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The Ford Explorer has long been a family favorite in the SUV market, but as consumer priorities changed from “recreational capabilities” to “passenger hauling” the Ford Explorer lost some of its customer base to competing crossover vehicles. Last year the Ford Explorer switched from a truck based SUV to a car based crossover platform and the results have been impressive. New for 2012 is an optional four cylinder turbo charged engine that has the performance of a 6 cylinder and the gas mileage of a four cylinder. Long gone is the heavy truck based body on frame construction. The new 2012 Ford Explorer features a carlike unibody chassis that results in a smooth, refined crossover feel. The 2012 Ford Explorer is available in three trim levels. Here is a review of the models and specs.

• Base- Standard equipment includes cruise control, 17 inch steel wheels, six way power driver seat, roof rails, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, privacy glass, integrated blind spot mirrors, MyFord trip computer, and a six speaker cd sound system with auxiliary audio jack. The standard engine is a 3.5 liter V6 that puts out 290 horsepower and 255 pound feet of torque. Front wheel drive and a six speed automatic transmission are standard. The turbo charged 2.0 liter “EcoBoost” four cylinder engine is optional on all front wheel drive models which produces 237 horsepower and 250 pound feet of torque. The two wheel drive V6 engine achieves and estimated 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. The optional turbocharged four cylinder however, achieves 20 mpg city and 28 mpg highway. Standard safety equipment includes trailer sway control, front side airbags, side curtain airbags, stability control, traction control, and MyKey, which allows parents to specify limits for vehicle speed and stereo volume. For insurance the 2012 Ford Explorer earned a top rating of “good” from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety.

• XLT- Adds automatic headlamps, fog lamps, leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, 18 inch aluminum wheels, rear parking sensors, upgraded cloth interior, keyless entry code pad, Sync, and satellite radio. Option packages offered for the XLT include the “Rapid Spec” suite that adds dual zone climate control, rear view camera, and an eight speaker sound system. The “Driver Connect” package includes an auto dimming rear view mirror, MyFord touch electronics controls, and the Sync services upgrade. The “Next Level Rapid Spec” package includes all the former but adds heated front seats, leather interior, an eight way power driver seat with power adjustable lumbar support, and a six way power passenger seat. Stand alone options available on the 2012 Ford Explorer XLT model include a blind spot warning light system, dual panel sunroof, tow package, rear seat entertainment system, power lift gate, and a navigation system. All other standard safety equipment remains the same.

• Limited- Combines the XLT “Rapid Spec” equipment with 20 inch alloy wheels, remote start, 110 volt power outlet, keyless entry/ignition, and a 12 speaker Sony sound system with HD radio. Two additional “Rapid Spec” packages add a navigation system, ventilated front seats, power lift gate, power folding third row seat, and an eight way power passenger seat. The “Safety Focused Rapid Spec” package includes adaptive cruise control, blind spot warning system, automatic wipers, collision warning and brake support, inflatable seatbelts for second row outboard passengers, automatic parallel parking system, and xenon headlamps. All other standard safety equipment remains the same. Please consult the Ford online auto brochure for more details.

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Washington — BMW AG said it will recall 241,000 2002-05 3 Series sedans to replace potentially faulty rear lights. The models include the BMW 325I, 325XI, 330I and 330XI built between 2001 and 2005.
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We’ve got the first official photos and summary of changes for the updated 2012 Toyota Tacoma.
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BreAnn Ahara, one of our newest reviewers at MotherProof.com, wrote this 2012 Toyota Camry preview. Toyota put on quite a show Tuesday when it launched the all-new 2012 Toyota Camry. The automaker unveiled the family-friendly sedan on a movie set at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, within a miniature musical number that would make Broadway proud. The new Camry was driven out with banners flying, bands playing and choreographed dancers dancing. The amount of fanfare was somewhat shocking, considering that the new Camry looks similar to the Camry most of us already have in our driveways. The exterior is slightly more angular, but most people wouldn’t recognize it as a new body style if they saw it on the road today. Along with a slight exterior change comes a price change. Toyota is lowering the price of five of the eight available trim levels. The LE model sees its price drop $200, to $22,500. The premium XLE gets a $2,000 drop, to $24,725 — a 7.5% decrease! Quality and safety features in the 2012 Toyota Camry include 10 standard airbags, which nobody else in the midsize segment can claim. Also available are backup and blind spot monitors. The all-new Camry has an estimated fuel economy of 25/35 mpg city/highway and 28 mpg combined. The more powerful SE and XLE have an estimated fuel economy of 21/30 mpg and 25 mpg combined. The Camry Hybrid touts an impressive 43/39 mpg and 41 mpg combined. I drove the new Camry around Los Angeles, including a trek onto Griffith Park’s curvy and steep roads. The Camry hugged the curves nicely and made short order of the steep hills. Also, the sedan was able to keep the ride smooth, quiet and comfortable, something I’ve come to expect from a Camry. Toyota says the 2012 model’s interior is roomier than in previous years, but the overall exterior size did not change. During my test drive, the interior felt comfortable and spacious. But let’s face it: Without two car seats in back, most seats appear spacious. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on one of these for a week to load it up with car seats and strollers to truly put Toyota’s claims to the test.
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Ford and Toyota said today they will work together on developing gas-electric hybrid systems for pickup trucks and SUVs.
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Honda Motor Co.’s reputation for world-class manufacturing may belie a slipping emphasis on design just as the automaker’s North American factories are preparing to return to full production.
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Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus, set to lose its position as the top-selling U.S. luxury car brand after 11 years, is revamping its line to regain sales lost to Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG’s BMW.
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While the redesigned BMW 6 Series has more rear legroom for the 2012 model year, we found that it wasn’t enough to fit some rear-facing child-safety seats. We tested the 650i, a four-seat soft-top convertible. The 6 Series also comes as a coupe that seats four. For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide 30 rear-facing infant-safety seat, a Britax Roundabout convertible child-safety seat and Graco high-back TurboBooster seat. The front seats are adjusted to a comfortable position for a 6-foot driver and a 5-foot-8 passenger. The three child seats are installed in the second row. The booster seat sits behind the driver’s seat, and the infant seat and convertible seats are installed behind the passenger seat. We also install the infant seat in the second row’s middle seat with the booster and convertible in the outboard seats to see if three car seats will fit. If there’s a third row, we install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible. Here’s how the 2012 650i did in MotherProof.com’s Car Seat Check: Latch system: The BMW 650i has two sets of lower Latch anchors in the rear seats. The anchors are difficult to use because the seat bight, where the back and bottom cushions meet, is really deep, and the large seat bolters get in the way. The inboard Latch anchors were more difficult to use than the outboard anchors because there’s not as much clearance around the inner anchors. Like many convertibles, the 650i doesn’t have tether anchors. Booster seat: The fixed head restraint kept our high-back booster seat from resting against the rear seatback. While the seat belt buckles are on stable bases and just high enough for kids to use independently, the seat belt was positioned behind the booster seat, which could be difficult for a child to grab. Convertible seat: The combination of the deep seat bight, fixed head restraint and the seat-bottom cushion angle made it nearly impossible for us to install the forward-facing convertible. When in the forward-facing position, our Britax convertible doesn’t fit in the 650i. Other car seats might fit better. With the rear-facing convertible, we had to move the front passenger seat forward a few inches to create enough room in the second row. The front passenger had just enough legroom to sit comfortably. Infant-safety seat: We managed to get the rear-facing infant-safety seat to fit, but to do so our front passenger had to move her seat so far forward that her head was too close to the windshield and her knees were pushed against the glove box. How many car seats fit in the second row? Two Editor’s note: For three car seats — infant-safety seat, convertible and booster seats — to fit in a car, our criterion is that a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle. Parents should also remember that they can use the Latch system or a seat belt to install a car seat.
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The 2011 Sienna has been completely redesigned this year but is still similar in size to the previous year’s body style and can seat seven or eight passengers. An AWD model is still available but Toyota has introduced a few new changes. A new 4 cylinder engine, available recliner seating for the second row, split screen monitor for the rear entertainment system and a six speed automatic transmission. There are five trim levels available, the LE and XLE come in seven and eight passenger configurations while the Base and Limited are seven passenger only. The SE is eight passenger only. Below is an overview of all the trim levels.

Base Model-Includes dual sliding rear doors with power down windows, full power features, 17 inch alloy wheels, telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, four speaker CD/MP3 stereo system with an auxiliary audio jack, and triple zone A/C. The new engine is a 2.7 liter inline four cylinder that produces 187hp and 186 pound feet of torque. According to their online auto brochure the mileage is rated at 19mpg city and 26mpg highway. Standard safety features include stability control, windshield de-icer, ABS disc brakes, traction control, front seat side air bags, driver knee air bag, and full length side curtain airbags.

LE 4 Cylinder-Adds heated side mirrors, steering wheel audio controls, a 3.5 inch backup monitor, privacy glass, and an 8 way manual drivers seat. All safety features are standard and engine specs are the same.

LE V6- Adds power sliding side doors, auto dimming rear view mirror, roof rack, second and third row sun shades, bluetooth, six speaker audio system, satellite radio, USB port, IPod jack, and front seat power lumbar support. The engine is a 3.5 liter V6 that produces 265 horsepower. The mileage for the front wheel drive is rated at 18mpg city and 24mpg highway while the AWD option is rated at 16mpg city and 22mpg highway. All safety features are standard.

SE-This sporty model adds more aggressive styling with leather wrapped steering wheel, fog lights, larger air intake, lower body skirting, 19 inch alloy wheels, and tinted head and tail lights. The stereo system is the base model stereo with six speakers. All safety features are standard and the engine specs are the same as the LE V6. Not available in AWD.

XLE- This trim level adds a power lift gate, sunroof, triple zone climate control, metallic gray grill insert, tow prep package, leather interior, wood grain trim, heated front seats, and a power driver’s seat. The AWD version comes with second row lounge type seats with foot rests. Front and rear park assist is optional on this model. All safety features are standard and the engine specs are the same.

Limited- This top of the line plush model features power folding side mirrors, dual sunroofs, 18 inch alloy wheels, two tone leather interior, leather and wood steering wheel, satin chrome grille, keyless ignition, 10 speaker JBL surround sound stereo system, keyless entry, second row lounge seats, power folding third row seat, front and rear park assist, and driver seat memory settings. Available in AWD, all safety features are standard and the V6 engine specs are the same.

Notable available options are adaptive cruise control, rear DVD player, xenon headlights, navigation system with back up camera, and rain sensing wipers.

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