Posted By Jason ~ 13th December 2010
Forbes published a list of the most reliable cars in a variety of vehicle types, and Toyota dominated the list.
The list is based on Consumer Reports testing, and consists of the vehicle in each of 10 categories that is most likely to make it past 200,000 miles. The categories range from compact to pickups, and Toyota took the most categories, with 5 of the 10 total.
Here is a list of the vehicles made by Toyota that made the list, and the category that they topped:
Toyota Yaris – Compact Car
Toyota Sienna – Minivan
Toyota FJ Cruiser – Midsize SUV
Lexus LX – Luxury SUV
Toyota Tundra – Pickup Truck
Posted By Jason ~ 23rd November 2010
Toyota introduced the upcoming all electric RAV4 at the LA Auto Show last week, and I was fortunate enough to see it in person.
They are intentionally designing it to feel as much like the gasoline version as possible, but have also made some changes to the styling to make them easy to tell apart visually. The electric RAV4 will have a true range of 100 miles plus… they are spending next year testing and refining it to make certain that it can hit that range in all weather conditions.
Tesla produced the electric power train, while Toyota has had the rest put together through their traditional channels. Tesla will be doing final assembly of 35 of these for testing purposes at the NUMMI facility that they bought from Toyota earlier this year.
It should be available to buy in 2012.
Here are a few more pictures for you:
Posted By Jason ~ 18th November 2010
Kelley Blue Book (KBB), the automotive company that puts out data about what a car should cost, used or new, has come out with a new list of the vehicles with the top resale values, and Toyota took the title in three categories and placed two in the top ten overall.
- 2011 Toyota Sienna – Best Resale Value: Van
- 2011 Toyota Tacoma – Best Resale Value: Mid-Size Pickup
- 2011 Toyota Tacoma – Best Resale Value: Top 10
- 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser – Best Resale Value: Mid-Size Utility Vehicle
- 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser – Best Resale Value: Top 10
This is the projected resale value of current model year cars that we’re talking about, meaning that KBB predicts that these vehicles will have the highest value as a percentage of their original sale price a few years down the road.
Congratulations, Toyota!
Posted By Jason ~ 4th November 2010
CNet has a post up about yet another Toyota crazy creation for SEMA… a Sienna that’s nearly four feet longer than normal.
Toyota is calling it the “Swagger Wagon Supreme”, and it’s 44 inches longer than normal. As you might imagine, Toyota didn’t “waste” this extra room with more seating… they made this the ultimate family vehicle.
Toyota moved the second row “captain’s chairs” back and gave them the ability to swivel. They added another seat, between those chairs and the driver’s seat, that they are calling a “spa seat”. Sounds good just from the name, doesn’t it? The spa seat faces the rear of the vehicle and includes built-in massage functionality.
Toyota also added the refrigerator that seems to be a standard in all “stretch” vehicles, custom cabinetry (yes, there are wooden cabinets in this thing), and 20-inch wheels. If you like your in-vehicle entertainment, there’s also a 23-inch HP TouchSmart computer, an XBox 360, an a custom JBL sound system featuring 16 speakers, 2 subwoofers, and an insane 1,700 watts of power.
Then Toyota pushed it completely over the top and replaced the carpeting normally found inside a Sienna with wood flooring. Wood flooring in a car! Well, van anyway.
Isn’t SEMA fun with all of these absurd, completely over the top vehicles?
Posted By Jason ~ 1st November 2010
Toyota is really making SEMA interesting this time around… not only are they showing a Tacoma body with a Tundra heart (engine), they even have a Scion limo!
Cartel Customs turned a normal Scion xB into an awesome limo, with suicide doors, and big-screen TV, and a wraparound couch. It’s definitely a lot more interesting than your average towncar.
Toyota didn’t stop there, either… they are also showing a 680 horsepower Camry. That’s right… a 5.9 liter V8, with a six-speed manual transmission and custom exhaust. That sounds pretty good right there, but there’s more… it’s street legal!
It even has leather seats, a suede headliner, and custom SPEK gauges on the interior. Want more? It also has a 450 watt stereo system from Pioneer and Boston Acoustics. And people say the Camry is boring!
SEMA is awesome… all kinds of things show up that sound like they would be an absolute blast to drive, things that will almost certainly never make it into any sort of production line.
Posted By Jason ~ 25th October 2010
Toyota is going to show a souped-up version of the Tacoma X-Runner to nearly 80,000 industry spectators at this year’s SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show.
The Tacoma has been modified, but nearly all changes involve standard Toyota Racing Development (TRD) parts that are available over the counter to anyone who wants to buy them. On the outside, the truck has been lowered 4.5 inches and been given a two-tone silver and red paint job, and of course racing tires. The 95, by the way, is from 1995, the first model year of the Tacoma.
The inside has considerably more extensive work. The engine, transmission, and rear axle assembly have all been taken from the full-sized Tundra. That Tundra engine, at 5.7 liters, is combined with a TRD twin-scroll supercharger to give the Tacoma 504 horsepower and 550 pounds-feet of torque, meaning that this Tacoma has more than three TIMES the power of the standard version of the compact pickup.
Most of the “comfort” equipment has been removed to lighten the total weight of the Tacoma for maximum performance, including things like air-conditioning, power equipment (i.e. power locks, etc.), and even the rear seat… This is a truck build for one thing, and one thing only: racing. It might not be what you want to drive on your commute, but there’s no denying it would be fun to take out around the track a few times.
Posted By Jason ~ 18th October 2010
More reports are coming in of fantastic real-world fuel-economy in Toyota’s upcoming plug-in version of the Prius.
We reported 83 MPG in the Prius a few weeks back, and now one of the leading tech blogs is reporting on their own testing of the plug-in vehicle. The result? Engadget got 91 MPG average over three days of driving, mostly over back roads.
They averaged around 12 miles on electric only from a full charge (pretty close to the 14 Toyota has officially said), were happy with the acceleration even in all-electric mode (if you slam the accelerator, the gasoline engine kicks in to help), and even pulled 55 MPG when the battery was all the way drained.
The PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) Prius seems to be getting good reviews pretty much everywhere, and seems like a good way to ease into the future of plugging in your car, rather than filling the tank.
Posted By Jason ~ 14th October 2010
Toyota recently gave dealers their first look at the 2012 electric RAV4, developed with famous electric car company Tesla Motors.
Toyota has recently been funneling more and more money into staying the leader in vehicles with electric as part or all of their drive train. Earlier this year they invested $50 million in Tesla, and they will be paying Tesla another $60 million to develop the final battery pack, motor, and electronic controls for the 2012 electric RAV4.
Toyota isn’t stopping with just the one electric model, however. They are rolling out the electric RAV4, another small electric city car, a plug-in version of the Prius hybrid, and nearly half a dozen other hybrid models by the end of 2012, including smaller sedan and wagon/crossover/SUV versions of the Prius.
With all of the other companies starting to really get into the advanced propulsion system vehicles, as well, the next few years look to be very interesting in the auto industry.
Posted By Jason ~ 12th October 2010
The panel of experts convened by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to investigate the sudden acceleration of Toyota vehicles reported their findings today… and their conclusion was that the risk was 19 times LESS than the risk of walking.
The normal risk of dying in a car crash is 1.05 deaths per 100,000,000 miles traveled. Yes, that is 100 MILLION miles.
The risk increase from driving a Toyota vehicle that has not had the recall work done? .02 deaths per 100,000,000 miles. The risk increases by 2 percent for every 100,000,000 miles you travel, in other words.
The risk of walking along the road is 19 times that high, according to Paul Fishbeck, the scientist who gave the report to the NAS. He went on to say that it’s important to put the risk in context: Dying in a recalled Toyota has the same risk as an adult dying of meningitis.
All of those numbers are calculated based on the recall related repairs not being done. That’s not the case, however… Toyota said last week that it had completed the repairs on over 60% of the affected vehicles.
That means that the numbers are, in reality, even lower than that.
This is what all of the news at the beginning of the year was about… something 19 times less risky than WALKING.
Picture from Flickr.
Posted By Jason ~ 8th October 2010
Toyota has begun showing their dealers a few new models, coming in about 18 months.
The biggest news is probably the two new types of Prius, designated the Prius V and the Prius C. They are also bringing the FT-86, developed with Subaru, to the Scion line.
Prius V
The Prius V is a station wagon version of the best-selling hybrid. It is considerably bigger than the current version, but doesn’t give up a lot in fuel efficiency… it is expected to get MPG in the mid-40′s, just a little less than the original Prius, and considerably better than most cars of its size.
Prius C
The Prius C is a slightly smaller sedan version of the Prius. It is designed to be a great commuter car, getting mid to high 50′s MPG, and still having room to fit four adults, each of whom has their own door. Many of the other cars with fuel efficiency in this range only have two doors, forcing people in the back seats to try to squeeze past the front seat to get in and out.
Scion FT-86
The FT-86 will be released under the Scion line of vehicles, not Toyota, as was previously expected. The FT-86 is a sports car, developed with Subaru, and has good looks and performance, especially for the entry-level price that is characteristic of the Scion line.
Just take a look at the concept image to see for yourself:
Forbes published a list of the most reliable cars in a variety of vehicle types, and Toyota dominated the list.
DCH Toyota of Torrance Los Angeles Area Toyota Dealer