thegriffon

The Aura is more than the start-stop system that C&D implies. A quick glance at the official figures will show that it doesn't offer much benefit in city driving, but much more than other hybrids on the highway. A start-stop system only has benefit in start-stop city driving.BMW's "brake regeneration" is misleading. Unlike systems which recover energy from braking to recharge the hybrid battery (using the electric motor/s as a generator), it merely uses the engine to recharge the standard battery (when you apply the brakes the alternator starts up). Of course this is a good idea, and allows slightly more power for actual driving, but even when combined with the Start-Stop system (which really should be extended to any combination of brake application and engine idle, even if the car is moving), it doesn't compare to the Aura's mild hybrid system.

The Corolla's extra length is purely cosmetic, and tat even ignores the shorter wheelbase (100 mm less than the Civic) and limited width. The Jetta has the smallest wheelbase of the compact class. Even some subcompacts are close to the Jetta's wheelbase.

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Toyota is offering $1000 off most Corollas (including 2007s, although edmunds didn't seem to know this), and dealers will usually take off at least another thousand more, plus of course the special packages (thousands worth of content free). Almost any compact (except the Jetta) is bigger than the Corolla, including the Mazda3, and some, such as the Sentra and Civic, are much bigger.

They have to do something to increase sales. After all it's what 5 years old already? It will be at least 6 before it gets replaced. There'll could be a new Cobalt before then.

Umm, my subcompact Corsa has air filtration. Standard. Whoop-de-do

The Jetta gets a NOx catalyst just as the Accord does. Larger engines will use the urea system, both will be called BlueTec, as for some reason VW and Daimler think Blue is Green when it comes to emissions (a blue sky thing probably).

And at least two true compact SUVs.

New Opel Corsa GSi: Powerful Performance and Subtle Sportiness * 150 PS turbo gasoline engine available for three and five-door models * Legendary GSi concept receives a modern update Rüsselsheim — The theme of the new Opel Corsa GSi is ‘more substance than show’. In contrast to the Opel Corsa OPC, which was launched a few months ago, the new GSi radiates subtle sportiness rather than uncompromising high-performance, and will be unveiled at the Barcelona Motor Show (June 7–17, 2007). The GSi's powerful 1.6 ECOTEC turbo engine produces 110 kW/150 PS at 5000 rpm, positioning the new sporty model between the Corsa Sport 1.7 CDTI (125 PS) and the high-performance Corsa OPC (192 PS). … Go to full press release and photos at AutoReport

They have 5 dealer networks to support, with most vehicles unique to each network.

Not always the best angles.

Congress and consumer groups want to force manufacturers to make everything super-efficient, automakers want tax incentives for people to actually buy the smaller cars required to meet the standard.

Methane production in ruminants is dependent on stomach bacteria. More efficient bacteria produce do not produce methane, and give higher grass-food conversion rates. Domestic sheep and cattle produce methane, but at least some wild ruminants do not. Whether the better bacteria can be introduced (say during suckling) is still being researched, just as debate still rages over the efficacy of "probiotic" supplements in the human diet.

There are tier II emission standards for lawnmowers, hedge trimmers etc., and higher CA standards.

The Avensis is a smaller (than Camry) European sedan imported from the UK. It is based on the same platform as the Premio/Allion and Scion tC, but is wider and longer, since Europe is unconcerned with Japanese regulations affecting size. In Japan different design regulations and registration rules apply to vehicles under 4.7 m long and 1.7 m wide and with engines less than 2.0 L in capacity. While Toyota and Nissan still offer products specifically for this standard, other Japanese manufacturers (Mazda, Honda, Subaru, Mitsubishi) that cannot depend on Japanese sales have instead designed new products to match global competitors whose subcompacts have already gone beyond this width limit. What this means—while even Nissan offers the much wider Sentra (based on the Renault Megane) for North America (and in future other markets), Toyota has to resort to merely cosmetic tricks to make the export Corolla look bigger when beneath the skin it is the same size as the Japanese model (the Auris, designed specifically for Europe, really is bigger). This may be why Toyota Motor Sales is unhappy with the new Corolla.

Since GM sold the locomotive business some time ago this seems a little strange.

They usually get a new model though, not a lower-mileage example of the same model.

My bad, it's the awd model that has a double wishbone suspension

The computer from Terminator?

Tokyo — TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION (TMC) announced today the nationwide launch in Japan of the completely redesigned Premio through "Toyopet" dealers, and completely redesigned Allion through "Toyota" dealers. The first-generation Premio and Allion, launched in December 2001, were "five number" sedans that appealed to customers with their styling that evoked class-surpassing quality, roomy interior, user-friendliness and outstanding driving performance. The redesigned, second generation models unveiled today were designed to further enhance the appeal of these products, to the extent that they become all that a "five-number" sedan can possibly be. … http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/news/07/0604.html There you have it—if the Allion and Premio are all a "five-number" sedan can be, what is a Corolla? "A piece of crap we sell stupid Gaijin." Compact sedan Price (Yen) Wheelbase Length Suspension Honda Civic 1.8 ¥1,879,500 2.7 m 4.54 m IRS Mazda3 20C ¥1,890,000 2.64 m 4.48 m (4.53 m US) IRS Toyota Allion 1.8 ¥1,890,000 2.7 m 4.565 m IRS Toyota Premio 1.8 ¥1,900,000 2.7 m 4.6 m IRS Toyota Corolla 1.8 ¥1,995,000 2.6 m 4.4 m (4.54 export) Torsion beam http://toyota.jp/allion/ http://toyota.jp/premio/

Who said it would be similar dimensions?

Edge is now the best-selling large crossover, beating the Highlander and Pilot in May.

The increase in tundra sales is understandable—it's a new and vastly improved product. But Yaris? From a steady 6-7K to nearly 11K in a single month? That screams dumping. Corolla—an old, outdated model on it's last legs—to go from around 30K +/-3K to over 45K in a single month? They're dumping them somewhere. Camry? OK it's new, but sales were a steady 30-40K, to jump to over 50K in a single month? Yeah right, they're dumping them. Prius? OK fuel prices may be helping, but so are incentives. Nearly double the previous month's sales is not a normal market variation. RAV4 I can believe—sales of these light crossovers have been strong and if anything the RAV4 has been lagging the CRV most months when it is probably the better vehicle. Highlander, OK it's old, but sales are not fantastic and within the normal range, even it is a nice bump over last year. LS series? New and much more competitive, and still a bargain. Sales are steady, nothing unusual there. IS? a nice bump, but a competitive product and some is due to the whole segment doing well this month. Obviously trying to claw back second place from the new C-Class, mostly at the expense of midsize luxury cars.

Some of these figures strain the bounds of credulity—they cannot possibly represent real retail market penetration. Nearly double (treble for the Prius) January sales? I'm sorry but something fishy is going on here.

Light vehicle sales were up 5.4% on a DSR