Scion IM From Concept to Production Version

Scion IM on 2014 LA Auto Show. Photo credits: http://carstatement.com/blog/2014/12/08/2016-scion-im-performance

Few weeks ago we saw the new Scion IM concept debut on 2014 LA Auto Show. On this link you can find full Scion IM review, together with some images from the show and quotes from Vice President of Scion in USA Dough Murta.
Enojy!
http://carstatement.com/blog/2014/12/08/2016-scion-im-performance/http://carstatement.com/blog/2014/12/08/2016-scion-im-performance/

2016 BMW X5 M Price, Interior, Performance, Insurance Rates

2016 BMW X5 M. Photo credits: http://carstatement.com/blog/2014/12/02/2016-bmw-x5-m-price/

We wrote a full review on one of the most interesting debut vehicles of last week's 2014 LA Auto Show. New X5 M model came with a great output boost and it is remarkably powerful for crossover vehicle. Other than that it also received a lot of cosmetic changes, plus its interior came with few refreshments as well.
In this review you can also read about how much tax deduction will you get if you decide to donate a used BMW X5 M model to charity, you can see average insurance rates for this model as well as girl's opinion about this car, that came from our regular beautiful associate.
Enjoy the review:
2016 BMW X5 M 
 

Link To A Complete List Of Models Affected By Takata Airbags Recall

On this link you can find a complete list of models affected by Takata airbags recall. This is one of the biggest recalls in recent automotive history and recalled models go from Japanese badges like: Toyota, Nissan and Honda to American and even European ones. Recall is caused by humidity that somehow got inside the airbags and it can cause propellent gases to explode. All the defected airbags come from Takata factory in Mexico, and since this case got into the media, Takata Corporation transferred all its orders to its factory in Germany.

Here you can find a complete list of models affected by Takata airbags recall:
Takata airbags recall, complete list of models

2014 LA Auto Show Debut Vehicles

2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350. Photo credits: http://carstatement.com/blog/2014/11/28/2014-la-auto-show-debut-vehicles-part-2/

In our main web site you can read our report from the LA Auto Show, you can see the photos of all debut vehicles with short summary explaining the differences between current and future models, and giving you all the vital information about the new vehicles. Check out these articles on these links:

2014 LA Auto Show Debuts Part 1

2014 LA Auto Show Debuts Part 2

2014 LA Auto Show Debuts Part 3

2015 Toyota Highlander Insurance Rates, Interiro, Exterior, Performance, User Manual Download etc

In this link to our main web site, you can find a complete review of 2015 Toyota Highlander with insurance rates, interior, exterior, performance, competition, price information, trivia, user manual download and girl's opinions on the new vehicle.

2015 Toyota Highlander. Photo Credits: http://www.thecarconnection.com/photos/toyota_highlander_2015

New generation Toyota Highlander received a lot of changes in its interior and exterior styling, and although it comes with the same engine options it still is one of the most popular vehicles in its class. Influences Toyota used in constructing this vehicle came from both Toyota SUVs and vehicles produced by other manufacturers that are in the same class with this model.

Here you can find a complete review:
2015 Toyota Highlander

2015 Toyota Land Cruiser Insurance rates, Performance, Exterior, Interior, Price etc.

2015 Toyota Land cruiser. Photo credits: http://carstatement.com/blog/2014/11/19/2015-toyota-land-cruiser-insurance-rates-interior-exterior-performance-price-etc/

On this link you can find 2015 Toyota Land Cruiser review. On the link you can also find 2015 Toyota Land cruiser insurance rates. This SUV is one of the best equipped, but also one of the most expensive vehicles in its class. It comes with great package of interior features, without any additional options since the cabin received everything it can get and the mighty off road capability that is one of the best in the class.
On the other hand this vehicle has very limited pulling capacity of only 6,000 pounds, because f its heavy construction, it is unbelievably expensive and forgot the word fuel efficiency when buying Land Cruiser, because there isn't any.

Here you can read the full review:
http://carstatement.com/blog/2014/11/19/2015-toyota-land-cruiser-insurance-rates-interior-exterior-performance-price-etc/

2015 Kia Sportage Insurance rates, Interior, Exterior, Performance Price etc

As you probably know already we opened another web site, on www.carstatement.com. So we decided to share all the full car reviews on both web site and a blog.
On this link you can find a review of 2015 Kia Sportage with insurance rates, exterior, interior, performance, price, trivia, link for downloading its user manual and the girls opinions on this vehicle.
2015 Kia Sportage

Photo credits: :http://www.thecarconnection.com/overview/kia_sportage_2015

2016 Chevrolet Impala

2015 Chevrolet Impala

Photo credits: www.cars.com



-...  prestige car within the reach of the average American citizen.-
Ed Cole, chief engineer of Chevrolet division from the 50's.

1959 Impala

Photo credits: allfordmustangs.com

 

Short History of Chevrolet Impala

Impala is one of the most famous model from all GM divisions. It is a full-size sedan produced by Chevy from 1958. It debuted in 1956, as a concept car on the General Motors Motorama,one of the most famous TV auto shows of that time. First production version was made on Chevrolet's A body platform and it was designed by Clare MacKichan and her team of Pontiac designers whose platform caught an eye of Harley earl, who was GM styling vice president. First Impala was different from the rest of much more conservative full-size sedans made by Chevrolet, it was lower and wider and it was classified as top of the line Bel Air coupe and convertible. Impala rose to prominence in mid-sixties when it became the best selling full-size sedan, in competitive market, since back then this was the most mainstream  class. It was competing with rivals such as: Ford Galaxie 500 and Plymouth Fury. Chevrolet Impala Caprice was the top trim level of the sixties Impala range until in 1965 Caprice was made into a separate higher performance model. Impala was produced until 1983, when it was replaced with Chevrolet Caprice Classic sedan. In 2000 Impala was reintroduced, and since then it became one of the best selling large sedans. It is also ranked as one of the most affordable large cars. Accept in United States it is also sold by Chevrolet Canada, Mexico and various Middle East Chevy divisions.

2014 Chevrolet Impala on the road

Photo credits: Motortrend.com

 

2016 Chevrolet Impala Related News

 

Chevrolet Impala Limited police car

 

Chevrolet Impala Limited

2016 model year is going to be the last year of Impala Limited production, which is the old version Impala that's going to be based on GM Epsilon E platform and sold only as a fleet vehicle. This version's popularity among fleet buyers is the reason of this continuation. Impala Limited will be produced in Oshawa plant in Ontario and its story resemblance the one of old Malibu whose production was continued after this vehicle's redesign. 

2015 Chevrolet Impala SS

Photo credits: Topspeed.com

Chevrolet Impala SS Performance Model

There are a lot of rumors online about new performance oriented high-end vehicle is going to replace current Chevrolet Impala SS.  Since the whole Impala line became little bit too much of a family car and totally neglected its rebel reputation from the sixties, this is probably going to be an attempt to win over the younger crowds into liking this sedan again.

Impalas at Oshava plant in Ontario, Canada

Photo credits: cbc.ca

 

Oshawa plant closure- Impala moves back to Michigan

GM plans to close its Oshawa plant in Ontario, Canada. This will have consequences to all of the Chevrolet Canada produced models including Impala, that's being assembled in this plant. Chevrolet Impala's production lines are going to be moved to Michigan in 2016 and the assembly plant which employs more than 3,500 workers and which won prestigious  J.D. Power Silver Plant Assembly Line Quality Award last year is going to be closed. This move mostly has to do with large decrease in sales of GM vehicles in Canada, that now control only 12,5% of the Canadian car market, which is an almost 10% drop from 22,4% that GM hold in the third quarter of 2008.

2015 Chevrolet Impala CNG

Photo credits: motortrend.com

 

Bi-fuel Impala

From 2015 model year Chevrolet division started producing bi-fuel models. 2016 Chevrolet Impala bi-fuel version will be able to run on both gasoline and CNG and together with bi-fuel Honda Civic it is going to be the only car like this that's produced in the United States.

2014 Chevrolet Impala in the dessert surroundings

2014 Chevrolet Impala on Auto Show

Photo credits: motortrend.com

 

 

Exterior, Interior, Performance, Price etc

We still haven't find any information about how this model is going to look or what features it is going to come with. Accept everybody predicting a major redesign in 2016, nobody knows what is going to be changed exactly. We definitely think that new model's price is going to stay the same or it will only come with a minor increase, since this car is labeled as the most affordable large sedan, and that's just part of its image since the 50's. 2015 Chevrolet Impala can be bought from $27,535, for the lowest LS trim level up to the $36,580 for the highest LTZ trim level with 3,6 liter V6 engine.
Last Impala model came with the most spacious trunk in its class, quality materials used in making its interior and a praised 3,6 litreV6 engine that offers high performance and nice acceleration. If GM is going for some major change in this model they should definitely replace the base model's four cylinder engine, with something stronger, because in last few model years most of the reviewers were advising buyers to skip base level engine and go straight for the V6.

2015 Kia Cadenza

2013 Chrysler 300

Photo credits: thecarconnection.com

 

Other Possible Options

Traditionally main rivals of Chevy Impala are Dodge Charger, Ford Taurus and Nissan Maxima. Since we usually try to find some other alternative competition, we would add Kia Cadenza to this group. as well as Chrysler 300.

1958 Chevrolet Impala commercial

Photo credits: plan59.com

 

 

Statement

Older Imapala models are one often seen on the hotrod and low rider gatherings and are basically the type of car that's been driven by the people who love their Impalas more then they love their mamas. Since these models have a true gangsta look it is very popular among these type of people, plus the wannabes, especially on the West Coast. Newer Chevrolet Impala models are much more common and ordinary than the ones from the sixties. Driving a 2014 Chevrolet Impala tells that you are a person who likes as much luxury as it can afford, that you are someone who is hedonist on the one side and practical and economic person on the other. Probably the perfect combination of all three.

Stevie's Impala in American Graffiti

Doughboy and his Impala from Boyz in da Hood

Kobe Bryant's Impala

 

Trivia

Impala got its name from the Southern-African antelope and it owns one part of its popularity to its unusual name. Since it is one of the most popular cars in the country Impala was seen in many movies. It played the main role some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters like American Graffiti where it was a Stevie's car driven by Terry the Toad. It was also seen in Batman Begins with Tim Burton, as no other but the Batmobile itself, with customized body made on the Chevrolet Impala's chassis. My favourite movie Impala is the one from Boyz in da Hood, driven by Doughboy (Ice Cube). There are a lot of celebrities who drive this car, but they usually choose the older models, some of them are: Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Kevin Dorsey from the Green Bay Packers and a lot more celebrities have old Impala models in their fleets. In popular culture Impala is also known as the car which was driven by the murderer of Christopher George Latore Wallace a.k.a. Notorious B.I.G.

What Do Girls Think About Chevrolet Impala?

Girls adore Impala drivers, especially the older models. Newer models also got some positive reviews from the girl I showed its pictures to, especially the red Chevrolet Impala SS. One girl told me she adors the newer model from the photo I shoved her, but she also said that it looks great in red color and she's not really sure how it would look in some other color. Another girl from Russia told me that the 2014 Chevrolet Impala looks catchy, respectable and elegant. Girls that I showed the older models to, especially the ones from the sixties were so crazy about them that they would hop into the back seat of any of those cars in no time, especially if they see a convertible. So old Impala is definitely the right car to cruise around the city on the hot summer nights.

 Photo credits: Lowrider.com

 

 

 

 

2016 Ford F150 SVT Raptor a.k.a. Ford Raptor

2015 Ford Raptor (Ford F150 SVT Raptor)

Photo credits: www.topspeed.com

 

Short history of Ford Raptor

Ford's F Series is the most popular series of pick up trucks on the American market, since forever. These Ford trucks have been around since 1953 , and in last 32 years F150 truck is the best selling vehicle in the United States, while it's been the best selling pick up truck in last 43 years. This hotshot received another version in 2010, that's been designed for the toughest off-road terrains. This vehicle is called Ford F150 SVT Raptor, but is colloquially known as the Ford Raptor.

2016 Ford F150 SVT Raptor spy photos from testing in Michigan

Photo credits: Autoguide.com

 

2016 Ford Raptor Overview

New model is caught testing few times this year. These mules were taken to some though off-road terrains in the South-Western desserts, with their hood and front fascia covered. Spy photographers also witnessed about different engine noise, so there's maybe going to be some changes in performance segment as well.

2016 Ford F150 SVT Raptor spy photos from the dessert

Photo credits: Caranddriver.com

 

Exterior

Ford Raptor that was caught on camera in South-western desserts as well as on city rides in Michigan state comes with several exterior changes. Since front fascia and hood are covered we can expect something big under the sheets. If we saw it right, the contours of the grille that can be seen under the cover doesn't come with large Ford sign, that comes with previous Raptor models. It looks like a new model comes with a regular Ford badge, same as the other Ford trucks. If this turns out to be true, it will probably be one of the biggest mistakes in this model's design, since the big Ford sign on the grille is something that this vehicle is famous for. Another big change when it comes to the new model is it is going to come with aluminum body panels in 2016 model year. This will decrease its weight and make it much more fuel efficient. 2016 Ford F150 SVT Raptor might also come with new shocks, since spy photographers noticed that on the new model these didn't come with familiar blue-chrome color combo.

2013 Ford F150 SVT Raptor interior

Photo credits: Topspeed.com

 

Interior

There are still no photographs of Ford Raptor's interior.e expect some teaser photos to come out later this year so stay tuned.

2013 Ford F150 SVT Raptor

Photo credits: fordtruckclub.com

 

Performance

While taking photos of the new Ford Raptor model,spy photographers were intrigued by the sound coming from a vehicles engine. It wasn't the regular 6,2 liter V8 engine. It rather sound like a new EcoBoost is installed under this truck's hood. We are still not sure about which EcoBoost engine exactly is going to replace the old V8, but we think it is going to be at least 3,0 litre big.

2011 Callaway Silverado

RAM 1500

Other Possible Options

Ford F150 SVT Raptor is definitely something new on the market, since is the only performance truck available in United States (maybe even in the whole world). We expect a fast answer from main F Series competitors, especially RAM and Chevy. RAM will probably launch performance version of its RAM 1500 and we also expect some performance oriented Chevrolet Silverado, until we see it the only vehicle from Chevy line up that maybe can compete with Ford Raptor is a Callaway Silverado.

Photo credits: Kbb.com

 

Price and Release Date

Price and release date of 2016 Ford F150 SVT Raptor are still unknown. Release date might come very soon, some online reviewers even think that the new model is going to be revealed on this fall's Los Angeles Auto Show. If not it is definitely going to be presented on the 2015 Detroit Motor Show and its sales will start in the end of same year, maybe a little bit later by Ford Canada. With the new updates and engine change this vehicle is definitely going to be more expensive than last year's version, that could be bought for 50 G's.

Statement

People simply don't understand truck enthusiasts. Truck offers you freedom. It can go both on and off road, carry big cargo, climb hills, some can even go through shallow river beds. Isn't this just great? Of course it is. Truck owner is a free man or woman. Unfortunately all this is not really well perceived by the hipster chicks. They tell you stuff about the pollution and the planet, and blah, blah, blah... They don't know that the factory that makes their Buddy Holly glasses is much more dangerous to the environment than these four wheel drive puppies. On the other hand there are a lot of girls and people in general that feel the truck vibe, and that won't think you are conservative , only because you drive a ford truck. Since Ford F150 is the best selling vehicle in United States, there are plenty of truck lovers to hang out with.

Ryan Sheckler using his Ford Raptor as a skate ramp

Photo credits: celebritycarsblog.com

 

Trivia

Since this is the most popular American truck it had a lot of movie and series appearances. Also some really famous people love their custom Ford Raptor trucks. Bubba Watson drives a bulletproof one, than there's George Kottaras from Cleavland Indians,  Jesse James who sure knows his rides also choose custom made Ford Raptor, skater Ryan Shackler who often uses his ride as a skate ramp, Heidi Klum was also seen in this vehicle, Prince Jackson, Scott Disick from Kardashians, race drivers Ken Conway, Ken Block and Tanner Foust, singer John Mayer and probably a lot more celebrities that we don't know about. Ford Raptor is a real celebrity truck.

What Girls Think About Ford F150 SVT Raptor?

Girls that I asked about this vehicle, liked it a lot. Thank good I haven't got too many hipsters on my Facebook friends list. They noticed all the conveniences of this truck, from spaciness to its off-road capability. One girl told me that this truck is something she would like to have, because it is a vehicle that is perfect for adventure trips, and despite its mean look it still comes with some family friendly note. My friend from North Carolina, that is in my opinion the most competent girls when it comes to auto world, on my Facebook friends list, said that this is an affordable truck, great for mud slinging and it is a vehicle that she would definitely like to try out.

On this link you can find more thorough review of the new Ford Raptor:
http://carstatement.com/blog/2014/10/19/2016-ford-f150-svt-raptor-k-ford-raptor/

2016 Chevrolet Camaro

1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS

 Photo credits: www.gtspirit.com

 

Short History of Chevrolet Camaro

Chevrolet Camaro is one of the most legendary American cars. It was first built in 1966, as a pony car to compete with Ford Mustang. First models shared platform with another famous pony car of that age called Pontiac Firebird. It was revealed on the big press conference in Detroit on which 14 cities were hooked up via telephone lines, which was first time in history somebody did that. First generation Chevy Camaro was produced from 1967 until 1969 and it was available in two body variants, as a convertible and as a coupe. Camaro had 8 years pause in its production, since after fourth generation its sale stats decreased due to the sports car deteriorated market and its powerful Mustang rival.

2016 Chevrolet Camaro spy photos

Photo credits: Motorauthority.com

 

2016 Chevrolet Camaro Overview

New Camaro will come with a new chassis and it's spy photos leaked for a few times, with and without camouflage, it also comes with a new four cylinder engine in the base model.

2016 Chevrolet Camaro spy photos

Photo credits: www.hotrod.com, kgp spy photography

 

Exterior

New Camaro is one of the first GM vehicles from Chevrolet division that's going to receive Cadillac chassis. Same one that we saw on Cadillac CTS and ATS model. This chassis is going to become little longer and narrower in the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro. Although it sounds like this leads to some major exterior changes, actually new model is not going to look that different. So the good old broad-shoulder stance and gun-slit windows that we are used to, are here to stay.

2014 Chevrolet Camaro SS

Photo credits: www.thecarconnection.com

 

Interior

Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang went far when it comes to interior styling and comfort. Together with the rumor about the new Cuda, this means that Chevrolet will need to bring some interior refreshments to stay competitive among other popular pony car models. Interior of the new Camaro hasn't been revealed yet, but we expect something radical and futuristic.

3,6 litre V6 from Chevy Camaro

Photo credits: www.gmauthority.com

 

Performance

Camaro is famous for its wide engine range and 2016 Chevrolet Camaro is going to be no different. Biggest update in the new model will be the introduction of the four cylinder engine in its base version, that's going to boost Camaro's fuel economy. Also since we're talking about turbocharged engine, it is going to come with at least 272 horsepower if Chevy decides to take current CTS and ATS models. Some of the more powerful engine options will be the old 3,5 liter V6 and v8 engine that is able to produce 426 horsepower. These engines will be paired with automatic or manual transmission.

2016 Subaru BR-Z

2015 Dodge Charger

Photo credits: www.autoblog.com

 

Other Possible Options

Ok, we all know that you expect to see Ford Mustang and Dodge Challenger in this section, but instead we will try to find some other sport coupes with similar performance and price. Definitely one of the most affordable and powerful sport coupes is the new Subaru BR-Z. In stead of choosing Challenger, we looked at the new Dodge Charger and realized that with its impressive performance and price of little bit above $26,000 it can surely fit in this class.

Photo credits: Tunerzine.com

 

Price and Release Date

Release date of the new Camaro will probably come in the end of 2015. Price is not out yet of course, but we think the new model is only going to come with a minor increase. Last year model's price goes from $23,705 for an LS trim level, up to a 72,305 for a Z/28 version that comes with 7,0 liter V8 beast under its hood.

Jay Leno drives a Camaro

Statement

Camaro is a typical blue collar sports car. Depending on the trim  level it is mostly driven by the blue collar wannabes or real pony car enthusiasts. Second group doesn't  give a fuck about their image or the statement their car make. Luckily for the blue collar wannabes girls and people who are not much into cars still consider this model as an upscale sports car, although it can be bought for only 20-something k. So either you work in Pizza Hut, docks or a shady bar, when you enter Chevy Camaro, you become a prosperous young (or little bit older) yuppie whose time has come. We all know the promiscuous girls like that, so enjoy, while you can and thank your Camaro after every successful hunt.

Bumblebee

Trivia

Lot of celebrities drive Chevrolet Camaro, some of them are: Jay Leno, James Hatfield from Metallica  used to drive one, Patrick Willis from SF 49ers, Victor Martinez from Detroit Tigers, Asdurbal Cabrera from Cleveland Indians, David Bechkam, Lebron James, Drumma Boy, Lil Boosie, Nate Clemens and Tiger Woods etc. Some people say that Brad Pitt drives Camaro SS. Camaro has also been a star in many Hollywood movies. Some of the most famous ones are: Once a Thief, Remember the Titans, Summer of Sam, Fast and Furious and Gumball Rally. There's also a comic book, cartoon and movie hero called Bumblebee, from Transformers saga. Unfortunately Chevrolet Camaro is star of one more film, this time a documentary feature from director Werner Herzog, that tells a sad story about two young men who killed 3 people and wounded several police officers in an attempt to steal a red Camaro from one of the victim. This documentary feature is called Into the Abyss and it won BFI Award on 2011 London Film festival for the Best Documentary.

What Do Girls Think About Chevrolet Camaro?

Most girls think that this car looks like its the fastest car ever made. They love it, they want you to take them for a spin and they are not taking ''no'' for an answer. Those are most of the ''normal'' girls out there, and there are the girls I know. Girls I talked to while writing this review have a lot of complaints on Camaro's design and people who own it. One girl told me that she doesn't like its front fascia and that its sharp edges in the front doesn't go well with skirt and high heels she likes to wear. Other girl told me that this is the car that's mostly driven by the rich kids and old geezers. Well, at least she proved my point about girls thinking this car is actually expensive, and not knowing it is one of the cheapest sport coupes on the market. Anyway it is little bit odd to find out that not all girls like guys who drive sport coupes. Maybe future Casanovas will drive mini-vans? This is a weird world!

Here you can find comparison of 2015 Ford Mustang and 2015 Chevrolet Camaro

2015 Ford Mustang vs 2015 Chevrolet Camaro

2015 Toyota RAV4

2015 Toyota RAV4

Photo credits: www.thecarconnection.com

History of Toyota RAV4

Writing about history of this vehicle's production is like writing about history of the whole crossover class. RAV4 been there from the day one, since is the first crossover vehicle ever made. Crossover class was made to combine useful features from SUV vehicles like: off-road capability, increased visibility and a lot of cargo space with useful features of compact cars like: maneuverability, fuel economy and finding your parking spot easier. This vehicle has all that since it was made in 1995. Back then it was labeled as a mini-SUV and based on Toyota Corolla platform. Only two years after its first release it won Car of the Year award from Automobile Magazine. Later number of crossovers on the market increased and this type of vehicles for their own class. This vehicle is offered in two variants, whit a short or long wheelbase. First variation is sold in Europe and Japan while the second is sold in US an Canada.

2015 Toyota RAV4

2015 Toyota RAV4 Overview

When the first Toyota RAV4 came out it was a mini-crossover, later it got much bigger and it grow to the size of large family crossover. Since 2013 this vehicle is returning to its roots and its size drastically decreased which lead to some unpopular solutions like taking out the third seat row and V6 engine. These steps were made to clearly separate vehicle's in Toyota crossover class, since larger RAV4 looked lot like a larger Highlander. Since the V6 engine is taken out from this vehicle's line up it falls little bit behind some of its rivals like: Ford Escape or Subaru Forester XT, when it comes to performance.

2015 Toyota RAV4

Photo credits: www.thecarconnection.com

Exterior

During RAV4's production this model managed to wipe out all of the SUV exterior features and become a proper city boy, meant for transporting your family from point A to point B. Since 2013 this vehicle comes with a lot of lines that we saw on some other Toyota vehicles like Toyota Venza. Even the beloved sspare tire from the rear bumper found itself a more conventional spot under the trunk floor. This cutting of all the SUV features made this vehicle loose a lot of its original style and character, but on the other hand it became more popular among boring middle class families, while true fans of this vehicle were left a little bit disappointed, since the new model looks almost like a tall hatchback.

2015 Toyota RAV4 Limited interior

Photo credits: www.thecarconnection.com

Interior

Interior design of Toyota RAV4 looks just awesome. It has the best cabin design in its class. Toyota took some inspiration from the 80's SUV interior designs, like two tone stitched and padded upholstery that goes across the midline. After this funky design knocks you down, next thing you notice are the materials, that are not as good as the styling itself. New model comes with tones of hard plastic, which is little bit too much for our taste. While the cabin has the same size as the one from last year's model, it looks significantly bigger because of the smarter layout. While base and other less expensive versions come with cloth upholstery, Limited trim level comes with synthetic leather upholstery, that looks really nice, but it still can't be compared with a real leather. Rear seat can be folded and it is very easy to access. It is a little bit flat which can be a bit annoying during longer rides. Front seats in higher trim levels come with heating and more support. Trunk space is very generous, and trunk comes with standard liftgate that can be adjusted to lower garages and open only halfway. LE is the lowest trim level and it comes with radio, CD player, air conditioning and 6,1 inch LCD display. XLE, which is the second higher trim level comes with dual zone climate control, push button start, leather wrapped steering wheel and SofTex upholstery and dashboard trim.Limited is the highest trim level and it adds JBL audio system with 11 speakers, Entune app connectivity and Satellite radio.

Toyota RAV4 engine

Performance

2015 Toyota RAV4 comes with improved handling and all wheel drive that's much more focused than before. Unfortunately V6 engine is not part of its line up anymore. It comes with four cylinder engine that delivers 176 horsepower and it is paired with six speed automatic transmission. It can reach 60 mph in little bit less than 9 seconds. This is almost everything that this model offers when it comes to performance. It is obvious here that Toyota gave much more attention to economical side of RAV4's powertrain.

Mazda CX 5

2015 Hyundai Tucson

2015 Kia Sportage

Other Possible Option

Crossover class became one of the most popular ones in recent years and although Toyota RAV4 was ruling this class just decade ago, now it comes with a lot of serious rivals such as: Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5 and Kia Sportage.

Price and Release Date of 2015 Toyota RAV4

This is not an expensive SUV, no matter which trim level you choose, neither one is going to cost more than $30,000. Prices go from $23,680 for base LE trim level to $28,450 for Limited trim level. You will need to pay $1,400 extra for the all wheel drive. Limited trim level is little bit overpriced, but LE and XLE which cost $25,240 offer good value for money.

Toyota RAV4 Statement

Times when SUV was a status symbol are over even in some Eastern European countries. To be honest we are all revealed because of that since now real off-road enthusiasts are not going to be perceived as lame assholes who buy cars to pick up gold digging girls. Crossover drivers are similar to people who like SUVs, just they are little bit too old or little bit less interested in the outdoors. Crossover drivers are successful, they usually already have families and they go to nature every or every second month. Crossover is a nice vehicle, but maybe not nice and premium enough to make some hottie simply jump on your back seat, like in that Youtube clip when guy picks up girls with Lamborghini while being speechless.

Tom Hanks and his beloved Toyota RAV4 EV

Trivia

RAV4 stands for Recreational Active Vehicle with four wheel drive. This vehicle was seen a lot of times on big screen, in movies and series like: The Good Guys, Criminal Minds, Third Watch, Bones, Bridge etc. It was hard to find celebrities driving this car, but we found ut Tom Hanks, believe it or not drives Toyota RAV4 EV, which is an electric hybrid version of Toyota RAV4.

Toyota RAV4 on Auto Show in Kiev, Ukraine

What Girls Think About Toyota RAV4?

Some people would say that this is a girls car. Most of the girls that we asked about this vehicles noticed soft lines and told us this vehicle looks cute, that they imagine going to some road trip with their girlfriends with it and similar stuff. One girl told us that when a guy buys an SUV he wants something bumpy and big, on the other hand this ride is the exactly what would she wanted to have in her garage. One other girl told us that this vehicle looks very off-road capable and has a nice design. Last girl told us that this ride looks dangerous and powerful, which is completely different than all the other answers and we're now totally confused. :)