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In review: 2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Toyota's Highlander is a popular choice with many people, especially since it comes with three rows of seats. For those who prefer gasoline-electric, there's also a hybrid version. It's nice enough, but it's pricey, and I didn't get the mileage I figured I'd get. Read more over at Sympatico Autos.

Toyota Prius Plug-In: How it works

It looks like a regular Prius, and it runs as a hybrid just as the regular one does, but you can also plug it in and travel part of your route entirely on a household charge. Read all about it in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

Super stuff on safety ...

It's to the automakers' credit that they can get people to buy safety features, even though these buyers may not actually know what they are, or how they work. There's a new website called Brain On Board, which explains many of them, along with myth-busting some common misconceptions. Check it out here!

Automakers that gambled ... and won

Porsche's Cayenne, hybrid-electric vehicles, Ford buying Lincoln during tough economic times ... there have been some pretty big gambles in the auto industry over the years.

Not all of them worked out, but I came up with a list of those that did: cars that were great or sold huge numbers, those that affected the market, and in some cases, such as the Cayenne, cars that saved their companies from potential failure. Read all about it at Sympatico Autos by clicking here.

2013 Toyota Avalon: Perfect for a long-distance drive

The Toyota Avalon is one of those low-key cars that many people think isn't even around anymore. But it is, and there's a new version for 2013 that's even better than the model it replaces - and that one was a lovely car to drive. Read all about it at Sympatico Autos by clicking here.

A look at the Toyota Prius Plug-In

Toyota spent its first hybrid years convincing people you didn't have to plug in the Prius; now, it has to explain that yes, you can. I drove the Prius Plug-In, an extended-range model that runs on battery only from a stored charge and then reverts to hybrid mode when that runs out. Read all about it in the Toronto Star by clicking here.

Plugging in a Prius ...

I spent a week with the new Toyota Prius Plug-In, which as its name suggests can be plugged into a wall. The car will run on that stored charge and then, once it depletes, return to normal hybrid operation. Read all about it in my Sympatico Autos review by clicking here.

A look at Toyota's Prius C

I've never been terribly found of the Toyota Prius, but I must admit that its little brother, the Prius C, was more fun than I thought it would be. Read all about it in my Toronto Star review by clicking here.

The Atkinson cycle: Old technology on modern cars

You've probably heard of the Atkinson cycle, a common feature on engines in hybrid vehicles, but do you know what it is? Find out in my Driving Force column in Metro by clicking here.

A look at the 2012 Toyota Tacoma

Toyota sent me out to drive the Tacoma pickup truck, which has received some updates for 2012. They're relatively minor; the main point was to remind buyers that as many automakers leave the compact truck market, the Tacoma's still around. You can read all about it in the Toronto Star by clicking here.

In review: 2011 Toyota Sienna

Few people will ever long for a minivan, but for hauling crowds, nothing beats them. I drove the redesigned Toyota Sienna from Ontario to Pennsylvania and came away very impressed. You can read all about it in Autos.ca by clicking here.

In review: 2011 Scion xB - "The Toaster"

 I'm not the target audience, but overall, I liked the Scion xB anyway - the car that's better known as "The Toaster" to its fans. Read all about it at Autos.ca by clicking here.

A look at Toyota's hybrid safety

 Safety is a major factor for hybrids, both for drivers and for those who work on them and those who may have to extract people from them should they crash. I have a look at Toyota's safety measures in Metro; you can find the story by clicking here.

A look at Toyota's Star Safety System

In Metro, I have a look at Toyota's Star Safety System and what it contains. You can read about Toyota by clicking here.

In review: 2010 Toyota FJ Cruiser

I have a look at the Toyota FJ Cruiser in the Toronto Star; you can read all about it by clicking here.

Driving the plug-in Toyota Prius

I had a chance to cruise around Vancouver for an hour in a plug-in Toyota Prius test vehicle. You can read all about it by clicking here.

A first look at Scion in Canada

In the Toronto Star, I have a look at Scion's introduction into Canada - not so much the cars themselves, but on the way Toyota is marketing them to a new generation of buyers. You can find it by clicking here.

A first look at Toyota's new 2011 Avalon

On today's Canadian Driver, I have a "first-drive" of the redesigned 2011 Toyota Avalon, which you can find by clicking here.

To Kentucky and back in a recalled Toyota

I fulfilled my lifelong dream of going to the Kentucky Derby last weekend, and did it in a Toyota specifically chosen because it was affected by the recall for the accelerator pedal.

Needless to say, I made it there and back in one piece; you can read about my adventure by clicking here.

You can also see my photos over here; click on each one to see them individually.

NHTSA vs Toyota: Faster than a speeding bullet!

In the news today: the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, plans to seek the maximum penalty of $16.375 million against Toyota for its sticky accelerator pedals. The government agency claims that the automaker didn't send notification of the safety defect on time; such notices must be sent within five business days.

NHTSA is saying that Toyota knew about the problems as early as September 29, 2009, and if that's true, then there should be stiff penalties: you can't keep quiet about safety recalls.

But what I found unusual is that NHTSA launched its investigation into the scope and timeliness of the recalls on February 16, 2010. And on April 5, 2010, having received 70,000 pages of documents from Toyota, NHTSA has decided to demand the penalty.

Counting weekends and holidays, that's 49 days. When in your life did you ever see a government agency move that fast?

On top of it, NHTSA is saying that September 29 is the day that Toyota sent recall repair procedures to 31 European countries and to Canada. Except that Toyota Canada says it received no such communication on that date.

I've heard a lot of rumblings about conspiracy theories -- that the U.S. government, having a substantial stake in two domestic automakers, wouldn't mind levelling or even tilting the playing field a little. And for the most part, I've treated such conspiracy theories as wishful thinking from the tinfoil-hat crowd.

Still, after just a month and a half of investigation, and NHTSA's statement that it's still looking through the 70,000 pages of documents, and an accusation that the Canadian arm says is incorrect ... well, if Toyota is guilty of the charges, it needs to have that and more levied against it. But it sure does seem like the U.S. government is accelerating more rapidly than I think I've ever seen before.

 

Toyota Tundra, and why perception isn't always reality

In the Toronto Star, I have an opinion piece on the gap between consumer perception and auto reality, which you can find by clicking here.

I also have a look at the 2010 Toyota Tundra, which you can find by clicking here.

Runaway cars: Not just Toyota's problem, it seems

There's an interesting report out today by Edmunds.com on the issue of unintended acceleration -- the problem Toyota is famously facing right now. The company looked at NHTSA data for the "Big Six" -- Chrysler, Ford, GM, Honda, Nissan and Toyota -- and found that every one has consumer complaints filed against them for unintended acceleration.

Toyota has the dubious distinction of leading the pack, though -- Edmunds says the number of complaints filed against it exceed the rest of the Big Six combined.

And while you might be tempted to say that it's because of the media exposure, it seems that there's more to it than that. Edmunds analyzed complaints filed before and after September 30, 2009 - since Toyota announced its safety advisory regarding potential floor mat interference on September 29, 2009. Looking at 2005 to 2010 models, Edmunds found 601 complaints filed after the advisory went out and the media scuffle began. But in nearly five years prior to the advisory, Toyota had 532 complaints.

Toyota's rate of complaints was the highest, at 4.81 per 100,000 vehicles sold. Ford was second at 3.12, followed by Chrysler at 1.72, Honda at 1.46, Nissan at 1.07, and GM at 0.81.

What's going on here? I expected the numbers to jump when the media got hold of the story, especially since some of it bordered on the ridiculous (people sobbing on camera in front of vehicles not connected to any of the recalls, and the Toronto Star running a photo of a woman who now carries a rosary in her car after it jumped a curb) and all manner of Nervous Nellies and Lawsuit Larrys came out of the closet. But the numbers didn't change all that drastically from the years when no one made a fuss about it, and now it seems that Toyota isn't alone.

Maybe cost-cutting has gone too far. After all, we've got expensive systems like anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control and TPMS mandated or about to be mandated on every vehicle; we've got power accessories and fancy stereos pretty much across the board; and people still want their cars to cost $15,000. You don't get something -- or in this case, everything -- for nothing, and maybe that's the root of the problem.

A drive in the Chevrolet Volt, and a look at Sienna

In today's Toronto Star, I have a look at what it's like to drive the Chevrolet Volt -- a short trip, but a stint behind the wheel nevertheless. It can be found here.

I also have a review of the Toyota Sienna minivan, visible over here.

Toyota's recall woes: what's needed is perspective

I did a series of radio program interviews for CBC today on the subject of Toyota's recalls: specifically, I was asked what drivers should do if their accelerator pedals stick while they're driving.

From there, each interviewer went straight to the next issue - Toyota now has an issue with its brakes. So what should drivers do when their brakes fail?

Toyota has an engineering problem, but that's nothing compared to its public perception problem. From the initial reports on the Prius, it appears to be a case of a blip when driving over broken pavement. But these interviewers -- and no doubt, writers and interviewers in many more outlets -- were making it sound as if Prius owners everywhere are applying the brakes and nothing's happening.

One of the interviewers sounded genuinely surprised when he asked me if I'd be concerned about driving a Toyota, and I told him "of course not." He was also very surprised when I explained -- as I did on each interview -- that even though your car is subject to a recall, it's highly unlikely it will ever actually experience the problem that's being fixed.

Caution is one thing; panic is another, and it burns me to see people blowing this way out of proportion. Owners need to be aware of the recalls, but they don't need to be scared shirtless.

And if you're not sure how a recall works, click here.

 

The lawsuits: It was just a matter of time

So the sharks are circling: a pair of New York law firms have started a class action suit against Toyota for the recalls on its vehicles. They're trying to cover everyone in the U.S. who owns a vehicle affected by the recall (which doesn't necessarily mean it's affected by the primary problem of the sticking accelerator pedal, of course).

The lawsuit contends that the owners of these vehicles lost the use of them, and also sustained, among other things, economic losses and severe emotional distress.

The mind just ... well, it boggles.

In review: 2010 Toyota Sienna

On today's Canadian Driver, I have a review of the 2010 Toyota Sienna, which you can find by clicking here.

Toyota 4Runner, and a car that runs on whale oil

In today's Toronto Star, I have a look at the all-new 2010 Toyota 4Runner, which you can find by clicking here.

I also have an opinion piece on who really makes the decisions on environmentally-friendly vehicles -- including the whale oil and crushed kitten editions -- available here.

In review: Toyota Tundra

On today's Canadian Driver, I have a review of the 2010 Toyota Tundra, which you can find by clicking here.

In review: 2010 Toyota Prius

On today's Canadian Driver, I have a review of the 2010 Toyota Prius, which you can access by clicking here.

Why, yes, I knew that ...

I make a habit out of reading the owner's manual of every car I test-drive. It's mostly to learn about the car, and partly to assemble my annual "Auto Funnies" column -- 2007 is here, and 2008 is over here.

These manuals are intended to inform people who don't know anything about their cars. So I could only shake my head when I read this in the Toyota Prius' manual:

Your vehicle must use only unleaded gasoline.Select octane rating 88 (Research Octane Number 92). Use of unleaded gasoline with an octane rating lower than 88 may result in engine knocking. At minimum, the gasoline you use should meet the specifications of ASTM D4814 in the U.S.A. and CGSB3.5-M93 in Canada.

Why, yes, thank you, that's much clearer!

Toyota Canada Motor Skills Clinic

I have a story on the Toyota Canada Motor Skills Clinic on Canadian Driver, which you can find by clicking here.

This is an Aston Martin?

This is an Aston Martin. Well, it might be soon, if all goes according to plan.

The car shown here is actually the Toyota iQ, a subcompact the company sells in Japan and Europe. But Aston Martin -- and this is not a joke -- has produced a concept vehicle from it, which it calls the Cygnet.

According to the company, should the project go ahead, Aston Martin will sell a luxury version of this little machine, "akin to an exclusive tender to a luxury yacht," according to the CEO.

If ever you needed proof that the auto world's been turned on its head, I don't think you can do any better than this.

Confused about hybrids? Here's some help ...

Last week I was in Vancouver with Toyota, where part of the event involved a comparison of the Toyota Prius, Honda Insight and Ford Fusion Hybrid. My Toronto Star story, which dealt with the confusion buyers have about hybrids, can be found by clicking here.

Toyota Motor Skills Clinic: Helping patients relearn the road

In today's Toronto Star, I have a story on the Toyota Motor Skills Clinic, which is used to help rehabilitation patients relearn how to get in and out of a vehicle, and navigate different road and sidewalk surfaces. You can read it by clicking here.

Showdown: Prius versus Insight

  On todays' Canadian Driver, I have a story outlining the differences between the upcoming 2010 Toyota Prius and Honda Insight. You can find it by clicking here. 

                                                

EnerGuide: The top fuel-efficiency winners

  Each year, EnerGuide announces the most fuel-efficient vehicles in each of its categories. The Toronto Star published a special "Green Wheels" edition today and had me do a mini-review of each of the winners (the Prius is a full review). You can find the page by clicking here; the reviews are found by clicking on the links in the blue sidebar to the right on the page.

Where the money goes ...

In today's news: Toyota USA's charitable foundation has given over $317,000 to a school environmental program, part of the $100 million it earmarks for charitable donations to education.

Thus begins my rant for today: people who won't buy import cars because "they send all that money back to Japan".

I just got back from a tour of the Subaru plant in Lafayette, Indiana, where the company builds the Outback, Legacy, Tribeca and the Toyota Camry. The president was obviously from Japan, but none of the hundreds of workers I saw appeared to be. Rather, they all looked like local, corn-fed Indiana men and women. When it was quitting time, they went out to the parking lot and got into their vehicles (which were overwhelmingly Chevrolet trucks), which I'm guessing they bought with their Subaru wages. They were probably going home to houses bought with their pay. Maybe they'd stop on the way and do some shopping with money they'd received in return for their labor at Subaru, too.

Last week I drove along Ontario's Highway 401, past the massive Toyota plant that's being built in Woodstock. The construction workers didn't look like they'd been imported from Japan. I doubt the truckloads of construction materials came from overseas, either. And once the plant is operational, I don't believe the workers screwing the cars together will be brought over from the land of the rising sun. Instead, Toyota will be paying Canadian wages, supporting Canadian suppliers, paying Canadian taxes, and signing local contracts for everything from the toilet paper in the bathroom to the food in the cafeteria. And I'll go out on a limb and say that the almost inconceivable mountain of money it took to build that plant came from Canadian sales of Toyota products. Who knows? Maybe some of it even came in from Japan.

Hate the imports if you like; that's your prerogative. Just don't hide it behind this crap about none of that money being spent here.

And for that matter, don't forget to use your favorite line when you buy your GM, Ford or Chrysler vehicle. Using the prevailing logic, the Big Three take the profits of every vehicle sold in Canada and immediately ship them back to their head offices in Michigan -- sending your money back to a foreign country.

Where the money goes ...

In the news today: the Toyota USA Foundation has given over $317,000 to promote environmental literacy in U.S. schools. It's part of the foundation's $100 million charity to support education programs in the United States.

Thus begins my rant for the day: people who object to import automakers because "they send all that money back to Japan."

I just got back from a tour of Subaru's plant in Lafayette, Indiana, where it builds the Legacy, Outback, Tribeca and the Toyota Camry. The company president was obviously from Japan, but the hundreds of workers I saw weren't. They all looked like local, corn-fed Indiana men and women. At quitting time, they all went out to their vehicles -- overwhelmingly Chevrolet trucks, by the way. I'm guessing they bought them locally, with their Subaru wages. And they were probably going home, to houses paid for with money they'd received by working at the factory. Maybe they'd stop on the way to buy some things, with cash from their pay, too.

Last week, I drove down Ontario's Highway 401, past the huge new Toyota plant that's being built in Woodstock. I'm guessing most of the construction workers I saw were not imported from Japan. I'm also guessing the truckloads of construction material didn't come from overseas. And I seriously doubt that the workforce that finally ends up on the assembly lines will come exclusively from the land of the rising sun, either. That Toyota plant will pay Canadian wages, support local Canadian businesses and pay Canadian taxes. And I'm also guessing that the almost inconceivable mountain of money it took to build this enormous plant came from Toyota's sales in Canada. Hell, maybe some of that money came out of Japan.

The fact is, whenever I look at auto plants, they're shovelling money back into the economy. They're hiring local workers, getting stuff from local suppliers, and writing contracts with local companies to supply everything from construction equipment to the toilet paper in the bathrooms and the food in the cafeteria. And it doesn't matter what nameplate is over the door.

Hate the import automakers if you want. In fact, I think it's healthy to support home-grown Canadian industry.

Just don't hide behind this "they send all their money back to Japan" crap.

And for that matter, when you give your hard-earned Canadian money to GM and Ford and Chrysler, don't forget to repeat your favorite line. Because according to that logic, they're just shipping it straight to their head offices in Michigan -- sending your money back to a foreign country.

Corporate-Speak Translation: Toyota

In the news: Toyota is going to build the Prius at a new plant in Mississippi (the first time it's been built in North America), the Highlander is moving to a facility in Indiana, and the Tundra pickup truck, currently built in two U.S. plants, will be moving into one. The company will also temporarily stop making both the Tundra and the Sequoia from August until November, in light of the fact that nobody wants them anymore.

A spokesman for the company said it was unfortunate that the trucks had to be temporarily discontinued, but the new production mix is proof of Toyota's commitment to North American production. And then he said, "By using this downturn as an opportunity to develop team members and improve our operations, we hope to emerge even stronger."

Translation: Yes, we use the silly "team members" term too. And if you're not crazy about being laid off or switched between jobs or between plants, you're just not a team player.

It's Earth Day, here's the Prius!

It's Earth Day, and today I have a review of the Toyota Prius on Canadian Driver. You can find it by clicking here.

Sustainable transportation: Lots of little steps

I picked up a copy of The Oprah Magazine the other day in a waiting room. A number of celebrities had been asked what would make the planet a better place. Along with world peace and happiness, one woman said, "A Prius in every driveway."

I almost threw the magazine across the room.

Few things anger me more than the simplistic answer, endlessly parroted. It's not just hybrids, although they have a cheering section all their own. Depending on who you ask, the solution to our transportation woes is ethanol, or hydrogen, or plug-in electrics, or bicycles, or the bus.

I used to believe that, one day, there would be a single perfect solution that would replace petroleum overnight. Now I realize it's going to be a combination of solutions, each with pros and cons carefully weighed -- and not all of them are necessarily going to have four wheels.

We need to look at plug-in hybrids for those who commute shorter distances, and flexible gasoline-electric architecture (such as that used in the Chevrolet Volt) for those who can't easily get to an electrical outlet. We need to realize that some people can fit their family into a Smart, and some need a minivan.

We also need everyone to get on board. A politician can talk sustainable transportation all he likes, but as long as he allows developers to build houses on cul-de-sac mazes and put big-box stores in the middle of parking lots, he's an ass. City planners need to add bicycle lanes and give public transit a higher profile. And parents need to stop bemoaning the quality of the air while they're queuing up to drive Junior five blocks from school to home.

The solution isn't going to be a Prius in every driveway. It's going to be a Prius in this driveway, a diesel-powered sedan in that one, a bicycle in that one, and the last house on the block won't even have a driveway because the homeowner can walk to work. As long as we think there's only one piece to the puzzle, we haven't a hope in hell of solving it.

A new Toyota review

I was along for the market launch of the all-new 2008 Toyota Sequoia; you can read my impressions by clicking here.

Two new reviews today ...

Toyota has introduced some new models, and I was along for their launch. The redesigned Toyota Matrix story is here, while you can read about the new Lexus LX 570 over here.