Toyota

2014 Toyota RAV4: sporty, versatile compact SUV

Toyota believes in keeping a good thing going. The Toyota RAV4 was the first compact crossover when introduced in the mid-1990s and soon became a hit because it was carlike, practical and economical. It also carried Toyota’s revered name. The fourth generation RAV4 four-door hatchback arrived for 2013 as a significantly redesigned and improved model, so the 2014 model includes just a few new options. Minimal changes are planned in the 2015 RAV4. New items for 2014 include an Entune Audio lineup and a Technology Package option with Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic and Lane Departure Alert. Toyota RAV4: multiple trims The RAV4 looks sporty and comes in these trim levels: LE, XLE and Limited, with front-wheel drive (FWD)

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PREVIEW, 2015 Toyota Camry: New design, more tech

The 2015 Toyota Camry and 2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid, featuring new exterior and interior designs as well as increased safety and performance features, will be available in four models beginning in September. The 2015 Camry will be offered in the value-driven LE, the sporty SE, the new XSE and the premium XLE. The XSE builds on the success of the SE and will have an edgier appearance and is being touted as the “sportiest Camry yet.” All Camry gas models will be powered by the standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 178 horsepower and 170 lb.-ft. of peak torque. It’s teamed with a standard six-speed automatic transmission with the combination offering EPA-estimated 25 MPG city/ 35 MPG highway/ 28 MPG combined

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2014 Toyota Venza: Odd name, odd look, all good

Like reviewing a restaurant after only one visit, reviewing a car may be best after two test periods in the vehicle and at least separated by a few months. Welcome back to the 2014 Toyota Venza. Seven months after first driving the oddly named Venza solo for a week, I just completely another weekly test driving the Venza. This time, it was with a colleague. The Toyota Venza strikes many people in the same way. What is it? Just like I did, my colleague, who took the images for this review, had the same reaction. It’s neither a wagon nor a true sport utility vehicle. Rather it’s a crossover with all-wheel drive functionality like a wagon, cargo room like an

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2015 Toyota Yaris debuts as Euro-styled entry level sedan

The 2015 Toyota Yaris has debuted with a new European-themed design, several new additional interior and exterior features and a manufacturer’s suggested retail price range from $14,485 to $17,620. The price range extends from three-door L with a manual transmission ($14,485) to the five-door SE with a four-speed automatic ($17,620). Like like the previous-generations, the 2015 Toyota Yaris comes in 3-door and 5-door liftback configurations. It features an aggressive new look with a horizontal chrome grill treatment that appears to continue into the headlamp. The 1.5-liter, 16-valve, four-cylinder DOHC engine equipped with variable valve timing with intelligence (VVT-i) produces 106 horsepower. A five-speed manual transmission, made smoother by an improved hydraulic clutch, is standard. Also available is a four-speed electronically

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Toyota unveils Fuel Cell Vehicle in Colorado

Seventeen years after the Toyota Prius became the first mass-produced hybrid car, Toyota is leading automotive innovation again. Its zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell electric car will makes it North American debut June 27 at the Aspen Idea Festival. With previous exterior details of the car, currently named the FCV, announced recently in Japan, the North American unveiling is the precursor to the car’s mainstream release. Interior features, along with the vehicle’s name, volume, and full specifications will be released later. Toyota has also announced the FCV will go on sale in the Japan domestic market before April 2015. It will debut in the summer 2015 in Europe and in California. The sedan will be priced in the Japan domestic market

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2014 Scion tC: Aggressive, sporty, fun coupe

Scion is becoming more aggressive to attract a greater number of male buyers. The 2014 tC, an upscale front-drive hatchback sports coupe from Toyota’s youth-oriented brand, looks racier, is quick and handles better than previous models. The new Scion tC has a longer hood, new muscular-looking grille and LED accent lights, besides LED taillights that enhance the rear. Many tCs once were ordered with an automatic transmission by women. Not that Scion minded that much, but it wanted the car to have more masculine appeal and thus modified later models accordingly—without discouraging women buyers. The tC is reasonably priced at $19,210-$22,440 and is well-equipped, although some options that enhance its sportiness are costly. Standard items include a power tilt/slide panoramic

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Most reliable cars: Mitsubishi, Hummer. Really?

Steven Lang has had a unique automotive industry career. For more than 15 years, he’s been a car dealer, an auctioneer and a part-owner of an auto auction. He’s bought and sold cars. And he believes he has a credible list of the 10 most reliable cars — by brand. Lang has seen extraordinary cars and likely some that should have never been sold. He knows cars old and new. And he knows branding from the Lexus motto: “The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection to the BMW creed: “The Ultimate Driving Machine.” A contributor to Motoramic, Lang has compiled an top-10 list of the most reliable cars via individual brands.  interesting choices? You bet. The 10th most reliable brand is Mitsubishi.

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2014 Toyota Highlander: Perfect family vehicle?

Revise an already good vehicle and you can end up with an appreciably better one. The revised, user-friendly 2014 Toyota Highlander is sleeker, roomier and even more user-friendly. For some, it might be the perfect family vehicle. The revised Toyota Highlander is slightly longer and wider than its predecessor. It also has a lower roofline, sculptured side-door panels, redesigned trapezoidal grille, wraparound headlights, deeply chiseled fenders and prominently protruding wheels for a more aggressive look. There’s also a new rear bumper for a “tougher” appearance. The first- and second-row seating areas are spacious. There’s also extra room in the third-row seating area. The Highlander is billed as an eight-passenger SUV with a second-row 60/40 split bench seat if you don’t

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PREVIEW: 2015 Toyota Camry gets sporty redesign

The 2015 Toyota Camry features a new design. It’s longer and wider, has a large, aggressive grille and chiseled sides. The change is the result of sportier rivals providing increased competition for the best-selling car in the United States. The Camry, the top-seller for the last 12 years, has plenty of loyal buyers. But Toyota representatives stressed at the car’s debut at the recent New York International Auto Show that buyers’ tastes have changed. Known for it reliability, the 2015 Toyota Camry will be available in the fall of 2014. It will now also emphasize style, comfort and performance. Bill Fay, the U.S. Toyota division chief, said the carmaker began to redesign the Camry in 2011. It was influenced by

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Tesla, Toyota Prius among most fuel-thrifty 2014 cars

It’s easy to list the most fuel-efficient cars and truck simply by miles per gallon. But listing the most fuel-sipping vehicles in categories is more comprehensive. Kelley Blue Book assembles a lot of car lists each year, but its most efficient car list for 2014 is arguably its most informative. The list ranges from cars under $20,000 to truck-based SUVs and electric cars to sports cars. Here’s what Kelley Blue Book wrote about the Toyota Prius c One, the most fuel efficient car in the United States with a sticker price of less than $20,000: “The littlest Prius has a strong family resemblance to the full-size Prius and a name that has earned green cred over the years. Delivering 50

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Toyota facing $1 billion fine to end safety probe

Toyota could pay as much as $1 billion in a pending settlement with the Justice Department that wound end a four-year probe into accusations the carmaker made misleading statements about its safety problems. The issues relate to allegations of unintended acceleration in Toyota and its upscale brand Lexus in the late 2000s. In 2009, an off-duty California Highway Patrolman and his family were killed when their borrowed Lexus careened off the highway at around 120 mph. The recording of a passenger’s last minute 911 call captured the driver’s frantic efforts to stop the vehicle. If the settlement is finalized, it would be among the largest fines ever levied against an automaker. It would also allow Toyota to avoid criminal charges.

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2014 Toyota Tundra: spacious, lots of stuff, lousy mileage

Manufactured since 1999, the Toyota Tundra is a full-size pickup restyled for the first time in seven years for its 2014 editions. It’s offered in five grades: SR, SR5, Limited and premium grades Platinum and “1794 Edition.” Three cab styles, two-door Regular Cab, four-door Double Cab and four-door CrewMax are all available in 4×2 and 4×4. The Weekly Driver Test Drive I first drove the new Tundra at a regional press preview last fall in Cle Elum, Wa. On that occasion, I drove the CrewMax 4×4 Limited for only an hour through several small Northwest cities. More recently, during my week’s usual test drive, I had the same model. The new Tundra features an integrated hood, tightened surfaces and new

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2014 Toyota Venza: wagon? SUV? All good

The 2014 Toyota Venza, like its older siblings, is positioned uniquely. It’s neither a wagon nor a true sport utility vehicle. Rather it’s a crossover with the all-wheel drive functionality like a wagon, cargo room like an SUV and the characteristics of a near luxury sedan. The result is a combo-car with a combo name. Plenty of theories abound what Venza means, including the Spanish translation, Conquer. Toyota says the vehicle’s name is a compilation of the words Venture and Monza, the Italian racetrack. It all makes sense, since the Venza is a compilation of car styles and sizes. Refreshed last year, the Venza has only a few minor changes for 2014. There are fewer available color combinations and slight

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Toyota woes again: 1.9 million Prius models recalled

Toyota’s massive problem with recalls dating to 2009 has continued. The Japanese manufacturer is recalling 1.9 million hybrid Prius cars globally for a software issue that could cause the vehicle to stall. Toyota Motor Corp. said 997,000 Prius cars in Japan, 713,000 in North America, another 130,000 in Europe and the rest in other regions are being recalled for a problem in the software to control the hybrid system. No accidents or injuries have been reported related to the problem. The software could cause transistors to become damaged, causing warnings lights to go off, driving power to be reduced or the car to stop. The recalled vehicles were manufactured between March 2009 and February 2014. Toyota has recalled more than

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Toyota on hot seat, shuts down production

Toyota sold more cars than any other carmaker worldwide in 2013. But the Japanese manufacturer’s vehicles also had the most problems in 2013. For 2014, it’s worse. Because of a potential fire hazard in seats via seat heaters, Toyota has stopped sales of nearly all of its new cars and trucks. Included in the stoppage: Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra vehicles equipped with seat heaters. According to Toyota, in some the carmaker’s best-selling cars a portion of the seats were not manufactured with materials that met flame-retardant standards. Toyota said that a small portion of the seat assembly failed to meet a provision of U.S. motor vehicle safety standards requiring materials to retard flame

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REVIEW: 2014 Toyota 4Runner ruggedly defines SUV

The 2014 Toyota 4Runner continues to define the original meaning of a sport utility vehicle. It’s a long-established favorite among off-road SUV enthusiasts. Unlike crossovers largely best suited for road use, the 4Runner is more versatile. With a redesign that features a rugged new exterior and increased comfort and convenience interior upgrades, the 4Runner is fine on the road. But it’s equally comfortable on off-road treks. Versatility, in fact, is the 4Runner’s strongest attribute. New model year owners have choices: a rear wheel 4×2, part-time 4×4 or a full-time multi-mode 4×4 with a locking center differential. All models are equipped with a 4.0-liter, 270-horsepower V6 teamed to a five-speed ECT-i automatic transmission. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Previewed in a

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