

Reader Review of the Week: 2011 Toyota Corolla

A reader who goes by the name of “52 years accident free driving” from Auburn, Calif., just purchased a 2011 Toyota Corolla after surveying six other entries in the compact category.  This reader picked the Corolla over competitors like the Mazda3 because of the quiet highway ride, comfort and safety.  Check out the full review below. Once you’re done, write a review about your own car here.

2011 Toyota Corolla: Rental Car Review

We usually get to review rental cars when we’re on vacation; the weather is nice and there’s no work to get done. Not so this time. My wife’s car was hit while stopped at a red light. It’s now in the body shop getting fixed, and I swapped it for a 2011 Toyota Corolla LE with just 7,800 miles on it. How does a car that Cars.com’s editors have been unimpressed with do in its rawest form?

It drives like a rental.