RideLust

Last week, Toyota faced their first jury trial for unintended acceleration of a Toyota product. The plaintiff, Amir Sitafalwalla, claimed that his 2005 Scion accelerated out of control when he attempted to shift the car into park, ultimately getting up close and personal with a tree. His attorney tried to argue that an unsecured floor mat was to blame, despite the fact that the Scion in question was excluded from the floor mat entrapment recall. His attorney also unsuccessfully tried to blame the Scion’s Electronic Throttle Control System, despite having no evidence to back up his allegations. In a rare display of courtroom sanity, the jury deliberated for less than an hour before returning a verdict that favored the defendant, Toyota. Read More…

As I was driving back from lunch today, I heard a radio spot for a program Toyota is offering called TRAC – Toyota Rent A Car. The gist is that you can go to your local participating dealership (per Toyota, in 85% of them) to rent one of several models either for traditional reasons (say, you’re going on a trip and need a minivan to haul your gear), for a short time if your car is in for repairs, or most interestingly, to try before you buy. In the last scenario, they’re offering terms as short as a few days or up to one month to be well and sure it’s the car for you. Read More…

Toyota has seen the inside of a courtroom several times relating to the unintended acceleration (UA) of their cars. To date, three causes have been found for unintended acceleration: a sticking accelerator pedal, entrapment of the accelerator pedal by a floormat and driver error. Of the UA cases tried thus far, none have been brought before a jury, but that’s about to change: a New York jury will hear the case of Sitafalwalla versus Toyota this week. Amir Sitafalwalla, the plaintiff, claims that his 2005 Scion accelerated without driver input until it struck a tree. Sitafalwalla’s attorney claims the incident started when his client attempted to shift the car into park, at which time the vehicle “took off”. Toyota denies the claim and points out that the Scion in question was never part of any UA recall. Furthermore, the accident happened in 2005 but the lawsuit wasn’t filed until 2008. Read More…

There has been a lot of buzz recently about Toyota’s budget minded rear-wheel drive FT-86 sports coupe. Truth be told this is one nifty little bugger and if the rumors of a Subaru derived 305hp / 290 lb-ft turbo 4-cylinder are true, it’s also going to be an absolute pistol to drive. The FT-86 will be built under a joint venture between Toyota and Subaru. However according to Toyobaru.net, U.S. residents will be seeing the FT-86 badged under the Scion nameplate as the Scion FT-S when it eventually hits U.S. shores. There are also rumors of an AWD version to be released under the Subaru nameplate with a price tag that could be upwards of 40k… that’s big money for a little car that would be a pretty close competitor to Subaru’s own 4-door STI. Production of the Scion FT-S is rumored to begin in the 4th quarter of 2011, so stay tuned for more information.

Thumbs Up: Great stereo, comfortable interior, unique style.

Thumbs Down: More show than go.

Buy This Car If: You want an affordable, sporty coupe with Toyota reliability.

Have you ever pondered the difference between a strip-club bouncer and a Navy SEAL? Most bouncers, especially those working at gentleman’s clubs, are buildings with feet. They’ve got massive chests, bulging biceps and forearms that would do Popeye proud. Navy SEALs, on the other hand, tend to be average looking guys, with a wiry build and a predator’s eyes. The primary difference between the two groups is that
one looks menacing, while the second looks understated and truly is menacing. I’m not saying that the average bouncer can’t mix it up, but most aren’t trained fighters because they don’t need to be. The appearance of being able to twist you like a pretzel is usually good enough. Read More…

*2009 Scion iQ Concept

I first saw the Scion iQ concept a few years ago at the New York International Auto Show. It was small, yellow and looked like something that should come in a Happy Meal. The iQ is Scion’s entry into the mini-car world and is targeted at young urban buyers who like really little things. The cars were supposed to arrive on U.S. shores by March of this year, but now GreenCarReports.com is reporting that Toyota is delaying the launch because of delayed prototypes. Scion spokesman Greg Thome also noted that Scion wanted to give their newly redesigned 2012 TC more time to gain a foothold in the marketplace and not have its thunder stolen by its new little stablemate. When the iQ hits the U.S. sometime this summer it will be the first direct competitor to the Smart ForTwo. My advice, if you’re in the market for one of these little roller skates I’d hold off on that Smart Car until you can give the iQ a proper look.

Source: GreenCarReports.com

The redesigned Scion tC. Image: Toyota Motors

It’s no secret that the Scion brand has failed to live up to parent company Toyota’s expectations. Even refreshed versions of their tC and xB models failed to bring buyers into showrooms; worse yet, the customers that Scion seems to attract are at the opposite end of their “youth brand” demographic. Many critics are wondering when Toyota admit that the Scion experiment failed, and pull the plug before the division’s losses have a negative impact on the parent company. Read More…

Just a few weeks back we gave you a report on the most ticketed vehicles in America, based on data from ISO Quality Planning. Now, The Truth About Cars gives us a new list, this time from QPC, a division of Verisk Analytics. There are a lot of similarities between the lists, but the QPC data does include a few vehicles that the ISO Quality Planning list omitted. Do you drive a “spirited vehicle” (QPC’s term for a high risk car)? Read on to find out:

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Toyota’s sporty budget brand Scion showed up with a bang over here in the United States when it was launched back in 2003. Aimed at younger buyers who wanted something small, fun and sporty these little cars have been racking up huge miles over the last 7 years. Up until recently Scions sportiest model was the TC, a small front drive coupe that was more show than go. Yes it looks good, but from a performance perspective it’s still pretty dismal. Toyota has now announced to The Wall Street Journal that their upcoming rear wheel drive FT-86 Concept will be released under the Scion nameplate, a move that Toyota hopes will boost the brands appeal.
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ISO Quality Planning, whose research helps insurance companies estimate risk (and therefore determine how expensive your premiums are) has compiled a list of the most and least ticketed vehicles on U.S. roads. We are, of course, talking about speeding tickets here, the kind that come with points on your drivers license and increases to your insurance rates. Like herpes, they’re the gift that keeps on giving.

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