Tuesday, January 27, 2015

2015 Toyota Tundra

The 2015 Toyota Tundra ranks 5 out of 6 Full Size Pickup Trucks. This ranking is based on our analysis of published reviews and test drives of the Toyota Tundra, as well as reliability and safety data.
Test drivers say the 2015 Toyota Tundra offers roomy body styles and impressive off-road ability, but lags behind more modern rivals in terms of ride quality, fuel economy and interior refinement.
The 2015 Tundra comes with a 4.6-liter V8 engine or a more powerful 5.7-liter V8. Reviewers say the larger V8 is responsive and has ample power. They add that this engine is well-paired with the Tundra's standard six-speed automatic transmission, which shifts smoothly. The base Tundra gets an EPA-estimated 15/19 mpg city/highway, which is low for the class. The Toyota Tundra has a firm ride and controlled handling, reviewers say. They’re impressed with the new TRD Pro trim, which they think offers great off-road prowess and the most comfortable ride on pavement of all the Tundra trims. Reviewers caution that the Tundra's brake pedal is sensitive, but they like its responsive steering and are pleased that the Tundra feels smaller behind the wheel than it actually is.
Some critics comment that the 2015 Toyota Tundra's cabin features hard plastic surfaces, and that rival trucks have better interior build quality. The Tundra Double Cab has plenty of rear-seat space and the CrewMax cab has an impressive amount of rear legroom, test drivers say. Standard features include a rearview camera and Toyota's Entune infotainment system with Bluetooth, a USB port and a 6.1-inch touch screen. Options include navigation, a JBL audio system, dual-zone automatic climate control and a power-retractable rear window. Reviewers wish there were more USB ports in the Tundra’s cabin, and some dislike that the climate fan on upper trim levels is controlled with a button that must be pressed repeatedly to increase fan speed.

2015 Toyota Tacoma

The 2015 Toyota Tacoma ranks 3 out of 4 Compact Pickup Trucks. This ranking is based on our analysis of published reviews and test drives of the Toyota Tacoma, as well as reliability and safety data.
The 2015 Toyota Tacoma has durable cabin materials and great off-road capability, but it has an aging design and faces some stiff new competition, reviewers say.
Critics report that the 2015 Tacoma's base four-cylinder engine has sufficient power, but most recommend stepping up to the stronger, optional V6 engine. Additionally, some point out that the four-cylinder Tacoma doesn't get much better fuel economy than the V6 model. With either engine, a manual or automatic transmission is available. The base 2015 Tacoma gets up to 21/25 mpg city/highway, which is on par for the class. Test drivers say that the Tacoma generally has a composed ride and controlled handling. While reviewers say that the TRD off-road package gives the Tacoma great off-road prowess, some mention that these models don't ride as comfortably on the pavement.
According to test drivers, the 2015 Toyota Tacoma's cabin is built with materials that are durable and easy to clean, but not especially luxurious. Some mention that its front seats are mounted too low for optimal comfort. The Tacoma comes in extended (Access Cab) and crew cab (Double Cab) body styles, and reviewers report that the Access Cab's rear seats are best left to kids, but the Double Cab has plenty of rear legroom for adults. The Tacoma comes standard with Entune audio, which includes a 6.1-inch touch screen, a USB port and Bluetooth. A rearview camera, HD Radio, navigation and a JBL stereo system are available. Test drivers write that the Entune touch screen can be operated while wearing gloves and that the various controls on the center stack are intuitive.

2015 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

The 2015 Toyota Highlander Hybrid gets excellent fuel economy and reviewers appreciate its first-rate cabin and quiet ride, but some dislike how much more expensive it is than the non-hybrid model.
With its standard V6 gasoline engine, three electric motors and automatic transmission, most reviewers say the 2015 Toyota Highlander Hybrid has strong acceleration from a stop. The Highlander Hybrid gets excellent fuel economy for the class, at an EPA-estimated 27/28 mpg city/highway. Reviewers praise the Highlander Hybrid’s controlled handling, and they say it rides comfortably on the highway. A few reviewers caution that the Highlander Hybrid has a sensitive brake pedal.
Test drivers say the seven-seat 2015 Toyota Highlander Hybrid's cabin features an attractive design, first-rate materials and Lexus-like build quality. They note that its front- and middle-row seats are spacious, and they appreciate that the standard middle-row captain's chairs slide forward to make it easier to climb into the third row. Critics say the third row is best suited to kids, but that is a common complaint for the class. Standard features include tri-zone automatic climate control, a 12-speaker JBL audio system, a rearview camera and the Entune infotainment system with an 8-inch touch screen, a USB port, Bluetooth and navigation. Optional features include adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, a panoramic sunroof and a rear-seat Blu-Ray player. According to reviewers, the touch-screen navigation system has crisp graphics and large, responsive buttons, which makes it easy to use.

2015 Toyota Highlander

Auto journalists agree that the 2015 Toyota Highlander's quiet, comfortable ride, spacious seating and abundant cabin storage make it an ideal family vehicle.
The Toyota Highlander has a standard four-cylinder engine that auto writers think has sufficient power. Many prefer the available V6, however, which they say delivers strong acceleration and doesn't have much of a fuel economy penalty compared to the four-cylinder model. The base 2015 Highlander gets an EPA fuel economy rating of 20/25 mpg city/highway, and the V6 model has a rating of up to 19/25, both of which are good ratings for the class. The Highlander has a six-speed automatic transmission that reviewers say is responsive and shifts without hesitation. Critics agree that the Highlander rides comfortably over rough roads and has buttoned-down handling, though some caution that it isn't particularly fun to drive.
Reviewers praise the 2015 Toyota Highlander for its soft-touch materials and quiet cabin. They write that there is plenty of leg- and headroom in the front and middle rows of seats and that kids should be comfortable riding in the third row. The Highlander has 83.7 cubic feet of overall cargo space, which is less than what a number of rivals offer. However, many are impressed with the abundance of small-item storage areas within the Highlander. Standard features include Bluetooth, a rearview camera, a USB port and Toyota's Entune infotainment system with a 6.1-inch touch screen. Available features include an upgraded Entune system with an 8-inch touch screen, a 12-speaker JBL audio system, adaptive cruise control and Driver Easy Speak, which uses a microphone to project the driver's voice through the stereo speakers to rear passengers. Overall, reviewers say the Entune system works well, and some appreciate that the Driver Easy Speak system makes it easier for the driver to communicate with passengers in the back.

Toyota Camry Hybrid

The updated 2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid charms the automotive press with a responsive powertrain, a roomy cabin and straightforward tech features.
The 2015 Camry Hybrid comes with a four-cylinder engine and an electric motor, which auto writers say provide strong acceleration and plenty of power from a stop. They say that the Camry Hybrid transitions seamlessly between gas and electric power at speed, though some note that the gas engine can restart abruptly when pulling away from stoplights. The EPA reports that the 2015 Toyota Camry Hybrid gets 43/39 city/highway, which is good for a hybrid car. Still, competitors like the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Toyota Prius use less fuel. Critics report that an updated suspension system helps the Camry Hybrid deliver composed handling and a compliant ride. Still, some reviewers dislike the Camry Hybrid’s grabby brakes, and say that the steering could offer more feedback.
Toyota updated the Camry Hybrid’s interior for 2015, and most reviewers agree that the cabin feels luxurious for the class and features materials that are a notch above those in the 2014 model. They praise the Camry Hybrid’s quiet interior and comfortable front and rear seats, as well as the excellent outward visibility from the driver’s seat. The Camry Hybrid also has a lot of trunk space for a hybrid car, and test drivers point out that its standard infotainment system is particularly user-friendly. The 2015 Camry Hybrid comes with a rearview camera, push-button start, proximity key, automatic headlights, dual-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth, a USB port and Toyota’s Entune audio system with a 6.1-inch touch screen. Available features include a sunroof, an upgraded Entune system with navigation and smartphone app integration, a JBL audio system, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, forward collision warning and blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert.

2015 Toyota Camry - Review

The 2015 Toyota Camry has been given a very extensive refresh, just three model years after the debut of the current generation of this longtime best-selling sedan model. Why already? Chalk it up to some healthy rivalry; today the Camry faces even stronger competition from recently refreshed versions of the Honda Accord, Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima, and others.
Toyota is in effect not resting on its laurels; it’s given what it calls a sweeping redesign to the Camry for 2015—with a completely new look for the interior and exterior, added noise insulation, and upgraded driving dynamics.
While the change in appearance isn’t radically different, it looks updated, more refined, and more contemporary inside and out. And the most significant change are under the skin. The Camry gets what Toyota calls an aggressive front-end appearance, with LED front running lamps plus available LED auto-leveling lamps for the low and high beams. Taillights get a new design that tapers in with the side sheetmetal, and a ‘decorative garnish’—read chrome bar—runs across the trunk. Toyota calls that cue sporty, although it’s a generic cliche.
The somewhat downmarket look and more ‘chunky’ feel of the outgoing Camry’s dash have been wiped away, with a ‘high-tech’ look for the center stack and a newfound attention to materials and details. Upper dash areas now have soft-touch trims, and the area just ahead of the shift knob gets an enclosed bin for personal electronics, with a USB port and available wireless charging pad (as in the larger Avalon).
In all, it's not quite all-new, but as much so as mid-cycle updates ever get. The 2015 Camry has nearly 2,000 new parts (out of more than 6,000 total, for those who want to contextualize) compared to the 2014 model. Toyota says that everything is new except the roof. Toyota claims to have made some significant changes to improve the Camry’s responsiveness. While the existing MacPherson strut, multi-link rear suspension layout does carry over into the 2015 Camry, a new calibration for the electric power steering and a retuned brake-booster system make the Camry a better-driving car. So should a stiffer body structure and additional spot welds; in the cushy Camry XLE especially, it all adds up to a more sophisticated experience, much like what the Avalon received a couple of years ago; while in the sporty SE and XSE the stiffer body helps make more of it. As well, Toyota has added noise insulation at the floor, improved window and door seals, and redesigned the side mirrors for better airflow.
What’s under the hood carries over, mostly. The 2015 Camry will remain powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine or 3.5-liter V-6—both hooked up to a six-speed automatic transmission—or in the Hybrid model, a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder and Hybrid Synergy Drive system. New to the lineup this year is a new sporty SE version of the Camry Hybrid. Overall, we'd say that the Camry V-6 and Hybrid stand out as enjoyable, engaging cars, considering all the rest of the improvements this model's been given, although the base 178-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine feels lackluster among present-day rivals, as it lacks direct injection or turbocharging—as well as the more accessible low rpm torque of those newer, higher-tech

2015 Toyota Corolla - Review

he focus of the Toyota Corolla has long been basic, trouble-free, and relatively comfortable transportation, without the frills. But that all changed a bit a couple years ago, when Toyota added some more technology and flair to the Corolla, and free of biases that have long pegged the Corolla the blandest of the compact-sedan bunch, the current car is engaging and interesting, if not all-out charming. With that redesign, Toyota showed, at last, that the Corolla can be more than a penny-pinching, trouble-free economy sedan. Although the Corolla has been one of the best-selling small sedans in the U.S. market -- for decades -- the automaker really stepped up its game with the current 2015 Corolla, bringing in the sharper, sportier looks, the quieter cabin, and the in-car technology that today's small-car shoppers expect.
And what it's ended up with, in this 2015 Corolla, is a vehicle that's more than just thoroughly competent, but actually delightful at times -- a model you might choose for reasons other than the bottom line and watching your dollars. Yet one thing the Corolla doesn't stray away from is its low pricing and high value.
The 2015 Toyota Corolla doesn't blow past any boundaries for what a Corolla should be; but it does shed some of its conservative, bare-bones appearance in favor of something more vivid and aesthetically appealing. The Corolla's new look is described by the automaker as more athletic, and we won't argue with that. The core design concept, of ‘Iconic Dynamism,’ might be a little tougher to make sense of, as we see bits and pieces of various other current compact-car models in the overarching design as well as styling details -- too many to call it iconic.
The proportions of the 2015 Corolla are what make its design so successful. About three inches longer than the pre-2014 model, the current Corolla offers a longer wheelbase, with the wheels farther out near the corners of the car -- elements that together give more visual appeal, with a sportier stance, plus more interior space. Some great details, like LED headlamps and running lamps, finish off the design. The sporty Corolla S models stand distinct from the rest; they get a blacked-out grille in front with fog lamps flanking a more aggressive airdam; the look of the S is further sharpened by an integrated rear spoiler that visually lifts the tail. For 2015, LE and LE Eco models are easier to distinguish from base L models, as Toyota has tweaked that front-end appearance somewhat, with a new painted front grille, including dark gray 'Argent' painted surrounds for the grille and fog lamps.
The 2015 Toyota Corolla lineup continues to offer two different 1.8-liter four-cylinder engines; and rest assured that with either version, you'll get approximately the same level of performance and fuel efficiency. L, LE,