pow

Thanks for supporting our local economy. Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. is the largest employer in this town, and they've been helpful in providing the funds that our schools need.

What I'd love to see is a ~2011 Odyssey with a 2.4 liter direct-injection engine (~210 hp), IMA (~25 hp), CVT, and a curb weight of around 4000 lbs. It could lose 500 lbs from lighter wheels (the current PAX run-flats weigh 75 lbs a corner), lighter seats, composite materials, leaner engineering, slightly smaller dimensions...

The Journey, and all crossovers for that matter, compromise styling for interior space. I know the old SWB minivans weren't exactly cool, but because of the low floor, high roof, and short hood, they could fit far more stuff.

Some other interesting vans... Toyota Alphard... these are the black Suburbans, and they come with the equivalent of sofas in the second row...

Minivans can be nice to drive, and they're infinitely practical. I actually really enjoy driving the Ody, which has a very nice driving position, great outward visibility, and immediate throttle response. With a higher profile vehicle, it's fun not having to slow down as much for speed bumps and the like. Toyota currently makes an Estima Hybrid. I've ridden in the non-hybrid Estima (2.4) and the previous-gen (3.0; below), and they're actually pretty cool... It's about the size of the first Sienna but slightly narrower. We managed to fit eight people, and after three days, there weren't too many complaints. The third row stows into the floor.

Minivans and SUVs are definitely taking a hit. According to CarsDirect, you can get an Odyssey with $4,000 off MSRP, which means a brand new EX-L - now with rear view cam, 3-4-6 VCM, and sunroof - is only $1,000 more than what my parents paid for their EX-L back in 2003. Interestingly sales for the Mazda5 went up 43% in May...

The thing about the Vibe GT is that it's geared for performance, so it actually gets poorer fuel economy than a four-cylinder Malibu or AURA. If she's downsizing primarily to save money on gas, stick with the 1.8L motor, which gets an impressive 26 mpg in the city. The GT does look good in red and 17s... The Nissan Versa hatch is a good choice for basic transportation needs. It's roomy, safe, and economical, and you can get an SL model with CVT, alloys, aux jack, and ABS for under $15K. The Honda Fit Sport is a nice ride, too, though it's on the sporty and pricey side.

Agreed. Whereas Toyota seemingly exists only to dominate the world, or at least the world automobile market, Honda has stayed mostly true to its roots, focusing more on engineering and the product.

The STS rear seat is tiny compared to the 5er's, especially when you consider exterior dimensions. It might be the bulky sunroof and front seat tracks.

I'm all for making V8s smaller... especially if they end up like this:

New SL... which isn't as ugly as I thought it'd be.

Honda FCX and the new Maser grand tourer

Wow, sorry to hear about the accident! Did the Stabilitrak not kick in?

No $6,000 diesel premium here... http://www.vw.com/jettasportwagen/pricelist/en/us/#/overview http://www.vw.com/jettasportwagen/complete...n/us/#/show_all S 2.5L 170 hp 5-speed Manual $ 18,999 S 2.5L 170 hp 6-speed Tiptronic® $ 20,099 SE 2.5L 170 hp 5-speed Manual $ 21,349 SE 2.5L 170 hp 6-speed Tiptronic® $ 22,449 SEL 2.0T 200 hp 6-speed Manual $ 25,990 SEL 2.0T 200 hp 6-speed DSG $ 27,090 TDI 2.0L 140 hp 6-speed Manual $ 23,590 TDI 2.0L 140 hp 6-speed DSG $ 24,690 $650 DESTINATION CHARGE APPLIES (SUBJECT TO CHANGE). The wagon is $1,500 more than the sedan, so the TDI sedan should be ~$21,990. It's slightly smaller than a Camry Hybrid, but for highway driving, it's worth a look. The TDI trim is equivalent to the SE model, so it's already well-equipped (leatherette, alloys, trip computer). The only options are rear side airbags, iPod adapter, 17" wheels, panorama roof, and nav.

It's all about the 2.0T. The new version has 211 hp, 258 lb-ft (!), and a timing chain. Really the perfect combination of performance and fuel economy. The interior is really, really nice, too... since it's a carbon copy of the A5's, it should be class-leading.

Awesome. 27 mpg is one higher than the current 263 hp 3.6L. Maybe the sedan will get 28 highway?

Do you know what... frozen grapes are surprisingly delish.

No, people buy Toyondas because they make the best cars for their needs. We chose an Odyssey over a Venture because it wasn't a deathtrap, it was far more comfortable, it was far more powerful, and even though the Chevy likely had a ton of incentives, we were willing to pay extra for a more desirable vehicle. Comparing trade-in values, a comparable Venture now would be worth $5K less than the Odyssey. In a competitive market, there are lots of good deals but rarely better deals. Deals are subjective, depending on the buyer's needs and wants, and they're compromises. A closing dealership in the middle of nowhere might offer a bigger discount than a local dealership, but that involves the inconvenience of traveling hundreds of miles. A Cobalt might be $2K less than a comparable Corolla, but the market has decided that the extra room, higher level of safety, better fuel economy, good previous experience, advertising, or whatever else consumers find appealing in a Corolla - is well worth the premium. Up until recently, for the bulk of the lineups, the domestics offered lower prices, and the imports offered better vehicles. GM now is in a far better position, offering first-tier products that help restore their image and improve their brands' desirability. The Malibu has no price advantage over an Accord, and the Camry is actually relying on incentives. The market notices these things.

Stupid proposals that have no chance of passing are proposed all the time. AFAIK this particular idea has been scrapped earlier this month for fear of public ridicule and distrust. There are ways outside of regulation to reduce emissions... supply side innovations, like the development of carbon-free energy, is a start.

The 3.5 V6 in our '03 Odyssey needs it every 105K. Honda doesn't specify a specific mileage for the new Accord because of the maintenance minder system, but based on a 7,500 mile OCI, it should be the same.

Agreed. This reeks of the Pinto disaster, when Ford made cost-benefit decisions based on a $200K price per human life, without considering the subsequent years of consumer backlash. And market forces dictate better fuel economy anyway..

Black A8 3.0 TDCI with distributor plates... diesel power!

I initially had a Magellan Maestro 4250 from Costco for $299. It had a nice big 4.3" screen and lots of features (Bluetooth), but that was all pointless because sometimes it wouldn't turn on. I decided I couldn't rely on it for an upcoming trip, and I returned it. I replaced it with a Garmin Nuvi 200 for $159. It's simpler, but it does all the basics, and it has proven much more reliable and dependable. Initially I was concerned about the signal strength, because it often couldn't locate satellites indoors, but on the road it only lost signal a few times in a tunnel. It was fine on NYC skyscraper-clad streets. Occasionally it thought I was driving on a parallel street different to the one I was on, but a quick reboot fixed that. The interface is easy to use, and it recalculates routes very quickly

Producing oxygen doesn't magically remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Forests, particularly those in the Amazon, are enormous carbon sinks, and chopping them down will have a significant impact on emissions, regardless of the fact most oxygen comes from elsewhere.. The scientific consensus is that 6.5 billion, rapidly industrializing human beings undoubtedly contribute to climate change. Man's exponentially growing footprint on Earth is unprecedented, and the potential of the infant effects observed so far is catastrophic. The debate is on how humans should best minimize these effects, as that would involve compromises and changes many are not willing to make. There's not much incentive now to make great progress - just look at the slow pace of alt fuel development - so I don't expect any drastic changes will be made until it's absolutely necessary.

AFAIK, it's a corporate tax levied by the Japanese government for underestimating the profits HMC made from their Chinese subsidiaries and affiliates.