2010 in Review: Worst New Car I Drove

[svgallery name=”2010_Toyota_Yaris_RS”] By John LeBlanc As tickled as I was with Ford’s new small car, a Toyota small car I drove last May left me wanting. A lot. In a segment that’s already crowded — and ready to get even more so in the near future — the 2010 Toyota Yaris is starting to feel […]

Road Test: 2010 Toyota Yaris Hatchback RS

[svgallery name=”2010_Toyota_Yaris_RS”] Yaris cries “Uncle!” Toyota’s subcompact quickly losing ground in competitive class By John LeBlanc In a subcompact segment that’s already crowded and is set to get even more so in the near future, Toyota’s 2010 Yaris is starting to feel its age. This year alone will see more sophisticated rivals like the new […]

The Crank: Toyota officially confirms its the luddite of the auto industry

By John LeBlanc I bet Toyota can’t wait for 2010 to end. It started with the ongoing unintended acceleration meltdown that saw over 12 million Toyotas recalled, a crisis that brought back down to Earth the Japanese automaker’s perceived superior reliability and quality image.

2010 L.A. Show: Toyota-Tesla hookup results is RAV4 EV mutant

[svgallery name=”2010_LA_Toyota”] By John LeBlanc LOS ANGELES – As the first fruit from the loins of the recently consummated marraige between Japan’s Toyota and California’s Tesla, the RAV4 EV concept is apparently just the beginning of what will supposedly be more Toyotas powered by Tesla’s sea-of-batteries all-electric drivetrain.

Top 10s: 1990s’ Japanese Sports Cars

By John LeBlanc Riding the wave of profits from their fast-selling mainstream models, a well-earned reputation for reliability and a low-valued Yen, Japanese automakers like Honda, Mazda, Toyota, Nissan and Mitsubishi spent the 1990s trying to one-up each other, making one great driving sports car after another.

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