Recently, Tim Horton’s offered its Canadian customers the chance to win a Toyota Venza in the latest round of its “Roll Up The Rim To Win” contest. You know the drill: peel back the lip of your coffee cup and you could find yourself behind the wheel of Toyota’s newest crossover vehicle….apparently, 35 Venzas in total will be given away.

So what did you get if you were one of the lucky ones? I’m not sure, but it looks like a compact wagon with oversize wheels and tires, is available with all-wheel-drive, is manufactured in Kentucky, and built on the Camry platform.

There are two engine choices: a 2.7 litre four cylinder and a 3.5 litre V6, and you can choose from front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive. My tester had the latter engine with FWD, but the former may be the largest in-line four-banger on the market these days. Normally, manufacturers run into all kinds of engineering issues when four cylinder engines get up into displacement this large….usually in the form of vibrations and harmonics. Big in-line four cylinder engines tend to rock and roll and often need internal counter-balancers to smooth everything out. I haven’t had the chance to drive the I-4 model yet, but I’d like to just to see how Toyota has dealt with this problem.

But back to the V6. This engine is used elsewhere in the company’s model line-up, and in this configuration, develops 268 horsepower. It’s mated to a six-speed automatic transmission only, and features things like a transmission cooler, adaptive shifting, and a Hill-Start Assist Control. This last item prevents the vehicle from rolling backwards when you’re stopped on a hill and has been used by Subaru for years, albeit in a slightly different form. It’s standard on all models. The adaptive shifting feature, meanwhile, will hold the transmission in a lower gear when climbing a hill under load as well as automatically dropping it down to a lower gear when descending. Also a common feature with many manufacturers these days, but welcome, just the same.

What struck me about this drivetrain was how lively it was. Despite its 1755 kilogram weight, the Venza is blessed with all kinds of snap and this engine redlines at 6200 rpm. Kick it down into passing gear and you’ve got a rocket on your hands, with maybe a titch in the way of torque steer when driven with enthusiasm. The V6 version can also tow up to 1587 kilograms and, like all Toyota V6 powerplants, is smooth, quiet, and civilized.

Reasonably high standard equipment level as well. For its just under $30, 000 base price, the V6 model comes with a climate control system, heated mirrors, tilt/telescoping steering, power adjustable driver seat, cruise control, power door locks, and a full tank of gas. All kinds of airbags to front, side, side curtain, and knee….front and back. Surprisingly, heated front seats are an option. My tester also had the “Premium” package, which includes a back-up camera, a decent-sized power sunroof, and power rear door.

The Venza seats five, and the back seats fold down 60/40 fashion, either via a couple of levers located on the sides of the rear cargo compartment or by pulling up on a lever on the sides of the seats themselves. Again, kind of cool and simplicity itself. So many vehicles of this stripe make you struggle when you want to open things up and I’m surprised someone hasn’t thought of this before. Full marks here.

In fact, there’s isn’t much to complain about inside, period. The shift lever is set halfway up the centre console and is easy to get at and quite usable. I was slightly surprised Toyota hasn’t installed a column shifter here, but it doesn’t seem to make much difference either way. A multi-information display is located atop the dash and it tells you things like outside temperature and whether or not one of the doors is ajar. You can also adjust the size of the display itself, which is kind of cool. After I had driven this car for awhile, it struck me how thoroughly Toyota has mastered the craft of making automobiles. I’m not sure the market needs a rig like the Venza, but either way, Toyota knows what customers want and gives it to them. In this case, I suppose the Venza is aimed at those folks who want a bit more room to carry stuff, but have had it with mini-vans and oversize SUVs.

Aside from the fact that the wheels look kind of freakishly large and the V6 is a little headstrong under hard acceleration, I can find little to complain about with the Venza. It’s easy to get in and out of, comfortable once you’ve settled in, reasonably roomy, and smooth in operation. Some may find the interior fittings a little on the bland side, but that’s not news. Toyota has always aimed for the middle ground and mainstream buyers; it knows its markets and the current economic downturn notwithstanding, has the numbers to prove it.

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The Toyota Motor Corp. and the Subaru of Indiana automotive (SIA) earlier started the production of the Camry in Indiana. The joint venture of the Japanese automaker was made public in March last year. Said venture include the production of Toyota Camry at SIA.

A $230 million investment gives SIA the capacity to produce 100,000 Camry units annually. The Toyota Camry production will add 1,000 associates for a total of more than 3,200 at SIA. Attending the ceremony were FHI president Ikuo Mori and Toyota Motor Corporation president Katsuaki Watanabe. They commended SIA associates and Toyota team members involved in the project’s development for their hard work and commitment to building America’s best-selling car at SIA.

Mori said, “Production of the Camry at SIA represents an important start to our business collaboration with Toyota. Together, we were able to accomplish this goal in a short period of time through the efforts of all associates involved in this project.” Watanabe added, “Fuji and Toyota faced many challenges for Camry production, including a short amount of preparation time, and we are grateful for the hard work of our associates and team members. We look forward to growing a long-term relationship with Fuji, SIA and the local community.”

The new generation Camry is a redesigned version of the car. It is assembled at the Toyota’s Motor Manufacturing Kentucky in Georgetown, Kentucky and at the Toyota Manufacturing in Aichi, Japan, in Melbourne, Australia. The new Camry does not only feature the striking Toyota fender, it is also equipped with the potent 2.4 L VVT-i I4 as the previous generation and come in four trim levels: CE, LE, SE, and XLE. The optional 3.5 L VVT-i V6 engine that produces 268 horsepower is available with a 6-speed automatic transmission and a manual shift mode.

The Toyota Camry also features a navigation system with Bluetooth and heated leather seats (for the SE and the V6-powered XLE). Also, a keyless entry starter is made optional on the V6-powered XLE. The models intended for the American market typically feature JBL branded radios. Higher end models are made “satellite receiver ready” for Sirius Satellite Radio or XM receiver ready. The CE and LE have hubcap designs identical to its ancestors. The rear of the Camry features catchy headlight, grille, and the controversial “Bangle-butt.”

“The Camrys are rolling and so is Indiana,” said Governor Mitch Daniels. “We are honored by the new investment in our state and the confidence in Hoosier workers.” To express thanks to the local community for its support, SIA and the fast rising Japanese automaker announced a $60,000 donation to the Columbian Park Zoo for its owl exhibit.

In addition to the Camry, SIA builds the Subaru Tribeca, Outback and the Legacy. SIA produced about 120,000 Subarus in 2006.

By: Toyota USA Blog

Toyotausablog.com

The tenth race of the ongoing Nextel Cup Series is set to take place on the 5th May this year at the Richmond International Speedway. This year’s race will be called the “Crown Royal Presents the Jim Stewart 400” after the winner of the essay writing contest sponsored by the Crown Royal.

As drivers, engineers and racing personalities gear up for the race, Johnny Benson is also taking preparation in his sixth start this year. Recently, the veteran driver talked about his relationship with present employer Wyler Racing.

Johnny Benson was recently named by the team to drive the no. 46 Toyota Camry at the next race of the season. Benson looked back on how he got the job. “The Wyler’s and (Crew Chief) Tony Furr asked me to do some testing for them at the end of last year and we thought that test went pretty well,” says Benson. “As this year got underway, they were talking about doing some more testing and called to see if I would do it. I said, “Yeah, I’d be glad.” I thought it would be pretty cool to help them test and just to help them out. I like doing that type of stuff,” he continued. After testing, the team apparently liked his performance which led to him being named as the team’s starter. “We went to Richmond earlier this month and the test went very well. I was hoping that if they ever went racing I’d get an opportunity to drive. I told them that they didn’t have any obligation for me to drive it, but that I would love to have the chance. This past week they called and said that we were going to race at Richmond and that I could drive, so I was pretty excited about it. It’s a pretty cool deal,” enthused Benson.

As far as his expectation for the upcoming race and his familiarity with the track, Benson appears to be ready for the race. “I think as a whole Richmond has been a great track for me. I love racing there. I love the type of track it is. I like how the racers approach that track knowing it’s a two groove race track.” Benson also pointed out his love for the track in his recent statement. “You can race anywhere you want,” he says. “You don’t have to beat and bang your way past somebody. It’s just a great race track. And it’s a Saturday night race which is great for the fans and you know the whole atmosphere aspect of it is good. It’s a type of track that I like. It’s a challenging track but it’s also a finesse style race track. I think that falls within my suit. I’ve had a lot of great races there and some that we’ve run really well that don’t have the finishes to prove that based off being caught up in something. But it’s a place that I really enjoy and love to race at.”

The next race will be held in relatively shorter tracks than other speedways. For Benson, this fact is considered as an advantage. “I like racing on all of the tracks that we go too. They all have their own challenges. But I think as most racers – because we grew up on short tracks – we always enjoy racing on them,” says Benson. “We do so many intermediate tracks now that the short tracks are a little more few and far between; maybe not so much in the Truck Series, but in the Cup Series. So I think we all enjoy going back and running the short track races.”

While Benson has had good races in Richmond and he admitted that the track is to his liking, how he performs in the actual race is evident on how he has tested his Camry at the speedway. To his credit, Benson looks set to have a good race after he has completed his test of the track with no sign of problems at all. “I think the communication that I had with Tony Furr at the test in Richmond was excellent,” he said. “We unloaded for the test and were decent right off of the truck,” he added. He also credited his team for the way the test has gone. “As the day went on, I was pretty impressed by Tony and all the guys that work at Wyler Racing. I was impressed when I worked with them at the Homestead test last year and then, of course, at Richmond too. They all work well together and communicate well. Our speeds were good and we were happy with our qualifying efforts and our speeds in race trim.”

While testing good is a positive boost for the team, Benson knows that the actual race will be a different area. “It will be a different deal going back for the race, but I hope we can maintain the type of run that we had at the test,” Benson said. “The opportunity sitting in front of us is a good opportunity to hopefully go there and run well,” he concluded.

With Benson’s driving experience, his familiarity with the track and his admission that the next track they will be racing on is to his liking, there is a positive chance that he will have a good race come May 5. Aside from that, he has a Toyota Camry to drive which is engineered to provide more boost than standard a Toyota Camry equipped with a Toyota cold air intake system.



By: Lauren Woods

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The Toyota Camry was birthed in 1983 with a 2.0L engine. The platform has matured over the years. The vehicles now have much more passenger and luggage space, and the top of the line Camry is now equipped with a 3.5L VIN K engine. Growing up has not changed the main reason people like Camry’s: quality.

When a Toyota Camry engine fails, most mechanics will immediately suspect abuse. The thought of a Camry engine failing for natural reasons just doesn’t click with experienced mechanics unless the engine in question is one with very high miles. My sister, for example, drives a 1996 Toyota Camry with a 2.2L 5S-FE engine. Her engine has over 250,000 miles on it, and it drives like a top. Besides regular oil and spark plug changes, I have only had to change her timing belt and water pump once. If I felt like there was any danger in her becoming stranded, I would buy her another car, but the fact that she is in a Camry sets my mind at ease. Even with the high miles on her engine, she has 180 compression straight across on the engine and around 50psi on the oil pressure at idle. In other words, this engine has a lot of life left on it.

Any time we receive a call from someone inquiring about a Camry engine, my first thought is “Now what in the world have they done?” The most common reasons for Camry engine failure are overheating the engine and lack of oil changes. This is definitely something that is categorized under abuse, no ifs ands or buts! No one will ever admit they have abused an engine, of course, and sometimes I wonder how many people realize how hard they are on cars!

2007 and newer Toyota Camry’s were offered with a 3.5L 2GR-FE engine and a 2.4L 2AZ-FE engine. Both of these engines are available in other vehicles. The 2AZ-FE engine doesn’t seem to be quite as reliable as the 2.2L FS-FE engine that it replaced, but it is still one of the best engines in production in the world.

2002-2006 Toyota Camry’s came with 2.4L 2AZ-FE, 3.0L 1MZ-FE, and, for 2004-2006, 3.3L 3MZ-FE engines. All of these are very reliable. In fact, I can count on both hands the number of major problems we’ve seen with 3MZ-FE engines.

Finally, 1994-2001 engines used the 5S-FE 2.2L engine and 3.0L 1MZ-FE. This was, in my opinion, the most reliable generation of Camry’s. I have access to great deals on cars, and I choose to put my family members in this generation of Toyota Camry.

Having examined the reliability of the latest 3 generations of the Toyota Camry, let us then examine our premise for this article, which is that a used Toyota Camry engine is a great buy. In order for something to be a great buy, it has to be a great value. Value = cost – benefits. Cost on replacement Camry engines can be very reasonable if you know how to shop. Make sure though, that you only buy a Low Mileage Engines. I repeat: You want a Low Mileage Engines. A high mileage Camry engine will probably work, but why spend the money to replace an engine if you’re not going to get maximum life? The answer is that a wise person probably would opt for maximum life. And that is what I recommend.

By: Toyota USA Blog

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When it comes to car buying, a lot of people consider the different attributes of a vehicle. Others are looking for a new vehicle with good performance while others put more value on comfort. Some buyers are after the exterior design of a vehicle while some are looking for vehicles loaded with features. There are also those whose choice of vehicle depends on its safety. But one thing that all consider is a vehicle’s reliability. And when it comes to reliability issues, Toyota is tops – that is, until this year.

Consumer Reports recently reported that Toyota’s vehicles’ reliability has declined. This comes after years of the Japanese automaker’s leadership in the industry when it comes to reliability. The Consumer Reports 2007 Annual Car Reliability Survey shows that consumers are now finding Toyota vehicles less reliable than their ancestors. In contrast, Ford’s vehicles have received good marks from consumers.

The most popular Toyota nameplate, the V6 variant of the Camry received a dismal and surprising below average rating in terms of predicted reliability. The Camry has been redesigned fore 2007 and it has always been Toyota’s best selling vehicle. It has been known through the years as a reliable car. The redesign though may have had negative effects on the reliability of the car.

Aside from the 2007 Camry, the redesigned and beefed-up Toyota Tundra also received a below average rating in reliability. The four-wheel drive V8 version of the full-size pickup truck received the dismal rating. Even Lexus’ all-wheel drive variant of the GS sedan received a below average rating. Since Consumer Reports does not recommend any vehicle with a below average rating, the three variants are no longer on the prestigious “Recommended list” of Consumer Reports.

Although reliability of aforementioned variants dropped below average, the automaker in general is still third in the overall reliability ranking. That includes Toyota’s luxury division Lexus and its youth brand Scion. The Japanese automaker ranked below fellow Japanese automakers. Honda is ranked as the producer of the most reliable automobiles. Subaru, the makers of the durable Subaru ignition coil, spark plugs, and spark plug wires is ranked second.

Toyota Motor Sales Executive Vice President Jim Lentz had this to say in response to the Consumer Reports announcement: “Over all, this survey reflects well on our products. However, we’re taking measures every day to continue to sharpen quality and enhance customer satisfaction.” Being on track to become the largest automaker in the world, Toyota has been stepping up its production output. It is only normal for automakers to have problems with quality control after a huge boost in production. Thus Toyota is expected to bounce back from this minor stumble.

In the past, redesigned Toyota vehicles have been recommended by Consumer Reports due to the automaker’s track record. The Auto Channel reported that even if Consumer Reports have insufficient reliability data for a new vehicle, it still recommends redesigned Toyota, Lexus, and Scion nameplates due to the aforementioned reason. But with the amount of Toyota recalls this year, Consumer Reports gave the redesigned Toyota vehicles below average reliability scores. If Toyota can bounce back to its trademark stance in terms of reliability, Consumer Reports may bring back its policy to recommend the automaker’s newly redesigned vehicles.

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Tag:Toyota,slashes sales plan,US,SUV production

  Earlier this month, Toyota announced sprawling manufacturing changes in the US and shutting down truck and SUV production, to respond to changing consumer demand.

  Even with the lower number announced yesterday, Toyota Motor Corp plans to sell more vehicles than it did last year.

  The pace of Toyota’s growth has been slowing. Under the new target it would inch up 1 percent this year, in contrast to a 6-percent climb in 2007, when it sold 9.37 million vehicles.

  “The main reason for the change came from the faltering United States economy, and how rising oil prices and material costs are dampening the market there overall,” said Toyota spokeswoman Kayo Doi. The Japanese and west European markets were also sluggish, but Toyota’s solid sales in China, the Middle East and other markets were enough to maintain its worldwide growth, she said.

  Toyota now plans to sell 2.44 million vehicles in the US, far less upbeat than the earlier plan to sell 2.64 million vehicles. It also slashed the sales plan for North America to 2.67 million vehicles from 2.84 million vehicles.

  The new plan marks a nearly 7-percent drop from Toyota’s 2007 sales results of 2.62 million vehicles for the US, and a 5-percent slip from 2.82 million vehicles for North America. Prior to yesterday’s revision, Toyota had expected sales to grow in North America, including the US. The manufacturer of the Camry sedan, Corolla subcompact and Prius hybrid also lowered its production plan for this year to 9.5 million vehicles – unchanged from the previous year.

  Earlier, it had set the manufacturing target at 9.95 million vehicles, which would have represented 5-percent growth from 2007. Tatsuo Yoshida, auto analyst with UBS Securities Japan in Tokyo, said woes over US auto sales weren’t likely to ease until next year.

  “I think Toyota is giving rather cautious targets,” he said. “GM is in a worse state in reliance on trucks, but Toyota also has the same problem.”

  Toyota, the world’s second-largest auto maker in annual vehicles sales after General Motors Corp, has averted the battering its American rivals have taken from soaring gas prices.

  Toyota has long boasted a reputation for models with good mileage.

  And its sales are still expected to be strong in emerging markets such as Russia, China and India, offsetting some of the losses in North America.

  How the full-year tallies will add up is still uncertain as Detroit-based GM is also reporting growth in new markets. GM, the world’s top auto maker for 77 years straight, doesn’t release full-year sales forecasts.

  Toyota outsold GM by 277,532 vehicles in the first six months of this year, selling 4.82 million vehicles worldwide. The call was close in 2007. GM eked out a win at 9.37 million to Toyota’s 9.366 million vehicles.

  Also hurting Toyota is the sluggish Japanese auto market, where Toyota is the top-seller. Toyota said it now ex pects to sell 2.23 million vehicles in its domestic market this year, rather than the initial 2.27 million. It sold 2.26 million vehicles in Japan in 2007.

  With auto sales ailing in the key North American market, speculation had been growing that Toyota would lower its sales targets. Toyota reviews such plans every half-year or so. But even Toyota is struggling to shift production from gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles and trucks to smaller models.

 



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Not much of a surprise for me and perhaps for dozens of other car and vehicle aficionados. Sure, the Toyota Motor Corporation’s Toyota Camry has once again been recognized to be quite a remarkable car. This time, the recognition comes from the Motor Trend magazine and it gave the Toyota Camry the Car of the Year award for 2007.

It was sure not just any kind of competition. You see, the Toyota Camry was up against various car models. In fact, it had to go through close scrutiny and it had some other twenty seven other vehicle models to compete with. Yes, the Toyota Camry was up against other vehicles from various auto makers like General Motors, Nissan, and Honda.

According to Motor Trend, as part of its recognition for such a reliable and trusted vehicle, it has also honored all of the vehicles under the Toyota Camry name for the model year 2007. The list of Toyota Camry versions for 2007 even includes a hybrid vehicle that runs on gasoline and electricity. Angus MacKenzie is the editor in chief of Motor Trend and in a statement he delivered a couple of days back, he says, “Creating an innovative, engaging automobile with broad mainstream appeal is one of the toughest tasks facing any automaker. The Camry is the one car rival automakers all wish they could build.”

As on the Toyota Motor Corporation’s end, it was Mike Michels, the spokesperson for the company, who shared the company’s view: “It’s hard to quantify the effect on sales, but the Motor Trend award has a lot of corollary benefits. This really energizes the sales operation, the dealers, and for internal morale it’s a wonderful thing.” Toyota is also the creator of other vehicle models like the Toyota Corolla and also of vehicle products like Toyota T100 body parts.

So what was the Toyota Camry up against? Well, the list of contenders that the Toyota Camry had to deal with included the Saturn Aura which is a sedan from GM. Also, some vehicles from the Nissan line also competed against the Toyota Camry. These include the sedans Nissan Altima, Nissan Sentra, and the Infiniti G35.

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