Toyota

Energy Observer, Toyota team for global catamaran ride, #181

Dr. Katia Nicolet, a marine biologist, is part of two, five-person crews rotating on board the Energy Observer. The self-sufficient, 100-foot catamaran is the first round-the-world, hydrogen-powered sea vessel. It’s a working lab designed to showcase zero-emission technologies and demonstrate that clean energies can be accessible to everyone. As part of its six-year odyssey, the Energy Observer arrived in early May on Pier 9 in San Francisco about two weeks after entering the United States in Long Beach, California. Nicolet, who has been involved with the project for about a year, is our guest on this episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. After joining several other guests for Nicolet’s extensive tour of the vessel, co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia

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#179, California hydrogen highway growing, still unheralded

Three mainstream automobile manufacturers, Honda, Hyundai and Toyota, sell and lease hydrogen vehicles. The Clarity (Honda) and Mirai (Toyota) are sedans; the Nexo (Hyundai) is a sport utility vehicle. Combined, the three vehicles compromise a small fraction of the automotive industry and are overwhelmingly in California. Ben Xiong, the Communications Specialist at California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP) in West Sacramento, California, discusses the hydrogen vehicle industry on this week’s episode of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia report on the progress of the hydrogen car and truck industry, the public’s perception of hydrogen fuel and the availability of hydrogen refueling stations. “My main passion, really, is reacting with people via public website and social media about

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Toyota seeks to revive Yaris interest with Cross SUV

COLLABORATIVE CONTENT Following other manufacturers, Toyota is looking to revive interest in the declining Yaris brand by launching an SUV model of one of its best-known models. The Toyota Yaris Cross is a small SUV that looks way more stylish than any other Yaris to date. They’ve usually been as exciting as a new pair of socks. The Urban Cruiser, Toyota‘s last foray into the small SUV market, was discontinued in 2012 after only three years on the market. But the manufacturer has repeatedly demonstrated its automotive foresight. As with other Toyota vehicles, the Yaris Cross comes with the manufacturer’s flagship hybrid drivetrain that allows for both fuel and electric operation. Toyota Says No Yaris Cross in U.S. The small

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2021 Toyota Tacoma: enduring pickup gets edgy

By James Raia It’s been nearly 27 years since the Toyota Tacoma debuted in the United States, and it’s among the most enduring pickup trucks available. For 2021, the versatile daily driver and work truck has a new optional look. Joining six other Toyota cars, vans and trucks, the Tacoma is available in a Nightshade Edition. It’s an edgy look that features a lot of black — alloy wheels, front lower grille, rear spoiler, outside mirrors, door handles, side rocker panels and shark-fin antenna. There’s a single exhaust with dual black diffusers and black Toyota emblem and badges. Available in two-and four-wheel-drive variants with a spacious Double Cab body style, the new Tacoma features a 3.5-liter V6 with 278-horsepower. It

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2022 TRUCK PREVIEW: All new Toyota Tundra

With a more aggressive-looking front bumper and cutaways underneath the headlights, the all-new 2022 Toyota Tundra is expected to follow the path of the modern-looking Toyota TRD Pro models. The Tundra has had minor upgrades for years. But the 2022 edition will be all-new with a bigger payload, larger towing capacities and different interior and exterior looks. The new mid-size truck is expected to feature the manufacturer’s latest truck chassis, which will include high-strength steel and other lighter-weight materials. Current 1,730-pound payload and 10,200-pound towing figures will be improved upon. 2022 Toyota Tundra: No More V8 According to internet reports, Toyota will discontinue the Tundra’s V8 with a V6-only powertrain. Less powerful new Tundra models will feature naturally aspirated 3.5-liter,

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2020 Toyota Highlander improved, rivals abound

The 2020 Toyota Highlander celebrates the mid-sized crossover sport utility vehicle’s 20th birthday. The occasion also marks the family hauler’s continuing spree of prime sales years. Beginning in 2017, the Highlander has had three straight years surpassing 200,000 units sold globally. A fourth consecutive year of 200K sales will likely occur when yearly tallies are calculated in January. It won’t be surprising since the 2020 model was redesigned with worthy updates. The Highlander is now a further family favorite. A three-row crossover with seating up to eight, the 2020 Highlander is available in five trim levels: L, LE, XLE, Limited and Platinum. All models feature a 3.5-liter V6 engine with 295 horsepower and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is

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2021 Toyota Supra: looks great, rough road ahead

Two decades after its original production ceased, a new old sports car re-emerged 18 months ago. Few consumers noticed the Toyota Supra. Less than 3,000 of the 2020 fifth-generation offering, a collaboration between the Japanese automaker and BMW, sold. The revised 2021 edition offers promise for a new wave of buyers interested in the luxury sports car first unveiled in 1978. A full year of sales will more than double the estimated 3,000 purchases from the vehicle’s initial six months back on the market in 2019. It’s encouraging considering the final year of the Supra’s initial tenure in the United States in 1999 resulted in only 24 sales. Toyota Supra gets second chance The Supra was all the rage in

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Toyota Tacoma, Tundra claim top honors among used trucks

Toyota claimed top honors for best midsize and best full-sized used trucks, according to the latest analysis of iseecars.com. The online automotive search engine and research website based in Massachusetts helps users find and compare cars for sale. Whether they are driven for business or pleasure, pickup truck drivers want a rugged and capable hauler, the site explains in its latest survey. Beyond performance, the best used trucks are proven to last long and retain their value so drivers can save money for their next pickup truck purchase. Toyota used trucks claim honors The Toyota Tacoma scored an overall rating of 8.2 out of 10 among mid-sized trucks It was ranked #1 in value retention, #2 in longevity and received

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#145, Author unloads on Takata in new Killer Airbags book

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 43:17 — 59.4MB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreJerry W. Cox has a stark warning for the driving public. He says 12 million cars and trucks on U.S. roads have defective Takata-made airbags that still have not been replaced. Cox, a former consultant for the now-defunct Japanese automotive parts company, discusses the details in his new book “Killer Airbags: The Deadly Secret Automakers Don’t Want You To Know.” Now an automotive consultant, Cox is our guest on Episode #145 of The Weekly Driver Podcast. Co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss with Cox what he believes is a catastrophe waiting to happen. Killer Airbags details the events that led to the airbag

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Toyota Tundra recall woes: faulty wiring, dim turn signals

Nearly 200,000 Toyota Tundra pickup trucks in model years from 2018 through 2020 and equipped with LED headlights have been recalled their front turn signals may be too dim for other drivers to see. The problem occurs because on certain Tundra models the wiring harness connecting the front headlights and turn signals to the vehicle’s electrical system was improperly installed. Because of an error in written instructions used on the assembly line, the front turn signal bulbs were connected to the wrong wires in the harness and the bulbs do not fully illuminate. Toyota Tundra dealers will fix Federal motor vehicle safety standards dictate how bright a vehicle’s external lights should be. Because of improperly installed wiring, more than 183,000

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Quick shifts to automatic transmissions continues

Thirty-eight car nameplates offer manual transmissions for their 2020 models, Aston Martin to Volkswagen. Truck enthusiasts who like to shift gears have far fewer choices. In fact, only two manufacturers, Toyota and Jeep, offer a manual transmission in their fleets. Here’s the full list of cars with manual transmissions, either as standard or optional equipment, for the 2020 model year: Aston Martin Vantage, BMW M2, BMW M4 (all body styles), Chevrolet Camaro (all body styles), Chevrolet Spark, Dodge Challenger, Fiat 124 Spider, Ford Mustang (all body styles), Shelby GT350, Genesis G70, Honda Accord, Honda Civic (all body styles), Civic Si (all body styles), Civic Type R; Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Elantra (GT hatchback only), Hyundai Veloster, Veloster N, Hyundai

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Have 20K or 25K for a truck? Toyota tops watchdog’s list

Toyota tops the list for most reliable and best buy in a new survey for consumers in the market for a used truck with a budget of less than $20,000 and less than $25,000, according to iseecars.com. The car search engine, based in Woburn, Mass., helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources. iSeeCars analyzed more than 6.1 million used cars sold from October 2019 through March 2020 from model years 2011 onward. Toyota used pickup get top marks Cars previously determined to be among the Longest-Lasting Cars and had an overall crash test rating of 4.0 or higher from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) were eligible for further analysis. The average

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2020 Toyota Avalon defines ideal hybrid sedan

Hybrid car owners often compromise. They embrace the superior gas mileage and environmental concerns mixed-engine vehicles offer. But odd-looking exterior designs, limited interior space and lackluster acceleration provide frustration. As such, many potential new buyers have dismissed the hybrid market. It’s why the segment has rarely reached 3 percent of yearly industry sales in the United States since the Toyota Prius debuted 20 years ago. It was the country’s first mainstream hybrid. The 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid is largely unchanged from last year’s second-generation debut. The Avalon gas-only model was unveiled 25 years ago. The hybrid trim was introduced in late 2012 as a 2013 model. It’s also among the few alternative fuel sedans that don’t fit the staid stereotype.

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Toyota Land Cruiser, Honda Ridgeline top 200K list

The Honda Ridgeline is arguably the most unusually designed truck on the road. It has a large fan base and detractors. But one area in which there’s no disagreement, the Ridgeline has the best longevity of any of its competitors. Although the Toyota Land Cruiser has the top ranking, the Ridgeline is among the three trucks in the top-15 vehicles reaching 20,000 miles, according to iseecars.com. The result of the survey makes a good case for consumers considering buying a used vehicle instead of purchasing a new car or truck. The iSeeCars.com site is a comprehensive platform for all car buyers. It calculated data from more than one million vehicles to determine the models and manufacturers with the highest percentage

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2020 Toyota Sienna: old school minivan still worthy

It seems like a sports car should be named after a city in Italy, not a minivan. But Toyota‘s adult-aged family hauler has grown into being worthy of its namesake, the medieval city in Tuscany. Siena is known for its sturdy, gothic brick buildings and historic districts. The 23-year-old Sienna is ancient by minivan standards and is holding up well despite declining sales and the dominance of lights truck and sport utility vehicles. The 2020 Toyota Sienna is a comfortable people hauler. It’s quick for its size, comfortable and versatile with several seat configuration options. The Sienna is also the only minivan available with all-wheel drive. A few refinements advance this year’s model from the 2019 offering, but the Sienna

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2020 Toyota Tundra improved, still trails truck royalty

Like multi-word vehicles’ exterior paint colors, the names of cars and trucks are no longer simple. Welcome the 2020 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro CrewMax. The initials TRD stand for Toyota Racing Development, with the word Pro added as embellishment. Combined, it’s one vehicle simultaneously focused on racing and off-road duties. The TRD Package means Bilstein shocks raise the stance two inches, good for the 18-inch wheels. It also includes dual exhaust, a front skid plate and an eight-inch touchscreen for the Toyota Entune infotainment system. CrewMax means an extra spacious cabin, with a five or six-seat configuration and more interior storage space. Overall, the Tundra is a brute-force beast. It’s 19-feet long, about 6 1/2 feet tall and the same

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