Friday, November 28, 2014

These Are the 15 Greatest Toyotas Ever Built

The storied rise of Toyota Motor Corporation from a maker of automatic textile looms to the largest and most profitable automaker in the world has been well documented. With hundreds of millions of durable, reliable workaday cars and trucks produced over a span of almost 80 years, distilling the 15 greatest 'Yotas of all time should be child's play, right? So we thought. If you skipped this introduction to first scan our list, perhaps you have a few suggestions of your own. Keep in mind that this is a list based on vehicles sold in the United States. There have been memorable Toyotas proffered elsewhere, but these are the Toyotas that had the greatest impact here in America. Toyota's luxury division had a strong reputation for quality and high-value luxury cars. Then the RX300 came along and gave it sales to match. Before the RX300, the basic mid-size-SUV formula involved grafting a wagon body onto a pickup-truck frame. The RX300 (and the ill-fated Pontiac Aztek) pioneered the move of SUVs to passenger-car platforms. The formula proved so successful—for Lexus, not Pontiac—that the RX300 at one time represented more than 40 percent of Lexus sales. It was the beginning of the brand's domination of the mid-size luxury-crossover segment. After diddling around with the T100, an almost-full-size pickup that was bigger than the mid-size Tacoma but smaller than the Ford F-series, Chevy Silverado, and Dodge Ram, Toyota finally took on the Americans with the Tundra, its first full-size truck. Challenging the Americans in the highest-profit, highest-volume segment they still dominate was a daring move, and it's still an experiment that's waiting to pay off. Toyota entered NASCAR's premiere series in 2007. But it wasn't until March 9, 2008 (the fourth race of the season), when Kyle Busch drove the Joe Gibbs Racing Camry The rear-drive Corolla Sport's drivetrain was repurposed to sporty effect in this mid-engine two-seat box. The first-generation MR2 remains one of the most lovable and rewarding-to-drive cars of the 1980s. With a fully independent suspension, a lusty 2.8-liter DOHC inline-six in its nose, the best seats available at any price, and wide fender flares over wide 14-inch wheels, this was the first Supra that was easy to appreciate. A tap-in for our first-ever 10Best list in 1983, it's still gorgeous today. This was an overwhelmingly simple and lightweight car packing a 112-hp DOHC 16-valve inline-four in an aerodynamic body. But it has grown into a legend—the mighty AE86—thanks to Initial D and the development of drifting. Yes, Corolla is the bestselling car nameplate of all time. But this is the one Corolla worth loving. Toyota aims to build the best car in the world and winds up with this $375,000 carbon-fiber flying wedge with a 4.8-liter V-10 featuring 72-degrees between its cylinder banks, a 9000-rpm redline, a 9500-rpm fuel cutoff, and 553-horsepower at a screaming 8700 rpm. It was ridiculous in all the best possible ways. Toyota had pretty much sent only ordinary and utilitarian machinery to America before the Celica. But by applying Ford's Mustang design formula to the pedestrian mechanical bits of the Carina (sold here only briefly in the early 1970s), Toyota created an instant hit. This was the first indication that Toyota had real ambitions to be more than a maker of commodity cars. This premium luxury sedan simply rocked the world when it inaugurated the Lexus luxury brand. Assembled with the build quality of a Mercedes-Benz, finished better than a Rolls-Royce, and powered by an utterly silent 250-hp, 4.0-liter DOHC 32-valve V-8, it carried an absurdly low $35,000 base price. Toyota was obviously aiming at world domination, and the LS400 was a shot over the bow of well-established luxury automakers such as BMW, Mercedes, Audi, and Jaguar. A missile cleverly disguised as a missile, the fourth-generation Toyota Supra—particularly in 320-hp, twin- sequential-turbocharged form—may well be the most accessible supercar ever. Although it developed a mighty reputation during a production run that lasted through 2002 (it was withdrawn from the U.S. after 1998), its true heroism became apparent only when owners began applying more boost and more aftermarket gadgetry to the 3.0-liter DOHC 24-valve iron-block straight-six. Yeah, 400 horsepower was easy, and 500 was there without even turning a page in the HKS catalog. But then things got nuttier and nuttier as claimed outputs swelled into the four-digit range. This is the car that made Vin Diesel–grade insanity part of the Toyota tradition. Toyota was a marginal player in the American market until the Corona arrived and established it as a maker of rugged and reliable family transportation. With its distinctive wedge nose and bolt-upright greenhouse, the T40- and T50-series Coronas became the first cars Americans could instantly identify as Toyotas. That Toyota survived long enough to thrive in America is all due to this car. Delicate, beautiful, powered by a jewel of a six-cylinder engine, and featured in a James Bond movie, the 2000GT sports car is the first true Japanese classic and the car most people default to calling Toyota's best. But great as it undeniably is, there were only 351 (or perhaps 337) made between 1967 and 1970 and it was Yamaha that assembled them. The Land Cruiser is the beast that has carried every burden thrown atop it in every corner of the earth. And the Cruiser that's worth remembering is the FJ40 that appeared first in 1960. Larger and more robust than previous versions of the Cruiser, the FJ40 was plain tough. It wasn't sophisticated or luxurious, and it was pretty agricultural in operation. But that's exactly what it needed to be. The FJ40 continued almost unchanged for more than 20 years, a tribute to its brutishly effective design. In 1983, the last new one was sold in the United States, while the last one rolled off the line in Japan in 1984—a full 24 years after it was introduced. Whether you call it Hilux or It's not the first Camry or the first one assembled in America, but it's the first truly American Camry. Built like an anvil with limousine-style doors, featuring an interior more comfortable than most Hiltons, and looking like a scaled-down Lexus LS, this generation of Camry is everything any American has ever wanted in a Toyota. It's not exciting or flashy, it's just a brilliantly conceived and executed appliance. Of course the 1992 Camry is the greatest Toyota of all time. Designed with the American market in mind, the XV10 Camry was wider than Toyotas built to Japanese tax laws. And it was that accommodation to American sensibilities that immediately had this Camry tearing up the sales charts. Subsequent Camrys are regularly among the very bestselling cars in America ever since. Toyota has made some great sports cars, played around and won some races, and its trucks have earned mighty reputations for toughness. But this third-generation Camry is the Toyota that made the brand an American car company.

from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27

IFTTT

Put the internet to work for you.

Turn off or edit this Recipe

发贴者 时间： 10:37 AM 0 评论

Chart Of The Day: Gas Prices, Trucks And Automobiles

tcgaspricechart

Courtesy of our own Tim Cain. The fain green line represents gas prices, starting from the peak price of crude oil in 2014. Elsewhere, we see market share figures for passenger cars, SUVs/CUVs and pickup trucks. We'll be keeping an eye on this as the months roll on. Crude oil dipped below $70 a barrel today – truly a black Friday for world oil markets. Let's see how consumers respond in terms of new vehicle choices.

 

The post Chart Of The Day: Gas Prices, Trucks And Automobiles appeared first on The Truth About Cars.



from The Truth About Cars http://ift.tt/Jh8LjA

IFTTT

Put the internet to work for you.

Turn off or edit this Recipe

发贴者 时间： 7:59 AM 0 评论

Capsule Review: 2015 Toyota Yaris

???????????????????????????????

2015 promises to be a big year for Toyota. The US market is increasingly important for Japan, Inc., and that market is growing. 16.4 million new light-vehicles are expected to be sold in the US in 2014, and 2015 estimates are as high as 17 million. The updated Camry will help capture a large slice of that growth, but you need competent product across the board when every basis point counts.

Yaris sales have never led the subcompact segment, but they've become particularly soft lately with over 50% going to fleet buyers. The new "European flavor" of the refreshed 2015 Yaris is arriving without a moment to spare then.

Will the refresh be enough to return the Yaris to relevance, or can we still only say that "it's a car"?

The Yaris' changes do not represent a full redesign, but this isn't just an aesthetic nip and tuck at the hands of the French design team either. Interior, exterior and suspension tweaks are all welcome changes to the three- and five-door hatchback configurations. The sedan layout, dead since 2012, stays buried.

???????????????????????????????

On the outside, buyers will immediately notice the new corporate fascia. A lower windshield angle, reshaped side mirrors and underbody shields aid aerodynamics. 15-in. wheels are steel on the base L trim and alloy on the LE. The SE meanwhile, receives distinctive 16-in. wheels, LED daytime running lights and piano black trim. It isn't a dramatically more aggressive look than before, but I think the additions are cohesive in a way previous iterations of the Corolla S never managed. Amusingly, the enormous single-blade windshield wiper also returns.

???????????????????????????????

The interior is both more conventional and more functional than before. Ergonomics are better, which is to say that the cupholders are no long in front of the air vents. HVAC performance is also improved, but some popular features like heated seats aren't available. I was genuinely impressed by the steering wheel though – the stitching was good, the leather was of decent quality considering the price point and the indents in the shape fit my hands exceptionally well.

???????????????????????????????

Perhaps the brightest aspect of the outgoing Yaris was its steering in SE configuration (Car & Driver was particularly outspoken in their praise). That steering tune is now standard across all trim levels. Chassis stiffness increases thanks to 36 additional spot welds, enabling Toyota to reduce spring rates compared to 2014. Shoppers will notice the welcome increase in compliance. The short 98.8-in. wheelbase still causes some back-and-forth pitching over expansion joints though, and large bumps upset the whole car as a unit.

On the upside, stability at speed is better than expected. Wider tires are more effective in resisting tramlining than before. The front sway bar, now solid across all trims, and stiffer torsion bar in the rear both do their part to increase the sense of precision. Overall capability won't threaten true hot hatches like the Fiesta ST, but the package is certainly well-sorted and fun.

???????????????????????????????

Toyota says road and wind noise are both reduced thanks to 25% more sound deadening than before. I won't dispute that. However, being that they planned on keeping the same 1.5 liter four cylinder, they should have added more. Allow me to offer a roundabout explanation:

The Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris both entered the US market in model year 2007. The Honda utilized a 1.5L inline four making 109 horsepower, while the Yaris' 1.5 made 106. Fast-forward to 2015. Both models have been multiple times updated. The Honda now wrings 130 horses from 1.5 liters. The Toyota? Still 106.

Make sure to close the barn doors at night because you need every last horse on the road too. The engine note is pervasive at nearly all speeds, and it isn't always pleasant. Keeping up with traffic isn't Mission: Impossible on relatively flat terrain, but 2,500 RPM shifts won't keep up pace during rush hour either. Whereas the Fit maximizes its engine output with a new CVT transmission, the Yaris soldiers on with the same 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual. If you kvetched about this gearbox back in Jack's 2013 review, you may as well copy-paste your comments here – they're still fully relevant.

Fun fact: With yesteryear's automatic, the EPA rates the Yaris just 1 mpg better on the highway than the four-cylinder Camry. Midsizers have certainly made greater efficiency gains than subcompacts over the last few years, but this is still a dubious distinction for the Yaris. The EPA calls for 30/32/36 with the autobox and 30/33/37 with the 5-speed manual.

???????????????????????????????

For a few buyers though, that sort of powertrain continuity could be a selling point if construed as an indicator of reliability. In that case, you'll likely also be pleased with the ease of servicing it. Lay a newspaper on the ground under the engine bay, open the hood and stare straight down – there's enough space around the block to read entire stories. Compared to the plastic-shrouded aggravation DIY-types frequently have to endure these days, it's a welcome surprise.

Every change Toyota made to the Yaris was for the better, the proven powertrain will probably start every time you twist the ignition for the next 20 years and pricing increases are modest versus 2014 models. The changes barely keep pace with the segment though. This refresh is almost certainly a stopgap measure, a placeholder for the fully redesigned version being developed with Mazda. In the meantime, the 2015 Yaris is an improved vehicle whose buyers still can't say much beyond the fact that "It's a car".

???????????????????????????????

??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????

The post Capsule Review: 2015 Toyota Yaris appeared first on The Truth About Cars.



from The Truth About Cars http://ift.tt/Jh8LjA

IFTTT

Put the internet to work for you.

Turn off or edit this Recipe

发贴者 时间： 7:08 AM 0 评论
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Archive