MotorWeek 2010 Drivers' Choice Awards Names Toyota Prius Best Vehicle of the Year

Prius Also Awarded Best Eco-Friendly Vehicle

February 11, 2010 – – MotorWeek, television?s longest running automotive series, announced today the Toyota Prius has won the top honor of ?Best of the Year? in its 2010 Drivers? Choice Awards ?for making improvements on virtually every front including, fuel efficiency, power and versatility.? Prius was a double winner as it also won MotorWeeks Drivers? Choice Award for ?Best Eco-Friendly? vehicle.

?If you can only buy one car for your family, the 2010 Prius is the one,? said MotorWeek host and executive producer John Davis. ?The Prius is a no-compromise vehicle that offers impressive efficiency, cutting edge technology, smart packaging and truly iconic styling.?

?The Prius winning the prestigious MotorWeek Drivers? Choice Best of the Year and Best Eco-Friendly awards is truly an honor that reflects how far hybrid technology in the U.S. has come in one short decade,? said Bob Carter, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager. ?Since it was introduced in 2000, the Prius has been an icon for positive change. Now, with over 800,000 currently on American roads, Prius has helped change the way people think about transportation, the roles cars play in the environment, and what people could expect from their cars in the future.?

MotorWeek?s Drivers? Choice Awards have been widely acknowledged as one of the auto industry?s top honors for more than 25 years. The Drivers? Choice Awards are chosen by the MotorWeek editorial staff by test-driving vehicles using a broad range of evaluation factors that are most important to consumers ? performance, technology, practicality and value.

The Prius will be featured as the ?Best of the Year? and ?Best Eco-Friendly? vehicle on MotorWeek beginning February 13 on PBS.

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MotorWeek?s statement regarding issue with brakes on the 2010 Prius

?MotorWeek has been test driving vehicles for nearly 30 years, providing unbiased, independent reviews of thousands of cars and trucks. Consumers rely on us to make smart buying decisions, a responsibility we take very seriously. That?s why we want to address the issue of why MotorWeek chose the 2010 Prius as its 2010 Drivers? Choice ?Best of the Year.?

We test drove two 2010 models of the Toyota Prius for several months and never experienced any mechanical problems. The cars were put through MotorWeek?s standard performance tests, including tackling city streets, jammed highways, as well as challenging hills and mountainous terrain. MotorWeek?s ?Best of the Year? selection was made well before any potential safety issues were raised. We still think it is an exemplary vehicle that is worthy of the Drivers? Choice Award and the dozens of other awards it has received. MotorWeek is confident any potential issues will be fully addressed by Toyota. ?

NOTE TO EDITORS: Photos and b-roll to accompany this story are available and can be retrieved in digital form by media without charge at http://www.toyotanewsroom.com.

CONTACTS: Toyota Division Communications

Greg Thome  (310) 468-3279 or [email protected]
Sam Butto  (310) 468-7728 or [email protected]
David Lee  (310) 468-2077 or [email protected]

Media Web site: http://www.toyotanewsroom.com
Public Web site: http://www.toyota.com