2005 Toyota Rav4 Base Sport Utility 4-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ford F-150 Raptor, Nissan Pathfinder and Frontier, and Cadillac Blackwings | Autoblog Podcast #663

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by News Editor Joel Stocksdale and Associate Editor Byron Hurd. It's a packed show this week, and the three dive straight into the week's truck loads of news, starting with the unveiling of the Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing variants, followed by the 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor and the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder and Frontier. Next, they move on to what they've been driving. For Byron, that means more trucks. Lots and lots of trucks. Joel recently spent some time behind the wheel of a Bronco Sport, and the three discuss its merits as both an off- and on-road crossover. From this, they segue into a "Spend My Money" featuring Senior Producer Chris McGraw's neighbor, who acquired an older Forest Service Bronco and wants tips on what to do with it.  Autoblog Podcast #663 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown News 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, CT4-V Blackwing bring big performance back to the brand 2021 Ford F-150 Raptor revealed, packing EcoBoost power, coil suspension and factory 37s 2022 Nissan Frontier enters the modern midsize truck world with big redesign 2022 Nissan Pathfinder debuts with fresh new duds, no more CVT What we're driving: 2021 Ford F-150 2021 Nissan Titan Pro-4X 2021 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related Video:

Asian automakers still reluctant to use more aluminum

There's a logical progression of technology in the auto industry. We've seen it with things like carbon-ceramic brakes, which use to be the sole domain of six-figure sports cars, where they often cost as much as an entry level Toyota Corolla. Now, you can get them on a BMW M3 (they're still pricey, at $8,150). Who knows, maybe in the next four a five years, they'll be available on something like a muscle car or hot hatchback. Aluminum has had a similar progression, although it's further along, moving from the realm of Audi and Jaguar luxury sedans to Ford's most important product, the F-150. With the stuff set to arrive in such a big way on the market, we should logically expect an all-aluminum Toyota Camry or Honda Accord soon, right? Um, wrong. Reuters has a great report on what's keeping Asian manufacturers away from aluminum, and it demonstrates yet another stark philosophical difference between automakers in the east and those in the west. Of course, there's a pricing argument at play. But it's more than just the cost of aluminum sheet (shown above) versus steel. Manufacturing an aluminum car requires extensive retooling of existing factories, not to mention new relationships with suppliers and other logistical and financial nightmares. Factor that in with what Reuters calls Asian automaker's preference towards "evolutionary upgrades," and the case for an all-aluminum Accord is a difficult one. Instead, manufacturers in the east are focusing on developing even stronger steel as a means of trimming fat, although analysts question how long that practice can continue. Jeff Wang, the automotive sales director for aluminum supplier Novelis, predicts that we'll see a bump in aluminum usage from Japanese and Korean brands in the next two to three years, and that it will be driven by an influx of aluminum-based vehicles from western automakers into China. Only time will tell if he's proven right. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Sean Gallup / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Honda Hyundai Mazda Nissan Toyota Technology aluminum

2014 Toyota Corolla shows its new Euro-spec nose [w/poll]

After tons of teasing, Toyota finally unveiled the all-new 2014 Corolla in the wee hours of the - at least to those of us here in the Midwest. The fresh new face of the US-spec car takes a number of cues from the Camry and Avalon sedans, and in S trim with the large alloy wheels and blacked-out front fascia, we'd even venture this is the most boldly styled North American Corolla to date (faint praise as that may be).
Of course, our friends in other markets will also be getting fully updated versions of the Corolla as well, and here, we're getting our first glimpse at the European-spec car, complete with a very different front fascia that, at least in this trim, seems to take a more conservative design approach. A quick poll of the Autoblog staff shows that we're torn as to whether or not we prefer this European look to our North American-specific car, but at least in the sporty-ish S trim, we think the Americans may have got the better end of the deal.
The Euro-spec Corolla actually shares a lot of its design with its larger platform-mate, the Auris, a car that we don't - and likely won't - get in the States. Inside, the European Corolla looks basically the same as the NA car, and while market-specific engines and specifications haven't been released yet, it's expected that the Corolla will share much of its dirty bits with the European Auris, as well.