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2016 Scion iM Review [w/video]

Scion is all grown up. When the brand launched in 2003, it was as if Scion wanted to be the anti-Toyota. You could almost imagine it saying, "We aren't our parents, dude. We're different." Scion's decision to eschew mainstream vehicles was largely successful. The original xA, xB, and tC were affordable, economical, stylish, and – most importantly – different. But the brand's aging lineup couldn't keep the interest of the young, urban buyers it so coveted. Sales suffered severely after the 2009 industry collapse and have failed to return to their 2006 peak. So much like the bearded 20-something that's finally realized an artisanal headcheese startup isn't going to pay the bills, Scion has finally introduced its first truly mainstream model, the 2016 iM. You already know the basics on the iM, courtesy of Managing Editor Steven Ewing's testing in California in June. But since there's little substitute for more mileage and extra time with the car, we ventured out to Michigan's second largest city, Grand Rapids, for a second look. The iM is exactly the kind of vehicle Scion needs right now. Ewing spent most of his time on California's beautiful winding roads, but our second go in the iM was much more sedate, consisting largely of freeway cruising and some city driving. In short, these miles backed up our original assessment: the iM is exactly the kind of vehicle Scion needs right now. But that's not without a few problems. We spent almost all of our drive time behind the wheel of the continuously variable transmission model which, in many ways is better than the six-speed manual-equipped car we originally tested. Toyota's CVT works well; it's on par with the industry's best. The transmission keeps the revs low and responds quickly to throttle inputs, but at the same time, the tach needle is quick to retreat when acceleration isn't demanded. The stepped nature of the CVT is a bit off-putting at first – it feels a lot more sudden on the "upshifts" – but it's easy to ignore. Weirdly, there are no paddle shifters, but you can still pick your "gears" via the floor-mounted shifter. The iM doesn't hate a little bit of fun. We played with the CVT's sport setting, and while we wouldn't recommend using it on a regular basis, we liked the way it kicked up the revs upon corner entry. The engine never felt flat-footed midway through a turn, giving the impression that the iM doesn't hate a little bit of fun.

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:

SEMA crowns Mustang, FR-S as this year's hottest cars in the building

After wrapping up the first day of the 2012 SEMA Show, organizers handed out awards for some of the trendiest vehicles on display. Since the whole point of SEMA is to show off new products available in the aftermarket world for use in cars, trucks and SUVs, each year, the show distinguishes the most popular vehicle in various segments. Not surprisingly, this year's Hottest Car and Hottest Sport Compact are the Ford Mustang and Scion FR-S, respectively, while the Ford F-Series brought home the Hottest Truck and the Jeep Wrangler was named the Hottest 4x4-SUV.
More than 2,000 companies are at this year's show, and the display booths represents a "vote" for each car to determing the trendiest vehicles in each of the four categories. It isn't clear if these awards also take cars brought by OEMs into account, but the Mustang and FR-S were definitely well represented by both OEM and aftermarket show versions.
As usual, the OEMs showed up in force at the this year's SEMA Show exhibiting a variety of cars ranging from production-intent cars like the beastly Ford Mustang Cobra Jet to much flashier rides like Scion's Carbon Stealth FR-S.