Toyota
First Look: 2013 Scion iQ EV
The iQ EV joins Toyota’s RAV4 EV and Prius Plug-In Hybrid as the Japanese brand’s chargeable offerings. It only packs 63 horsepower, but torque is up to 120 pound-feet. Combine that with a 50 mile range and a three-hour charge time on a 240-volt plug, and it makes a fair bit of sense as a gas-free city car. It should hit 60 miles per hour in a leisurely 13.4 seconds, and will cover 30 to 50 miles per hour in nearly half that time. Top speed is 78 miles per hour.
Quick Drive: 2012 Honda CR-Z
The CR-Z is kind of an odd little car. It’s vaguely reminiscent of the CR-X from which it borrows its form. It employs a hybrid powertrain, but passes itself off as moderately sporty, too. It offers a six-speed manual transmission—which we’ve tried in the past and enjoyed thoroughly—but our recent tester was fitted with the more efficient continuously variable transmission (CVT). As such, its 1.5-liter gasoline engine and electric motor put out a combined 122 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque.
Quick Drive: 2012 Toyota Tacoma Access Cab V-6 4X4
There’s enough power for everyday driving. Even with the backend loaded, we had no issues with freeway merging or around-town acceleration. It’s not the sweetest-sounding powerplant, but it’s not overly harsh in its acoustic note. The five-speed autobox manages the power well, offering up reasonably fast upshifts. Downshifts don’t require much hunting through the gears, with the overall result being a powertrain that feels eager to get up and go when asked to.
Quick Drive: 2013 Toyota Venza XLE V-6 AWD
Now, to be clear, despite the punchy six-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive, there’s nothing really exciting about the Venza driving experience. With 268 horsepower and 246 pound-feet of torque, acceleration is merely adequate. This Toyota will easily get out of its own way, and packs enough punch for quick passes on the highway. Credit this more to the clever six-speed automatic than the actual powerplant. This six-cog is willing to drop gears without much hunting about, while delivering brisker-than-expected upshifts. Acceleration from a standstill is brisk, but doesn’t have the same kind of punch as some of the four-cylinder, turbocharged competition, largely due to the Venza’s 6200-rpm horsepower peak and 4700-rpm torque peak.
Rumors: Spy Shots—2014 Lexus IS
Lexus is in the midst of an important transformation and is working hard to shed its stigma of being a rather dull and conservative brand. The latest example of this change can be seen with its significant refresh of the popular mid-size sedan, the IS. The steady handed spy photographers over at MotorAuthority captured a heavily camouflaged IS prototype during testing in the US.
Quick Drive: 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco
The Cruze has always been blessed with a better-than-average balance of ride and handling, and the Eco is no exception. Vertical damping could stand to be a bit stronger, but side-to-side motions are well managed. Overall, the chassis balance leans decidedly towards the front of the vehicle (not surprising considering it’s a front-engined/front-drive small car). Actual grip levels aren’t very high, on account of the aforementioned eco-friendly tires.
Driven: 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid
In that sense, the most impressive part of this Ford is the strain-free powertrain. Although the C-Max uses a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and a relatively small engine (2.0-liter four cylinder with 141 horsepower), it was able to accelerate pretty easily in urban traffic or on moderately steep grades in the mountains surrounding Los Angeles. This isn’t the most demanding test possible, but frankly it is a tougher test than that presented by 90 percent of suburban US driving.
Driven: 2012 Toyota Rav4 EV
Range is where the Rav4 EV clearly has an advantage—thanks to that same set of batteries that take so long to juice up. The EPA rates it at 92 miles of combined highway and city driving when charged in Standard mode and 113 miles on Extended. In testing, Toyota engineers saw range go as high as 145 miles. Comparatively, the Fit EV has a combined range of 82 miles, the Focus EV gets 76 miles, and the Leaf 73 miles.
First Look: 2013 Lexus LS
Lexus has certainly been busy over the past year. With the launch of a new GS, a new ES, and a refreshed RX, it’s a wonder the Toyota-owned brand has managed to launch yet another revised model. This time around, it’s the 2013 LS, Lexus’s flagship luxury sedan, designed to compete with the BMW 7-Series, Audi A8, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
Quick Drive: 2012 Toyota Prius C
But being small is part of the point. Its diminutive size makes the Prius C ideal to drive in urban environments. It is superbly easy to park, and to maneuver in heavy stop-and-go traffic or the tight confines of a parking lot. Its city gas mileage is slightly better than its bigger brother (53 miles per gallon versus the Prius liftback’s 51), but suffers a bit on the highway (46 versus 48 mpg). That’s the same average fuel economy as the standard Prius, which is as good as it gets without going all-electric—undoubtably the nameplate’s most famous attribute and greatest draw. In all, the C makes efficient work of in-town commutes, and feels right at home at the slower speeds of city traffic.
Secondhand Gems: Highway To Hollywood
The digital pages of Winding Road are typically filled with our presumptions on what makes driving enjoyable. To reach these conclusions, 99 times out of 100 we’re scribing about essential, elemental motoring characteristics such as vehicle balance, dynamics at the limit, handling prowess, usable horsepower, driver feedback, and so on. That being said, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to 100.
Driven: 2012 Tesla Model S
The basic question with a new car like this really is something along the lines of “what is it?” Because the brand is new and the technology is new and the platform is new, consumers don’t have a basis for setting their expectations. You might not think that is a problem, but in our observation almost everyone imagines something about every new car regardless of his or her fact base. Get those expectations wrong, and you can be disappointed by a gem, simply because it didn’t fit with the concept in your imagination. To align expectations with reality, we think an understanding of the Model S is helped greatly by looking at the goals and decisions that the Tesla team had to make.
Quick Drive: 2013 Ford Focus EcoBoost
Why are we talking about an engine that’s only sold in Europe, though? Well, because it won’t be European-only for long. Ford has stated that the 1.0-liter EcoBoost will be sold in North America (and Asia, Oceania, and Africa) in 2013. The Dearborn-based OEM hasn’t mentioned what vehicles it’ll be available in, but based on the pair of lime green metallic Focus hatchbacks sitting in front of us at the Dearborn Proving Grounds, we think we have a good idea what the first American model to get the 1.0-liter will be.
Quick Drive: 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE
It wasn’t until we settled down and drove civilly that we were able to appreciate what was “just right” about the Camry Hybrid’s powertrain. Namely, that it wasn’t a vehicle for going fast, but rather delivering just enough power for the average on-road situation while returning simply excellent fuel economy with a minimum of effort. The trick came with exploiting the electric motor’s torque without dipping too far into the throttle. Finding the appropriate driving style to really net the best balance of economy and pace was a recipe for a surprisingly involving experience.
Comfort/Involvement Index: 2012 Toyota Yaris SE Five-Door
An endearing, tossable nature that is slightly muted by mediocre steering feel and uncomfortable driving position. The new Yaris is a pleasing improvement over the previous generation. Still, issues from the last-gen Yaris remain. In particular, its 1.5-liter, four-cylinder is a noisy, underpowered engine that doesn’t match the nippy handling characteristics of the chassis. We also aren’t particularly fond of the manual transmission. It feels overly notchy, and the clutch functions like an on-off switch, with very little modulation.
Quick Drive: 2012 Hyundai Azera
If you can get over the engine (and I can), then the Azera is an excellent big sedan. Its ride balances being smooth and quiet without feeling completely detached from the road like a Toyota Avalon or Buick Lacrosse. Wind and road noise are well controlled, as well.
Greenformance: Scion FR-S, Greenformance Measuring Stick
The basic reason that many enthusiasts will have trouble with the FR-S and BRZ is that many sports car buyers still accept the logic of “faster is better” and the related meme “more power is faster.” I propose here that these ideas will be less of an issue to greenformance buyers, and therefore that the FR-S and BRZ might be the car(s) you’ve been waiting for. If not those cars, there are others that fit a similar model of driving pleasure.
Rumors: Industry Report—Next Lexus IS-F Leaked?
A new leaked document on ClubLexus reveals that the tables may turn on the BMW M3 when and if the next generation Lexus IS-F hits the road.
Quick Drive: 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid
The three-hour charge time is downright reasonable when compared to a Volt or Leaf, which can take anywhere from nine to 13 hours to recharge (based on our experience). And like the Volt, there’s absolutely no sense of range anxiety, as once the battery is drained, the car becomes a standard, fuel-sipping Prius hybrid.
Comfort/Involvement Index: 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco
The Malibu Eco has a smooth, unfussy ride, but it hardly communicates with its driver at all. The hybrid system neither intrudes, nor adds to the driving experience. Steering feel is slightly more talkative, but is outclassed by other vehicles at this price point. Seating position is surprisingly conducive to aggressive driving.
Driven: 2013 Scion FR-S
And we should add that—after experiencing a bevy of canyon, track and highway miles—we’re pretty confident the Scion FR-S is not for every sports car buyer, despite its excellence. If you’re seriously interested in this car, you’ll want to stay tuned and understand why.
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