2012 Toyota Camry Xle Presidential Limited Edition 2.5 Li4 on 2040-cars

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Honda, Subaru airlifting parts to bypass port labor diputes

It should be abundantly obvious that a vital element in building cars is actually having the components on hand to assemble them. A labor dispute on the West Coast between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and management is not making that quite so easy for some Japanese automakers. Work slowdowns at the ports have pushed Honda and Subaru parent Fuji Heavy Industries into flying some parts into the country. The two automakers began shipping by airplane late last month to avoid production delays, according to Bloomberg, but it has been an expensive solution. Subaru's chief financial officer said the decision cost around $60 million more per month than sending components by cargo ship. They aren't the only companies dealing with the problem, either. Toyota reportedly stopped overtime assembly at some of its factories here because of the delays in getting parts, according to Bloomberg. The dockworkers have been negotiating on a new contract since May 2014, and the current offer on the table to them has offered a 3 percent raise, according to Bloomberg. Although, the union is reportedly considering another slowdown at 29 ports along the West Coast in the coming days. News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Nick Ut / AP Photo Auto News UAW/Unions Honda Subaru Toyota shipping port labor dispute

2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid

People, us included, make a big stink about the importance of family sedans. There's no doubt they're critical - they represent a huge slice of the market's annual sales and profits. However, despite accounting for far fewer transactions than the midsize sedan segment, the fullsize sedan is getting attention from manufacturers now that our market's entire lineup of those (slightly) smaller four-doors has turned over in the last two years or so. As most of the fullsize segment's mainstays derive a fair bit of their platform and powertrain technologies from their midsize cousins, these larger four-doors offer the potential for fatter profit margins, too. And with the newly stylish duds found on many of the industry's most successful midsize sedans, it's only right that automakers no longer think about fullsizers as big, squishy, vanilla family haulers with flat seats, vague steering and a thin layer of 'luxury' in the form of faux wood trim.
As manufacturers have again started diving into large sedans feet-first, the cars themselves have become sharper. The interiors are now of a higher quality and loaded with tech, while the exteriors have become further extensions of each manufacturer's design language. There's perhaps no greater example of this than the Chevrolet Impala and Ford Taurus, two models that evolved from subpar offerings into market leaders. This segment-wide transformation happened quite quickly, whether because of coincidental timing or because manufacturers are trying to get more out of their big cars, recognizing they account for a small portion of overall sales (just 3.5 percent of the new-car market in the first half of 2013).
The 2013 Toyota Avalon Hybrid is one such vehicle. We remarked on the changes to the V6 variant last year, and while we previously had a quick steer of the gas-electric hybrid, we figured the new model was worth a closer week-long look.

2017 Toyota 86 brings new name and fresh face to New York

The Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ seem unable to get away from their negative reputation online. The Mazda MX-5 Miata has no problem gaining fans that want an affordable sports car. However, the Toyobaru twins, which also offer attainable performance, can't seem to find a similar footing. The 2017 Toyota 86 has a new name, a fresh face, and a little more power. Even with the latest upgrades, the 2.0-liter boxer four-cylinder's 205 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque doesn't make it a powerhouse by modern standards. However, a naturally aspirated engine with over 100 horsepower per liter is still rather impressive in this price range. Toyota doesn't have details yet, but the company claims that new ratios for the six-speed manual transmission also offer increase the coupe's performance. Updated shock tuning and spring rates should sharpen the handling a little, too. View 12 Photos The 2017 86's aesthetics are very similar to the outgoing FR-S, but Toyota uses this opportunity to keep things modern. The coupe now has LED headlights and taillights. The new central intake that stretches along the front also looks more aggressive. If you're still not happy with the 86 or BRZ, which also has a facelift on the way, the good news is that a replacement is coming eventually. Fuji Heavy Industries P\president Yasuyuki Yoshinaga has confirmed twice that Subaru and Toyota have a deal to create a second generation model. They haven't set an introduction date, though. Related Video: