2023 Toyota 4Runner: Still a Champion in the SUV World

One of the best and most popular SUVs of all time continues to show why it is deserving of high praise. The 2023 Toyota 4Runner, with seating for five, is spacious enough to haul people and cargo, but not too large to fit in average parking spaces and garages. Add to that the fact that it has long enjoyed outstanding reliability ratings, and you see why the 4Runner could be considered king of SUVs. 

The 4Runner has a maximum cargo capacity of 89.7 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down, great for hauling a bike, golf clubs or small or medium-sized pieces of furniture. 

It comes in eight trim levels: SR5, TRD Sport, SR5 Premium, TRD Off Road, TRD Off Road Premium, 40th Anniversary, Limited and TRD Pro.

Under the hood, the 4Runner features a standard 4.0-liter V-6 engine that makes 270 horsepower and is linked to a five-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive is standard, with four-wheel drive optional. 

Fuel efficiency for the 4Runner is rated by EPA as 16 mpg city/19 highway. 

The 4Runner offers a smooth ride and plenty of head room and leg room for passengers. 

Pricing for the 4Runner starts at around $41,000 and ranges to around $56,000. 

Among traditional SUVs, it's hard to beat the Toyota 4Runner. 

2023 Nissan Frontier: For Work or for Play, It Can Get the Job Done

 

Midsize pickup trucks have always been popular because of their versatility and the idea that they're a little easier to drive (and fuel up) than full-size trucks. With that in mind, we took a look at the 2023 Nissan Frontier. 

The Frontier got a redesign last year, which featured more athletic styling and less chrome. The Frontier comes in two cab sizes: King (which seats four) and Crew (seats five). Crew models also come with a choice of short or long bed sizes as well.

Three trim levels are available: S, SV and PRO-4X.

Under the hood is a standard 3.8-liter V-6 engine that makes 310 horsepower and is linked to a nine-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive is standard, with four-wheel drive optional. Fuel economy for the RWD Frontier is estimated by EPA to be 18 mpg city, 24 highway. It drops a bit to 17 and 22 for the 4WD Frontier.

You'll enjoy a pretty comfortable interior in the Frontier, even in the Crew cab with seating for five. The cargo space of the bed also comes in handy when you're trying to tackle projects around the house, or even if you're just headed out on a road trip and want to pack a bike or some golf gear. 

Pricing for the Frontier starts at around $30,000 and ranges to around $40,000.

For a light-duty truck that can handle a good workload and still provide a little comfort and style, the Nissan Frontier is a strong choice. 

What's the Deal with Electric Vehicle Tires? We've Got Some Answers

 

As electric vehicles continue to grow in popularity, consumers face a deluge of perspectives about the EV ownership experience and requirements. In a vehicle category rife with early-adopter excitement, there’s also a fair share of confusion and misinformation, especially about EV tires. To address these questions, we've put together some information from a variety of sources that you may find helpful.    Question No. 1 – Do EVs really need special tires?  Yes and no, depending on the owner’s performance and safety priorities and expected usage. Here are four basic categories.   Original Equipment EV Tires –EVs are factory-fitted with original equipment (OE) EV tires designed to meet the vehicle manufacturer’s requirements, with a specific focus on EV range and efficiency. While EV range among vehicle brands and models continues to increase, range anxiety remains a focal point mainly due to a still-growing EV charging infrastructure.   “These tires often use efficiency-focused compounds and lower molded tread depths to maximize efficiency and range,” said TJ Campbell, tire information and testing manager for Tire Rack. “EV OE tires also may have a sound-absorbing foam layer to keep certain frequencies at bay. And the tire’s internal structure may have more robust materials or increased lateral support to handle the force of an EV’s increased weight.”   EV-Focused Tires – There are tires that aren’t designed for a specific auto manufacturer application but are designed from the start to meet EV applications. These EV-focused tires may target some specific OE applications, but since they’re not original equipment the tire manufacturers can focus on their performance goals rather than the vehicle manufacturer’s requirements.   Hybrid Design EV Tires – Tire manufacturers may take an existing tire and make changes for EV use (add foam, modify the tread pattern, focus on noise reduction, modify internal structure or use lower rolling resistance compounds).   Conventional Tires – There is no rule stating that an EV owner has to use tires designed for EV applications. Any tire that meets the vehicle’s load, speed, pressure and size requirements can be installed on an EV.

“EV OE tires also may have a sound-absorbing foam layer to keep certain frequencies at bay," said TJ Campbell, Tire Rack tire information & testing manager. "And the tire’s internal structure may have more robust materials or increased lateral support to handle the force of an EV’s increased weight.”   Below: Tire Rack added Tesla Model 3 EVs to its test fleet earlier this year to collect important data through both real-world driving and testing on the its track at its South Bend, Ind., headquarters. The attributes that make a tire a good tire don’t change based on the vehicle’s propulsion. Whether EV or a traditional internal cumbustion engine (ICE) vehicle, drivers need confident dry, wet, and winter traction and want comfort, ride quality, efficiency, and good tread wear. But tires designed for EVs may be better suited to deliver what many EV owners come to expect, such as optimized range and efficiency and minimal noise and vibration. Question No. 2 – So EV range and efficiency is No. 1. How do tires affect these qualities? Three things can affect your EV’s range and efficiency: tire rolling resistance, tire wear and weather.   Rolling Resistance – This is the force needed to keep tires rolling, and rolling resistance varies among tire models. Generally, the OE-spec tire delivers the optimum range and is the safe bet if range is the priority. In private testing of OE EV tires vs. popular replacement market tires, the replacement tire showed an 11 percent drop or 34-mile reduction in calculated range, yet the replacement tire also showed significant increases in performance in dry, wet, and winter conditions.    Wear affects range – As tires wear, mass decreases and compounds harden, and the force needed to keep them rolling decreases. Simply put, range increases as tires wear and rolling resistance decreases. Great, right? Not exactly. The tire’s performance and grip also decrease, so there is a safety tradeoff. It’s common to see EV range drop with new tires, even the exact same brand and model. Private testing showed a 27-mile increase in range with a worn tire compared with a new tire. Replacing a worn set of high-efficiency OE tires with new tires could decrease range by 15 to 20 percent, but again it’s a range vs. increased performance and driving safety tradeoff.   Weather also affects range – EV owners know that running the heat when it’s cold and the AC when it’s hot robs battery power and affects range. However, outside and road surface temperatures, as well as rain, can affect range, too. Rain often comes with wind, requiring more energy to move the vehicle, and calm rain also decreases range because it takes more power to move the tires through the street surface water. Private testing showed a 27-mile drop in calculated range in dry vs. wet testing. Even if dry, cold temps can impact range. Experts tested the exact same tire in 36 and 61 degree outside temperatures and recorded 235 and 292 miles in calculated range, respectively, further indicating that weather and conditions do impact a tire’s range efficiency.   And there’s more – Another factor to consider is driver behavior. Whether an EV or an ICE vehicle, aggressive acceleration, cornering, and braking will increase tire wear and structural stress, along with reducing range or miles per gallon (MPG). The attributes that make a tire a good tire don’t change based on the vehicle’s propulsion. Whether EV or ICE, drivers need confident dry, wet, and winter traction and want comfort, ride quality, efficiency, and good tread wear. But tires designed for EVs may be better suited to deliver what many EV owners come to expect, such as optimized range and efficiency and minimal noise and vibration. Question No. 3 – Do EV tires wear out faster than non-EV tires? Yes and no. Tires on EVs tend to wear out more quickly than when installed on a comparable ICE vehicle. So it’s not that EV tires wear faster but rather that tires wear faster when installed on an EV. The commonly quoted figure in the tire industry is 20 percent less wear life with an EV vs. an ICE vehicle.    And different factors contribute to this wear, such as an EV’s increased weight vs. a comparable ICE vehicle, and also changing driving habits related to an EV’s instant torque and acceleration. Again, according to Campbell, there are tradeoffs. “If you have a tire that’s hyper focused on efficiency and therefore range, it might sacrifice wear, among other desirable characteristics.”

Blue Stone Arts and Music Festival: Sandy Springs Shows its Fun Side

 

Sandy Springs, Ga., recently hosted the Blue Stone Arts and Music Festival. It brought together a variety of artists, musical acts and of course, food trucks. The event was an ideal family outing or great for a date night. 

2023 Lexus NX 250: Appealing Styling, Solid Driving Dynamics

 

The 2023 Lexus NX is a luxury crossover that offers appealing styling and solid driving dynamics.

The NX features four powertrains, starting with the base NX 250, which has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 203 horsepower. The NX 350 has a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder that makes 275 horsepower. The NX 350h, a hybrid model, has the 2.5-liter engine linked to two electric motors for a combined output of 240 horsepower. There is an NX 450h+, another hybrid, that includes a third electric motor and a lithium-ion battery to make 302 horsepower. 

The standard transmission is an eight-speed automatic. The hybrid models come with a continuously variable automatic. Front-wheel drive is standard on the NX 250, and all-wheel drive is optional; the rest of the lineup gets AWD standard.

Fuel economy for the base 250 is estimated at 21 mpg city, 28 highway, according to EPA. 

On the inside, a 9.8-inch infotainment system is standard, while an optional 14-inch touchscreen comes bundled with a three-year trial of Lexus’s Drive Connect services, which include Intelligent Assistant, cloud-based navigation and Destination Assist. Also standard are Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. New standard safety features include collision-avoidance steering assist and left-turn oncoming-vehicle detection and braking. Other standard safety features include automatic emergency braking, lane-centering steering, lane departure steering assist, road sign assist and adaptive cruise control. 

Pricing starts at around $43,000 and ranges to around $51,000. 

For a stylish crossover that has a nice list of amenities, the Lexus NX is worthy of serious consideration by vehicle buyers. 

Fort Chiswell Animal Park: Where the Deer and the Antelope (and Many Others) Roam

 

AAE recently went on a safari in the hills of southwestern Virginia, at the Fort Chiswell Animal Park in Max Meadows, Va. If you're an animal lover, this is a great place to visit. It offers free parking, a picnic area and snack bar. Tickets can be purchased in the gift shop, with no reservations required. Shown above is an antelope, one of many species featured in the park. 

Our visit came on a hot day, so many of the animals chose to get into the pond to cool themselves. Shown above, in the distance, is a hippopotamus and some bison soaking in the water. 

This ostrich did not seem to mind the heat and could be seen strutting all over the grounds as if checking to make sure everything was in order. 

This monkey resided in the petting zoo section of the park, however visitors are not permitted to pet the monkeys, as they can be very dangerous. 

These llamas also reside in the petting zoo section, and are more than happy for you to feed them food that can be purchased in the gift shop, and they'll let you pet them as well. The petting zoo also features deer, antelope, alpacas and pygmy goats. 

This camel was resting in the heat of the day, after reportedly having been fed quite a bit throughout the afternoon. He is one of the oldest animals in the park. The larger animals (those not residing in the petting zoo section) can be seen from the tour bus that takes visitors throughout the multiple-acre park. This allows the animals to roam freely. The bus tour takes 45 minutes to one hour. 

For more information about the park, click here. 

2023 Toyota Sienna: People Hauler with a Touch of Style

 

With seating for up to eight passengers across three rows, the 2023 Toyota Sienna is a great people and cargo hauler. But it's a minivan, right? Yes, but toss out those notions of frumpy, mom-mobiles. The Sienna actually has cool styling. 

The Sienna comes in six trim levels: LE, XLE, XSE, XSE 25th Anniversary, Limited and Platinum. 

Under the hood, there is a 2.5-liter V-6 engine that makes 245 horsepower and is linked to an electronically controlled automatic transmission. 

Front-wheel drive is standard on the Sienna, with an option for all-wheel drive. 

Fuel economy is rated at an impressive 35 mpg city, 36 highway. 

On the inside, the Sienna offers a spacious 101 cubic feet of cargo space. The interior also features some cool amenities such as Bluetooth connectivity, six USB charging ports, power driver’s seat, and tri-zone automatic climate control, all standard. 

The 60/40 split third row seat stows into the cabin floor, which helps provide that ample cargo space.

Pricing starts at around $37,000 and ranges to around $54,000.

For a great people- and cargo hauler with a little bit of style, it's hard to beat the Toyota Sienna.