2003 Toyota Avalon Xl Sedan 4-door 3.0l No Reserve! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Minivan Comparison | Sienna vs Odyssey vs Pacifica vs Sedona

The minivan segment is fresher than it's been in years, possibly decades. The 2021 Toyota Sienna is a completely redesigned model with a bold new look and standard hybrid powertrain. Both the Honda Odyssey and Chrysler Pacifica were refreshed for 2021 with updated styling, upgraded tech, and in the case of the Pacifica, newly optional all-wheel drive. Only the 2021 Kia Sedona soldiers on without changes; it's still a solid van despite its advanced age and relatively few people buying it.  Usually when we put a comparison like this together, we have to pick and choose which vehicles to include (mostly because we can't do some 15-car spreadsheet without utilizing 4-point font). In the case of minivans, there are only four. That certainly makes it easier to research and cross-shop in person without worrying that you might be missing out on something. It also makes it a bit easier to go beyond the usual spreadsheet and dig a little deeper than normal into the competitors. Let's take a brief look at each. 2021 Toyota Sienna The Sienna is completely new for '21 after going a decade with only updates. Its exterior style is more expressive than before, but it's the new cabin that really impresses — it's far more car-like in appearance, but still offers the expected amount of abundant storage and functionality. Mechanically, the big news is that every Sienna is now a hybrid. Though down a bit on power compared to everything else, its 36 mpg combined (or 35 mpg with all-wheel drive) crushes everything but the Pacifica plug-in hybrid. This exceptional fuel economy and its far-sliding, big-kid-friendly second-row seats are its main selling points, but in every other respect, it's fully competitive.  Read our full 2021 Sienna Review 2021 Toyota Sienna View 41 Photos 2021 Chrysler Pacifica The Pacifica gets its first comprehensive set of upgrades since it was all-new for '17. The front end has been restyled, all-wheel drive is now an option and there's a new Pinnacle range-topping trim. The big news, however, is its technology offerings. Every Pacifica now comes standard, as the Odyssey and Sienna do, with a comprehensive array of driver assistance technologies. Every trim also gets Chrysler's latest UConnect infotainment system with a larger, 10.1-inch touchscreen and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Would you pay $17 a month to give your older Ford connectivity?

When it was first introduced in 2007, there was nothing like the original Ford Sync system, since it allowed car owners to connect and use a portable device better than anything that came before it. And because it was a brought-in/tethered and software-based system, Sync leveraged a device's connectivity and was easily updated. It took competitors awhile to catch up: Toyota Entune wasn't available until 2011, and Chevy MyLink didn't roll out until 2012. But now Ford is the one playing catchup since it stuck with the brought-in strategy while most other automakers were quicker to add connectivity via an embedded cellular modem. Ford initially installed 2G/3G modems in its small fleet of electric and plug-in electric vehicles starting in 2012 so that owners could keep tabs on charging. Embedded connectivity came to Lincoln in 2014, and Ford began adding onboard 4G LTE via Sync Connect to select cars starting with the Escape in 2015. To get more cars connected more quickly, last week the automaker rolled out its FordPass SmartLink solution that plugs into the OBD port of 2010 to 2017 model year vehicles. This lets owners retroactively get onboard Wi-Fi, set up a "geo-fence" to keep tabs on a car's location, receive vehicle health reports and allows remote engine starting and door locking/unlocking using a smartphone app, among other features. But to connect older Ford vehicles will cost owners $16.99 a month for two years, not including installation. Ford throws in 1 GB of data or a 30-day trial, whichever comes first, after which owners have to add the vehicle to their Verizon shared data plan, which supplies connectivity for SmartLink, or establish a new account. (Disclosure: Autoblog is owned by Verizon.) By comparison, GM's 4G LTE data plans start at $10 a month for 200 MB and goes up to $30 for 3 GB, and owners can also add a car to an AT&T shared-data plan. But OnStar doesn't have a separate monthly subscription for the embedded modem or an installation charge, and standard features via the RemoteLink Mobile App are free for the first five years of ownership. FCA's Uconnect Access service also uses an embedded modem to provide similar telematics features for $20 per month following a free one-year trial, while a la carte in-car Wi-Fi is offered for $10 per day, $20 per week or $35 per month.

Toyota reveals latest autonomous tech test bed

Toyota revealed its latest autonomous technology effort Friday, a sophisticated Lexus LS 600hL prototype that showcases its plans to advance in the emerging field. The Lexus is the first developed entirely by the company's in-house Toyota Research Institute and it will focus on the car's ability to learn and see behavior on the road. Toyota is showing the car at the Prius Challenge event at Sonoma Raceway. The Lexus uses Lidar, radar, and sensors, which potentially reduce reliance on mapping. The prototype advances Toyota's last concept vehicle shown at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2013. This one is said to be more flexible and it will focus on Toyota's two autonomous tech pillars, called Guardian and Chauffeur. Guardian is meant to improve safety features, while Chauffeur moves toward full autonomy. "We believe Guardian can probably be deployed sooner and more widely than Chauffeur, providing high-level driver-assist features capable of helping mitigate collisions and save lives, sooner rather than later," Toyota Research Institute Gill Pratt said in a statement. Related Video: Green Lexus Toyota Autonomous Vehicles Luxury Sedan lexus ls