Cameron Diaz was probably the first celebrity to endorse the Prius years ago. Later, Leonardo DiCaprio gave the hybrid car a boost with his famous statement that his Toyota Prius was just like any other car, but that he only fills it up once every three weeks.

If my curiosity/interest in following the lifestyles of the rich and the famous (well, that’s why and how this blog was created!) is any indication, celebrity interest in Toyota cars is poised for a massive revival with the latest, trendiest and hottest 2009 models, especially with the third-generation Prius. According to Toyota, it’s going to be a slightly bigger than today’s model with a trio of versions (including the Hybrid X concept exhibited at March’s Geneva Auto Salon). Does it mean the 2009 Prius will be leaner, meaner, greener and cheaper? Most likely.

While the fascination seems to be centered around the hybrid Prius, other 2009 Toyota cars have nevertheless been gaining ground in reviews. The 4Runner, Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, FJ Cruiser, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Matrix and Rav4 are featuring some great functionalities, specs and trims, and are just a few of the names to reckon with before making a purchase decision.

However, one point here. The fact that the cars are getting better in more ways than one doesn’t necessarily mean they’re getting more expensive. If you’re like me and would give your right arm to be driving the cars the celebrities drive, you’re in for a pleasant surprise — these cars are not unreachable stars. Matter of fact, they’re quite affordable and with the competition around, you may want to visit carconnection.com and check out the terrific range of vehicles. Not to mention getting free price quotes as well!

The 22-year-old footballer sealed a two-year deal with the German car maker last week and has already taken delivery of a brand new customized Mercedes Benz CL63 Coupé worth £121,200.

Rooney is obviously a connoisseur of some of the finest cars in the world–he owns at least three other high-end cars including a £137,000 Bentley Continental GT, a £136,450 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder and a £177,000 Aston Martin Vanquish, as well as a BMW 5 Series, Cadillac Escalade and Range Rover Sport.

So what happens to these cars now that the contract stipulates that Rooney must drive only Merc to matches and training sessions? His celebrity wife Coleen McLoughlin will be left to drive the rest of his fleet. (Rooney met McLoughlin while both were in their final year of secondary school. They married on June 12, 2008.)

“We very much wanted Wayne to be the face of the brand,” a source at Mercedes said. “Mercedes will set Wayne up as an icon with their cars. There is an option in the contract for him to feature in some adverts.”

Rooney has a bagful (or should I say trunkful) of endorsement deals, which are expected to fetch him at least $200 million before he’s 30.