2007 Toyota Scion Tc...30,858 Actual Miles...nice, One Owner,clean Car on 2040-cars

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Consumer Reports says infotainment systems 'growing first-year reliability plague'

The Consumer Reports Annual Auto Reliability Survey (right) is out, and the top two spots look much the same as last year's list with Lexus and Toyota in first and second place, respectively. However, there are some major shakeups for 2014, with Acura plunging eight spots from third in 2013 to 11th this year, and Mazda replaces it on the lowest step of the podium. Honda and Audi round out the top five. This year's list includes six Japanese brands in the top 10, two Europeans, one America and one Korean.
Acura isn't the only one taking a tumble, though. Infiniti is the biggest loser this year by dropping 14 spots to 20th place. Other big losses come from Mercedes-Benz with an 11-place fall to 24th, and GMC, which declines 10 positions to 19th.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's not traditional mechanical bugs hauling down these automaker's reliability scores. Instead, pesky problems with infotainment systems are taking a series toll on the rankings. According to Consumer Reports, complaints about "in-car electronics" were the most grumbled about element in new cars. Problem areas included things like unresponsive touchscreens, issues pairing phones and multi-use controllers that refused to work right.

Scion C-HR Concept looks sharp at LA Auto Show

The Scion C-HR concept was shown off as a Toyota concept last year at the Paris Motor Show, and we've been told it will show up at next year's Geneva Motor Show in production form. In the transition from a Toyota to a US-focused Scion, though, it's been saddled with a regrettable piece of marketing-speak: the press release says the C-HR concept was designed for "yuccies." That's an acronym describing 'young, urban creatives,' and it should go away. The C-HR is at the LA Auto Show, however, a visually fascinating concept that we're looking forward to seeing in production form; it could be good, or it could be meh. The C-HR stands for "Compact size and High Ride height," partly an effect of 21-inch wheels, and Scion says it will combine "supreme functionality" and "sporty performance" under that "polarizing" skin. We don't know much more than that about it now, save that its purpose is to be "a fantastic urban driving car." The press release below has lots of adjectives to help you imagine what that means; apparently, if you like cutting boards with grid lines and "earthy, modern terrariums," this will be for you. Related Video: Scion's Next Icon: World Debut of C-HR Concept Car at Los Angeles Auto Show TORRANCE, Calif., Nov. 18, 2015 – When the designers for the Scion C-HR concept began their research, they were told by young urban creative customers, "Polarizing is ok. Boring is not." That sentiment was evident today as the Scion C-HR concept had its World Debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. With an iconic design that also incorporates functionality and sporty performance, the Scion C-HR concept is much like Scion's customer in that it strives to stand out from the crowd. "Scion is known for doing things differently, and maybe even being a little weird," said Scion Vice President Andrew Gilleland. "This C-HR concept embraces that idea and wears it like a badge of honor. We couldn't be more excited to add the production version to our line-up." The C-HR concept is named for its Compact size and High Ride height. With five doors and a hatch for supreme functionality, it's the perfect vehicle for "yuccies," the young urban creatives who inspired the design. These customers put an emphasis on great design and wanted something distinctive, sophisticated, passionate and clean. They viewed most SUVs as too boring and wanted something for their urban lifestyle that sparked emotion.

Buy a Toyota GT86 and your wife will hate you

Marketing can be a very strange business. Convincing a man or woman (or child, really) that they absolutely cannot live without the latest, greatest new bit of technology oftentimes takes a unique approach. In the "online film promoting the Toyota GT86" you'll see below, created by agency Happiness Brussels, men are reverse-psychologied into thinking a new sports coupe will make them more masculine by getting their loved ones to hate them. Or something like that. We think.
In any case, we suggest you watch the video below to see how much fun men can have with a GT86 - or Scion FR-S or Subaru BRZ, presumably - at the expense of their significant others. Fair warning: There's a potential Not Safe For Work moment in the ad: beware of a brief male butt shot about 44 seconds in.
Marketing. Gotta love it. Unless you're married to a man. Or something like that. We think. Whatever, just watch.