Cars Comp: toyota

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Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Record Civil Fine Proposed For Toyota

The gloves have come off. The United States government is accusing Toyota of "knowingly hiding a dangerous defect" that caused its cars to accelerate unintentionally.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood proposes the maximum possible fine: $16.4 million.

Full story from Automotive News.

Replacing brake pads Toyota Avensis

If a twelve-year Toyota Avensis was time to change the brake pads do not necessarily ask for help in an expensive car wash. This work is well under the force of any person who is familiar with the technique. Among owners of older vehicles many people like. They have a garage and a tool suitable necessary and sufficient literature on your car is. If you have recently noted the presence of vibrations at the wheels during braking, while dismantling the brakes sure to pay attention to the condition of brake discs for your car. The thickness of the body of the brake discs should not be less than twenty-two millimeters. Begin work on replacing brake pads and maybe drive by removing the wheel. It is worth recalling that the car, thus, should be completely secure yourself from falling trestle. If you started with the left wheel, be sure to turn the steering wheel to the left. This will facilitate your access to the bolts - the guides, located in closed cylindrical tubes elastics. These guides prevent gum brake pads from dirt and corrosion. Remove gum and get access to the two bolts that need to unscrew using a six-or eight-sided key. Only by removing the two screws you can remove the caliper. We have access to brake pads. One of the shoe is on the bracket, and we can easily take out. On the back side of the second block is a spring clip, which strip is attached to the brake cylinder piston. Do not fear anything, pull on the shoe itself and take out of the piston. Now the shoe dropped. So do the brake pads with the second wheel. Inspect and measure the brake discs of both wheels. If there are signs of uneven wear or measurement showed that the body of the disc below the permissible standards, remove wheels to repair or replacement. To remove the drive, remove the caliper hang so as to prevent excessive tension of the brake hose. You can tie him to a spring with a soft wire. Now you need to unscrew the two bolts that hold the bracket. They, like the guides pads, tightened with rear side. Remove the bracket and shoot disks. Sometimes they take a strong liking to the hub and take them seriously. Then use two suitable bolt that screwed into the drive, and so we shift it to the hub. If the disc is damaged beyond repair, change it to the next. But if the minimum thickness is far, it is possible, using the services of a good turner, running tap drives. It is best to search turner in places where turners teach. There turner - mentors are always the masters of high class. New or refurbished drive to install in its place. Immediately set in place the caliper bracket. Now the bracket set outer brake shoe. To install the caliper domestic brake pads, need to "drown" in the brake cylinder piston nominated. It's easy and safe to do with a suitable clamp. A guard try to stock up before disassembling the brakes, or your repair may be delayed. Do not try to hammer piston with a hammer, you can do this is expensive. Such a clamp may well be your neighbor's garage cooperative.

CES 2011 Toyota Entune Multimedia System Unveiled

Toyota has unveiled the Entune infotainment system at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Toyota Entune will be available as an option on select models this year. The featured apps of Toyota Entune include: Bing, iheartradio, MovieTickets.com, OpenTable.com, and Pandora, as well as location-based services, such as personalized traffic, fuel prices, stocks, weather, and sports. A high quality JBL sound system is available as an option as well.

The Toyota Entune system features an iheartradio app, which provides users with over 750 hometown stations, XM satellite radio and HD radio. It also features USB connectivity and voice recognition, so the driver can keep his focus on the road ahead.

Entune can also read back text messages with its text-to-voice feature, and access your favorite Pandora radio stations, so its sure to draw the eyes of those looking to other carmakers for the same functionality back to Toyota.

Entune takes a different approach to in-car multimedia systems. Instead of duplicating many of the functions your smartphone can do, Toyota’s system is intricately tied to the device. Once you download the Entune application to your smartphone, you can use the interface on Toyota’s touch-screen display. The system is composed of multiple apps, Microsoft Bing search and a voice-recognition system that Toyota says is best in class.

Press Release

Toyota unveils Entune multimedia system at CES

Toyota Offers the Largest Number of Mobile Apps with Bing, iheartradio, MovieTickets.com, OpenTable.com, and Pandora

Entune Boasts Industry-Leading Advanced Conversational Voice Recognition

Toyota Entune Is Compatible with Most Smartphones and Feature Phones

LAS VEGAS - Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) U.S.A., Inc. today unveiled the Toyota Entune^TM multimedia system at the Consumer Electronics Show. Toyota Entune leverages the customers mobile phone to create a rich in-vehicle experience that offers fully integrated and upgradeable entertainment, navigation, and information services. By utilizing conversational voice recognition and in-vehicle controls, the driver doesnt have to touch their mobile phone, allowing for safer connectivity. Toyota Entune simplifies the interaction for customers and will be available in select vehicles this year.

"Consumers have grown accustomed to having the world at their fingertips through their mobile phones," said Jon Bucci, vice president of the Advanced Technology Department at Toyota. "And unlike other industry solutions, Entune allows the driver to interact with informative and entertaining mobile content without fumbling with their phone. We offer features that our customers demand and integrate them seamlessly in the vehicle."

After downloading the Toyota Entune mobile application and pairing a Bluetooth capable phone with their Toyota vehicle, customers can begin accessing a wide variety of personalized content and services. Toyota Entune is wirelessly upgradeable, so in-vehicle applications are never obsolete. Ensuring that nearly all customers can take advantage of this new technology, Toyota Entune is compatible with a wide variety of mobile phones with a data plan. Toyota Entune key features include:

Mobile Apps - Toyota Entune debuts Bing, keeping navigation continuously up to date with more than 16 million points of interest; OpenTable, make a reservation at one of 15,000 restaurants; and MovieTickets.com, buy movie tickets and read reviews. All destinations can be seamlessly sent to the navigation system. Making drivers lives even easier, Toyota Entune delivers customizable real time traffic, fuel prices, weather, stocks and sports.

Music - Toyota Entune brings you more music in more ways with iheartradios 750+ hometown stations; personalized stations with Pandora; XM satellite radio 170+ channels with coast-to-coast coverage; and introducing HD Radio, digital broadcasts of your favorite terrestrial music. Toyota Entune also offers USB connectivity for portable media players and traditional terrestrial radio.

Voice Recognition - Featuring a best-in-class, advanced conversational voice recognition system, Toyota Entune eliminates the need to memorize thousands of voice commands. The intuitive interface allows the driver to focus more on the road ahead.

"Toyota has always been a leader in the automotive industry, so it makes sense it would bring the latest in mobile technology to the car," said Chris Daniels, general manager of Bing for Mobile, Microsoft Corp. "By bringing Bing Maps and Bing for Mobile technology to the car, we are helping Toyota enhance the overall in-vehicle experience to be as rich and robust as possible, which means personalizing the information to each drivers needs."

Safety Connect
Toyota Entune continues to build on the excellent foundation laid by Safety Connect, bringing peace of mind to drivers with an added layer of more personalized and convenience-oriented features. Safety Connect is the cornerstone of Toyotas telematics systems providing Automatic Collision notification, Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance, Emergency Assistance, and Roadside Assistance on select Toyota models. Safety Connect combined with Toyota Entune offers comprehensive safety services and mobile applications not found in any other vehicle make.

Product Availability
Toyota Entune will be available as an option on select models this year. The featured apps of Toyota Entune include: Bing, iheartradio, MovieTickets.com, OpenTable.com, and Pandora, as well as location-based services, such as personalized traffic, fuel prices, stocks, weather, and sports. Toyota Entune also includes support for read-back and replay capabilities for text messages. These are combined with a fully featured entertainment and communication system, which includes XM radio, HD Radio, CD player, USB connectivity, Bluetooth streaming and phonebook. A high quality JBL sound system is available as an option as well.

2011 Toyota Venza AWD

Toyota has endured some tough knocks lately, with a series of recalls over the past year, as well as constantly being lambasted by critics for having "boring" cars. The Venza crossover breaks out of Toyotas safe and conventional mold, at least from a styling standpoint.
The 2011 Venza is a 4-door, 5-passenger sport-utility, available in 4 trims, ranging from the FWD I4 to the AWD V6.
Upon introduction, the FWD I4 is equipped with a standard 2.7-liter, I4, 182-horsepower engine that achieves 21-mpg in the city and 27-mpg on the highway. The AWD V6 is equipped with a standard 3.5-liter, V6, 268-horsepower engine that achieves 18-mpg in the city and 25-mpg on the highway. A 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard on both trims.
In total passenger volume, the Highlander trounces the Venza by more than 37 cubic feet. In cargo capacity, the Venzas Celtic-themed kin bests it by more than 10 cubic feet with the rear seats up, and by a substantial 25 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. Max towing capacity on the Highlander is also 1500 pounds greater than on the Venza, with a nearly identical powertrain. The key difference? The V-6 Highlander still soldiers on with a five-speed automatic, while the V-6 Venza gets a six-speed.The one, and increasingly important, area in which the Venza bests its larger sibling is fuel economy. The all-wheel-drive V-6 Highlander rates 17/22 on the EPA cycle, with the sleeker, 400-pound lighter Venza AWD returning 18/25. For those seeking even greater fuel economy, the Venza is also available with a 2.7-liter four-cylinder shared with the base Highlander that returns 21 city and 27 highway mpg on the front driver, and 20/25 on the all-wheel-drive model. Considering the minimal fuel economy penalty with the V-6, and the fact it offers 86 more horsepower, go with the six.
As with many current Toyotas, the driving experience isnt especially engaging. However, considering the vehicles intended mission, canyon-carving probably wasnt a high priority on the suspension engineers checklist. Getting back to the theme of sacrificing function for beauty, however, the 20-inch wheels deliver a ride firmness that hints at handling prowess that the suspension simply cant deliver. Taking a corner at anything more than a moderate pace elicits screeches and and howls from the tires. Appreciate the dubs for their style, but dont expect dramatic performance.
Although the Venza cuts an unmistakably dashing profile on the outside, the interior is a mixed bag. Theres nothing exceptionally objectionable about the styling or materials, but the interior does not have the same cohesiveness and elegance as the exterior. Theres an odd, indeterminate texture applied across much of the interior plastic that is an attempt at a woodgrain or faux leather, but succeeds at neither. A similar and more subdued texture is applied on the leather seats, and it works a little better, but still comes across as a bit contrived.
Ergonomically, the Venza is somewhat of an adjustment. When I first sat down and oriented myself with the controls, I looked around for a display readout for the air conditioning controls. Somewhat counterintuitively, the temperature and fan settings are displayed on a 3-inch-square LCD display in the middle of the dashboard, up high in a central unibrow area. Its not that jarring once you get used to it, but the placement seems like an afterthought.
Compared to its most logical peers, the Honda Crosstour, Nissan Murano, and Ford Edge, the Venza offers similar capabilities. Comparably equipped, the prices are pretty close, too. So what is there to recommend the Venza over its rivals? Well, if youre predisposed to think favorably of Toyota products, it has that going in its favor. Its the best-looking of the bunch, especially from a rear three-quarter angle. However, the interior has the oddest layout and materials.
Toyota often has mixed results when it tries to be too edgy, and the Venza is a rolling example. While the exterior is stylish and eye-catching, the interior is an odd mishmash of unique and parts-bin, premium and low-rent. If I were in the focus group for a mid-cycle refresh, I would suggest a revamp of the interior, using soft-touch, conventionally textured plastics, quality leathers, and contrast stitching. And perhaps some memory functions for the steering wheel adjustment and drivers seat.The danger in moving too upscale with the Venza is that it would quickly start stepping on the toes of its more patrician cousin, the Lexus RX, in both price and market positioning. Such is the peril when you also have a luxury brand in your portfolio.
As it stands, the Venza is a stylish alternative to the conventional midsize SUV, and would likely fit the needs of small (two or fewer children) families looking for day-to-day family transport. With some fine-tuning to the interior trim, it could be a great crossover instead of a good one.

2012 Toyota Yaris 11

Introduction

The Corolla-based 2010 Toyota Matrix hatchback reminds us that the folks at Toyota can still make a darned good small car when they put their minds to it. Weve been underwhelmed by the latest Corolla, to put it mildly, but its Matrix cousin is a thoroughly competent effort. Its certainly no hot rod, but were pretty sure most compact hatchback or wagon buyers care more about practicality than performance. And for them, the 2010 Matrix is one of the most compelling choices in this segment.
In many ways, the Matrix is like Corolla version 2.0. Its sheet metal is far more stylish, its 3 extra inches of height boost passenger space, and its convenient hatchback/wagon design means you can haul a lot of stuff. This cargo-carrying capacity is one of the Matrixs biggest draws -- with 61.5 cubic feet of space, this modestly sized Toyota can haul nearly as much as some compact SUVs. Yet its fuel economy with the base 1.8-liter engine is still quite good at 28 mpg combined. The Matrix costs a grand or two more than the Corolla, but its verve and versatility make it well worth the extra coin.

Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2010 Toyota Matrix is a compact hatchback available in three trim levels: base, S and XRS. All-wheel drive is optional on the midrange S. The base car features 16-inch steel wheels, power mirrors, air-conditioning, a CD stereo with an auxiliary audio jack, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel and a fold-flat front passenger seat. Cruise control, keyless entry and power windows and locks are optional on this version of the Matrix but standard on the S, which also adds a rear window wiper, underbody spoilers, an upgraded stereo and a 115-volt utility outlet. The all-wheel-drive version of the S loses the spoilers, but it gains foglights and an independent rear suspension. The top-of-the-line Matrix XRS tacks on 18-inch alloy wheels, a rear roof spoiler, sport-tuned suspension and steering, upgraded seat fabric and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Powertrains and Performance

On the base front-wheel-drive Toyota Matrix, youll find a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 132 horsepower and 128 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed manual transmission is standard, and a four-speed automatic is optional. Matrix S and XRS models upgrade to a 2.4-liter engine that makes 158 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque, as well as an optional five-speed automatic alongside the standard five-speed manual. The AWD S comes only with the four-speed automatic.

Safety

The 2010 Toyota Matrix comes standard with stability control and antilock disc brakes, with the S and XRS boasting larger discs all around. Also standard are front-seat side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags.

Interior Design and Special Features

Inside, the Matrix has a significantly edgier ambience than the Corolla. If you think this compact sedans interior lacks flair, the Matrix is the antidote. A telescoping steering wheel and ample seat-track travel allow drivers of all sizes to get comfortable, and the controls are both intuitive and attractive. In back, the tall, deep bench is inviting for children and adults alike, and it folds completely flat in 60/40 sections.

Driving Impressions

The base Matrix accelerates sluggishly off the line with its 1.8-liter engine, but its admirable fuel economy will redeem it in the eyes of many shoppers. The 2.4-liter engine in the S and XRS is the opposite -- power is ample, but fuel economy is just OK. The ride is smooth and well-insulated. The 2010 Toyota Matrix may not be the sportiest economy hatchback, but its refinement is laudable.
The Toyota Yaris has now been with us since 2005 and despite its age it’s still regularly in the top three best selling light cars in the country (competing with Hyundai Getz and Mazda2). The next generation Yaris is due in 2012 but given that it’s sold in other markets as a Toyota Vitz, pictures of the new model have emerged from a brochure printed in Asia.
Toyota has just confirmed the launch its all-new Vitz subcompact car for the Japanese market, which will be also known as the Yaris for the U.S. and European markets later in the future. The 2012 Toyota Vitz will be released in Japan on December 22 of this year.
So far Toyota has not stated when the Yaris version will arrive at European and North American markets, but we expected to see it shows up in these markets around the second half of 2011.
The new 2012 Toyota Vitz is designed as subcompact car with fuel efficiency in mind. It is powered by a 1.3-liter gasoline engine, which features a start-stop system to provide a fuel return of 62.3 mpg U.S. and CO2 emissions of about 88g/km. Toyota claims that the Vitz will be the one of the most fuel-efficient cars in its segment in Japan.
Although still some time away, the new Toyota Yaris does look the business with its modernized and more aggressive design. We can’t help but notice it has taken some design cues from the Toyota Prius as well (such as the headlights).The sporty versions you see pictured here are called Toyota Vitz Modellista which are essentially a Yaris with a body kit.

Toyota FT 86 II concept

The wait for Toyota’s rear-wheel drive coupe is nearly over. The new Toyota FT-86 II was unveiled today at the 2011 Geneva motor show, alongside the Subaru version.The two sports cars are being co-developed and Toyota president Akio Toyoda makes no bones about his mission for the FT-86: ‘I want to transfer the thrill of the race track to our vehicles, and make driving fun and exciting for our

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