Toyota reinvents Camry, babies, DMV and pizza curtains in Super Bowl ad

Toyota made one of the best commercials for the 2012 Super Bowl. It's toutig the 2012 Toyota Camry, carmaker decided to do more. In the one-minute commercial, here's what Toyota has done: This is the re-invented couch. It also comes in male. This is a re-invented police officer. He's also a masseuse. This is the re-invented baby. It doesn't poop. It it also a time machine. The re-invented DMV. It's a little nicer. The re-invented blender. It plays Lionel Ritchey. The reinvented plant. It fights crime. The re-invented curtains. They are made of pizza. This is re-invente rain. It makes

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Toyota surpasses four million hybrid vehicles sold since 1997 debut

The Toyota Prius dominates the hybrid car segment and it's the primary reason why 16 years after its debut, the carmaker recently surpassed four million hybrid units sold. Toyota currently sells 18 hybrid passenger vehicles in 80 countries and regions. This year, hybrid vehicle accounted for 15 percent of TMC’s global vehicle sales. Prius, Toyota’s first hybrid passenger car, went on sale in Japan in 1997. Hybrid technology was later introduced to the U.S. in 2000 with the arrival of the Prius. Since then, the Toyota Division of Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A. sold 1.5 million hybrid vehicles in the

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Honda recall: faulty power steering hose affects 600,000 Accords

Honda is recalling five model years of Accords totaling 600,000 units in the United States and Canada and dating to 2003 because the popular sedan has a faulty power steering hose that can leak fluid and cause a fire. The recall, which extends through the 2007 edition, is the result of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration posting on its website that the Accord’s power steering hose can deteriorate with prolonged exposure to engine heat. In addition to a cracked hose and loss of power-assisted steering, the problem could result in an engine fire in Accords V-6 engines. Honda has

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Toyota reveals massive recall involving 7.4 million cars, trucks dating to 2005

Toyota has added another massive component to its more than three years of quality control issues by recalling 7.4 million cars and trucks globally for potential fires involving faulty power-window switches and including 2.5 million vehicles sold in the United States. The recall affects cars made between July 2005 and May 2010, including Camry and Corolla sedans and RAV4 sport-utility vehicles sold in Japan, North America, Europe, China, the Middle East and Oceania. Japan’s biggest automaker called the  latest recall its largest in history. Toyota globally recalled 7.7 million vehicles in 2009 and 2010 because of faulty floormats, but the

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2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid: Redesign adds further appeal to surprising sedan

By Bruce Aldrich, Contributing Edtior The 2013 Toyota Avalon will debut in December, and the fourth generation sedan has a new mission statement — excitement. The car has a entirely new look, an upgraded interior and better handling. Expect to see design cues from the Avalon in future Toyotas. The real news is the hybrid Avalon. The hybrid drivetrain is the same used in the hybrid Camry. This Synergy Drive system uses a 2.5-liter gas motor, combined with an electric motor to provide 200 horsepower. I prefer the hybrid Avalon over gas models. The hybrid does everything the gas model

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2014 Toyota Corolla: New look, better gas mileage

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Since it’s the best-selling car in history, look for continued keen marketing when  2014 Toyota Corolla is soon completely unveiled. In the meantime, the carmaker is steadily leaking details of the Corolla. And it takes the entry level vehicle at least as seriously as the debut of any of its cars — the Camry to the Prius to the Tacoma pick-up. The next generation of the Corolla, the 12th since the car’s debut in 1966, has slowly and steadily been leaked onto the Internet in stages. The front end was recently teased with a few images. And now images of

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2015 Lexus RX 350: Best in class SUV

How does an automaker come up with a best-selling vehicle? The four-door Lexus RX 350 five-seater is arguably the first midsize luxury crossover SUV and long has been the top-selling Lexus vehicle. The 2015 RX 350 comes in various forms, including the hybrid gas/electric RX 450h, but we’re concerned only with the RX 350 here. Lexus figures main rivals to the RX are the formidable Acura RDX, Audi Q5, BMW X3, Cadillac SRX, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Infiniti QX70, Lincoln MKX and Mercedes-Benz M-Class. A “crossover SUV?” Yes, indeed, because most hardware for the RX 350 comes from the Toyota Camry

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2015 Toyota Highlander: Comfortable, versatile SUV

Fifteen years after its debut at the New York Auto Show, the Toyota Highlander is in the second year of its third generation as a midsize, car-based sport utility vehicle. The Highlander was a quick hit and became Toyota’s best-selling SUV until its smaller sibling, the RAV4, assumed the carmaker’s top SUV spot in 2006. Facing increasing SUV competition, the Highlander was extensively redesigned in 2014, boosting its tired predecessor. The 2015 model remains the same as last year’s offering. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Available in five trims, my weekly was the top-line Limited Platinum model. The base model begins

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Toyota test comparison helps determine best model

With dozens of models on the market, choosing just one Toyota can be as difficult. How do you know which model will meet all of your needs? How are you supposed to decide between a red Yaris and a blue Corolla? Here are a few tips in a Toyota test comparison to  help you decide. 1. Consider the Year The first thing to decide is how modern do you need your car to be? If you’re looking for something with integrated touchscreens or cutting-edge fuel cell technology, your search will be limited to models produced in the last five years.

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2015 Honda Accord Hybrid: Iconic sedan gets better

After a seven-year hiatus, the Honda Accord Hybrid was reintroduced for the 2014 model year and has no major changes for 2015. The hybrid trim further adds to the versatility of the already iconic sedan, a perennial top-10 seller for decades. The Weekly Driver Test Drive The 2015 Honda Accord is available in three trims in gas and hybrid offerings. My weekly driver was the hybrid with the Touring trim. It’s chocked-packed with features. It includes all of the equipment of the hybrid EX and EX-L models. The EX trim equipment: 17-inch alloy wheels, heated side mirrors, automatic headlights, dual-zone

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Toyota makes trucks cleanly, quietly, quickly in Texas

During a recent visit to the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas (TMMTX), the 2.2-million square foot, 2,000-acre facility 17 miles south of downtown San Antonio, my notion of the workplace environment of automobile manufacturing plants was shattered. The sweatshop image I’ve viewed in movies and read about in tragic examples of worker exploitation was replaced by modern, efficient, environmentally savvy city of state-of-the art technology. It’s a factory where machines and humans co-exist in a healthy, constantly moving indoor environment. Toyota calls the plant where about 200,000 Toyota Tacoma and Tundra trucks are manufactured per year a campus. It’s an appropriate

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Lexus, Toyota get Consumer Reports’ reliability honors

From transmission issues to troublesome turbocharged engines to 15 other areas, Consumer Reports studies in its annual automobile reliability survey. The 2018 compilation, like in every year, has surprises. This year, Toyota and its luxury sibling Lexus, reversed positions. While tabulating the results of more than 500,000 vehicles, Lexus gets the top spot. Lexus had six models in the study, earning an average reliability score of 78. The brand’s least reliable model is the IS while its most reliable model is the GX. This year, all Lexus models with sufficient data were rated average or above. Toyota had 14 models

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3 Proven Exhaust Upgrades for Real Horsepower Gains

Aftermarket exhaust advertisements often scream “+25 HP!” yet too often, the only thing that increases is the annoying interior drone on your daily commute.  To separate hype from honest horsepower, we tested three axle-back systems under identical, controlled conditions. We installed them on the 2018-24 Toyota Camry, 2014-20 Infiniti Q50, and 2022+ Subaru WRX VB. What did we find? Here’s the quick verdict: Below, you’ll find the raw dynamometer numbers, detailed sound notes, and installation impressions. We also included a simple decision guide so you can upgrade your vehicle’s exhaust system once and do it right. Our Vehicle-Specific Testing Methodology

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Toyota RAV4 XA40 vs XA50: Which Generation Should You Buy in 2026

Two generations, one iconic nameplate, and a buying decision that thousands of Australians face every year. We put the 2013–2018 Toyota RAV4 (XA40) head-to-head against the 2019–2023 Toyota RAV4 (XA50) across every dimension that matters — from engines and safety tech to running costs and wiper blade fitment — to find out which one is the smarter buy. TL;DR Table of Contents 1. Introduction: Why the RAV4 Comparison Still Matters The Toyota RAV4 is Australia’s bestselling SUV — a title it has held or contested consistently since the mid-2010s. Across the XA40 and XA50 generations, it accounts for an enormous

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Toyota Highlander, 2008: Weidel on Wheels

There was no urgent need for changes. Toyota already had success with the Highlander, a trend-setting model introduced seven years ago. It quickly became a template for a segment of crossover sport utility vehicles. Yes, the Highlander has been around since 2001. And during that time nearly every manufacturer has taken a shot at producing a crossover SUV. It’s a market segment with increasing popularity despite increasing gas prices. Despite its success, Toyota decided to make improvements to its beloved mid-size SUV. The Japanese automaker succeeded with the second generation redesign, taking suggestions from Highlander owners and addressing two main

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Toyota recall: 3.8 millon Lexus, Toyota vehicles could have faulty floormats prompting stuck accelerators

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The recall will cover recent versions of the Camry and Avalon sedans, the Prius hybrid, the Tacoma and Tundra pickup trucks and luxury Lexus models, the IS250 and the IS350 as well as the ES350. The U.S. safety recall would be the largest in Toyota‘s history. Toyota and U.S. safety regulators warned owners to remove all driver-side floor mats from eight Toyota and Lexus models sold in the United States, including its Prius hybrid, as an immediate safety precaution. The U.S. safety recall would be the largest in Toyota‘s history. A cost estimate for the company’s still-developing recall was not

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