Isn't marketing great? /s Well Toyota's going to have two wagons in their lineup - Crown Signia and bZ Woodland. It's been a long time since they've had one, never mind two. Hope they do well enough to keep around for Gen 2. Yeah I got that difference between RON and AKI. I do recall that Mazda had to lower the compression ratio when the built the NA versions of the Mazda3 (and I guess CX-5 by proxy) because of the premium fuel requirement (I recall the compression ratio was as high as 14:1? I can't remember what they lowered it to). So that's probably why you saw results that said "recommended". Did we get the diesel? I know there was talk for the longest time but I don't think it ever made it over. (It was supposedly for the Mazda6). Possibly. Toyota's D4S system is direct and port injection to reduce that scenario.
Yep, my daughter's Hyundai Palisade is a GDI engine so I've told her to use Top Tier fuel and to do regular Italian Tuneups to blow out that soot and junk in there. I've also switched the motor oil from Mobile One to Valvoline Restore and Protect...hoping that helps. (Also switched our older Toyota's to the Valvo R&R.)
I think "wagon" is subjective, as they look more SUV than wagon to me. Car and Driver calls the bZ Woodland "a More Wagon-Like Shape." The bZ Woodland is also 6 inches taller than my Avalon. Let me know when they come out with a real wagon, like a Camry or Corolla wagon. And no, I don't consider the Corolla Cross a Corolla wagon.
In Japan and Europe, it's called the bZ4X Touring and "Touring" is the term Toyota Europe uses for their wagons (e.g. Corolla Hybrid Touring). Yeah it is lifted a bit. I think it's more like the Subaru Outback. Subaru does have its version called the Trailseeker in North America and e-Outback in Europe. I consider the Outback a wagon (albeit a lifted one since it traditionally was based on the Legacy wagon). Man I like that 6 wagon. So stylish.
I think I started the "Mazda size" thing in an earlier comment... I was referring to the idea that Mazda makes... cars. So they may be out there developing cool new engine technologies, but about all they can do to sell it is put it in... cars. Whereas Honda for example has other markets- if a given technology isn't quite suitable for cars, they can try it in motorbikes, or outboard marine engines, or ATVs, or lawnmowers, for example. Toyota similarly makes things for industrial machines- fork trucks, municipal buses and more. Mazda just has cars. I too am sad that the 6 wagon is gone. I really like my 6 sedan, it's a nice consolation prize. But that too has been discontinued, and once ours needs to be replaced I think it'll probably be a Camry or a Sonata taking up that space in the garage.
Just a word of caution; I've noticed that Kia & Hyundai has a steep depreciation curve. If that doesn't matter to you, great. The Camry tends to hold their value better over time and they only come in a hybrid flavor now. Hopefully PHEV in the near future or bring back the Camry wagon..... I've noticed that Venza and Sigma floors are pretty high and kinda limits the vertical box space. I prefer something deeper; like the old Sienna rear cargo area that goes way down.
Our Prius c replaced a Hyundai Accent. We loved that car. It had a few more problems than the Prius has given us, but all of those problems were easy and inexpensive to fix, and that car was a fair bit cheaper to buy. Having rented both, I know the Camry is the better car- but our past experience with Hyundai is strongly indicative that the Sonata would be good enough.
Possibly. It is something that has improvement over time since DI was first developed. The Outback has it, and I plan to get their tool to flush solvent through the intake system. The CR was 1:14, and it was lowered for the US because the AKI premium didn't match up with the RON premium of elsewhere; the octane rating was too low for that compression ratio. The 1:13 they lowered it to seems to be the limit for DI engines here. Knock sensors and computer control means premium fueled engines are just recommended on the octane. For models where premium is bad for sales, they'll just say regular, like the 1.4 turbo that was in my Sonic. Required premium is only seen on few cars, and with most of those, it's because the engine was designed for octane higher than premium, and adjusting down to regular beyond the adjustment range. Retail premium in a supercar is like giving it regular. Apparently it doesn't help enough for particles as hoped though. They also call that Crown an Estate in Japan. But they also call the sedan Crown we get a crossover, with there being an actual sedan model that is shorter in height. I do think of my Outback as a wagon, but it is lifted with styling becoming more SUV over the years. The Signia is like that. The Corolla wagon looks a Corolla car, and not like the baby Rav like the Corolla Cross does. The bZ4X didn't start as a car though. Mazda had a limit on resources. They could do the revolutionary development of the SkyActiv suite(goes beyond engines) and hybrids at the same time. Since they already had the expertise in engines and transmissions, they chose that route. When they needed a hybrid for external reasons, they had to go to Toyota or Ford. Some of their resource might have also gone to getting away from Ford. Mazda does have their own hybrid system now. Sounds like a parallel one.
Yep, Leadfoot and doesn't Kia/Hyundai still give new cars a 10-year/100,000 mile warranty? When bought used, though, they drop it down to 5-years/60,000 miles....maybe that's the reason for their retail price drop?? We are eager to see what mid cycle model refreshes will be in the 2027 Tundra and Tacoma. Toyota mechanics are, already, seeing engine part changes for the troublesome V35A V-6 engine in the Tundra so hopefully they get the engine issues taken care of.
If you pay a little more for a "certified used", Kia/Hyundai; Most dealerships will cover the power-train for 7 years or 100K miles from the date it was originally first sold. Of course that liability is rolled into slightly higher "certified" price. My understanding in those V35A engines was insufficient cleaning of machining debris, but that's also the excuse used by Hyundai, Ford, GM and Stellantius. If they are making physical changes; there's obviously more to the story.
Toyota went dual injection along with electric motor intake valve timing and hydraulic exhaust timing for various reasons. Dual injection to solve direct injection's carbon buildup which previously required walnut blasting to effectively clean without disassembly. The upgraded variable valve timing along with dual injection delivered an Atkinson cycle engine which can provide low end torque, huge hp with battery support (well over 300 hp in a Rav4 plugin) and excellent mpg in a heavy suv. All of this does complicate the powertrain tremendously yet Toyota has not had problems with it in more than eight years of sales on a high volume platform, now including the gen5 Prius. Wagon vs Suv? I think a wagon is a vehicle that rides and drives like a car but has expanded space in the back, while a true Sports Utility Vehicle is a descendent of a Jeep with some offroad capability, space and at least an option for awd. A wagon has low ground clearance and will scrape on a pothole. A suv has good ground clearance and can at least drive over a curb. So a Prius v is a wagon. Toyota never called it a wagon but remember how Priuschat would automatically insert "wagon" into posts? In fact Toyota improved the ride on a v wagon with pitch and bounce control and used 16" tires with more sidewall. Meanwhile the Rav4s always rode rougher and had more ground clearance.
Yeah, double the injectors for starters. What's their motivation for dual injectors, maybe a few tenths of a mpg? Addendum: Google's AI response (to "why are auto manufacturers using port and direct injection instead of just port injection") lists various benefits.
