By Don Hammonds

It’s hard to stand out in a crowded SUV market.

So many products look the same, offer the same equipment, and provide pretty much the same benefits–and issues.

But Toyota has clearly set itself apart with the Highlander.

On top of all the terrific perks that you get with any Toyota–dependability, impeccable quality, longevity, high resale value–Toyota has bestowed a completely new look on the Highlander, which instantly helps distinguish this much-loved brand against its competitors.

Though …

Toyota RAV4 Hybrid AWD SUV

By Donald Hammonds

Seldom have I seen a vehicle that has dramatically changed my entire outlook on things automotive.

I’m talking about my thoughts about SUVs in general, and my thoughts about a car company in particular–Toyota.

I am a self-confessed auto design maven.  I live for good-looking automotive expressions. I loved the vast variety of styling expressions that used to be emblematic of the auto industry, a time which I fear may be gone for good for the …

  By Don Hammonds

I distinctly remember the first time driving a Toyota Prius many years ago.

It looked and felt like it came from some century beyond ours at the time, and it was teeming with all kinds of hardware, gadgets and gauges that fascinated everyone who saw it. But all the while–it was still a Toyota–with all the virtues that come with the brand: Well-built,  quality everywhere, and the sense that you were well taken care of while behind the …

By Don Hammonds

Want a glance into the automotive future?

We got your back.

The 2018 Toyota Prius Prime is your ticket.

The Prius Prime is a plug-in hybrid, which means that you can recharge at home or at a public charging station, which are becoming a lot more common nowadays. While it is indeed the top of the heap Prius, it doesn’t look like the other Prius models that are not plug-0in hybrids.  It has its own look–and given the potential of this …

By Don Hammonds

Looking for a bargain compact sedan with cool looks, unusually modern and enticing interior and a driving personality that invites you to be sporty?

Look no further than Toyota’s Yaris iA sedan.

This one, I will tell you, was a real surprise for me.  First, the styling.  Really well done with nice, flowing lines, appropriate character lines, and asignature front end look that stands apart from what everybody else is doing.  It looks quite a bit like the recently departed …

By Don Hammonds

Most of us car writers usually try to pick a main theme every year following the 2017 North American International Auto Show, now underway in Detroit.

Sometimes it’s sports cars. Sometimes it’s sport utility vehicles. Other times it’s hybrid or electric cars. Whatever.

Well,  this year, it’s clearly family cars. And that means a totally new affordable family sedan like the 2018 Toyota Camry. Or the livery for the well-heeled family–the also all new Lexus LS500. Or a dependable ride …

By Don Hammonds

We are “ravin’ about the 2016 Toyota RAV4 around here these days–especially the RAV4 hybrid with its combination of economy, looks, class,  and one of the best interiors in the small sport utility field.

But some of the reasons we like it a lot are strictly psychic.  We think it is such a relief to get into a car where we don’t have to guess where anything is located. That is so not happening these days with so many …

By Don Hammonds

Toyota’s all-new 2015 mid-sized Camry is proof positive that you can make substantial changes to a popular model, and still keep–even grow–your customer base.

Our road tests of the 2015 Camry XLE and the 2015 Camry Hybrid were some of the most surprising evaluations we’ve had from a Camry evaluation in years.  The new models are exactly as promised; new from stem to stern and back,   the only carryover piece, company officials said, was the  exterior roof. ”

And, for the …

This year’s North American International Auto Show—also known as the Dtroit Auto Show-took a U turn away from hybrids and compact cars–and unveiled a slew of big cars, huge trucks and flashy sport car with blistering performance. Everyone from Ford and Buick——that’s Buick’s stunning concept car, the Avenir, just above– to Acura and Lexus unveiled products that represented a huge departure from the sorts of cars seen at the last few Detroit Auto Shows.

Just about the only brands introducing products that …

By Don Hammonds

Toyota’s venerable RAV4 isn’t so venerable any more–because it’s been heavily  transformed.

It’s got snappy new looks to entice buyers who may mistakenly think they will find the same model in Toyota showrooms that they’ve seen before.  It’s somewhat roomier than previous models. And the interior materials and presentation have been stepped up considerably.

Power comes from a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 176 horsepower and 172 pound-feet of torque. You will find that the  six-speed automatic transmission is standard, and  you …