5 Things to Remember Before Upgrading Your Toyota to a Lexus

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Toyota and Lexus are of the same company. In fact, Lexus is simply Toyota’s luxury line of vehicles. Each one offers features that a different segment of the market is looking for. However, not everyone will benefit from upgrading from a Toyota to a Lexus model. According to Motor and Wheels, there are five different points to keep in mind if you’re contemplating stepping up to the luxury line. 

The Toyota and Lexus marketplace

The interior of a Lexus RX 450h | Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images

The Toyota brand produces vehicles that appeal to those looking for fuel efficiency and practicality. If you want a good-performing sedan, SUV, or truck that isn’t too expensive, you will find a winner within the Toyota line of products. 

However, if you’re in the market looking for a luxury vehicle that performs at a higher grade, you would turn instead to the Lexus brand. It comes with features that would appeal to the affluent wanting a posh ride instead of a work vehicle or a daily commuting model that you get with Toyota. 

Comparing performance

Both Toyota and Lexus are known for strong and reliable performance specs and features. Toyota and Lexus come with high-quality engines that are known for lasting a long time. Neither needs frequent service repair trips, generally, except for routine maintenance. 

However, the Lexus brand offers more than just powerful engines. In addition to a new sense of style, Lexus owners get luxury features to complement their vehicles. For example, the Lexus GS 350 provides a heated steering wheel and powered folding mirrors, which aren’t necessary for improving driving dynamics, but they offer a more luxurious experience. 

How do the Toyota and Lexus compare when it comes to safety?

Both brands are similar when it comes to safety scores. However, Lexus edges out Toyota by a hair. With the Toyota brand, you get its safety plus package, which offers active cruise control, automatic high beams, lane-departure warning, and forward-collision warning. 

Meanwhile, Lexus has a safety system package that gets you adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, pre-collision with pedestrian detection, intelligent high beams, and lane departure alert. Those few extra features put it out on top when comparing the two brands. 

How do the brands compare when it comes to price?

There’s a simple formula when comparing the prices of the two brands. Lexus makes high-performance luxury vehicles, and therefore you can expect the prices to be much higher than most of the sedans and SUVs on the market. 

That doesn’t mean the Toyota brand offers bare-bones structures, though. It just means Toyota models give you what you need for a more affordable price. As of right now, you can get the Toyota Yaris, a small subcompact car, for around $15,600. The most inexpensive Lexus model is actually an SUV, costing roughly $33,000, which is approximately double the price Toyota offers for its cheapest model. 

Is a Toyota more reliable than a Lexus? 

Both of these car brands are known for lasting a very long time. For example, some vehicles, like the Lexus RX, have gone well over the 300,000-mile mark and continue to keep going strong. Knowing that one of these vehicles can go that long, many consumers aren’t afraid to pick up a Lexus that already has 100,000 to 200,000 miles on it. 

The Toyota brand isn’t all that different when it comes to reliability. A Corolla, for example, is well-known for going way beyond 300,000 miles. It also doesn’t typically require a lot of repairs during its lifetime. Usually, an owner will pay for the normal maintenance of wear and tear on some parts, but the engine can go for several years if taken care of. 

Buying a Toyota gets you a good, reliable vehicle that’s likely to last quite a long time. However, if you’re willing to pay the extra money and would like to get a few features to enhance your purchase, there’s nothing wrong with upgrading to a Lexus brand instead. 

RELATED: Is It Really Worth Upgrading to a Lexus from a Toyota?

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Why Does Cuba Have so Many Classic Cars?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

July 2021 saw thousands marching in the streets of Cuba in anti-government protests. From Santiago to Havana, citizens of the Caribbean country voiced their anger at civil liberty restrictions, shortages of food and other basic goods, and how government leaders have allegedly mishandled the pandemic. Examine the background of recent news reports, and you may see many antique and classic cars. Why are there so many still-running classic cars in Cuba? Here’s what we know:

Citizen unrest in the Caribbean

An old American car in Havana | YAMIL LAGE/AFP via Getty Images

As the world watched events unfold, Cuban Defense Minister Alvaro Lopez Miera and President Diaz-Canel Bermudez blamed the U.S. for the protests due to trade sanctions placed on the nation and said they would “do anything” to end the protests.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken disagreed, explaining that any violence during demonstrations was clearly the fault of Cuban Communist Party First Secretary Miguel Diaz-Cane. Blinken also noted that the U.S. supports and will continue to support Cuban citizens who seek a government that respects their dignity and human rights, reported CNBC.

Havana, Cuba in the 1950s

The 1950s were Havana’s heyday. A decadent and permissive playground for well-heeled American celebrities, Havana was home to the Tropicana and other pleasure domes where notables such as Ernest Hemingway, Rita Hayworth, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando, and future-president John F. Kennedy cavorted.

However, hedonistic tourists weren’t the only ones spending money in 1950s Cuba. The local middle class enjoyed the good life, too. They shopped at Woolworth’s, watched American TV shows, and marveled at Hollywood movies in grand theaters. They also purchased and drove many American-made cars. The party lasted until the end of the decade when a young revolutionary lawyer named Fidel Castro came into power, says Vanity Fair.

Car sales restricted for decades

Shortly after Castro gained control of the island nation, a U.S. embargo banned the importation of American vehicles and the parts needed to maintain them. Since that time, Cubans who opted not to buy boxy, Russian-made Ladas used whatever parts they could scrounge to keep their fancy American cars cobbled together and on the road, explains Anywhere.

In the early years of his administration, President Barack Obama loosened many restrictions previously placed on Cuba by President Dwight Eisenhower. Today, Cubans are once again allowed to buy and sell cars among themselves, and some automakers such as Audi, Mercedes, and BMW offer new cars for sale in Havana and other Cuban cities. Unfortunately, most Cubans can’t afford them, so they continue to drive classic cars whether they are in good shape or not.

First American car sold in Cuba since 1959

In 2016, Nissan’s Vice President of Global Design, Alfonso Albaisa, introduced the first American-made car to enter the Cuban car market in nearly six decades. The Cuban-born Albaisa personally visited Havana to unveil the 2017 Infiniti Q60 coupe to an audience he described as intensely curious and deeply in love with automobiles.

Will Cuba replace its classic cars with modern-made vehicles?

So far, the mechanical wizards in Cuba have managed to keep some 60,000 pre-revolution cars on the road. Many of the classic cars still around in Cuba are family heirlooms that hail from as far back as the 1930s when Havana was all about gambling, glamour, and the good life. If embargoes are fully lifted, and Cuba is once again allowed to import parts, the chances are good that Cuba’s classic cars will remain on the roads for a good while longer.

Today, visitors to Havana can take their pick of classy, classic cars in which to enjoy a guided-by-the-hour tour. However, don’t think you can buy an old classic and take it home. As Anywhere explains, there are current laws that ban any cars from leaving the island.

RELATED: Why You Can’t Just Put Modern Tires on a Classic Car

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Like the 2021 Dodge Durango? You’ll Love the 2021 Hyundai Palisade

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The 2021 Dodge Durango and 2021 Hyundai Palisade are popular three-row SUVs that may leave SUV shoppers feeling torn between the two. The Durango comes with a longtime well-known name, yet the Palisade combines a good road test score, comfort, and safety ratings.

2021 Hyundai Palisade | Hyundai

The 2021 Hyundai Palisade is faster

The Palisade is quicker, which may be surprising to people. Consumer Reports gives both the 2021 Dodge Durango and 2021 Hyundai Palisade a 4/5 for acceleration. Yet while it takes the Durango 8.3 seconds to go from 0 to 60, the Palisade can go from 0 to 60 in just 7.1 seconds. 

The Palisade’s emergency handling is also better than the Durango’s. While routine handling in both is a 3/5, emergency handling in the Durango is just a 2/5 to the Palisade’s 3/5. The Palsade’s max avoidance speed is also better, at 53 mph to the Durango’s 48 mph.

The Dodge Durango gets a great 4/5 for its braking. It can brake from 60 mph on dry pavement in 134 feet and 150 feet on wet pavement. Again, the Palisade is better, though the difference is slight. They both get a 4/5, but the Palisade can brake from 60 mph on dry pavement in 132 feet and 137 feet on wet pavement.

The Durango’s third row is more comfortable 

Comfort ratings in the Durango and Palisade is very similar, but the third row in the Durango is better. The 2021 Dodge Durango gets a fantastic 4/5 for its ride, and a 5/5 for noise. Front-seat comfort is a perfect 5/5, while rear-seat comfort is a 4/5. Third-row comfort is a 3/5. On the other hand,  the 2021 Hyundai Palisade gets a 4/5 for its ride, a 5/5 for noise, and a 4/5 for front-seat comfort. Rear seat comfort gets a fantastic 5/5. However, the third row comfort is only a 1/5.

While both the Durango and Palisade get a 4/5 for interior fit and finish, and a 4/5 for trunk and cargo space, the Palisade has 47.5 cubic feet of storage space, while the Durango has 44.

The Palisade has more safety features

Consumer Reports recommends that new car shoppers look for forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking at city and highway speeds, lane-keeping assistance, and lane departure warning. Pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic warning are also important. Anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, and daytime running lights should come in new cars. Rearview cameras are now standard in all new cars. 

The 2021 Dodge Durango comes with disappointingly few of the safety features that Consumer Reports recommends. Only rear-view camera, anti-lock brakes, traction control, and stability control are standard in the 2021 Dodge Durango. Everything else is optional, with the exception of pedestrian detection, which isn’t even available.

On the other hand, the 2021 Hyundai Palisade comes standard with most of what Consumer Reports recommends. Automatic emergency braking for the highway isn’t available. Blindspot warning and rear cross-traffic warning are optional.  

Crash-test ratings in the 2021 Dodge Durango aren’t perfect. While the IIHS moderate overlap, side crash and roof crush are good, the front small overlap on the driver side is only marginal. There are currently no front small overlap, passenger side ratings, or rear crash ratings. 

The NHTSA gives the 2021 Dodge Durango four stars for overall crash, overall frontal-crash, and overall frontal-crash on the driver and passenger sides four stars. Everything else gets five stars, except for the rollover ratings. The 2WD rollover rating is four stars, while the 4WD rating is just three stars. 

Both the IIHS and NHTSA have crash-tested the 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The IIHS gives it all good ratings. The NHTSA gives it five stars for everything except for rollover. Both the 2WD and 4WD get four stars. 

If you’re looking at the 2021 Dodge Durango, you should certainly consider the 2021 Hyundai Palisade. It’s got everything the Durango has to offer, plus more. With its excellent road test ratings and better safety ratings, the Hyundai Palisade is the better choice.

RELATED: The Choice Between the 2021 Dodge Durango and 2021 Kia Telluride Is Clear

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Here’s Why the Kia Telluride Should Get a Hybrid Option

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Kia Telluride has earned many recommendations and accolades from the automotive establishment. Clearly, the basic formula works and there are enough options to please most buyers. However, the Telluride offers only one engine: a 291 hp 3.8-liter V6 shared with the Hyundai Palisade.

This direct-injection (GDi) variant of the Hyundai Lambda II engine family isn’t exactly bristling with power, but it’s responsive when pushed. Behind the wheel, it seems normal. Under the surface, it’s a seriously impressive piece of engineering and a prime candidate to become a hybrid.

Otto cycle and Atkinson cycle in one engine

Hyundai/Kia engine on display at the 2016 Geneva Auto Show | Harold Cunningham via Getty Images

Normal internal combustion engines use the Otto combustion cycle. It’s a tried and true four-stroke design that’s been the industry norm for decades. Until hybrids came about, that is. They often use a combustion sequence known as the Atkinson cycle. It’s more efficient than the Otto cycle, but makes less torque at lower RPMs. In a hybrid, electric motors can instantly compensate for the torque deficit as needed, so there’s no disadvantage.

The G6DN variant of the Lambda II engine in the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade has a unique extended-range variable valve timing system. Simply put, it has a rare ability to use the Atkinson cycle interchangeably with the Otto cycle. Meaning, it has the best of both worlds: maximum power when needed and efficiency the rest of the time. However, it also means this engine would be even more powerful and more efficient as a hybrid.

Why isn’t the a Telluride available as a hybrid?

Kia Telluride Concept on display the 2016 Chicago Auto Show
Kia Telluride Concept on display the 2016 Chicago Auto Show | Raymond Boyd via Getty Images

The initial 2016 Kia Telluride concept was a hybrid, with predicted highway fuel economy over 30 mpg. It had a 3.5-liter V6 with 270 hp plus a 120 hp electric motor, for a total of 390 hp. Such a configuration would make the Telluride more expensive, but vastly more capable. Acceleration would be better and towing capacity would be higher as well.

Unfortunately, that aspect of the concept Telluride didn’t survive the journey to a production vehicle. Launching a three-row SUV as a hybrid might have seemed too aggressive for the mainstream. But that was before electric Mustangs and F150s had become reality.

What’s next for the Telluride?

To be sure, the Kia Telluride will get some sort of powertrain upgrade in the coming years. As mentioned, a hybrid would make sense and the engine exists to make that happen. There’s also the latest generation of Smartstream V6s from Hyundai, with dual fuel-injection and turbochargers. Genesis already has access to those powerplants, and they are impressive, to say the least.

Kia could just as easily skip over the hybrid step, and go full electric for the next Telluride powertrain. Ford and most of the German car industry have already started down that path. Whatever happens, they’ve produced an amazing vehicle, and it would probably sell with just about anything under the hood.

RELATED: A Used Kia Telluride Costs More Than a New One

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