2003 Toyota Avalon Factory Navigation Low Miles on 2040-cars

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Toyota ready to design more heart-racing Prius

Long praised for its fuel economy and reliability, the Toyota Prius has been no stranger to less-than-flattering remarks about its styling and sense of excitement. In fact, the model is a regular movie punchline. For evidence, see Mark Wahlberg in The Other Guys or, more recently, Ice Cube in Ride Along. Apparently, Toyota President Akido Toyoda is getting the message and is pushing for what's been translated as a more "heart-racing" design for both the Prius and the Camry, the Canadian website Driving says. The Camry and Prius accounted for about a third of Toyota's US sales last year. With the Camry as the best-selling US model for each of the last dozen years, Toyota US head designer Kevin Hunter noted at the Detroit Auto Show last week that the Japanese automaker is looking for a "more emotional" design for the boxy sedan. The Prius redesign may have more constraints, as aerodynamics have to be factored in to ensure top-line fuel economy for the world's best-selling hybrid. Toyota used the Detroit show to show off the FT-1, a concept that many consider a preview of the new Supra. How this "Future Toyota 1" will affect the Prius and Camry redesigns, whenever they appear, remains in question but we like where things are headed.

Takata air bag recall list

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration confirmed yesterday that 33.8 million vehicles with Takata airbags are going to be recalled. It's the largest recall in automotive history. The already record-breaking rate of automotive recalls this year shows no signs of slowing down, especially since millions of cars with defective airbags made by global supplier Takata are under ongoing scrutiny. The federal government is warning owners that inflator mechanisms in the air bags can rupture, causing metal fragments to fly out when the bags are deployed. The faulty air bags have already been blamed for multiple deaths. How do you know if your vehicle is safe? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released an updated list of vehicles under recall. Sometimes however, the government's website will crash and the list may not be complete. Check your VIN at the NHTSA website to make sure. The list of cars affected by the recall has not been released, but seem to span multiple models over the years for many of the automakers.

Toyota Tacoma X-Runner dead

A report from last week indicated that Toyota will begin trimming models from its Tacoma lineup starting with the Regular Cab in 2015, but the popular pickup will lose its first variant even sooner than that. For 2014, the Tacoma X-Runner has been dropped, though the company's SR Package could fill the need of those looking for a sporty pickup.
The X-Runner has been around since 2005 with its lowered stance, aftermarket-look body kit and bright paint colors, all of which are offered available only on V6-powered, two-wheel-drive Access Cab Tacomas. The new SR Package sounds like it will offer a somewhat similar appearance, though, with a monotone exterior paint scheme in limited colors accented with smoked headlights, but it will only be offered on Pre-Runner and 4x4 models. Other changes being made to the 2014 Tacoma include a new wheel option with black finish, a wider variety of Entune multimedia features, and the option to have the backup camera display moved from the rearview mirror to the audio system head unit.