DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Diana At Kohl's

Q: Toyotas are really the best. Do you have experience owning one?

A: The Toyota Camry, I had before this was my mother-in-law's. When she passed away, she gave it to Gary (husband) and me. This is how we discovered Toyotas. I don't know how old that car was. We just loved it. It's the most comfortable for driving and traveling.

Q: If it weren't for that Toyota Camry being totaled, you wouldn't have this one. Tell me about the accident.

A: About three years ago, on Friday the 13th, we were going to have lunch with my husband's uncle. We were just driving down the road. There was this big semi-truck in the lane next to us. We were in the middle lane. Then all of a sudden, I saw the truck heading towards our lane. And very calmly, I said, "Uh, hey, Gary, there's a truck in our lane."

Q: You survived the accident and you look fine to me.

A: He looked over and couldn't get over. So he says, "Well, Diana, we are going to have to get hit. So brace yourself." It happened like that. The truck came over and totaled our whole front end. Gary finally got it to the side of the road. "Is there any blood? Is there any blood?" I said, "Thank you, God. I'm alive to be able to see my grandchild." My daughter was pregnant and my granddaughter wasn't born then. For the grace of God, I was able to see the birth of my grandchild. We were in shock we survived it. We had no problem. My husband truly feels that the car saved our lives because of the structure of the Toyota. It's made so well. Granted, it was totaled in the front. Because we loved it so much, we ended up with another Toyota.

Q: You are a sister, daughter, wife and grandmother, and you spend a lot of time with your grandchildren. What are the rules you give your grandchildren when it comes to riding in your car?

A: Number one: Sit in the backseat and wear your seatbelt. Number two: We don't want to eat in the car. We like to keep our car nice, like you would your house. My little granddaughter is always in her car seat.

Q: What's your favorite trip?

A: Every three months, we visit my daughter, her family and our two grandsons in Yucca Valley, Fort Bragg. We love Fort Bragg. It's our favorite getaway. We walk and eat at little places. We like to walk and go to the beach, walk in the sand. I love the ocean. It's so tranquil. Serenity. It's so beautiful there.

Q: What else do you love about your Toyota Camry?

A: We love Toyota, Honey. The seats go down like that. Since I'm tall, it has beautiful legroom. It has good gas mileage. It has superstar ratings when it comes to accidents.

Q: Would you buy another Toyota?

A: We totally believe in Toyota. We will only buy Toyota. My husband wrote a letter to Toyota and told them how it saved our lives. We truly believe it saved our lives. We live and breathe Toyota.