Auto News & New car review

There’s blue, then there is Aygo Blue. This spring Toyota’s award-winning city car has a fresh look with a new dedicated Slate Blue metallic paint finish. Read the rest of this entry »

Neither a rocket scientist nor a car critic is needed to figure out why the Toyota Camry has been America’s best-selling car nine of the past 10 years. This mid-size sedan does just about everything well, and it’s supported by Toyota’s well-earned reputation for quality, reliability and value retention.
One year after a wheels-up redesign, the 2008 Toyota Camry changes not at all. Read the rest of this entry »

Whichever label you want to give it, the new Toyota Venza looks like a winner.
The 2009 Toyota Venza goes on sale this fall, and Toyota calls it a “crossover sedan.” That means a fusion of characteristics that lean more toward a car than a conventional sport-utility vehicle. Think of the Venza as a station wagon and you’ll probably get the point. Read the rest of this entry »

In a rare move for Toyota, the auto company will be slowing production of the Tundra pickup and the Sequoia SUV due to lagging sales. Last year, Toyota sold 196,555 Tundra’s, which was just a bit shy of their stated goal of 200,000. Still, it was enough to make the Tundra the fourth-best-selling truck in America, and very close to the GMC Sierra at third. Significantly, those 196,555 sales represent a 57-percent gain in Tundra sales as compared to 2006. Still, Toyota is not selling as many Tundra’s as they had hoped, forcing them to slow down their production cycle. Read the rest of this entry »

The vehicle that pioneered the cute-ute segment is all grown up. Ever since its last total overhaul (for the 2006 model year), the Toyota RAV4 has offered seating for seven, cargo capacity comparable to some mid-size SUVs, and V6 performance near the top of its class. The RAV4 can tow 3500 pounds when properly equipped, and buyers have the choice of front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. True to its family-friendly role, the RAV4 comes standard with a long list of safety equipment. Read the rest of this entry »

Take one Yaris. Add highly desirable styling and exclusive equipment features. Price competitively and sell.

It is as simple as that. Toyota has comprehensively upgraded the specification of its 1.3 VVT-i and 1.4 D-4D Yaris SR models to create one of the most impressive supermini prospects on the market. Read the rest of this entry »

Every forty seconds, another new Corolla rolls off a dealer’s lot. Statistically speaking, it’s piloted by a middle aged woman without a college degree. She could be your house cleaner, mother or receptionist. For forty years, the Corolla has satisfied her with its predictable blend of reliable, economical and durable transportation. These days, old is out, youthful is in. Toyota’s PR professed and ambitious goal for their tenth generation Corolla: “to connect, more than ever, with younger buyers on every level” (Toyota’s italics/underlines). So, has the new Corolla hooked up?
Read the rest of this entry »

When I drove a Buick Terraza around Berkeley last fall, I was overwhelmed by the sense of occasion that came with it. The car had so much ghetto cachet I almost fell in love with it. It reinforced all of the car enthusiast prejudices I harbored about minivans (i.e., they suck). And for that, I thanked it. The Toyota Sienna, on the other hand, proved to be a bigger challenge. Each time I wanted to hate some aspect of the minivan, I found myself pleasantly surprised. I don’t think I’m giving anything away saying right from the outset that the world’s most boring carmaker has made the best example of the world’s most boring type of car.
Read the rest of this entry »

Toyota’s legendary Land Cruiser SUV reaches new heights of style and luxury this autumn with the introduction of a new, revised Invincible grade. Taking its place at the pinnacle of the range, it offers a higher specification than any other model in the line-up.
Read the rest of this entry »