2dr Conv V6 Auto Se Low Miles Convertible Automatic Gasoline 3.3l V6 Cyl Blue on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2014 Toyota 4Runner priced at $32,820*

Toyota has announced pricing on its facelifted 2014 4Runner. The rough-and-tumble SUV will be available in three grades: base SR5, upmarket Limited and off-road-ready Trail. Depending on the trim level, buyers will have the choice of rear-drive or one of two different four-wheel drive systems. The sole engine is Toyota's 4.0-liter, 270-horsepower V6.
Entry-level buyers can get an SR5 for $32,820. That includes 17-inch wheels, fabric seats and Toyota's Entune infotainment system. Adding four-wheel drive bumps the price by $2,920, while the Premium Package (SofTex faux leather seats, navigation, sunroof, auto-dimming mirrors and power passenger seat) adds $1,875. All model prices listed do not include $860 for destination and tax.
The Trail starts at $35,725, while the Trail Premium bumps the price to $38,645, adding the same suite of equipment found on the SR5. While it boasts the same standard equipment as the SR5, the Trail is better suited for going off road. A multi-terrain response system comes standard, as does hill-start assist and Toyota's Crawl Control. For an extra sum, buyers can opt for the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, which automatically disconnects the sway bars for better articulation and trail holding.

Toyota struggling in Latin American market, attempting recovery

With uncertainty in the US and Chinese markets, automakers are scrambling to rev up their efforts in what were traditionally secondary markets. Take Toyota's efforts in Latin America. A recent story from The Wall Street Journal highlights the Japanese brand's push in the southern hemisphere, particularly in Brazil, where it has expanded its operations and installed new executives with a greater range of powers, all in a bid to grab a bigger slice of the ever-growing South American pie.
South America is dominated by General Motors, Fiat and Volkswagen, which maintain a combined 60 percent of the market share - Toyota holds a mere 4.5 percent. The WSJ spoke with Steve St. Angelo, Toyota's boss in Latin America, who said, "We are playing catch up, but we're catching up fast. We now have the resources to give the region the attention it really needs and deserves."
That attention includes an all-new, locally produced small car called the Etios. As bewildering as it seems, Toyota wasn't competing in the low-cost economy car market in South America. With the Etios, which arrived in September of 2012, its sales in the first seven months of 2013 are up 75 percent.

J.D. Power study sees new car dependability problems increase for first time since 1998

For the first time since 1998, J.D. Power and Associates says its data shows that the average number of problems per 100 cars has increased. The finding is the result of the firm's much-touted annual Vehicle Dependability Study, which charts incidents of problems in new vehicle purchases over three years from 41,000 respondents.
Looking at first-owner cars from the 2011 model year, the study found an average of 133 problems per 100 cars (PP100, for short), up 6 percent from 126 PP100 in last year's study, which covered 2010 model-year vehicles. Disturbingly, the bulk of the increase is being attributed to engine and transmission problems, with a 6 PP100 boost.
Interestingly, JDP notes that "the decline in quality is particularly acute for vehicles with four-cylinder engines, where problem levels increase by nearly 10 PP100." Its findings also noticed that large diesel engines also tended to be more problematic than most five- and six-cylinder engines.