By John G.

Up, Down, and Sideways

Up:

-Toyota fit and finish, inside and out: flawless. Classy interior. No rattles or squeaks.
-The 4.0L V6 is a very strong motor.
-Good cockpit ergonomics, even for tall drivers. Steering wheel tilts and telescopes.
-Simple stereo and climate controls.
-Reasonably comfortable rear seats, unlike most double cab pickups.
-Real 4WD: two-speed transfer case and locking rear differential.
-Full size spare tire.

Down:

-Spongy brakes.
-Offroad package suspension feels stiff and a bit vague on the road.
-Large turning circle.

Sideways:

-Big. Not a compact pickup anymore. Not even close.

Takeaway:

-If you need a pickup with serious off-road capability, this is the civilized choice.

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By Kurt Gensheimer

Blings:

• Wider, longer and bigger
• Toyota durability
• More powerful 4.0 V6
• Car-like interior
• Extremely versatile and offroad capable

Dings:

• Wider, longer and bigger
• Minor interior nitpicks
• Still drives like a truck, albeit a mannerly one

Ruling: The size may have changed, but Toyota trucks will still outlive your mortgage.

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by Natasha M.

Pros
Driveability
Safety features
Storage

Cons
Engine power
Expect to pay more for added upgrades & amenities

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by Natasha M.

Test driving the new 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid on a sunny day through downtown streets and on the highway proved to be more pleasant than I expected. The car definitely lived up to its renowned traits of reliability and quality. But what surprised me was the new look Toyota achieved with this hybrid model. On the outside, the new look is actually more refined than the standard Camry design. The dazzling grill surprised me because I don’t believe I’ve seen it on other models and with this much extra chrome. They even carried it through to the lower bumper valance that is usually left behind.
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Yesterday I got the rare privilege to tour the Dinan R & D facility in Morgan Hill and meet the mastermind behind the operation - Steve Dinan. The knowledge gain about Dinan’s business operations and Steve’s personality was invaluable and a great learning experience.

It was an incredible tour while trying to absorb all the daily activities that take place at Dinan. From the design and testing of new products to the in-house manufacturing capabilities, I was impressed by the amount of work involved to produce and sell a world-class product. Dinan’s basic philosophy is to build and sell a product that is straightforward to install and improve a car’s performance without any compromises or sacrifices. This means that your car is going to run better than when it came from the factory with no issues after the product is installed and no check engine lights.

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Model: 2007 Toyota Camry Solara Sport
Review by Kevin Bowe

Pro’s

• Easy to drive
• Smooth V6 power
• Plenty of leg room in rear

Con’s

• Horrible visibility with the top up
  
• Interior not up to expectations of a $30k car
  
• Side to side vibrations while driving

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The following review was written by contributing editor Twain Mein.

This is a brief review of a 2007 Toyota Corolla CE. The Corolla in CE trim offers a lot of practicality and value for the money with fantastic gas mileage; claimed 32 city, 41 hwy. The 5-speed we tested was a base model that stickered at little over $15,000. For that, you get a car that offers a quiet ride, room for four, a large trunk and excellent gas mileage.

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by Francis Cebedo

Well what do you know… one of my good cycling buddies turns out to be the GM of Dinan Mountain View. Dinan is one of the premier BMW tuners in the US. And since the Mini Cooper is owned and produced by BMW, Dinan has a host of upgrades for the Mini Cooper S.

I call up the GM and we talk about some options. I research the Dinan upgrades and there is nothing but great things about them. R&D, performance, quality, service are all top-notch. They’re not cheap but their upgrades are not hacks or experiments. Everything is designed to work together as an optimized and reliable system.

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By Francis Cebedo

The Mini Cooper S is one of the best handling cars around. The steering is very quick and accurate. The car is low to the ground, lightweight and there is little overhang weight in front of the car and the rear of the car.

To steer the Mini Cooper S into a corner is to experience automotive nirvana.

But it can be improved. Easily! So I hear, so let’s put it to the test. The two upgrades involved today are the H-Sport lowering springs and the R-Speed rear sway bar.

The H-Sport lowering springs lower the front and rear of the car by 1 inch. This is important since the front of the car is already low and lowering it much more will compromise suspension travel too much.

Again, my friend Sean from Sunnyoaks Muffler was up to the task. He installed the springs and it came out perfect. The stance of the car is now perfect with the dreaded wheel-well gap reduced. The handling of the car is improved as the car just rails through corners with authority.

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By Francis Cebedo

So I can hardly hear the exhaust on this car. That needs to change. I find out my exhaust of choice, the Borla Sport is $900 plus installation. That’s not good!Then I find out there’s mod floating around enthusiasts and it’s called the one-ball exhaust mod. The Mini Cooper S has two muffler balls that work in series. The modification is to cut off the first ball, the resonator and just go direct to the muffler. It makes it louder, saves weight and increases power.

Here’s my compilation of the info from NAM.

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