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2009 Toyota Yaris
Five-door liftback adds cargo versatility to Toyota’s value-priced subcompact
By Nina Russin
2009 Toyota Yaris 5-Door Liftback
In 1994, I went to Japan to drive a Corvette between Tokyo and Kyoto for a magazine story. I wanted to see how the most iconic of American cars would perform in a culture vastly different than our own. While the Corvette turned plenty of heads, Tokyo’s narrow, traffic-filled streets were better suited for smaller cars.
Driving the Toyota Yaris stateside, I feel as if the shoe is on the other foot. Despite Toyota’s popularity here, few of the models we see in the US reflect the automaker’s Japanese roots as faithfully as the Yaris.
The Yaris’ diminutive scale is perfect for Japan’s two-lane rural roads, many of which are no wider than the average driveway. Ditto for parking garages, where attendants use small cages to transport vehicles to the upper floors.
High fuel prices are a fact of life in Japan: the average price of gas in 1994 was about five dollars per gallon. I would rather have filled up the Yaris than the thirsty Corvette that preferred premium.
The Yaris interior reminds me of Japanese business hotels: designers make the most of its limited space with cleverly configured seats that fold and tumble, and small storage compartments around the passenger bay. Read the rest of this entry »
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Bridgestone and Toyota Support Teen Safety
OEM programs support National Safety Month with driving instruction and a video contest
Bridgestone Driver's Edge Program
In honor of National Safety Month, Bridgestone and Toyota have announced programs targeted towards teen drivers. Teenage drivers are involved in fatal traffic accidents at over twice the rate of the general population. Traffic accidents are the number one cause of death among teens age 16 to 20.
Bridgestone is currently accepting entries for the third annual Safety Scholars video contest. Students create short videos about automotive safety or environmentalism. Three winners receive a $5000 college scholarship, and will have their videos aired as public service announcements on television stations nationwide.
Videos must be 25 or 55 seconds in length. Bridgestone is accepting the first 300 entries by June 17 at safetyscholars.com. A panel of judges will evaluate entries by how well they compel viewers to be more safety or eco-conscious when using their videos. The ten finalists will be posted on safetyscholars.com, YouTube, MySpace and Facebook on June 25. Bridgestone will announce the grand prize winners on July 23.
Toyota driving skills program helps teens in California learn about accident avoidance
Toyota’s Driving Expectations program consists of interactive and hands-on instruction, to help teens become safer drivers. The program is free to Los Angeles area residents. Toyota has partnered with the National Safety Council since the program’s debut in 2004. Since then, over 12,000 teens in 18 cities have benefited from the program.
Four-hour programs will be held over two weekends: July 11-12, and August 8-9. To learn more about the program and register, visit the Toyota Driving Expectations web site.
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2009 Infiniti M35x AWD
Mid-sized sport sedan with innovative safety technology
By Nina Russin
2009 Infiniti M35
Last year, Infiniti’s M sport sedans got a brand new look, with a restyled front grille and air intake, new rear fenders, taillights and deck lid. This year, the big news is under the hood: the V-6 engine gains 28 horsepower, and a two mile-per-gallon improvement in fuel economy thanks to electronic throttle control.
Buyers who want more power can opt for the 325-horsepower V-8, that remains virtually unchanged from before. While the bigger engine has 22 more horsepower than the V-6, it also adds 121 pounds to the sedan’s curb weight, reducing the M’s highway fuel economy by five miles-per-gallon.
Having just driven the M35x, my guess is that power is more than enough to make performance buffs happy. When a driver in an eight-cylinder European sport sedan tried to pass me on the entrance ramp, he was sorely disappointed.
In addition to being fast, Infiniti’s sport sedan features cutting-edge safety technology, including adaptive headlamps, lane departure warning and intelligent cruise control. The lane departure warning system uses a camera behind the windshield to detect lane markings ahead of the car.
If the driver starts to veer out of his lane without signaling, the system illuminates a warning lamp on the dash. If he doesn’t correct, an audible alarm sounds, and the vehicle stability control system uses braking to gently move the car back into the lane. While warning signals on systems like this can be distracting, I found the dash lamp easy to see, without taking my eyes off the road. Read the rest of this entry »