Toyota hawks Avalon Hybrid on Home Shopping Network

George Kennedy — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Hybrid, Marketing/Advertising, Toyota, TV/Movies

"But wait, there's more!" You may be accustomed to hearing that line during an infomercial for a steak knife sharpener, but what about when the talking head is pitching a brand new car? Toyota is doing just that in a new partnership with HSN. The result of this partnership is a show called "Discover Toyota," which first aired on Sunday, October 7.

HSN has been around for more than three decades, and Toyota is the first automaker to appear on the network. The aim of the show is to highlight Toyota's hybrid lineup, including the Camry Hybrid, Highlander Hybrid, all-new Avalon Hybrid, and of course, the Prius family.

According to Toyota Motor Sales VP of Marketing Communications and Motorsports Ed Laukes, "HSN has a really loyal and engaged base of viewers, so it was a natural partner to help us expose out growing lineup of hybrids to people across the country." Appearing on the show were Micah Muzio of KBB.com and Tara Weingarten of Vroomgirls.com. The two appeared as the program's auto experts - one must carefully consider the objectivity of any subject matter expert brought on to a program this is so clearly backed by Toyota, however.

The show apparently also featured quizzes and Toyota-themed games, allowing fans to earn point towards sweepstakes to win a new Avalon Hybrid. Do you think this is a smart move for an automaker? Is Toyota targeting the Avalon's target demographic with the HSN program? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Continue reading Toyota hawks Avalon Hybrid on Home Shopping Network

Toyota hawks Avalon Hybrid on Home Shopping Network originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: A different take on Challenger vs. Camaro

Dan Roth — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Etc., Chevrolet, Dodge, Humor, New Car Reviews

A different take on Challenger vs. Camaro - Click above for high-res image gallery

The original ponycar wars have boomeranged back after forty years. Ford started it all with a retro-tasty Mustang, and Dodge and Chevrolet have rolled out new versions of the Challenger and Camaro to get in on the frenzy. Looking at the window sticker of any of these cars may seriously depress you. Your retired boomer Dad could swing it as a way to recapture the time before his potential was all used up, but you're not going to step into one of these things if the ink on your diploma has been dry for less than a year.

We have uncovered a way for anyone to get their hands on a Camaro for a price that would please even your paperboy. Better yet, it comes with its own instructional course, so you know what the heck you're doing. It's not exactly a Camaro of the vehicular variety, but HSN's limited-edition Esteban Camaro guitar (almost sold out!) can grab attention in its own right. What's more, those halcyon days of carburetors and bias ply tires are at your fingertips - classic rock tablature abounds. We figured that we'd try out the guitar with the potential to make you a rock star and compare and contrast it with the Dodge Challenger SRT8, a vehicle that nudges the driver that much closer to being chased by paparazzi. Think it's an even, if category-bending matchup? Hit the jump to find out.

Gallery: A different take on Challenger vs. Camaro

Continue reading Review: A different take on Challenger vs. Camaro

Review: A different take on Challenger vs. Camaro originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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