The Oldmobile no longer is. No offense meant to current and previous Avalon owners. Hell, I like big, cushy, quiet cars – and the ’95-’12 Avalon was that in spades. Best Buick ever built by the Japanese – and right here in America, too. Nothing wrong with any of it. Except for one thing:...
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Here’s something that bucks the trend: Toyota just announced the 2013 Sienna minivan will no longer be offered with a four-cylinder engine. The formerly optional V-6 is now standard in all trims. It’s interesting because across the industry, automakers are divesting themselves of gas-hungry V-6 and V-8s like Waffen SS soldiers ditched their uniforms...
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More Toyota Corollas have been sold so far than VW Beetles ever (the old one and the New one). How many? 37.5 million of them – to date. VW only sold 23.5 million copies of the original Beetle - and it took VW a lot longer to do it (from the late 1930s all...
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It’s interesting to note that while all-wheel-drive is spreading to virtually every type of car on the road, it’s becoming a rarity among minivans. In fact, the only traditional minivan that even offers AWD is the 2012 Toyota Sienna. And there’s something else, too. You can buy a four-cylinder Sienna – a potentially more...
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Last week, I reviewed the Prius C – and for the first time, found myself praising a hybrid car’s design and economics. Or at least, not condemning them. The C is reasonably light (about 2,500 lbs.) great on gas – and most relevant of all, price-competitive with non-hybrid economy-minded cars. I’d have liked to...
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Toyota has built a better Prius – a hybrid that is economical to buy as well as operate. It’s called the Prius C – and it’s 542 pounds lighter than the regular Prius, costs $5,000 less to start than the regular Prius – and is also noticeably more fuel efficient than the regular Prius....
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The Toyota Prius hybrid gets all the press – and a lot of the dealer mark-up, too. You might check out the new Camry hybrid to get something very similar – and nicer, in a number of ways – for about the same money. Probably less, actually – since you should be able to...
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As a gauge of how much has changed in the car market in just the space of two or three years, consider the following: Toyota – Toyota! – is playing catch-up. To the Hyundai-Kia combine, as well as (yep) Ford and even (gasp!) GM. They all build good small cars now – arguably, among...
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It’s hard to believe but the Toyota Prius has been around for a decade now. It is both the first successful mass-market hybrid and – by far – the best selling hybrid. Arguably, because it’s the only hybrid that makes any sense. Critics will say the car’s ongoing popularity is due mostly to greenie-geek...
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It’s interesting to note that while all-wheel-drive is spreading to virtually every type of car on the road, it’s becoming a rarity among minivans. As of 2011, only the Toyota Sienna still offers it. And there’s something else, too. You can now get a four-cylinder engine in the Sienna – a potentially more economical...
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