http://www.thecarconnection.com/reviews Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:30:44 -0500 Car Reviews -- Get the consensus and opinions from TheCarConnection and from around the Web on your favorite car. Lifestyle/Fashion http://static.thecarconnection.com/website/tcc-feed.jpg http://www.thecarconnection.com/reviews http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037931_do-dogs-leave-a-larger-footprint-than-suvs http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037931_do-dogs-leave-a-larger-footprint-than-suvs Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:38:00 -0500 Are dogs worse for the environment than SUVs? You'll find a number of sources trumpeting the widely publicized results from New Zealand researchers, concluding that yes, dogs are worse for the planet than SUVs. But don't kick out the hound quite yet and head for the Hummer dealership; according to the Seattle-based Sightline Institute, the ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037883_toyota-posts-first-profit-in-months-lifts-sales-projections http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037883_toyota-posts-first-profit-in-months-lifts-sales-projections Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:51:00 -0500 Detroit's Big Three may have grabbed most of this week's headlines, but that doesn't mean that the rest of the world's automakers have been sitting on their hands. One story that isn't getting much play is the fact that Toyota Motor Company -- which posted its first-ever loss last fiscal year -- returned to profitability last quarter. Although ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037821_raising-the-gas-tax-auto-execs-push-an-unpopular-solution http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037821_raising-the-gas-tax-auto-execs-push-an-unpopular-solution Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:41:00 -0500 We've been here before. The government mandates more fuel-efficient vehicles across the board, yet the American public continues to gravitate toward what's big and powerful. Barring this era of greater responsibility and restraint, which might pass like a fleeting fancy with the recession, why not pick the bigger or more powerful car, we ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037501_ugliest-cars-of-the-past-50-years-you-might-be-surprised http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037501_ugliest-cars-of-the-past-50-years-you-might-be-surprised Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:59:00 -0400 Think that the design of the Volkswagen New Beetle is more hideous than iconic? Apparently you're not alone. Business Week has posted its "Fifty Ugliest Cars of the Past 50 Years," including a number of models present and past, and the New Beetle is just one of the newer and still-produced models on the list. Others include the Cadillac ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037478_michael-pollan-eats-words-prius-driving-carnivores-are-ok http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037478_michael-pollan-eats-words-prius-driving-carnivores-are-ok Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:44:00 -0400 Last week, author Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma, etc.) made headlines when he said, "A vegan in a HUMMER has a lighter carbon footprint than beef-eater in a Prius". This week, predictably, Mr. Pollan is eating those words: although studies have shown that meat-eaters generate two tons more CO2 per year than their vegan neighbors, the ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037394_thefts-down-but-lojack-looks-ahead-to-hybrids-and-electrics http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037394_thefts-down-but-lojack-looks-ahead-to-hybrids-and-electrics Wed, 28 Oct 2009 21:45:00 -0400 In any normal vehicle, a slight drain on the battery is no big deal. But if you have a hybrid--or, for that matter, if you have a finicky old British roadster in the garage that needs to be hooked up to a trickle charger all the time--you want to minimize what's tapping into your power. That's why LoJack has announced a new self-powered ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037363_2010-toyota-rav4-sport-cleaner-look-more-convenient-layout http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037363_2010-toyota-rav4-sport-cleaner-look-more-convenient-layout Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:37:00 -0400 Last year the Toyota RAV4 got a little bit of a facelift, with a refreshed front and rear appearance, a stronger and more refined base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, and an upgraded feature set. But it was a little surprising--as it had been when the RAV4 was last fully redesigned for 2006--that Toyota didn't address the RAV4's most ..]]> http://www.thecarconnection.com/fullreview/toyota_rav4_2010 http://www.thecarconnection.com/fullreview/toyota_rav4_2010 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:52:00 -0400 2010 TOYOTA RAV4 STYLING | [7 out of 10] Kelley Blue Book: "contemporary but conventional good looks" Edmunds: [Sport model has] "a different rear door without the mounted spare tire" Cars.com: "modern-rugged theme" The 2010 Toyota RAV4 is cautious and conservative in appearance, no doubt, but last year Toyota introduced several ...
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]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037169_toyota-develops-a-new-plant-but-not-the-kind-you-think http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037169_toyota-develops-a-new-plant-but-not-the-kind-you-think Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:40:00 -0400 Global warming's a hot topic these days (no pun intended), but there's another that's even hotter: geoengineering, or using technology to decrease atmospheric temperatures rather than forcing changes in human behavior. Most geoengineering plans are a little wacky (e.g. floating 16 trillion mirrors in space), but Toyota's attempt isn't nearly ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037075_subaru-will-launch-a-hybrid-vehicle-by-2012 http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1037075_subaru-will-launch-a-hybrid-vehicle-by-2012 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:34:00 -0400 There hasn't been much groundbreaking news to emerge from the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, but the event has generated some intriguing statements from the handful of automakers in attendance. For example, Ikuo Mori, the president of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd, the manufacturer of Subaru vehicles, noted that Subaru is working with Toyota to develop a ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036827_the-ten-most-fuel-efficient-cars-for-10 http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036827_the-ten-most-fuel-efficient-cars-for-10 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:14:00 -0400 Most ordinary gasoline models look like guzzlers next to the hybrids--and a few compact diesel models--that dominate the upper echelon of this year's EPA fuel economy ratings. For instance, according to the EPA's Fuel Economy Guide information released last week, a 2010 Toyota Prius will cost less than half as much to keep fueled for a year's ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036887_honda-officially-considering-battery-electric-vehicle http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036887_honda-officially-considering-battery-electric-vehicle Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:32:00 -0400 Back in August, Viknesh Vijayenthiran reported on rumors that Honda would launch a zero-emission battery electric vehicle in the US by 2015. The vehicle in question was described as a lithium-ion battery-powered minicar, and there was some speculation that Honda would unveil a prototype at the Tokyo Motor Show this October. The rumors stemmed ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036760_for-2010-toyota-prius-again-tops-epa-fuel-economy-ratings http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036760_for-2010-toyota-prius-again-tops-epa-fuel-economy-ratings Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:13:00 -0400 The 2010 Toyota Prius is again the most fuel-efficient performer in the U.S. market, at 50 mpg Combined, while runners-up include the 2010 Honda Civic Hybrid (42 mpg), Honda Insight (41), Ford Fusion Hybrid (39), and Mercury Milan Hybrid (39). That's the official word from the 2010 EPA Fuel Economy Guide information, which was released this ..]]> http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036660_bluetooth-ipod-connectivity-expanded-in-2010-toyota-venza http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036660_bluetooth-ipod-connectivity-expanded-in-2010-toyota-venza Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:46:00 -0400 The Venza carries into its second model year with no significant changes. That's the short story, however some people might find the Venza's entertainment system considerably more functional; tech-savvy shoppers will be quick to verify that an USB auxiliary port and iPod connectivity are newly standard across the 2010 Toyota Venza model ..]]> http://www.thecarconnection.com/fullreview/toyota_venza_2010 http://www.thecarconnection.com/fullreview/toyota_venza_2010 Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:46:00 -0400 2010 TOYOTA VENZA STYLING | [7 out of 10] ConsumerGuide: "Simple, handy, and logical control system for audio and climate" Car and Driver: "Crossover? Wagon? Whatever it is, it looks good in the metal" Automobile Magazine: "Think of it as a shorter, sleeker Highlander" According to Toyota , the Venza is a design breakthrough and ...
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