2006 Toyota Avalon on 2040-cars

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2014 Toyota Highlander

Midsize crossovers like the Toyota Highlander tend to play a thankless role in the life of today's modern family.
That's really too bad. With the ability to hold several hyperactive kids and tons of cargo while keeping everyone safe and comfortable in all kinds of climate conditions day in and day out, they're true heroes in the lives of hundreds of thousands of families across the country. Yet their car-apathetic owners often immediately forget about them as soon as their work is done. And nearly all midsize crossovers are thoroughly ignored by enthusiasts whose eyes begin to glaze over at first mention of the phrase "third row."
Toyota is looking to soften the blow somewhat by giving its midsize crossover, the Highlander, a big redesign for the 2014 model year. With a bold new look, updated suspension and a refreshed interior focused on comfort and convenience, Toyota aims to make the Highlander sportier to drive and more striking in appearance, because, as the marketing team explains, "families are going places and they want to get there in style."

Thieves still love older Hondas and pickups most, says NICB [w/video]

No one wants to have their car stolen, but a new study by the National Insurance Crime Bureau has some bad news for older Honda owners and pickup drivers. Fortunately, it has better news for drivers overall. The group is reporting that according to preliminary data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, thefts were down 3.2 percent in 2013 (versus 2012) to fewer than 700,000 cars. That's the lowest figure since 1967. That's also less than half of the peak of over 1.66 million thefts in 1991. "The drop in thefts is good news for all of us," says NICB President and CEO Joe Wehrle. "But it still amounts to a vehicle being stolen every 45 seconds and losses of over $4 billion a year."
Honda drivers might not find it such good news with older Accord and Civic models topping this year's theft study. Toyota and Dodge can't really celebrate, either, with two models each on the list, as well. Overall, this year's list was split evenly between foreign and domestic models, which were mostly pickups.
The 10 most likely vehicles to be stolen in 2013 were:

Despite slow sales, no new Scion models in near-term pipeline [w/poll]

According to a top Toyota executive, the Japanese automaker will not be introducing any fresh Scion models in the near future, Reuters reports. As of August, Scion sales for this year were down 1.6 percent from 2012 and accounted for only 0.3 percent of Toyota's overall US sales. And last month, Toyota Motor Sales USA Senior Vice President Bob Carter informed the 1,000 dealers who carry Scion that they can drop the brand without penalty.
However, never fear - Carter has assured that, while nothing new is coming for at least six months, the company is still very committed to the quirky Scion brand. Toyota launched Scion, which targets the youth market, in 2003, and sales peaked in 2006. The brand currently has five models, with the 2013 best-sellers being the FR-S sports coupe followed by the tC sedan and xB hatchback.
What do you think about Toyota's decision to hold off on introducing new or refreshed Scion models? Are they heading in the right direction, or does this spell doom for the funky Gen Y brand?