Spring 2009

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Ready, Set,
Draw the Future Contest!
For the past 17 years, The Thompson Organization has sponsored a unique contest that invites students from surrounding areas and schools to put their imagination to work.
[Read more about this fun event]


Here at Thompson we would like to express our gratitude to those who take time out of their busy lives just to tell us about their experiences.

Dear Mr. Thompson, 
I just had my 2008 GS350 serviced last week. I would like to extend my compliments, as usual, to your outstanding and very professional staff.

I especially want to compliment the incredible and friendly experience I had with Mike DePue. [READ MORE]


3rd Generation Prius
The Toyota Prius is the most popular hybrid vehicle and with good reason – it’s sold more than any other hybrid on the market. [FULL STORY]
Jack Thompson Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award

The American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA) recently honored longtime member and past director John H. (Jack) Thompson of Doylestown, PA with the David F. Mungenast, Sr. Lifetime Achievement Award. The award, named after the late AIADA Chairman and legendary St. Louis-area automobile dealer, was presented during AIADA’s 39th Annual Meeting and Luncheon held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

“This year’s award winner has claimed the respect of dealers and industry employees in all corners of the country,” said AIADA President Cody Lusk. “Jack is remarkable not just for his unwavering commitment to protecting the livelihoods of international auto dealers,
but also for his strength as a leader and reputation for generosity.”

Thompson was one of the first Toyota dealers in the United States, opening for business in 1969. In 1989 he once again blazed a trail as one of the country’s first Lexus dealers. He credits his success, and correspondingly high customer satisfaction and retention scores, to the philosophy that he is not in the car business, but the people business. In 1997 He won the Time Magazine Quality Dealer of the Year award and in 1998 the Sports Illustrated Dealer of Distinction.

Thompson’s love of cars extends past the office. Over the years he has accumulated one of the largest vintage car collections in the country, focused primarily on vintage race cars and European models. Jack is a member of the Sport Car Club of America and has served as that organization’s chief executive steward. Active in his community, Thompson has also served as a board member of the land preservation group Heritage Conservancy, the title sponsor of the Doylestown Arts Festival, and as a host of the annual Susan G. Komen Ultimate Drive for the Cure.

Today, Thompson owns and operates three dealerships in Doylestown, PA: Thompson Toyota, Thompson Lexus, and Thompson BMW. He has been a member of AIADA since 1975.

Toyota Sienna Picked as a Top Van
The National Automobile Dealer Association (NADA) Guides selected their top 5 picks for best vans…and the Toyota Sienna was chosen once again! NADAGuides.com is the most inclusive website on the Internet, providing vehicle information and customer guidance to the auto industry.

Those in the market to buy a van will research and find that the 2009 Toyota Sienna offers a “quiet, beautiful ride in a spacious well-equipped cabin.” Sienna’s superior features set it apart from other vans and the NADA Guides commend its optional All-Wheel-Drive, powerful 266 horsepower, 3.5 Liter V6, and its sleek exterior styling. Sienna’s long list of optional equipment (including navigation, a back-up camera and rear seat DVD entertainment) can be dubbed responsible for landing a spot on this very exclusive list.

Scion & Toyota Dominate Top 10 List
Together, Toyota and Scion have dominated CNN Money’s list of Top Resale Value Cars by being six out of the ten selected.

  • Scion xB and Corolla: made the list for their second year in a row
  • Toyota Prius: the only Hybrid on the list.
  • Scion xD: acknowledged for it’s fuel efficiency
  • Scion tC: affordable and popular, it also received recognition.
  • Toyota Yaris: came in just shy of first place by having a predicted 5-year resale value of 57%.

Over the years, the Toyota brand has maintained the reputation of reliability and affordability. Now it's clear Toyota cars maintain something just as important to their customers. Value.

Consumer Reports 2009 Top Vehicle Picks
More than 300 vehicles were recently tested. The Top 10 Picks are the best all-around choices in their categories. Road tests, reliability and safety are the three criteria areas. Not surprisingly, this year's list includes both Lexus and Toyota models.

Best overall vehicle- Lexus LS 460
With a road-test score of 99 out of 100, the LS was highest-scoring vehicle. According to Consumer Reports “It provides a luxurious, uncompromising driving environment, with a supremely comfortable ride and a roomy, well-finished, and exceptionally quiet interior. The LS is brimming with electronic amenities, yet the controls are easy to use. Its 380-hp, 4.6-liter V8 and eight-speed automatic transmission deliver smooth, quick acceleration and relatively good fuel economy.”

Small SUV-Toyota RAV4
Thanks to a more powerful four-cylinder engine and other upgrades for 2009, the RAV4 remained the Top Pick for the third straight year. As Consumer Reports describes, “It provides agile handling, a roomy and quiet interior, a comfortable ride, and an optional third-row seat. The four-cylinder version gets the best fuel economy of any automatic, non-hybrid SUV we've tested. And the spirited V6 version accelerates quickly, while getting only 1 mpg less than the four-cylinder.”

Green car-Toyota Prius
Prius has led this category for the sixth straight year. Consumer Reports states “The base model's 44 overall mpg is the best we've measured in any five-passenger car. The Touring model gets 42 mpg overall. The interior is roomy and versatile, and reliability remains excellent.”

Minivan-Toyota Sienna
The Sienna offers a spacious, versatile, and comfortable way to carry up to eight people. Consumer Reports found “that the quiet, well-finished interior rivals that of some luxury sedans. Electronic stability control is standard. This is the only minivan available with all-wheel drive.”

Midsized SUV- Toyota Highlander
The Highlander is very refined and versatile. According to Consumer Reports “It provides a comfortable and quiet ride, a nicely finished interior, three rows of seats, and decent fuel economy for its class. It is available with front- or all-wheel drive. The Highlander Hybrid's fuel economy, 24 mpg overall, is among the best of any SUV in our Ratings. Reliability has been excellent."

Click to print.

Strategic Vision 2008 Total Value Awards
More and more people are realizing just how important it is to make economically-sound buying decisions. At the end of last year, Strategic Vision announced its 2008 Total Value Index. These ratings provide guidance in smart-buying choices to those in the market for a new vehicle. The Total Value Awards show Thompson brands won in almost half the categories!

The following vehicles were ranked at the top of their segment:

  • Toyota Yaris Hatchback for Small Multi-Function
  • Toyota Prius for Mid-Size Car
  • Lexus IS 250/350 for Near Luxury Car
  • Lexus LS Sedan for Luxury Car
  • BMW 3-Series for Premium Coupe
  • Toyota Solara for Convertible
  • Toyota RAV4 for Entry Utility
  • Toyota 4Runner for Mid-size Traditional Utility
  • Toyota Sequoia for Large Utility
  • Lexus RX 400 Hybrid for Near Luxury Utility
  • Toyota Tundra for Large Pickup

When it comes to value...
Think Smart. Think Thompson.

Best of Doylestown Award
The US Local Business Association (USLBA) awarded Thompson BMW the 2008 Best of Doylestown Award in the Auto Repair category! The USLBA “Best of Local Business” Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year the USLBA identifies companies that they believe achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. This award is another example of Thompson’s ongoing dedication to providing the best products and service to our customers. At Thompson we believe that all experiences should be a positive one and we are proud to have been awarded this recognition.

Forbes Fuel-Efficient Smart Buys & Top 10 Least Polluters
Just about everyone has heard of Forbes and knows that they are one of the most powerful resources for businesses world-wide, so to be recognized by them is quite the accomplishment.  Forbes Auto has conducted research and named their top picks for “Fuel-Efficient Smart Buys” and “Top 10 Cars That Pollute the Least.”

The Toyota Tundra was named a winning pickup truck for being a fuel-efficient smart buy! Other top scoring vehicles on the “SmartGreen” index included the BMW 3 Series, Lexus IS 250, Lexus IS 350, Lexus RX 400 Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid and the Toyota Prius.

Lexus models took first, second and third place for the top 10 least pollutant vehicles, with Lexus RX 400h being ranked #1! Second place went to Lexus GS 450h and third to Lexus LS 600h. Also making that list for luxury vehicles was the BMW 128i, 328i, Z4 and 528i and Lexus IS 250. Toyota Prius took first place as the least-polluting car overall, followed by the Toyota Camry Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Toyota Yaris & Toyota Corolla.

BMW 3-Series makes Top 10 for 18th Year
BMW should be given its own throne to sit upon since it’s a regular on the top 10 list! Car and Driver released the picks for their 27th annual Ten Best Cars list. Winners were determined by a panel of 19 Car and Driver editors who rated candidates on a scale of 1-100. They focused on functional performance, driving satisfaction and value. The ever so popular BMW 3 made the list for the 18th consecutive year.

Lexus Tops J.D. Power Customer Service
Index Study
Lexus does the best job of pleasing customers in the service department… Toyota Motor Corp.'s luxury division ranked atop the recently released J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Customer Service Index (CSI) Study.  

The study is based on responses from 106,059 owners and lesees of vehicles from the 2004 through 2008 model years. The customers were surveyed in the final quarter of last year. BMW's placed third on the list, reflecting a jump of six slots from the 2008 study.

Dealerships with the happiest service customers have a better chance of retaining them after vehicle warranties expire, J.D. Power said.  At Thompson, we’re proud to say “we won’t just meet your automotive needs, we’ll exceed them!”

Consumer Digest 2009 Best Buys
Consumer Digest assessed nearly 240 cars for their 2009’s Best Buys. There were ten categories in all and Toyota models showed up in four of them. The winners were determined by a panel of 19 Car and Driver editors who rated candidates on a scale of 1-100. They focused on functional performance, driving satisfaction and value. Performance characteristics evaluated include starting and acceleration, shifting, steering, handling, braking, ride quality and fuel economy.

Best Buy winners included Corolla for the small car category, Camry/ Camry Solara for family car, Tundra ranked for best buy pickup and the Prius was recognized in the Hybrid category. Toyota’s trademark for reliability and dependability remains as strong as ever!

Toyota Highlander-Top Safety Pick
The Top Safety Pick award covers vehicles that earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) best ratings for front, side and rear impact protection. The Toyota Highlander was honored by scoring the highest in the Mid-Size SUV category. With the Highlander, drivers and passengers will have both physical comfort and peace of mind knowing that they are riding in the safest mid-size SUV on the road.

© Copyright 2009 The Thompson Organization