Used Toyota models in New York might start attracting more attention now that U.S. News and World Report has ranked the 2010 Toyota Land Cruiser the best luxury full-size SUV for the money.

For auto shoppers looking to get the best deal, the 2006 Land Cruiser has a little something for every type of car enthusiast. Edmunds.com describes the SUV in three simple words: big, powerful and comfortable.

The Land Cruiser has a 4.7-liter V8 engine that generates 275 horsepower and 332 feet-pounds of torque. The Japanese-made SUV has the smooth acceleration of a sedan and the off-roading and towing capabilities of a high-powered four-wheel drive vehicle, according to the news source.

A particularly attractive attribute of the 2006 model is that it’s only manufactured one way — loaded up. It is equipped with leather seats, a JBL audio system with an in-dash CD changer and separate climate control systems for front and rear passengers.

Available options include a DVD entertainment console, satellite radio and a suspension system specially designed to improve off-road performance.

With the recent report of the new Land Cruiser’s affordability, used Toyota models in New York could become hot items for car aficionados.

Used Toyota models in New Jersey could start attracting more attention after Wednesday’s human interest story on the Today Show.

On August 12, 2000, Tillie Tooter, now age 93, was on her way to Fort Lauderdale airport to pick up her granddaughter when she was rear-ended, sailing her Toyota Tercel 40 feet down an embankment into a nearby mangrove swamp.

Tooter spent the next 72 hours as a castaway, trapped in her car, praying to be found before the elements took their toll on her 83-year-old body.

The octogenarian survived on food rations that consisted of a stick of gum, a cough drop and a piece of peppermint candy. She used a pair of socks to absorb rainwater and would draw out the moisture to remain hydrated.

After spending nearly three days in the snake-infested swamp, Tooter felt resigned to her fate. “I made my peace with God,” she recalled on the show. “I felt repentant for anything I may have done to hurt anybody, and glad for the things that I did that were good.”

Tooter’s nightmare finally came to an end when a local teenager, who she affectionately calls “my angel,” spotted her car while he walked along the highway. She was soon rescued by paramedics and was back on her feet in just a few days.

When a friend was asked why Tooter’s story is still being told nearly a decade after it occurred, she responded with a question of her own.

“How many Tillie Tooter’s have come along in the last nine years?” she asked. “She’s terrific; she’s one of a kind.”

As for Tooter, she says the experience hasn’t changed her a bit. The Brooklyn native was raised to handle the most menacing of circumstances.

Tooter began working at the age of 13 as her family struggled through the Great Depression. She also raised a four-generation family on her own after her husband passed away during the D-Day invasion in 1944.

She now spends her time traveling around the south Florida area, speaking at retirement homes to inspire people to live life to the fullest.

“Every minute counts,” she told WPLG Local News in Miami. “Take whatever you can out of this life. Every bit of joy and every bit of pleasure and give as much as you can.”

Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports that there were approximately 246,000 car crashes in 2000 resulting in nearly 232,000 injuries.

Tillie Tooter’s harrowing ordeal could benefit sales of used Toyota models in New Jersey.

Strategic Vision is a research-based consultancy that recently announced its 2009 Total Value Index, which contains figures that could help sales of used Toyotas in New Jersey, hurt new model sales or both.

To prepare the Total Value Index, researchers consulted more than 48,000 car shoppers who bought a vehicle between September 2008 and March 2009. The total value calculation considers customer expectations, predicted fuel economy, price, estimated resale value and innovation. These variables are weighed and then used to measure ownership experience, also referred to as True Value.

For the first time in the history of the index, Toyota did not have a leader in any segment.

“Toyota provides buyers the security needed to make the purchase,” said Dr Darrel Edwards, Strategic Vision’s founder. “However, with so many manufacturers inspired by Toyota improving in perceived quality, customers have a wider range of options to choose from in our current economic climate. This allows them to find both value and love in their new vehicle.”

It seems used Toyotas in New Jersey and elsewhere are the models that generated the best results in past Strategic Vision indices, which could improve sales of pre-owned cars and hurt the popularity of new vehicles.

On November 17, Motor Trend (MT) will announce its 2010 Car of the Year. One contestant, Toyota‘s hybrid, could draw attention to used Priuses in New York.

The 2010 Toyota Prius could very well be MT’s Car of the Year, as it has already won this competition in the past, according to the magazine’s website. In 2004, the Prius won MT’s competition because the publication valued its roomy cabin and fuel efficiency ratio of 60 miles per gallon in city driving.

The 2004 Prius came equipped with a 1.5-liter engine that worked with an electric drive motor, according to Edmunds.com. The gas and electric power plants produced 76 horsepower and 67 horsepower, respectively. This Prius reached 60 MPH in about 10 seconds and its base model generally sells for about $10,000.

This year could mark the second time the Prius wins MT’s competition. Praise from a recognized authority on automotive matters like MT might benefit both new and used Priuses in New York, as many people read this magazine.