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2012 Toyota Prius C

Vehicle: 2012 Toyota Prius C Technology Premium Pkg
Price as tested: CDN$25340

Performance: Unlike its bigger brothers, the iconic hatchback and V. The C, or what Toyota dubbed Prius “City” is moved by a smaller 1.5 liter instead of a 1.8 liter 4-cylinder motor when mated with those lithium ion batteries underneath the rear seats. Along with the standard fanfare, which means the usual 16-valve DOHC with VVT-i variable valve timing and electronic throttle. It uses Atkinson Cycle with Toyota’s well-known Hybrid Syngery Drive. That means 99hp, which combining 60hp from electric motor and the rest on its 1.5 liter gasser. While its certainly won’t win a drag race, I can only describe it as “adequate” even by subcompact standard. However, that doesn’t mean its short of power. When you consider most Prius buyers are looking for economy instead of performance, having 99 ponies and 82 lb/ft of torque are certainly more than enough given C’s physical dimensions. When its driven on “EV mode”, its only able to do it under 40 km/h on full electric alone. “Eco” mode does reduce the usage of power, in terms of air conditioning and electronic accessories, to conserve energy. On the other hand, C continues to mated with CVT which improve hybrid efficiency. That makes for a smoother and silkier engine quality, also for better highway fuel economy. However, its not without its drawback. The use of CVT which such a small engine would mean engine noise from the get going. Other than that, C is a few of those hybrids which we got close to posted fuel economy. We were getting no less than 4.5 liters per 100km average, despite of its rather porky 2500 lb curb weight for a subcompact.

Handling: Another surpise from this City Prius is how well does it drive. It certainly won’t make you are thinking of a hot hatch. Its a few of those hybrids which have something resemblence of a “steering feel”. Its not exactly Porsche like one-with-the-road kind of steering feedback. Its steering feels crisp, responsive and provide right amount of feel through driver’s hand. When mated a well-calibrated suspension to a good chassis, C handles relatively well for a hybrid subcompact. Along with the nice steering, the ride motion has been decently handled for the most parts. Why? Because the larger 16″ wheels tend to ride quite harshly on some pavements, smaller 15″ which come standard is a better take given Prius as a comfy commuter car. Without the compliant suspension, it would make 16″ rides more harshly than what most Prius buyers needed. There are terminal understeer and quite some of body rolls, but all have been well-controlled. Toyota’s ESC acts as a decent active safety guardian whenever someone has gone crazy with this city car.

Brakes: With front discs and rear drums, along with standard ABS; C doesn’t have the usual hybrid’s regenerative braking’s abnormal behaviour. That means a crisp pedal feel without feeling numb and spongy. Everything is right whenever driver nails it, ABS acts upon at the right time is an added bonus.

Interior: When its time to package those lithium-ion batteries underneath the rear seats, Toyota engineers and designers already put lots of headaches on how to get things right. On the one hand, the hatch opens on full 90 degrees with narrow side sills and low liftover. On the flip side, the fold down rear seats seat 1-2 inch above the floor because of the batteries underneath. That means the luggage has to be flowing around between those seats.

The use of materials are not exactly great, if not exactly bad neither. The leatherette seats are well-foamed but slightly lack of thigh support. While I am not exactly fond of the digital instrumentation gauges, there is a real party trick with its center info screen. The Eco Saving screen has told you how much it cost to fill up and how much you pay for on each km. Another screen is to compare to other vehicle, say your friend’s Highlander , to see how much you have beaten it. Whether its useful is beyond my knowledge, however, its a very neat feature in this C. In the C, the gear lever is finally the conventional on the floor type rather than other Prius’s mickey mouse joystick on the dashboard.

For a subcompact, there are enough leg and headroom for two rear passengers. Just forget about the middle one with its tight quarter.

Conclusion: When I entered this test with the Prius City, I wasn’t expecting much of it. But I came out liking of what its able to provide with its tiny hybrid package. It drives rather spritiedly, as long as you get up to speed with that noisy CVT. Handles relatively well while come with a cheerful interior. Most of all, its cute-as-a-bug. :)

The bottom line? If the Prius C equates of what Toyota is coming out with, this automotive giant is waken up finally.

Welcome back…Toyota. :D

Subcompact hybrid competition: None

Subcompact competitions:
Ford Fiesta
Honda Fit
Mazda2
Hyundai Accent
Kia Rio5
Toyota Yaris

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2012 Toyota Prius C
=====================================
Performance: 3/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 3/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 3/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 3/5
Value-for-money: 3/5

Overall rating: 3/5

Follow-up test: 2012 Toyota Camry 4-cylinder and hybrid

Vehicle(s): 2012 Toyota Camry LE with Upgrade Pkg
2012 Toyota Camry hybrid LE
Price as tested: CDN$26120 (4-cylinder) CDN$26990 (hybrid)

In the last 3 decades, words “Toyota” and “Camry” are the definition of what a mid-size family car should be. However, this gold standards have got a huge beating in the last few years from its Korean counterparts. In fact, Toyota had to go back to drawing back 18 months ago after Toyota dealers viewed the initial product.

We had put the V6 through the paces. Although its not the most groundbreaking of all the family sedan, its usual combination lives up to Toyota’s “doing everything well but nothing outstandingly”. Surprisingly, we actually liked it especially with V6′s firmer handling and ride compromise.

What Toyota really sold the most, on a contrary, is the 4-cylinder LE trim. On the other hand, hybrid represents Toyota’s continuous commitment to this green technology.

In terms of interior quality, LE doesn’t have the luxurious feel we had seen from XLE and SE uplevel trims. Instead, its the basic trimming with the expected material quality. What we liked about Camry’s interior is how comfortable it is. There are some cheap pieces around the center console and door panels but its already a huge leap forward over 2007-2011 predecessor. Some of the carpeting feels low-rent. Its interior certainly won’t knock the socks off Audi’s world-leading design. But it got what its job done relatively well. Another area we are really impressed are the amount of rear legroom and luggage space.

As for powertrain, the hybrid uses Aktinson Cycle mated with 2.5 liter 4-cylinder engine. Latter is the same engine as its base silibing. With its EV and Eco modes, which are able to make it in full electric mode or in most economical mode. When its driven in full gasoline mode, it won’t be able to generate the posted fuel economy as with every other hybrids we have driven. Toyota’s posted fuel economy is 5.9 liters per 100km. Unfortunately, we are only able to get 7 liters per 100km. Both are combined highway and city mileage. 200hp with Aktinson Cycle has provided more than enough grunt. If you are looking for fully economical Camry, I would take a serious look at 178hp 4-cylinder engine with 170 lb/ft of torque while saving all the pennies over the hybrid. Toyota’s 4-cylinder powertrain has always been impressed with its V6-like refinement and silky smoothness. The 6-speed automatic with 4-cylinder and CVT mated with hybrid are equally compelling, in typical Toyota fashion.

However, in yet another Toyota playbook. The 6-speed manumatic has one duff execution. Whether you are driving 120 km/h or 100km/h, when its time to shift into manumatic mode. It automatically shifts into 4th gear rather than 6th or so forth, which is supposedly to be the most efficient overdrive gear. What Toyota always done is back to 4th, then ask the driver to manually upshift or downshift by themselves to the right gear. A proper execution of a maumatic should let driver in complete control in maumatic mode, not relying on 4th, whenever it moves

Unlike SE with firmer damping, LE drives like what we expect from a Camry. A softly sprung family sedan which focus on comfort. In this regard, Camry never disappointed. Its soft without feeling like a wet noodle. The steering remains numb and darty, without much feel and feedback. But its the Lexus-like supreme ride quality is what makes Camry so appealing. Yes, there are plenty of body rolls and understeer. But for an appliance, Camry LE has got the job done. Its also has done exceptionally well.

Unlike Sonata, Optima and Passat; Camry didn’t really brought up anything new to the table in this ultra-competitive segment. What it really does is to provide a competent family sedan with usual array of safety features with Toyota reliability. LE is the exact trim level of what 99% of Camry target audience is looking for.

Likes:
Smooth drivetrain
Improved interior quality
Superior ride quality
Feature content

Dislikes:
Fuel economy (hybrid)
Soft handling
Instrusive trunk hinges
Redundant manumatic mode (4-cylinder)

Competitions:
Chevrolet Malibu
Honda Accord
Hyundai Sonata
Nissan Altima
Kia Optima
VW Passat

2012 Toyota Yaris SE

Vehicle: 2012 Toyota Yaris SE automatic
Price as tested: CDN$19990

Performance: When Toyota introduced the Echo in 2000, it revolutionized the whole subcompact scene. Will Toyota able to do the same all over again with the new Yaris?

Unfortunately, while the rest of the industry have advanced the source of directly fuel injection. Yaris still stuck with the same powertrain combination as a decade ago. That’s the same old, same old 1.5 liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder with VVT-i. It has a decent 106 ponies with an acceptable 103 lb/ft of torque at driver’s disposal. Mesh the light throttle, Yaris takes off quite easily. Although this is a proven powertrain which is downright reliable, its no longer the hallmark when it comes to refinement. During the initial launch of the Yaris in low rpm, it feels relatively smooth. However, it feels rather buzzy when pushing this engine to the max. The biggest problem has to be its 4-speed automatic. Just when the rest of the segment has moved from 4-speed to dual-clutch gearbox to 5-speed variety, Toyota is still stubborn to this aged combination. This aging combination of powertrain has made Yaris revved at a high 3000 rpm while driving at 110 km/h, which is buzzy on a highway ride. If Toyota is able to put a CVT or even 1 more gear in the gearbox, the highway ride would be more relaxing.

Take a look at the competitions:
Honda Fit has 117hp, 106 lb/ft of torque and 5-speed A/T
Mazda2 has 100hp, 98 lb/ft of torque and 4-speed A/T
Ford Fiesta has 120hp, 120 lb/ft of torque and 6-speed dual clutch gearbox
Hyundai Accent has 138hp, 123 lb/ft of torque and 6-speed A/T
Kia Rio has 138hp, 123 lb/ft of torque and 6-speed A/T

Except for Mazda2, all of Yaris’s competitions have moved from 4-speed into more advanced gearbox technologies for superior refinement and gearchanging efficiency.

Handling: The single biggest difference between our SE tester vs LE is the stiffer shocks and springs. The result is a Yaris which handles much better than before. While the standard suspension on the LE feels rather softly sprung, SE feels sharper and more responsive. However, it doesn’t mean Yaris handles like a hot hatch. In fact, it still handles like a Toyota appliance. It all begins with a rather solid, if detached, chassis. Then add a responsive if darty and vague electric power steering to the mix. Ride quality is comfortable while absorbing all the bumps and roughness with ease. There are plenty of body rolls, even if body motions are well-controlled. Terminal understeer is kinda expected in a subcompact appliance. ESC is standard on with Toyota’s “Star Safety System”, which is a godsent in any cases.

Brakes: Front discs, rear drums and standard ABS; Yaris’s stopping distance is more than acceptable. Pedal feels solid and reassurring, while ABS has stepped in at the right time at the right place.

Interior: The single biggest improvement to Yaris’s interior design is the instrumentation gauges. I have never been fans of Yaris’s center instrumentation gauges. Toyota has smartly placed it in front of the driver instead of center positioning. Another improvement is the use of plastic materials, which feel classier and less plasticky. Those velour seats are comfortable with the right support. The rest of the interior has been very well layout with stereo placed on top of the HVAC, except for the bland looks.

Open the Yaris’s hatch, it has a low liftover with minimal side instrusions. However, the fold down rear seats are able to go completely flat with the luggage space is a neat design.

Conclusion: “Its just a car” is the tagline for 2012 Yaris. Toyota is right on the money. That’s because Yaris is really “just a car” for what its worth. Just like every other Toyota products, its doing everything well but nothing outstandingly. While its not exactly a poorly executed product, it isn’t exactly a stealler one neither. Pity. As for the question I asked at the top. Toyota no longer revolutionize the subcompact with the new Yaris. Instead, its resting on its laurels, while watching peers raced past them.

Competitions:
Chevrolet Sonic
Ford Fiesta
Mazda2
Hyundai Accent
Kia Rio
Honda Fit

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2012 Toyota Yaris SE
=====================================
Performance: 2/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 2.5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 2.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 3/5

Overall rating: 3/5

2012 Toyota Prius V

Vehicle: 2012 Toyota Prius V with Touring and Technology Pkg
Price as tested: CDN$36875

Performance: Is “V” stand for Victory or Versatility with the latest addition to the Prius family? We will have the answer at the end of the test drive.

Since the V shares the same Aktinson Cycle as standard Prius, the same goes for the proven 1.8 liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder. The whole system puts out a decent 134 ponies and 105 lb/ft of torque. While 105 lb/ft of torque doesn’t sound like much on paper, it delivers surprisingly amount of grunt when mesh the gas pedal. The lithium-ion batteries deliver torque in a silky smooth manners, while the transition between electric and gasoline is nothing but seamless. All have done in a typical refined Toyota fashion. The result is a hybrid package that is both silky smooth, quiet and refined which exactly is what Prius is known to deliver since day one. Press the “Econ” button on the dashboard, you are able to travel with the best fuel economy as its able to run with full electric instead of any gasoline through its process. Put into “Power” mode, V puts out surprisingly amount of grunt but at the expense of electric-only fuel economy. However, I leave at “Normal” mode for most of the time while letting the computer does the rest of the job for me. Unlike the last Lexus CT and HS which left me cold. V’s CVT actually provides surprisingly refined and quiet manners when pushed it to the max. Its also able to enhance V’s excellent fuel economy, given V is weighting in at 3274 lb.

Handling: So does a taller roofline and an extra 200 lb add any dynamic penalty to the standard Prius? Thoroughout the whole test drive, we don’t feel any difference between a Prius hatchback and V. V does surprise us a whole lot when pushed it through the paces. While the electric power steering can provide more sure-footness feel and feedback, with sharper turn-in reflexes. Its able to do its job relatively well given V’s status-in-life as a comfortable roundabout. It doesn’t lost anything to its hatchback silibing, when it comes to time to play around the corners. While you still would find Toyota’s typically detached chassis feedback, it remains solid without any annoying cracks and rattles. The chassis rigidty is world-class, as with the rest of the vehicle. There are terminal understeer and body rolls are more than acceptable. V’s ESC tends to get a bit too instrusive when pushed really hot. However, its all completely acceptable as its a hybrid family wagon instead of a sports car.

Brakes: The V has surprised us again with decent braking feel and feedback. Unlike many of the hybrids with regenerative braking system, which tends to feel numb. This system actually has some lives to its pedal feel. The stopping distance is short while pedal feels surprisingly firm in its travel. Add to the fact that ABS doesn’t step in unnecessarily is an added bonus.

Interior: The V really started to get interesting as you open the hatch. With a low liftover and minimal side instrusions, V provides better luggage space than many of those compact crossovers provide. With the rear seats up, it has up to 34.3 cubin feet of cargo space. With the rear seats fold completely flat into the floor, which we at Directshift always given nod to such a safe layout. The V is able to swallow up to 67.3 cubin feet of luggage. That’s more than Ford Escape and Chevrolet Equinox can offer.

Seating at the back of the V is equally spacious. As the rear seats are able to move forth and aft, also able to recline for maximum comfort. The more upright stance of the V has provided far superior headroom than the standard Prius. What we are really glad to see is Toyota Canada decided not to offer 3rd row position for V, unlike its Japanese domestic model. As we all known, cramming a tight 3rd row into such a compact vehicle would create “either/or” effect for both luggage and passenger space.

Up in front, V’s use of materials are much improved over the standard Prius. There are enough soft-touch plastic materials on the dashboard to justify its price. V is the first Toyota to offer its Entune multi-media interface. While its initutive enough for a Japanese product, a driver still needs to take their eyes off the road to have to control. For what its worth, its best to leave it to passenger to gain control of all those interface.

Conclusion: What the Prius does to the hybrid universe is like what MX-5 Miata does to the roadster world. Both of these cars are iconic in their respective segments. The Prius “V” definitely stands for both “Victory” and “Versatility”. Not only does it adds the extra dose of versatility on top of the attractive interior, it also handles relatively well with refined power delivery. All have done without losing the economy and efficiency one associates with the Prius franchise. In fact, the V is so good. If I were Toyota, I would start to worry about its Matrix sales.

Competitions:
VW Golf TDI wagon
Mercedes B200
Toyota Matrix

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2012 Toyota Prius V
=====================================
Performance: 4/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 5/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 4/5

2012 Toyota Camry SE V6

Vehicle: 2012 Toyota Camry SE V6 with Premium Pkg
Price as tested: CDN$32160

Performance: The Toyota Camry, a family sedan crown which has always been considered as a benchmark. Will it still be able to keep this crown despite of all the new competitions?

The powertrains for the 7th generation Camry have been familiar. As the 4-cylinder remains the carryover 2.5 liter 16-valve with 178hp and 180 lb/ft of torque mated with 6-speed automatic. With this engine’s well-honed refinement and responsiveness, this is the engine most would purchase in their Camry. Then there is 3.5 liter V6 DOHC 24-valve, with VVT-i variable valve timing, as with its 4-cylinder silibings. This engine has a good 268 horses and 248 lb/ft of torque at driver’s disposal. In terms of engine smoothness, quietness and refinement; Toyota’s V6 has always been judged as one of the finest in the industry. Its NVH is world-class with engine idling as quiet as many V8 in rivalling firms. On our SE V6 version, it comes with a nifty 6-speed manumatic with paddle shifters on the steering. Given Camry’s rather slate image, having paddle shifters on the steering seems like a dream a decade ago. This paddle shifters have worked exceptionally well without losing the smooth composure one expects from a Camry. Even on full automatic mode, Camry’s 6-speed automatic is sweet and smooth. Not only does the extra gear works decently with comfortable highway cruising. Low 1st and 2nd provide peppy acceleration for both 4 and 6-cylinders. Same goes for having 3rd and 4th for engines working at their sweetspots. What is most impressed is Toyota still keeping its V6 despite of less than 10% taken rate across the family car spectum, despite of many of Camry’s peers have dropped it for whatever reasons. Another area is Toyota has lost some of Camry’s weight. Its 4-cylinder version has lost as much as 150 pounds. Although Camry is not a sports car, having diet has always been good for both performance and economy reasons. That pretty much explains Camry’s light-on-its feet feedback.

How is how the new Camry faces its rivals when it comes to horsepower and torque:

Kia Optima/Hyundai Sonata: 2.4L 4-cylinder 200hp + 168 lb/ft of torque. 2.0L 4-cylinder turbocharged 270hp + 269 lb/ft of torque
Honda Accord: 2.4L 4-cylinder 190hp + 162 lb/ft of torque. 3.5 V6 271hp + 258 lb/ft of torque
Ford Fusion: 2.4L 4-cylinder 175hp + 172 lb/ft of torque. 3.5 V6 263hp + 249 lb/ft of torque
Chevrolet Malibu: 2.4L 4-cylinder 170hp + 158 lb/ft of torque. 3.6 V6 252hp + 251 lb/ft off torque
Mazda6: 2.5L 4-cylinder 170hp + 167 lb/ft of torque. 3.7 V6 272hp + 269 lb/ft of torque
VW Passat: 2.5L 5-cylinder 170hp + 177 lb/ft of torque. TDI 4-cylinder 140hp + 236 lb/ft of torque. 3.6 V6 280hp + 259 lb/ft of torque

Toyota Camry: 2.5 4-cylinder: 178hp + 180 lb/ft of torque. 3.5 V6 268hp + 248 lb/ft of torque

Except for the fact that Camry’s 4-cylinder is significantly short of power compares to Korean trio, its V6 has more than enough belly to match up its rivals.

Handling: For engineers working on a solid and rigid architecture would give suspension components a great place to hang its hats, Camry has done exactly the same with its improvements. While its never known for handle like a sports sedan, nor its intended to be. The SE version tested with stiffer shocks and springs remain rather softly sprung, if its more confidence-inspiring through the corners than its lesser silibings. There are plenty of body rolls, even if the suspension has taken a set before it settles itself nicely in corners. Terminal understeer isn’t too damn far away, whenever driver nails it through twisties. No matter what the SE designation wants you to think, just don’t consider it as a bona-fida sports sedan. Mind you. Its a comfortable family sedan with sporting looking trim. Thanks to the state-of-the-art stability control which works exceptionally well, in order to eliminate both understeer and oversteer. While the electric power steering continues Camry’s tradition of soft, vague and lack of any driver feedback; it feels surprisingly responsive to driver input. What really exceeds is ride quality. The rebound damping Toyota engineers have done to its suspension really have given a Lexus-like ride on XLE trim while provide equal cushion feel on SE and LE trim levels.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS; Camry has stopped decently well. The stopping distance is short, while pedal feel feels nice and solid. ABS doesn’t step in unnecessarily have added to a sense of confidence on whenever driver nails its pedal.

Interior: If you are regular Directshift reader, you would know Toyota’s interior quality have been got knocked consistently. With the new Camry, Toyota has addressed this issue seriously. Gone with the cheesy and cheap plastic with rough edges, in with classy and soft plastic materials which feel justifying the price tag. The leather material on SE and XLE feel softer and supple without less pleather like. Although it certainly won’t make interior leaders, VW and Audi, lost any sleeps. This is a quantum leap forward its predecessor, when it comes to materials and finishes.

There are plenty of head and legrooms for the rear passengers, which is spacious for a family sedan.

As for luggage space. Despite of Camry’s instrusive trunk hinges, it has a nicely sized trunk with low liftover and minimal side sills. With proper fold-down rear seats even if its not 60/40 variety, its able to swallow anything you can dream of. If you still want more luggage space, Venza and Highlander are possibly better answers than Camry.

Conclusion: The new Camry will continue to serve as a decent family automobile thanks to its decent combination of performance, safety features and superb comfort. Its address of interior quality and weight would be more than welcoming for its target audience, which most likely won’t care. Although its no longer judged as the benchmark, it remains as one of the better ones in this competitive class of mid-sizers. Which is what exactly a Camry is all about.

Competitions:
Chevrolet Malibu
Honda Accord
Hyundai Sonata
Kia Optima
Ford Fusion
Mazda6
VW Passat

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2012 Toyota Camry SE V6
=====================================
Performance: 4/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 3/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 3.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 3.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 3.5/5

Overall rating: 3/5

2011 Toyota Wish 2.0

Vehicle: 2011 Toyota Wish 2.0 Sports Version
Price as tested: CDN$32000

Performance: Wish has two poweplants available. The base version is powered by 1.8 liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder with 144hp and 155 lb/ft of torque, which is only adequate for most daily driving. However, its the uplevel 2.0 liter engine with 158 ponies and 170 lb/ft of torque that is the engine of choice. This engine is a smooth operator at both low and high rpm, even if we have to push hard given its 1440 kg. What we really wish is Toyota can give Camry’s 2.4 liter into Wish’s bonnet. That would be really sweet powerplant for such a compact crossover. Unlike the previous Wish, the revised version with a 7-speed CVT with paddle shifters. The CVT has given Wish exceptional efficiency and economy, while the paddle shifters are good enough for any driver to control its rpm. On the other hand, Wish’s CVT offers both sport and economy modes for driver’s wishes. The sport mode really driven the Wish to shift at higher rpm, while leaving the paddle shifters that are able to override anytime is an added bonus.

Handling: Given Wish’s status as a crossover which is able to seat 7 persons, its dynamic abilities are better than what we have expected. The sports suspension has addressed previous Wish’s softly sprung charactistics, while comfortably compliant to absorb all the bumps and roughness. Steering is precise enough but remain rather numb and dead. The body rolls are controlled given its size and weight. As we would expect, there are safe understeer when pushed. Although its not as entertaining to drive as Mazda5 and Honda Stream; it certainly got what its serve in the marketplace.

Brakes: With 4 wheel discs and standard ABS, Wish’s stopping power is more than adequate for what its worth. The stopping distance is short while pedal feels solid and reassuring. However, ABS does kick in a bit too early for our liking.

Interior: Just like many of those compact crossovers, the 3rd row is an either/or kind of proposition. You either fold down that 3rd row for maximum cargo space or use the last row for short trip.

On the front of the Wish, there are all the necessary items you expect from a proper crossover. Everything else from auto climate control to stereo and a nice set of velour seats wrap up the interior. The center screen also serves as a back-up camera given its limited rear sightlines. Unfortunately, everything else has been nailed down by those very cheap plastic.

Conclusion: The latest Wish signifies a quantum leap forward over its predecessor. Everything else from the engines to interior amenities have improved significantly to compete with its rivals. All those are more than welcoming even if its a mid-life revision.

Competitions:
Mazda5
Honda Stream
VW Touran

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2011 Toyota Wish 2.0
=====================================
Performance: 4/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 3/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 3/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 3/5

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Long-term wrap-up: 2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Vehicle: 2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited 4WD-i
Price as tested: CDN$51650
Mileage since picked up: 11400km
Regular maintenance: 0
Unscheduled repairs: 0

The Highlander is one of the better Toyotas out there. It simply because it offers an attractive combination of value, comfort and feature ambience. The use of materials and build quality are up to the standard of what we expect from Toyota. The use of interior materials are classy with narrow panel gaps. Those tight tolerance is rarely seen in Toyota these days. The same goes for exterior panel gaps and paint finishings. We couldn’t find any orange peels on its silver paintwork, which is pretty common on today’s Toyota or even Lexus.

However, the hybrid powertrain doesn’t provide the expected fuel economy. We had an average of 14L/100km which is disappointing. If you are purely buying a hybrid for the sake of fuel economy, we would definitely not recommend this Highlander. If you are buying a hybrid for the sake of protecting the environment, then go buy a 4-cylinder Highlander and save the money for planting some flowers at your backyard. If you are buying a hybrid for the sake of a status symbol, then we have nothing to comment.

At the end of the day, we are more impressed with Highlander’s quality and reliability than its claimed economy. It has proven Toyota is still able to build high-quality product, which is able to focus on complete driver comfort with plenty of luxurious features. Those are the merits which are what Toyota has been known for decades.

Our only complaint is the cramped 3rd row seats. If you are buying a crossover for 7-seat capacity, think again. Or just simply get a Sienna. As with all of these crossovers, both the 3rd row and luggage space are “either/or” affair. You are either forcing the 3rd row passengers to seat uncomfortably, which is an understatement. The fact is more of a torture seats. Or just losing proper luggage space when its up.

Likes:
Material and build quality
Attention-to-details
Ride comfort
Silky smooth powertrain

Dislikes:
Fuel economy
3rd row space
Non-existence luggage space (when 3rd row is up)

Competitions:
Ford Explorer
Honda Pilot
Nissan Murano
Hyundai Veracruz

2011 Toyota Corolla

Vehicle: 2011 Toyota Corolla LE with Premium Pkg
Price as tested: CDN$23585

Performance: All models except for XRS is powered by Toyota’s proven 1.8 liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder mill with variable valve timing and intelligence. It has 136hp and 128 lb/ft of torque, which is acceptable by its class standard. The refinement, flexability and NVH are acceptable given this powertrain’s age underneath Corolla’s skin. When mesh with the electronic throttle, the Corolla takes off quite remarkably even with its ancient 4-speed automatic.

The aged, or what Toyota would like us to call “proven” 4-speed automatic already behind the rest of the competitions. When the rest of the world already have 5 or 6-speed, even CVT, Toyota still stuck with their so-called tried-and-true powertrain combination. The problem with 4-speed automatic is there aren’t enough gears for the powerband to hit the sweet spot. Whenever a driver lifts off the throttle, its ridiculously downshifting for lower gears. It is also hunting for the right gear when upshifting. Because in between very low 1st and very tall 4th gear, it needs more gears to spread through the rev range. To make things worse, Corolla doesn’t have any manumatic mode (forget about any paddle shifters on the steering wheel, damnit!) for driver to use the rpm more effectively. The reason we think the NVH is “acceptable” is because the 4-speed automatic haven’t generated as much engine noise as expected, which is a very big surprise. Its a big surprise but a very nasty surprise. Shame on you, Toyota.

Aside from the lack of an advanced automatic gearbox. The lack of small turbocharged engine, direct fuel injection and dual clutch gearbox have made Corolla fallen out of the pack.

Handling: Corolla’s dynamic abilities have always been about having ideal compromise of its target audience. Every generation of Corolla have hit that spot right on. The latest Corolla has a solid and rigid platform, which is a decent place for any performance-oriented models to base on given its stiffness. Corolla has proved itself quite literally when it comes to balanced ride and handling. Its handling is certainly far from entertaining, as there aren’t any cars in its segment as fun to toss around corners as Mazda3 and Honda Civic. Corolla has done for what its worth when it comes to amount of understeer and body rolls. The VSC is good enough to eliminate any understeer and oversteer when pushed it hard into a corner. The electric steering has zero steering feel and feedback, while its precise enough for turn-in. The suspension provides decent ride comfort to absorb all the roughness and patholes of what we called poorly paved Canadian roads.

Brakes: The front discs and rear drums, with standard ABS, provide decent braking performance with our Corolla tester. The stopping distance is short while the pedal feels alive. ABS only steps in at the right time without unwanted intervention.

Interior: Along with proper fold-down rear seats and a nicely cut-off trunk, Corolla’s corner cutting has come obviously with the instrusive trunk hinges.

Another corner cutting measure Toyota has put through Corolla is the use of the interior materials. There are plenty of rotten plastic along the dashboard and door panels, which is a significant downgrade from any of its predecessors. The velour seats only provide enough back support while thigh and side supports are at premium. The faux wood trim looks so faux, its bad enough to give any faux wood trim bad reputation. The biggest problem is the lack of many standard features consumers expect from a small car these days. No bluetooth capability, no USB port plug-in…don’t even think of anything remotely similar to Elantra’s 4-zone climate control in the Corolla.

Conclusion: An ancient 4-speed automatic gearbox, anemic engine and a cheap interior are enough for me to write Corolla off the recommedation list. Not to mention the lack of feature content compares to many of its rivals. To add insult to the injury, Toyota is no longer able to sold for premium price “according” to their bulletproof quality and reliability. That’s really pitiful because Corolla used to be one of our favourite cars on the road.

The 11th generation Corolla just can’t come soon enough……..!!

Competitions:
Mazda3
Honda Civic
Hyundai Elantra
Chevrolet Cruze
Kia Forte

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2011 Toyota Corolla
=====================================
Performance: 2/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 2.5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 2.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 2.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 3/5
Value-for-money: 2.5/5

Overall rating: 2.5/5

2011 Toyota Crown Royal Saloon

Vehicle: 2011 Toyota Crown Royal Saloon 3.0
Price as tested: CDN$64500 (Estimated)

Performance: When you consider the fact that Crown Royal shares the same underpinnings as Lexus GS300. That means its the same powerplant as GS300. That means its the same DOHC 24-valve V6 3.0 liter engine with dual variable valve timing and intelligence. Although it has 231hp and 250 lb/ft of torque at driver’s disposal, I still looking for more. That’s primarily because it has to motivate 1650kg of Japanese traditional luxury through it paces. Toyota needs to give Crown its sweet 3.5 liter, same engine as GS350, instead of GS300, if they want it to has the real turn of speed. Without the 6-speed automatic, which geared for comfortable highway cruising. The Crown would feel even more sluggish when pushed. Thankfully, the very low 1st and 2nd have made it has proper acceleration down low. On the other hand, 5th and 6th are tall enough for relaxed cruising.

Handling: Ever since Crown’s inception as a traditional luxury car, its goal is to engineered a vehicle that is focus more on ride comfort rather than all-out handling. When it comes to ride comfort, its second-to-none. That level of floatiness and silky smoothness are able to beaten Lexus LS460, which is world-renowed for its silky ride quality. Handling wise, its better than expected. The steering feels vague and dead, even if its precise enough. Regardless of its rear-wheel-drive balance, its not for flat out handling no matter how you asked for it. There are plenty of understeer and body rolls are pronounced. Its ESC tends to intervene quite rapidly when driver tends to push hard. However, all those are understandable as Crown isn’t intended to be a driver’s car.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, Crown is able to perform as we expect. Although there are plenty of nose dive, its remain rather commandable even if its very softly sprung. The pedal feels average even if its confidence-inspiring, ABS only acts up accordingly when asked for it.

Interior: At the back of Crown, it has uninstrusive trunk hinges which is a rarity in today’s cost-cutting Toyota. However, the lack of proper fold-down rear seats and high liftover have limited its luggage space.

There are plenty of head and legroom at the back of Crown. In terms of rear legroom, its limo like at best.

The front of the Crown is very nicely done. There are nice wood trim to add warmth, while those leather seats offer superb support. The center information display offers back-up camera which tops out the whole interior package. In terms of materials, Crown scores exceptionally well. As there are plenty of soft-touch plastic on board with tight gaps around the dashboard.

Conclusion: Toyota continues to evolve its legendary Crown through better interior amenities, even more sublime ride comfort with traditional Japanese luxury. Its a pity it doesn’t receive the engine it deserves.

Traditional Japanese competition: Nissan Fuga
Price competitions:
Audi A6
BMW 5-Series
Mercedes E-Class

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2011 Toyota Crown Royal Saloon
=====================================
Performance: 3.5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 3/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 2/5
Value-for-money: 3/5

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Long-term update: 2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Vehicle: 2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited 4WD-i
Price as tested: CDN$51650
Mileage since picked up: 7300km
Regular maintenance: 0
Unscheduled repairs: 0

If you are regular Directshift reader, you would have noticed our recent complaints of Toyota’s corner cutting when it comes to use of materials. Toyota really have sharpening their pencils when it comes to interior materials. Except for flagship vehicles, prime examples are Lexus LS-series and Toyota Alphard. Most vehicles in Toyota and Lexus’s product portfolio couldn’t survived. The Highlander is one possible exception. Since its inception in 2001, Highlander has been highly praised for its class-leading use of materials and fit-and-finish among the mid-size crossover segment. The 2nd generation continues this trend. The soft-touch variety on the dashboard, door panels and center console are a breath of fresh air compares to its Toyota silibings. In fact, we even prefer the youthful layout of Highlander over the more mature stance of its Lexus chassis silibings, RX-series.

The same goes for Highlander’s ride quality. While nobody would ever mistaken Highlander’s handling prowess as a Cayenne Turbo, its sublime ride comfort certainly appeal to those who value ultimate in ride comfort over handling capabilities. The silky smooth ride quality over any road surfaces really gives the air carpet ride-esque used to be associate with upscale Lexus products.

Toyota has upped both ride and interior quality with the latest iteration of Highlander. One has to wonder why they don’t put through the same kind of quality in other core products.

On our next update, we will wrap up the Highlander.

2011 Toyota Ractis Verso

Vehicle: 2011 Toyota Ractis Verso
Price as tested: CDN$23500

Performance: Our tester comes with only one powertrain choice. That is Toyota’s proven 1NZ-FE which is 1.5 liter DOHC 16-valve with VVT-i variable valve timing and intelligence technology. Despite of its smallish size, its level of refinement and flexability are up to what we expect from Toyota. It has a decent 109hp and 115 lb/ft of torque at driver’s disposal. While you won’t be mistaken Ractis as an IS350, it certainly got what it should be done as an economy car. Even if it has to carry 1130kg of weight through its paces. The 7-speed CVT with paddle shifters have worked surprisingly well, which doesn’t generate as much noises as we expected. The paddle shifters are able to let driver to work its way on different rpm to keep the Ractis moving. On the other hand, this powertrain combination has given exceptional fuel economy which we had an average of 6.3 liters per 100km with 80% of city driving.

Handling: While the chassis feels a bit detached and steering continues to have some sorts of numbness, as expect from a Toyota. Ractis’s dynamic abilities are a delightful surprise. The steering feels downright precise and sharp even if its an electric variety. It is able to track its path accordingly without feeling twitches. Ride quality has to be rated as one of the bests, which is able to absorb all the bumps and roughness with ease. Push into corners, Ractis provides some sorts of entertaining factor which have lost with many of Toyota’s small offerings. There are some terminal understeer and body rolls are controllable. Dynamically speaking, Ractis offers a lot of delightful surprises consider Toyota’s recent efforts.

Brakes: With front discs, rear drums and standard ABS; Ractis’s braking performance is another delightful surprise. The stopping distance is short while pedal feels alive. ABS doesn’t step in unnecessarily wrap up the whole dynamic package.

Interior: As a huge hatchback fans, Verso’s luggage space is very appealing. With the rear seats fold down completely into the floor, it got surprisingly amount of luggage space given its compact dimensions. With minimal side instrusions and a flat floor, Ractis is able to swallow anything one can imagine.

There are surprising amount of rear leg and headroom judging by its physical dimensions.

In front, its standard velour seats are well-foamed and comfortable. All the auto climate control and stereo are initutive at best. Unfortunately, everything have been wrapped up with those cheesy plastic.

Conclusion: The Ractis Verso is an exciting offering from Toyota. Its not only its surprisingly entertaining to drive through twisties, its amount of interior space and feature content would make anyone surprise of its merits. What really seals the deal for me is the CVT, when it comes with paddle shifters, don’t generate as much noises as I expected. Best of all, it offers lots of value for your money with a sense of character, which we have rarely seen from Toyota in the last couple of years. If all of the above mean the giant is finally awakening…….hopefully. :)

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2011 Toyota Ractis Verso
=====================================
Performance: 3.5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4.5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 3.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 4/5

Overall rating: 3.75/5

Long-term update: 2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Vehicle: 2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited 4WD-i
Price as tested: CDN$51650
Mileage since picked up: 2100km
Regular maintenance: 0
Unscheduled repairs: 0

The first thing that strike me is how quiet Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive during idle. The next thing you would be impressed is the amount of low-end torque provides by the batteries. When the Highlander is driven by battery alone, its fuel economy is impressive. That is biggest beef I always have with any hybrid-driven vehicle. While they make perfect sense as a daily commute using battery alone, they make no difference after the gasoline engine steps into the equation on the highway. That is exactly what is happening with our Highlander.

Before you decide to go buy a hybrid, you better make sure your daily driving routes consist of plenty of stop-and-go traffic. Another important aspect to consider is whether the premium for the hybrid is justify over the amount of fuel you are able to save, especially on large SUV or crossover like this Highlander. Otherwise, stick with the standard gasoline counterparts and use the rest of the money to grow some flowers at your backyard. For god’s sake, just buy a hybrid for the sake of hybrid as it has become a status symbol. As a recent survey shown, most people buying or considering a hybrid because they can show off as a status symbol. According to that survey, own a Toyota Prius makes no differece than own a BMW 3-Series. While latter shows off with a prestigous blue and white propeller emblem on the hood, former shows off by driving a hybrid as a “friend to the environment”.

Long-term introduction: 2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

Vehicle: 2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited 4WD-i
Price as tested: CDN$51650
Mileage since picked up: 30km
Regular maintenance: 0
Unscheduled repairs: 0

There is no better time to take a Toyota up for a long-term testing. When Toyota is a company which is a doubt by consumers and media alike, is questioning about its build quality, reliability and integrity. We decided to pick the Highlander as our long-termer, as this crossover combines the best of Toyota’s merits. The reason we chose hybrid instead of gasoline offering is because of Toyota’s proud Hybrid Synergy Drive. So far, the Highlander has satisfied us with its silky smooth powertrain and the security of the AWD through the fall weather. Will it be able to survive upcoming months of testing? We will find out more, as well as find our major pet peeve with our favourite Toyota.

2010 Toyota Ractis

Vehicle: 2010 Toyota Ractis 1.3 Luxury
Price as tested: CDN$23000 (Estimated)

Performance: When you consider Ractis shares the same platform with Yaris, its base 1.3 liter 4-cylinder engine is basically the entry-level engine choice in the whole series. This little mill has 87 horses and 93 lb/ft of torque, which is a typical commuter car powerplant. While you won’t expect breathtaking performance from a small 1.3 liter, even with both DOHC and Toyota’s variable valve timing technology called VVT-i for intake. The engine sounds refined and smooth for the most part. That’s until you get to its CVT gearbox. When you need to accelerate from standstill to 100km/h, you have to live with about 14 seconds of noise generating from this CVT. We have always been big fans of CVT, the reasons being for its silky smoothness and fuel economy provided through gearless sensation. But Toyota’s CVT is definitely not some of the better ones we have experienced. Better yet, go with Ractis’s 5-speed manual which is a far better choice.

Handling: When pushed through corners, Ractis’s high driving position tends to exaggreate the amount of body rolls and understeer. Unlike the Yaris it is based on, you feel like driving on top instead of inside the car. That’s despite the fact that Ractis’s center-of-gravity is pretty low due to its hatchback origin. On the other hand, the electric power steering feels rather numb and dead. As one expects from Toyota appliance. However, the steering response is decent. The lack of electronic stabililty control is an oversight by Toyota. Perhaps its another corner cutting from Toyota when it comes to active safety feature.

Brakes:Even if the Ractis is standard with brake assist and electronic brake force distribution, the lack of ABS is another oversight in Toyota’s part. The front discs and rear drums provide good enough pedal feel. The pedal feels alive whenever driver pushed it into the bottom, with a couple of hard stops.

Interior: The single biggest difference between Yaris and Ractis is the amount of cargo space for the latter. It all begins with a completely squared cut-off for ease of cargo loading, then a low liftover which cut off on top of the bumper. The icing on the cake is the fold down rear seats which completely fold flat into the floor, which is something the Yaris is never able to achieved.

There are plenty of head and legrooms for rear passengers, once again, thanks to its boxy design.

On the front, I am still not fond of the center instrumentation gauges. The rest of the interior is typical small car layout, which means all the stereo and climate controls are logically placed for excellent ergonomics. Sadly, the use of nasty hard plastic has dampened the whole interior ambience.

Conclusion: With a proper 1.5 liter engine, a sportier suspension and a nicer interior; Ractis could well become a worthy Soul rival in North American market. In the meantime, we might have to stuck with those aging Scion Xa and Xb for a while.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 Toyota Ractis
=====================================
Performance: 2/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 2/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 2.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 2/5

Overall rating: 2.75/5

2010 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado

Vehicle: 2010 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Luxury edition
Price as tested: CDN$55700 (Estimated)

Performance: In North America, we got Lexus GX570 which is a luxury-laden SUV. In the rest of the world, however, its called Land Cruiser Prado which the GX is heavily based on.

What makes the Prado different than the GX570 is the heart. With the GX570, it sourced a 5.7 liter DOHC 32-valve V8. The Prado, however, uses a smaller 3.4 liter DOHC 24-valve V6 with dual VVT-i to move 2 tones of Japanese metal. This smaller powerplant’s performance figure doesn’t disappoint. As it got a healthy 275 horses and 300 lb/ft of torque to motivate this heavy truck. All it does with Toyota’s usual fashion of delivering a silky smooth ride. Although its not as refined as the V8 in GX570, this V6 is a smooth operator in all rpm. VVT-i works for both intake and exhaust help its mid and upper range. Whenever driver drops the throttle, 300 lb/ft of torque moves this heavyweight truck off-the-line with authority. The 5-speed automatic gearbox works as a perfect partner, as it scores with low enough gear ratios for peppy acceleration. 3rd and 4th gears would keep this V6 in full force while 5th gear works as a perfect overdrive. If Toyota is able to put another gear, it would make the Prado an even more comfortable car on highway speed.

Handling: You wouldn’t expect the Prado to handle like a Cayenne on-road is its main engineering focus is off-road. When it comes to off-road capability, Prado can basically drive up any rough terrain without breaking a sweat thanks to its nifty Multi-Terrain Select System. When it comes to on-road, Prado is a delightful surprise especially when you consider its based on a body-on-frame rather than unibody platform. While there are plenty of body rolls through corners, Prado remains calm and composed thanks to its well-calibrated suspension. The steering feels vague and dead, however, it works fine when driving off-road. The KDSS or what Toyota called Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, adjusts the rear anti roll bars for exceptional off-road prowess. Combined with a good 4WD system, Prado can climb anything short of a high rise building.

Brakes: Given Prado’s 2 tones of weight, its brake pedal has performed much better than expected. The 4 wheel discs with standard ABS have worked well to perform slow speed crawling when going downhill on a slope. On the other hand, it stops the Prado surprisingly well on-road. The brake pedal feel is about average. The pedal feels crisp and alive. While the ABS doesn’t have any unwanted intervention is another good thing.

Interior: At the back of the Prado, its tailgate opens on the sideway rather than on top. According to Toyota, this is designed for picking up gears when going off-road. The back glass is opened independently from the tailgate is another good design from Toyota.

The 3rd row has acceptable space for passengers. However, if you need to carry longer items and seat 7 persons occassionally, better leave the 3rd row completely flat for maximum versatility.

In the front of the Prado, you got everything you expect from a premium SUV. It has auto climate control, nice set of leather seats and wood trim to add warmth. The driving position is easily find thanks to 8-way power adjustable seats and tilt/telescope steering. As with most recent Toyota, the whole dashboard is finished with cheap nasty plastic. No matter how much wood and leather Toyota put into the Prado, they still can’t hide the cost-cutting measure with all the cheesy plastic trim pieces.

Conclusion: The Land Cruiser Prado is a very decent SUV. As it combines excellent off-road capability, mated with a practical interior and attractive styling. Its just a shame that it doesn’t got the interior quality that it deserves in the first place.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
=====================================
Performance: 4/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 2.5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 2/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4.5/5
Value-for-money: 3/5

Overall rating: 3.5/5

2011 Toyota Avalon

Vehicle: 2011 Toyota Avalon XLS
Price as tested: CDN$41100

Performance: As with all Avalons have gone before, its only available with Toyota’s tried-and-true V6 engine. The latest Avalon is powered by a 3.5 liter DOHC V6 with dual VVT-i technology, which produces a healthy 268 ponies and 248 lb/ft of torque at driver’s disposal. With this kind of horsepower and torque, its more than enough to move Avalon’s 3567 lb of leather-lined opulent with ease. All have done with Toyota V6′s usual refinements, which means its extremely smooth and refined when pushed through the rev ranges. Its most impressive during engine idle which is as quiet as a Lexus, which isn’t surprisingly given Toyota is a carmaker which also produces Lexus luxury car. 6-speed manumatic is the only gearbox offered in the Avalon. The shifts are crisp and coordinated as one expects from a Toyota. As it stands, the gear ratios are perfectly matched with Avalon’s blvd cruiser character especially on the top 6th gear. This 6th gear is tall enough for comfortable highway cruising while 1st gear is low enough for peppy acceleration. However, there is one huge drawback when pull the shifter into manumatic mode. This has always been an oft-criticized with Toyota and Lexus products. Whenever driver selects manual mode, the gearbox always tends to hold itself on 4th gear instead of 5th or 6th gear. If you designed a manumatic mode which isn’t allowed driver a complete control, it makes the whole manumatic redundant. In Avalon’s case, who would use it is really beyond my knowledge.

Handling: Since the Avalon is heavily based on the proven Camry platform, it doesn’t come as a surprise that this is one rigid and solid structure to begin with. There aren’t any kinds of rattles and cracks when driven through railroad tracks or washboard pavements. At the same time, don’t expect an Avalon to handle like a sports car. As a station-in-life as a highway cruiser instead of a curve eater, Avalon’s dynamic abilities are more than enough to satisfy its target customers. The ride is cushioned and comfortable, which means the suspension is soft enough to absorb all the bumps and roughness with ease. But don’t expect any kinds of supple ride quality as expect from European carmakers. Its the typical Amerian full-size soft and floaty ride which make Avalon appeals to its Buick-like customers. When pushed through corners, there are plenty of body rolls and understeer is pronounced. Toyota’s VSC, or Vehicle Stability Control, tends to step in quite aggressively whenever driver wants to make Avalon rears its ugly heads. When you consider most of Avalon’s buyers are half feet into the grave, this kind of active safety feature is more than needed given their lack of attention. The steering feel is typical Toyota variety, which means it feels detached and completely lack of any kind of driver feedback. However, its quite precise at time.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, Avalon’s braking performance is more than enough to satisfy its target buyers. The stopping distance is short while pedal feels firm and solid. The whole pedal actually have some lives to it as driver drops the anchor. ABS doesn’t step in unnecessarily has always been a good thing too.

Interior: Slip behind the wheel of the Avalon, the interior materials and fit-and-finish are delightful surprise given Toyota’s latest cost-cutting efforts. There are actually surprisingly amount of soft-touch plastic on the dashboard and door panels, all of them have fitted together nicely. The rest of the interior is nicely layout, with clear and analog instrumentation gauges. The auto climate control is effective and initutive, which is perfect for Avalon’s target audience. The leather seats offer excellent back and thigh support, although its completely lack of any side support.

At the back of the Avalon, there are plenty of head and legroom for all 3 passengers. As expect from a full-size sedan, there are plenty of elbow space for even the middle passenger. An added bonus is there is a rear seat reclining feature, which truly makes for a relaxing ride on a long trip.

A nice touch for Avalon’s elder audience has to be its back-up camera reside on the rear-view mirror and navigation system, which makes backing up such a large car much easier with these latest aids. The reason why Avalon’s sightlines aren’t that great is due to its huge C-pillars. While I dislike its poor sightlines, I can certainly live with it thanks to all those parking aids.

Conclusion: There are lots to go for in the latest Avalon. As it has a refined powertrain, drives surprisingly well for a full-size sedan and come with tons of standard features. The icing on the cake is how refined and quiet the Avalon rides, which makes you forget about going to the Lexus showroom with similar refinement for much higher prices.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2011 Toyota Avalon
=====================================
Performance: 4.5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 2.25/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 3/5

Overall rating: 3.25/5

2010 Toyota Wish

Vehicle: 2010 Toyota Wish 2.0 Luxury
Price as tested: CDN$32000 (Estimated)

Performance: When you consider the fact that Wish’s major powerhouse remains decade old engineering, you aren’t going to get excited about. What this 4-cylinder 16-valve 2.0 liter DOHC with Toyota’s variable valve timing or VVT-i does is to provide transportation needs without any fuss. If that’s what you are looking for, Wish is certainly up to the task of 99% of the driving audience needs. This 3ZE-FR has 140hp and 153 lb/ft of torque at driver’s disposal, which is enough to move 7 persons around. Its also up to the refinement and smoothness one expects from Toyota powerplant. The low-end is more than giving itself a decent launch while VVT-i steps in to help boost mid-range. Sadly, Toyota’s stubborn to use an ancient 4-speed automatic has given Wish a rather high rpm when driven on the highway. 100 km/h at 3000rpm has geared rather high for highway cruising. Toyota should have given Wish a proper 5-speed automatic instead. Even if it got paddle shifters as standard, it really doesn’t give the engine a nice boost due to the lack of a 5th and 6th gear. Due to the lack of a manumatic gate on the 4-speed automatic, one can manually up and downshift using the paddles at anytime.

Handling: Given the Wish’s status-of-life as a people mover, its driving experience is competent if not exciting. As with most Toyota, Wish’s chassis feels detached even though its solid and rattle-free. Latter is a good thing as it gives suspension a proper place to hang its heads. On the other hand, the suspension feels firmer than the Picnic it replaces. That’s despite that fact that it still lacks Mazda5 and Stream’s sportiness,. The dynamics is competent and sure-footness but certainly far from being sporty. As with most Toyota suspension, Wish is able to absorb bumps and roughness with ease. But certainly won’t have a sense of European suppleness as its Mazda5 rival. The electric power steering feels rather numb and dead, however, response is decent. There are pronounced body rolls while terminal understeer occurs as it starts to enter corners. Another oversight is the lack of any stability control available in the Wish. Shame on you, Toyota!

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, Wish’s brake feels are up to Toyota’s standard on providing good feedback. The pedal feels alive whenever driver needs to hit the nail. ABS doesn’t step in unnecessarily is another good step for Wish.

Interior: Wish’s cargo space starts with a low liftover with a tailgate that is completely up on the top, without anyone hitting the head. As with most of these compact minivan, the rear cargo space is minimal with the 3rd row up. With the 3rd row folds flat, there are more than enough space for five persons on a weekend gateway.

The 2nd and 3rd row have decent enough space when it comes to leg and headroom.

In the front, Toyota’s corner cutting is obvious. There are plenty of cheap plastic materials on the dashboard and door panels. The instrumentation gauges and auto climate control are well-lited for proper control. Both the climate control and stereo are placed beside the shifter for nice ergonomics.

Conclusion: After driven the Wish, one has to wonder why Toyota refused to bring a compact minivan to compete with the Mazda5 and Kia Rondo Stateside. It just doesn’t cut it whenever it competes with two of the best cars in the segment. Perhaps Toyota should continue to sell it as a domestic model instead.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 Toyota Wish
=====================================
Performance: 2.25/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 3/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 2.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 2/5

Overall rating: 2.5/5

Long-term test drive: 2010 Toyota Matrix XR AWD

Vehicle: 2010 Toyota Matrix XR AWD with automatic transmission
Price as tested: CDN$22190
Total mileage of the entire test: 500km
Fuel economy: 9 liters per 100km (70% city/30% urban cycle)

I came away unimpressively when I first drove the 2nd generation of the Toyota Matrix a year ago. So we decided to put Matrix into a long-term drive to see whether spending longer time with its practical Toyota compact wagon would be able to change my mind.

The 158hp 2.4 liter is definitely the engine of choice in the Matrix range, as it provides similar amount of fuel economy as the base 1.8 liter with 136 ponies. In terms of engine refinement, this 2.4 certainly lives up to Toyota’s reputation of producing refined and smooth powertrains. If this 2.4 liter was good enough for higher application in Camry, it certainly be able to live up to Matrix’s purposes. However, 4-speed automatic is the reason why we weren’t able to get the fuel mileage we expect from a compact car. Even though our Matrix is equipped with AWD, it doesn’t mean we can’t get better mileage than an average of 9 liters per 100km. Although you can’t compared a Matrix 2.4 with our long-term Jetta TDI, however, Golf wagon with 2.5 170hp certainly get a little bit better mileage.

When it comes to AWD, we are still unflavorable of Matrix’s proactive system instead of many of its rival’s proactive system. Impreza 2.5i Sport is the car that comes to our mind loud and clear, when its time to compare with Matrix. Another car that is worthy of mentioned is the Suzuki SX4 hatchback, which is intended to get a CVT this year. The CVT alone would generate much superior fuel economy, plus much needed gearbox efficiency for the SX4. We still hate Matrix’s electric power steering, which is completely devoid of feel and feedback.

The most impressive aspect of the Matrix is the cargo area. The completely flat floor with plastic lined across the floor make it more versatile than many of those so-called compact SUVs. Fold the passenger seat flat, even a refrigator can fit into the Matrix with ease. Along with the much-needed washer/wiper for rear windscreen, Matrix’s back end is pretty nicely layout. The only drawback is the lack of flip open rear glass, as with the original Matrix.

Matrix should put into anyone’s shopping list, if they are looking for a practical family wagon with an acceptable AWD and proven engineering. But make sure you try all the competitions before deciding in a Toyota showroom.

Likes:
Styling
Practical interior
Smooth and refined powertrain
Toyota reliability

Dislikes:
4-speed automatic
Poor steering feel
Reactive AWD
Lack of flip open rear glass for back window
Sightlines

Follow-up test: 2010 Toyota Yaris hatchback

Vehicle: 2010 Toyota Yaris 5-doors LE hatchback automatic with Enhanced Convenience Package
Price as tested:CDN$18485

When the original hatchback unveiled back in 2004, it was considered as a benchmark in the subcompact class. Fast forward 6 years later, Yaris is no longer considered as a class standard in this fiercely-competitive segment.

While the little 1.5 liter 4-cylinder engine is bumping out 106 horses and 103 lb/ft of torque, with the usual refinement and revving quality one expects from Toyota. The optional 4-speed automatic is crying out for an extra gear. No matter how tall Toyota engineers have set the 4th gear as overdrive, it still won’t beaten out a 5th gear on the highway. That’s also benefitting fuel economy as a whole. On the other hand, 5-speed manual has long throw while the shifter feels notchy. Despite that, row through your own gears is a better alternative than slushmatic in Yaris’s case.

Handling wise, its fairly confidence-inspiring when pushed through the corners. The electric power steering provides surprising road feel considered its a Toyota. Ride comfort is also on par with the class standard.

While the center instrumentation looked quite trendy during the Echo days, it feels rather annoying these days. One really have to get used to look at the center instead of what in front of the dashboard for information. The dashboard plastic and velour material aren’t up to Toyota’s usual standard. As there are tons of hard plastic while velour feels flimsy, even on our loaded LE version.

But its the average of 6.8 liters per 100km that got most of Yaris sold these days. Plus the Toyota cachet and hatchback practicality. If Toyota wants to take the crown from Honda, they have to work on the interior materials, layout, transmission choice and even cargo configuration.

Likes:
Fuel economy
Nice ride quality
Exterior styling

Dislikes:
Interior styling, materials and dash layout
4-speed automatic gearbox
Rear seat no fold flat into the floor

Follow-up test: 2010 Toyota Corolla

Vehicle: 2010 Toyota Corolla CE automatic transmission with enhanced convenience pkg
Price as tested: CDN$19200

Toyota Corolla has always been known for its quality use of materials, fit-and-finish, inexpensive to own and buy. While the latest generation remains inexpensive to buy, Toyota has cut corners drastically. When we first drove the current iteration about a year ago, we were unimpressed with its overall package. This time around, we chose Corolla’s most popular model with the option package that most consumers are going for.

Corolla used to set standards for workmanship and material quality in the economy car class. Not anymore. In places where you used to find soft-touch plastic materials in the cabin. It comes with cheap and nasty hard plastic. The switchgears for climate control have a cracky feel. It doesn’t feel like anything from a Toyota, to some extent, it feels like in any of those Chrysler products. When you consider this CE with enhanced convenience package come at 19 grand, there are many rivals have better interiors.

While this 132hp 1.8 liter DOHC 16-valve 4 banger is capable enough for most of Corolla’s target audience, Toyota just plain shoot themselves in the foot with the 4-speed automatic gearbox. While this 4-speed auto has good enough gear ratios to match the powertrain’s powerband. The low 1st gear also have launched 128 lb/ft of torque quite easily. When the rest of the industry is going from 5-speed to 6-speed and even 7-speed, this 4-speed automatic just feels aged and fell right behind all the rivals except for the Focus. Adding an extra gear would make Corolla a more comfortable highway cruiser.

Latest Corolla comes with electric power steering. It should be considered as one of the worse electric power steering I have ever driven. Its completely devoid of feedback and turn-in is just dead. The ride quality, on the other hand, is good enough for most of Corolla’s audience who need a comfortable car from point A to point B.

Over the year, we have driven both Corolla LE and XRS. All came out terribly unimpressed. The same holds true for this CE. While we should be judged Corolla’s merits using what its target audience instead of an enthuisast, however, we still came out disappointed. We had high hopes when Toyota decided to delay the introduction of Corolla as a response to class-leading Civic and Mazda3. The result is completely underwhelming. What Toyota is doing is milking their reputation for outdated technologies wraps in a new body style. If Toyota is not going to innovate and evolve themselves, they are destined to become another General Motors or Chrysler in the next decade.

Likes:
Comfortable, reliable and dependable
Spacious interior
Smooth powertrain

Dislikes:
Numb and dead driving feel
Detached chassis
Outdated technology
Price/value