Bluetooth, iPod Connectivity Expanded In 2010 Toyota Venza
The Venza carries into its second model year with no significant changes. That's the short story, however some people might find the Venza's entertainment system considerably more functional; tech-savvy shoppers will be quick to verify that an USB auxiliary port and iPod connectivity are newly standard across the 2010 Toyota Venza model line, along with Bluetooth hands-free calling features that are built into the audio system.
In TheCarConnection.com's updated Bottom Line covering the 2010 Toyota Venza, we point to its attractive styling, versatile tall-wagon body style, and fuel efficiency as reasons we like the Venza, along with available all-wheel drive; however the steering, along with road noise and uninspired materials and trims, sum up our dislikes. To elaborate on the last point, the materials used in the Venza look good from a distance, but up close they're not as delightful and there's just too much hard plastic.
TheCarConnection.com has now been in the Venza several times over the past year, and while this crossover is a good-looking vehicle it's not that exciting to drive in any of its trims. Although the V-6 adds a friskier feel and brings a smooth, responsive feel overall, we tend to recommend the base 182-horspower, 2.7-liter four-cylinder and front-wheel drive because you'll save some gas—EPA ratings are 21 mpg city, 29 highway—and get a powertrain combination that's just fine for the Venza's personality. That goes to say that the Venza isn't meant for enjoying switchbacks and rutted backroads; the electric power steering is quite dull and lifeless, even if the suspension's capable. V-6 models gets slightly different spring and damper settings to handle their larger 20-inch wheels, but be aware that ride comfort suffers.
Another reason to stick with the four-cylinder if you're thinking of the Venza? If you must have a V-6, you should head over to the Lexus showroom before you decide, as the 2010 Lexus RX 350 costs just a few grand more than a loaded V-6 Venza. Both vehicles have top-notch safety.
The Venza is a focused product for the North Americas market. It was designed in Newport Beach, California and Ann Arbor, Michigan, and mostly engineered at Toyota's tech center in Ann Arbor. Assembly is in Georgetown, Kentucky, and Toyota says that more than 70 percent of the Venza's components come from North American suppliers.
Pricing is up just $300 versus last year's model.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Report: Jaguar Working On Five-Door Coupe
Jaguar's transfer to new ownership last year had many, from customers to dealers to industry analysts, worried about what might come of it. But Tata Motors' ownership has so far proven reassuring in its commitment to the Jaguar brand, with the stunning new XJ looking promising and confirmation of a new XE roadster generating even more buzz.
As hard as it is to believe that a company like Jaguar, which is still operating deeply in the red (to the tune of several hundred millions of dollars), is set to launch two brand new models, there’s word on the street that a new five-door coupe may also be in the works.
The proliferation of not-quite-hatchbacks and not-wagons epitomized by the BMW 5-series GT and Audi A5 Sportback is about to grow, according to a new report. Based on the RD6 concept car from 2003 (pictured), the new Jaguar is going under the codename of RD7 and could be in production by 2014.
To keep development costs down, the RD7 would share much in common with the XF, including its steel architecture and powertrain lineup. It won’t be just another XF variant, however, as the car is expected to be an entry-level model--essentially, a successor to the poor-selling X-Type.
Unfortunately, Jaguar lacks the funding necessary to launch both the RD7 and XE so unless there’s a significant improvement in the company’s financial situation, the chances of both cars being developed is slim.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Driven: 2010 Toyota Prius…77 mpg!
Early this year TheCarConnection.com brought you first driving impressions for the redesigned 2010 Toyota Prius, and in the months following the Prius has been covered in exhaustive detail by companion High Gear Media site AllAboutPrius.com.
In his first drive report of the 2010 Prius, editor Marty Padgett reported getting nearly 70 mpg "without even really trying—just coasting to stops, accelerating very gradually and using the Prius' EV mode to coast into our host hotel."
Sure enough, I did even better in a follow-up on familiar roads—albeit with some sacrifices. In unseasonable 100-degree heat, we turned the A/C off altogether and then engaged the Prius' Eco mode, which essentially smoothes out powertrain response, keeps electric-only power on a little longer, and adds a rubber-band-like "Are you sure?" to every downward push of the throttle pedal. Taking the 2010 Prius on a 40-mile fuel-economy loop—including suburban stop-and-go, a highway stint, and some low-speed urban driving—we averaged 77.2 mpg simply by taking off very slowly, keeping a light throttle foot, "pulsing and gliding" a bit, and coasting whenever possible, but otherwise keeping up with traffic. If we had driven strictly by the instant bar-graph display, crept up to lights, and blocked traffic going up hills, we would have easily cracked 80.
Before anyone cries foul, I should add that the battery indicator was at about the same one-third level when we started and finished.
That high-mileage loop aside, for the remainder of the week TheCarConnection.com averaged about 53 miles per gallon in nearly 140 miles of mixed driving, split between short trips around town and a longer highway run that would be equivalent to what many commuters do. Making the number all the more impressive was that we ran most of it with the A/C on, in normal mode, and we even ran in Power mode for a while, with some full-throttle takeoffs included.
The new 2010 Toyota Prius is rated at 51 mpg city, 48 highway—up from 48/45 for the outgoing 2009 model. Its host of powertrain improvements include a larger, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, numerous weight-saving measures, and broadened use of the powertrain's electric-only mode.
The last-generation Prius set a new standard for powertrain smoothness, with almost imperceptible transitions between power sources. At first we didn't think the Prius made gains in refinement, but this broken-in production test car felt much smoother than the brand-spanking new prototypes we drove a few months ago.
The most significant downside to the driving experience in the 2010 Toyota Prius remains that it just doesn't handle particularly well; although slight improvements have been made in terms of how it steers and maneuvers; first-time Prius drivers will still feel like the steering is controlled remotely, and there are times when a Logitech gaming wheel gives more realistic feedback. At cruising speeds we kept having to make small adjustments to keep our path straight on the highway, and the artificial weight that the steering would gather off-center seemed to have little relation to the tightness of the corner or the g-forces the car was experiencing. With the powertrain integration as smooth and unobtrusive as it is, the odd steering feel is honestly what most drivers will have issue with.
Brakes are discs all around and have a better feel than earlier Prius models; they're now easy to modulate and responsive but not touchy—probably the best in any hybrid. But we noticed that if we backed out of a spot right after powering up, the brakes would be ridiculously touchy. Once we went forward, even a foot or two, and switched back to reverse the normal brake feel was back.
As for the rest of the Prius' package, it hasn't changed radically. The roofline has been brought slightly upward, and that helps headroom all around; headroom in the back seat is now adequate for average-sized adults, but taller folks will find their hair (or hat) brushing the headliner.
Our mid-range 2010 Toyota Prius III test car was optioned with the Solar Roof package, which includes the nav system, upgraded JBL audio, and Bluetooth—bringing its total to a still-affordable $27,350. We didn't use the Solar Roof—which helps circulate air from outside when parked in hot sun—enough to know for sure, but it might verge more toward gimmickry; with temps in the 90s we didn't notice a significant difference in temperature compared to an adjacent car without the feature.
Space in front is, surprisingly, barely adequate in the new Prius and feels a slight step backward; blame the swoopy, wide center stack and center-console arrangement, which steals a lot of what could have been usable space. This tall driver's knee grew achy against its hard plastic contours; it will prove bothersome to many owners on long drives. Front seats look more generously apportioned than before, but they lack the support for long drives and there's zero side support to hold you in place in corners.
Just last week we drove the 2010 Honda Insight under almost identical conditions, achieving 45 mpg overall and nearly 58 mpg when feather-footing on the same loop.
With these latest high-mileage impressions in light, stay tuned for an update on how the 2010 Honda Insight stacks up vs the 2010 Toyota Prius.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
New CVT In 2010 Subaru Legacy Promises Low Maintenance Costs
Last week we reported that the new continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) that makes its debut in the all-new 2010 Subaru Legacy will achieve best-in-class EPA fuel economy ratings of 23 mpg city, 31 highway—even when comparing the all-wheel-drive Legacy with other front-wheel-drive four-cylinder sedans like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.
But there's more to this story. The new CVT, which was designed completely in-house in Japan, requires no maintenance whatsoever for the life of the vehicle, say powertrain engineers. Compared to conventional hydraulic transmissions, that could save hundreds of dollars in transmission fluid and filter changes, flushes, and other adjustments.
Subaru officials emphasize that they didn't take longevity and durability lightly for the new transmission. First owners of the brand's vehicles typically keep their vehicles for more than seven years on average—much longer than typical—and eventual odometer readings of 200,000 miles or more are not unusual (just check your favorite used-car listings for 12-year-old Legacys if you don't believe us).
Given the brand's unique powertrain layout, engineers had a chance to do some things differently than in existing CVT designs—like locate the reverse mechanism well aft of the pulley drive to reduce driveline shocks. And the new transmission uses a chain, rather than the belt used in most existing CVTs.
With the CVT, termed Lineartronic, the 2010 Legacy gets a new Active Torque Split all-wheel drive configuration, employing an electronically controlled, multi-plate clutch system rather than the viscous coupling system of the manual-transmission versions and the Active Torque Split version—with a planetary gear center differential—in models with the six-cylinder engine and five-speed automatic.
We've just driven the new Legacy but have agreed to stay mum for a couple of days. Check back with TheCarConnection.com on Friday for full driving impressions and our Bottom Line take on the 2010 Subaru Legacy.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2009 Detroit Show: Benz Concept BlueZERO
Mercedes-Benz has an idea of what its zero-emissions future will look like--and it's going to take the form of the Concept BlueZERO, a small hatchback with big interior room and three different eco-friendly powertrains.
The front-wheel-drive BlueZERO is a single vehicle architecture, Mercedes says, with a modular design that sports more interior room than the average large car. Though it's just 14 feet long, it has room for five passengers and more than 17 cubic feet of luggage.
The powertrains for the BlueZERO ride beneath a sandwich-style floor like those used on the Euro-market A-Class and B-Class, both of which the BlueZERO will likely replace in the Benz lineup. They include an E-CELL electric powertrain with liquid-cooled lithium-ion batteries produced by Daimler AG and a driving range of 125 miles; an F-CELL fuel-cell version with 250 miles of driving range; and a range-extended E-CELL PLUS powertrain that could have a range of 375 miles, 60 of them driving on battery power alone. All three can scoot to 60 mph in about 11 seconds, and all have a limited top speed of 93 mph.
Benz claims a 30-minute recharge for 50 miles of driving; the range extender in the E-CELL PLUS is a 1.0-liter turbocharged engine.
Mercedes promises to put a limited number of fuel-cell vehicles in civilian hands this year, and makes a similar promise for electric vehicles starting next year. It also promises that the BlueZERO concept will have passenger safety equal to the cars it builds today, thanks to its unique construction.
More photos behind the jump--and we'll bring you more from the show floor of the 2009 Detroit auto show starting tomorrow morning.
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