Car Care Tip of the Week: Check the wipers and lighting!

This will enable you to see and be seen. Check that all interior and exterior lighting is working properly and replace worn wiper blades so you can see clearly when driving during precipitation.

2013 Scion xB Exterior Walkaround

With standard features like a chrome-tipped exhaust and projector-beam headlamps, the 2013 Scion xB is the only hatchback in its class that checks all the boxes. The high shoulder line of the xB emphasizes its unique two-box styling, while new LED accent lamps make it stand out in a crowd. 

Check out our battery specials!

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Snow Drifting the Toyota GT 86 with Fredric Aasbo!

On this episode of The Downshift, we head to Norway to see what Formula Drift driver Fredric Aasbo does in the offseason in the cold Scandinavian winters. (Maybe some snow drifting?)

We’re thrilled to announce we’ve reached 5 million hybrid sales worldwide.

Toyota-Scion of Sanford wants to thank Toyota Hybrid owners for making this possible!

Care Care Tip of the Week: Wax it!

Nothing keeps paint looking good and protected like a coat of quality wax. Apply wax at least every six months.

2013 Toyota RAV4: A Nicer View Than Ever Of Middle Of The Road

When we had our first shot behind the wheel of the 2013 Toyota RAV4, the overall judgment from Managing Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski could be summed up in a sentence along the lines of, "Eh, not bad." The truth is that the compact crossover segment, now filled with not-so-compact offerings, is as cutthroat as any in the industry these days. When a heavyweight player like the RAV4 comes to market with a new generation, it is not at liberty to start from a clean sheet, lest it throw cold water on a vehicle that sells tens of thousands of units globally every month. Like De La Soul says, "Stakes is high."

If the choices in the marketplace were still largely limited to the Honda CR-V, as was the case when this market niche was green, the Toyota offering might actually seem like the exciting choice. But with new players offering better dynamic thrills (Mazda CX-5), cool turbo motors and fancy technology (Ford Escape), or even crunchy cred (Subaru Forester), the small crossover shopper is really spoiled for choice in 2013.

With Mr. Korzeniewski's excellent First Drive review covering the granularity of the RAV4 specification so well, we chose to focus our notes this time around on living with the Toyota in its natural suburban habitat for a longer stretch. What's more, we'll try to mark out where the CUV wins, loses or draws with the rest of the strident segment.

We were a little surprised to see not so much as an eyebrow raised at the 2013 RAV4.

In terms of exterior styling, we'll reiterate our first assessment of the RAV4 by saying that the 2013 version is better looking than ever before. Nearly everyone agrees that the black cladding around the body sides and front and rear fascias does just enough to butch up the delicate-nosed CUV without going off the deep-end into gritty SUV territory. We like the way the body sits primed on the 17-inch alloy wheels, too, with just enough space between the tire and the wheel well to offer a vague notion of ground clearance, yet with ride height low enough to make the RAV4 seem planted. (Be honest, CUV Driver – you only go off-road by accident.) Still, park the RAV4 next to any Sportage, CX-5 or even the smaller Subaru XV Crosstrek, and it starts to look a little dull.

We rarely get stopped by questioning members of the public when driving small crossovers of any kind (well, except for the Range Rover Evoque), but we were still a little surprised to see not so much as an eyebrow raised at the 2013 RAV4. Older versions of the Toyota are all over the place, and yet not a head was turned all week while we drove some 200+ miles. That's hardly scientific, but anecdotally, we must admit that this brand-new Toyota design blends right into the background.

We do have some worries about the longevity of the cabin materials.

With around 5,000 miles on the odometer when we grabbed the keys, our RAV4 XLE was still an infant in terms of the 200k+ mile Toyota life expectancy. We've got no reason to believe that this vehicle will be anything less than mechanically bulletproof as the years roll on, but we do have some worries about the longevity of the cabin materials. While your writer took slightly less offense to the milieu of textures and surfaces in the RAV4 cockpit than have other reviewers (I quite liked the cloth seat fabric, and the leather-clad swathe of dash), there's no question that there are already some wear issues.

In particular, the brittle-feeling and inappropriate-looking 'carbon fiber'-style trim was badly scratched up. In the high touch area around the gear lever, presumably swiped by keys in hand fairly often, we found a mass of fine scratches and gouges. Plastic on the steering column and on the door controls was scratched up as well. Should the damage have been confined to just one area, we would have overlooked it, but as abrasions seemed to be part and parcel to the hard plastics throughout the cabin, we're guessing that they'll just be a fact of life for normal owners.



Another set of real-world gripes cropped up while using the Display Audio system with Toyota's Entune software. For one, the lack of a dedicated button to reach the navigation or map screen is annoying. You've got to press the hard button labeled "Apps" on the console, and then use the touchscreen to get into the map/navigation menus. This strikes us as an odd interface path, and different than most systems we've used, though it is admittedly something that won't take long to learn.

Worse was our experience with the Bluetooth connection, however. After going through the simple process of linking our iPhone to the Toyota system (for phone and audio), we expected to be able to stow the phone safely in our pocket and forget it. Unfortunately, three or four times over the course of the week, Entune somehow completely lost the connection with the phone (for the record, this happened both with the iPhone in our pocket, and with it placed in the cubby in front of the gear lever). This dropping also prompted the whole system to shut down and then restart, a process that took a few minutes in total. Again, these aren't life-altering issues, but they do detract from the straightforward, easy-to-use ethos that Toyota has built its reputation on.

When driven in Sport, the four-cylinder and six-speed work really nicely together.

The less-than-premium feeling extended to the driving experience, too, at least in part. While the vehicle's 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine was well matched to the task, revving the engine over 4,000 rpm or so resulted in a kind of thrashy exhaust note. What's more, wind and tire noise on the freeway were, at best, equal to what CUVs like the CX-5 and Crosstrek deliver. We honestly expected the Toyota to be a class leader in terms of in-cabin quiet, and were surprised to find that it's more like "just as good."

It wasn't all bad news for the noisy powertrain though. As our earlier report pointed out, when driven in Sport mode, the four-cylinder and six-speed transmission work really nicely together to make use of every one of those 176 horsepower. Throttle tip-in was well managed in this mode, too, with good starts resulting from an extra couple degrees of boot. Eco mode does kill a lot of that buzz – the drivetrain feels oddly rubbery and sluggish thusly configured – but it also helped return fuel economy close to the EPA estimates. On the highway, even without Eco mode, we scooted along at or above the expected 29 miles per gallon (for the all-wheel-drive RAV4). The city rating was a bit harder to match; our heavy-footed driving style got us closer to 19 or 20 mpg most of the time. But with the magically dull Eco button pushed, 22 and 23 mpg was no problem. You won't like it, but it's good for you.



The ride and handling suite of the RAV4 is middle of the road, save for the grippier-than-expected cornering of the all-wheel-drive version. Benign steering couples with a fairly stiff body structure and softly sprung chassis to blandly and competently execute maneuvers that fall within the 95th-percentile kind of driving. Considering that even the sharpest member of the compact CUV class (again, this is probably the CX-5) is only about as precise as a normal midsize sedan, this is no great loss. We'd need a comparative drive to suss out the subtleties in handling between the vehicles that compete with the RAV4, and honestly, it's a characteristic that typical buyers will have well down on their list of must-haves.

With practical considerations leaving the RAV4 on more-or-less even footing with its competitors, the question becomes, "What do I get, and for how much?" Our RAV4 XLE AWD is the mid-level trim of the lineup and, with the $1,030 navigation/Entune/touchscreen added, has a final sticker price of $27,585. The CX-5 in Touring trim is just $25,865 before destination; but adding navi to the Mazda necessitates adding a sunroof and Bose Audio, bringing the final price to $29,275. Honda's pricing looks very similar on the surface ($26,145 for and CR-V EX AWD), but again asks that you jump into a much more expensive model to get navigation. In the CR-V's case, that means you end up with a fully loaded, leather-trimmed crossover for $31,125. Kia's attractive Sportage, meanwhile, offers attractive value, too. $26,800 gets you a Sportage LX with 17-inch wheels, UVO infotainment with navigation and a backup camera. A Ford Escape AWD with the 1.6-liter EcoBoost and comparable equipment is $28,930. A 2014 Subaru Forester 2.5i Limited with leather, CVT and a power liftgate starts at $27,995, but you have to jump up a few rungs to get navigation. You could make a legitimate argument for Subaru's slightly smaller XV Crosstrek as an interesting alternative – just $24,990 will get you similar equipment levels and all-wheel drive – but you'll have to accept a substantially less powerful engine, and a smaller amount of cargo space (interior volume for humans is surprisingly close to the larger RAV4, however).

It's not the prettiest, strongest, biggest, smallest, most or least fuel efficient, cheapest or most expensive small crossover you can buy.

Long-term value may very well be a shining attribute for the RAV4, but that's a bit hard to calculate at this stage in the game. Running costs, including fuel economy, will all be very tight, too, unless you can make do with one of the smaller engine options like the Subaru or the CX-5 with its less-powerful 2.0-liter engine option. Just to throw it out there, the RAV4 is near the bottom of the group in terms of towing, with a 1,500-pound maximum rating not stacking up well against Kia's 2,000 lbs. or Ford's 3,500 lbs.

In short, the RAV4 is middle of the pack, all the way around. It's not the prettiest, strongest, biggest, smallest, most or least fuel efficient, cheapest or most expensive small crossover you can buy. It will be seen as highly acceptable to buyers who have always liked Toyotas, or those who don't shop around very much. Honestly, if you told us we had only this and the Honda CR-V to choose from, we'd flip a coin. Extend the question out to the full, excellent segment as it exists today, and our answers would likely be as individual as our editors.

Being close to the rest of the pack is no bad thing in a field this crowded and competitive. But just because this Toyota has a cute new nose, don't expect that it'll win our hearts by one. 

 

 

Courtesy of Auto Blog

The Scion tC is back for 2014, complete with a fresh new look.

Fuel System Service Savings!

Now at Toyota-Scion of Sanford, receive a Fuel System Service for $164.95! A $30 savings! Click here to print this coupon and check out our other coupons: http://bit.ly/10O27tw

Teen Vogue and Toyota Partner on Safe Driving Campaign to Help Educate and Empower Teenage Girls

In conjunction with Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, Teen Vogue and Toyota announced today “Arrive in Style,” a safe driving campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving among teenage girls and inspire them to make a mutual commitment with their mothers to drive safely.

While cars today are safer than ever, automobile crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers. In 2010 seven teens between the ages of 16 and 19 died every day on average from motor vehicle injuries.

“We are thrilled to partner with Toyota on this important initiative. When we saw the scary statistics around distracted driving, we knew this was a cause worth taking on,” said Jason Wagenheim, Teen Vogue Vice President and Publisher. “Teen Vogue’s influential young readers are the perfect ambassadors not only to participate in this initiative, but also to help build awareness and educate their peer groups on the importance of driver safety. Toyota, with the success of their ongoing work in this arena, is the ideal partner.”

“Teen Vogue really shares our commitment to help keep teens safe, and with their reach and readership they’ve been a great partner to help amplify our longstanding efforts to empower teen girls to be safer drivers,” said Marjorie Schussel, Corporate Manager of Corporate Marketing for Toyota Motor North America (TMA).  “We also are excited to involve moms since our approach to teen safety has always included outreach to parents as well.”

The “Arrive in Style” campaign – developed in partnership by Teen Vogue, Toyota Motor North America and their ad agency of record, Dentsu America – launches this week and includes print, digital and social media elements that will run through February 2014. Kicking off with the May print edition of Teen Vogue, which hits stands this week, monthly advertorials will feature helpful tips and advice from Toyota on different safe driving topics.  The campaign will also include stories and online videos of Teen Vogue readers and their mothers about their commitment to driving safely, underscoring the special roles that mothers and daughters play in inspiring each other.

Extending into digital, the campaign will drive Teen Vogue’s audience to the “Arrive in Style” online hub, teenvogue.com/arriveinstyle. The site will feature Toyota’s Mutual Driving Agreement that mothers and daughters can e-sign and share via Facebook for a chance to win monthly prizes. In addition to signing the Agreement, teens can upload a photo on the microsite of them and their mom “air driving” for a chance to win a trip to New York City to be featured in the February 2014 issue of Teen Vogue.

Study Reveals Distracted Driving Is Pervasive Among Teen Girls

“Arrive in Style’s” unique approach of involving mothers is based, in part, on the recent study by Toyota and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI), which found a significant correlation between teen and parent driving behaviors, suggesting that parents are a major influence on a teen’s driving habits.

“We know from our Study with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute that parents who engage in distracting driving behaviors more frequently have teens who engage in distracting behaviors,” said Dr. Tina Sayer, Toyota Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC) Principal Engineer and teen safe driving expert.  “It is critical for parents to talk to their teens about driving safety and to always be the drivers they want their teens to be.”

In conjunction with the launch of “Arrive in Style”, Toyota released new findings from the Study regarding driving behaviors of teen girls:
 

• Sixty-two percent of teen girls report using a cell phone while driving (handheld and/or hands-free).

• Nearly one in three girl teens (30 percent) reads a text or email once or more every time they drive. 

• Almost a quarter of girl teens (23 percent) respond to a text once or more every time they drive.

• Almost one in five (19 percent) of teen girl drivers report that they have extended conversations via text message while driving.

• More than half (51 percent) of girls say they search for music on a portable music player, such as an iPod, while driving.

• Twelve percent of girls report that they update or check social media, such as Facebook or Twitter, while driving.  

• Seventy percent of teen girl drivers report they drive with two or three teen passengers and no adults in their car, whichis associated with a doubling of a driver’s risk of being killed in a crash, as compared to having no passengers.

Courtesy of Toyota Newsroom

Car Care Tip of the Week: Freshen up!

To rid of stale odors from the ventilation ducts, try spraying odor eliminator into the system's air intake, which is usually located at the base of the windshield. Then run the air conditioner full blast for at least 10 minutes.

Take a look at this clean, certified 2012 Toyota Camry!

This 2012 Camry has had only one previous owner, has a clean CarFax, and is Toyota Certified! It's practically brand new! 

 

This Camry is nicely equipped with features such as:

4-Wheel Disc Brakes, 6 Speakers, ABS brakes, Air Conditioning, AM/FM radio, Brake assist, Bumpers: body-color, CD player, Delay-off headlights, Driver door bin, Driver vanity mirror, Dual front impact airbags, Dual front side impact airbags, Electronic Stability Control, Fabric Seat Trim, Four wheel independent suspension, Front anti-roll bar, Front Bucket Seats, Front Center Armrest, Front reading lights, Fully automatic headlights, Illuminated entry, Knee airbag, Low tire pressure warning, MP3 decoder, Occupant sensing airbag, Outside temperature display, Overhead airbag, Overhead console, Panic alarm, Passenger door bin, Passenger vanity mirror, Power door mirrors, Power steering, Power windows, Rear anti-roll bar, Rear seat center armrest, Rear side impact airbag, Rear window defroster, Remote keyless entry, Speed control, Speed-sensing steering, Split folding rear seat, Steering wheel mounted audio controls, Tachometer, Telescoping steering wheel, Tilt steering wheel, Traction control, Trip computer, and Variably intermittent wipers. 

For more pictures of this beauty, click here: http://bit.ly/10xyXdF