2014 Toyota 4Runner: First Look

• Competes with: Jeep Grand Cherokee, Land Rover LR4
• Looks like: An angry Japanese battle robot
• Drivetrain: 270-hp, 4.0-liter V-6, five-speed automatic transmission with locking transfer case
• Hits dealerships: TBD

Toyota took the wraps off of the mildly updated 2014 4Runner SUV at a country music festival in California over the weekend. It added some minor touches to one of the few remaining truck-based rear-wheel-drive SUVs on the market. No crossover this, the 4Runner will be available in three styles: SR5, Limited, and the highly off-road-capable Trail model. Three drivetrains will also be available — all models share the same 270-horsepower, 4.0-liter V-6 engine and five-speed automatic transmission, but the 4Runner will be available in rear-wheel drive, part-time 4x4 and full-time 4x4 with multimode selection depending on trim and package options.

Recall Alert: 3,235 2009-13 Toyotas

Southeast Toyota Distributors is recalling 3,235 vehicles spanning model-years 2009-13 due to problems with the occupant sensing system, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The affected vehicles were modified by Southeast Toyota Distributors to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or head-restraint DVD system. During the installation process, the passenger seat occupant sensing system may not have been tested. This could cause the airbags to not deploy or to deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size, increasing the risk of injury. 

October's Fastest- and Slowest-Selling Cars

It appears shoppers clamored more aggressively for incoming 2013s last month. Cars for the 2013 model year averaged just 23 days to sell from the day they hit lots while 2012s averaged 121 days. Combined, the group averaged 73 days to turn. That's a wider gap than October 2011 when 2011 and 2012 cars averaged 15 and 93 days to turn, respectively.
 
New or redesigned cars topped the month, with the seventh-generation Nissan Sentra and all-new Subaru XV Crosstrek taking just five days each to move. The redesigned Ford Fusion and Honda Accord plus the all-new Ford C-Max Hybrid made this month's movers, as well.
 
We focused on just 2013 models for October since automakers had a vast majority of 2013 models on sale. October did have one notable redesign in the Loser column: the Chevrolet Malibu Eco, which averaged 92 days on dealer lots. The regular Malibu, meanwhile, took 32 days to sell. That’s better but still below average for 2013s. Is the new Malibu getting lost in the slew of redesigned family cars? Sales fell 6% in October, putting the Malibu behind the Fusion and well in back of the redesigned Accord, Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima.

Here are October's fastest- and slowest-selling cars:

Cars.com Family Reviews the 2012 Toyota 4Runner

Nothing about the 2012 Toyota 4Runner says mom-mobile, an attribute that Cars.com Family contributor BreAnn Ahara likes. But this five-seat SUV is built for off-roading and has a high step-in height, two negatives for BreAnn and her family after their weeklong test drive. She was impressed with the sizable second row that easily held her daughters’ large child-safety seats, however.

2012 Toyota 4Runner Review

Daily News Briefs: May 7, 2012

Here's what we have our eye on today:

• There's growing evidence that the Dodge Grand Caravan is on the chopping block, according to sources speaking with Automotive News. Although Chrysler maintains strong leadership in the minivan arena, controlling about 40% of the segment, the automaker is debating whether to focus on just one minivan and develop another small crossover or SUV instead of a derivative minivan. Chrysler told Margaret Zewatsky, a product manager for R.L. Polk & Co., that the 2012 model year would be the Grand Caravan's last. UPDATE: There will be no changes to the Dodge Grand Caravan's status until at least the 2014 model year, according to Patrick Hespen, a Chrysler spokesman. Right now, the company aims to sell the Chrysler Town & Country for more than $30,000 and the Grand Caravan for less than that. If the automaker decides to have just one minivan, it would need to complement both price segments, according to Automotive News. We should see a new minivan, similar to the Chrysler 700c concept, sometime in 2013, says the trade publication.
• Portable navigation maker TomTom wants to become an available option on more car models as opposed to just an accessory, according to Ward's Automotive. The company provides an in-dash navigation system for the 2013 Mazda CX-5 crossover (part of the Technology Package, which costs about $1,255 on select trims). TomTom also provides navigation options in the Fiat 500 and Toyota 4Runner, and its map content has been licensed for use in North American BMW vehicles, Ward's says. The company is also negotiating with Mazda to provide navigation units to all next-generation Mazda models, the publication reports. One way TomTom aims to forge more partnerships is through its celebrity voice guidance feature, which includes the voices of Snoop Dogg, Homer Simpson and Darth Vader. This feature can be purchased for a nominal fee in addition to the navigation unit.
• Mazda North American Operations will lose 107 employees in California, according to Automotive News. The employees accepted voluntary buyouts — which includes a separation payment, a lump-sum payment and job location assistance — and they make up about 15% of the 700 employees at Mazda's U.S. headquarters. The job cuts are part of Mazda's ongoing restructuring process to shore up its operations in North America and abroad amid growing losses. Mazda lost $505 million in North America in the last fiscal year and $397 million the year before that. The Japanese carmaker lost $1.3 billion altogether last fiscal year, according to the trade publication.

Toyota Recalls 2 Million More Cars for Pedal Issues

Toyota announced today that it would begin a new round of voluntary recalls covering nearly 2 million more vehicles for various issues surrounding pedal entrapment. The recall includes popular models like the Toyota Highlander and RAV4. This brings Toyota's total number of recalls since 2009 to nearly 15 million vehicles.

The move comes after a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and NASA concluded there was no electronic malfunction leading to unintended acceleration. These recalls address either the same floormat interference issue of past recalls or two new modifications of floormats, carpet and connectors.
 
Three models — totaling 1.4 million vehicles — are being added to the November 2009 recall for pedal entrapment.

How Good Are Toyotathon's Deals?

After checking out multiple dealership regions, Toyotathon is a good opportunity overall if you’re looking for a 2011 model year vehicle or if you’re trying to lease.

The recently redesigned 2011 Highlander already has a $500 cash-back deal and an attractive lease rate of $319 per month. In fact, all of Toyota’s lease rates – the automaker has traditionally leaned harder on this option – are excellent.

All the lease deals ask for less than $2,000 due at signing, so you’d pay a lot less upfront compared with some competitors, especially for Toyota’s pickup, minivan and crossovers. In some regions, such as Southern California, there’s a “$0 Down Payment, $0 Security Deposit, $0 Due at Signing, $0 1st Month's Payment” regional deal for folks who lease.

If you’re financing, most models offer 0% to 2.9% for 60 months.

With nearly 60% of Toyota’s inventory now 2011 model years, most remaining 2010s have lost their incentives. The outgoing 2010 Corolla gets $1,000 to $1,250 cash back on it; remember that the model was refreshed for the 2011 model year. The redesigned 2011 Avalon and Sienna both have $1,000 cash-back deals, too.

Most of the deals below expire Jan. 3.

Toyota Announces October Incentives

Throughout the summer Toyota offered fairly generous incentives on its vehicles to compensate for its flagging sales, which were caused by a deluge of safety recalls.

For October Toyota’s incentives are fine-tuned to get rid of its remaining 2010-model-year inventory and other slow-moving vehicles. These incentives are good through Nov. 1, but it’s important to note that some regions and dealer groups have opted out of the incentive programs, changed the terms or shifted incentive money from one model to another that’s weak in their specific region.

For instance, the Los Angeles region has an incentive on some models of no down payment, no security deposit, no money due at signing and no first month’s payment deal. The Chicago area has a $1,000 cash-back offer for recent college grads when they buy or lease select Toyotas as well as special lease rates.

To find detailed incentives, go to buyatoyota.com for the current offers in your area.

Below you’ll find a list of incentives on current Toyota vehicles.

Top Roof-Strength Scores Elusive for Some SUVs

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently conducted end-of-the-year testing on the 2010 Nissan Xterra, Toyota FJ Cruiser, Toyota 4Runner and Nissan Pathfinder, all of which are part of the institute’s midsize SUV category. Although each SUV earned the best rating of Good in frontal and side-impact crash tests, none scored well enough in IIHS’s new roof-strength test to qualify for the institute’s Top Safety Pick award. 

In the roof-strength tests, the 4Runner, FJ Cruiser and Xterra earned an Acceptable rating, which means these SUVs can withstand 3.25 times the vehicle's weight before the roof caves in at least 5 inches. The Pathfinder received a Marginal rating, which means it can withstand about three times its own weight. Anything below 2.5 is rated Poor by IIHS. 

The institute uses the same testing method as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, but its standard is more than two-and-half times as stringent as the government’s. To earn a Good rating in IIHS’s rollover test, a vehicle’s roof must be able to withstand the force of four times the vehicle’s weight. 

To earn the Top Safety Pick award, a vehicle must receive the top rating of Good in front, side, rear and rollover crash tests. The vehicle also must have electronic stability control. 

Nearly 10,000 people die in rollovers each year, according to IIHS. A key component to preventing fatalities in rollovers is for your vehicle to maintain its roof’s integrity for as long as possible.

2010|Toyota|4Runner

2010|Toyota|FJ Cruiser

2010|Nissan|Pathfinder

2010|Nissan|Xterra

Federal Grand Jury Subpoenas Toyota Over Steering Defects

A federal grand jury in New York has subpoenaed Toyota over problems with some of its vehicles’ steering systems, the automaker said today. 

The subpoena, issued in late June, is intended to help the panel determine if criminal charges against Toyota are warranted. It asks the automaker to submit documents related to problems with a relay rod, or center link, which is an integral component to the steering assemblage on some solid front axle trucks. The issue was found on 1993-1998 Toyota T100 pickup trucks and on 1989-1995 Toyota 4Runner SUVs.

According to Toyota’s own recall notices from the time, if the wheels on those pickups or SUVs were fully turned while the vehicle was not moving, the relay rod could crack. Toyota issued a recall in 2005 for the above models, and dealers replaced the defective steering components. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration linked the relay rod defect to at least 15 crashes, three deaths and seven injures. 

This is the second subpoena for Toyota in the past year. In February, Toyota was subpoenaed by the grand jury for documents related to unintended acceleration and for more information regarding the Prius’ braking system. 

Federal Jury Subpoenas Details on Toyota's Steering Relay Rod Defect (Washington Post)