2016 Toyota Prius Powertrain and Chassis Details Revealed (Mostly)

We got a warm, cozy feeling after learning more about the 2016 Toyota Prius—warm like the car’s improved exhaust-heat-recirculation system and steering wheel with a heat-absorbing synthetic fabric. Or was it the cup of coffee we just drank?

Either way, Toyota has detailed the fourth-generation Prius’s powertrain and chassis—although not on every point—ahead of our drive of the car next month. Here’s what we now know:

For starters, the 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder carries over its output ratings of 98 horsepower and 105 lb-ft of torque, although Toyota says it has completely re-engineered the engine. Among the improvements: A higher-capacity exhaust-gas-recirculation system, new intake ports, redesigned coolant passages, and lower-friction piston skirts, and it also now uses a lower-viscosity oil.

The electric drive motor is smaller to save weight and to fit within a smaller transmission case, but it also loses a few ponies and pound-feet. It’s now rated at 71 horsepower and 120 lb-ft, compared to the current model’s 80 horsepower and 153 lb-ft. As we heard last year, this motor will be supplemented by one of two battery packs: a nickel-metal-hydride unit in entry-level models and a more-powerful, more-energy-dense lithium-ion pack for top trims. Toyota shifted the battery from the cargo floor to beneath the rear seats, opening up two additional cubic feet of storage in the hatch. Moving the battery also allowed Toyota to offer the Prius with optional all-wheel drive, called E-Four, that uses a second electric drive motor to spin the rear axle. With only 71 hp and 41 lb-ft to offer, E-Four’s second motor is more of the “bad weather peace of mind” type than, say, something Ludicrous.

The familiar body shape, now punctuated with all manner of Mirai-style slits and creases, is said to be more more slippery, at 0.24 coefficient of drag versus 0.25. Torsional rigidity is up 60 percent thanks to a new ring-shaped frame-rail design, reinforced roof bars, and lower B-pillars, and a “laser screw welding” technique that essentially plugs the gaps between spot welds for a tighter panel fit. Toyota says this should help make the 2016 Prius ride quieter and smoother. High-strength steel now comprises 19 percent of the Prius shell, up from three percent. A new control-arm rear suspension and revised front shocks promise to make the most of the standard 15-inch low rolling-resistance tires. Overall, the new Prius is 2.4 inches longer, 0.6 inch wider, and 0.8 inch lower. The wheelbase remains the same, but the driver now sits 2.3 inches lower and enjoys another 0.8 inch of headroom.

Toyota is talking to those drivers, too. In Power mode, the powertrain monitors for aggressive throttle inputs and higher lateral g’s; if detected, it then will “implement a sportier acceleration and deceleration.” Engineers tuned the ECU software to deliver greater low-rpm kick, and thought it worthy to address brake feel—long a weak point of regenerative hybrid systems—with a new hydraulic booster.

Hyundai and Rockstar Performance Garage Create Burly, Off-Road Tucson for SEMA

Perhaps the last thing anyone expects of the innocuous Hyundai Tucson crossover is actual off-road swagger, so it’s rather amusing to see this SEMA-bound 2016 Tucson festooned in rock-crawling regalia by Rockstar Performance Garage. Think of it as the antithesis of the slammed, Bismoto-modified, 700-hp Tucson “anti-crossover” that will also be on display at this year’s SEMA show.

With black paint, custom bumpers, smoked lights, skid plates, multiple LED bars and light “spikes,” and, of course, an upgraded sound system, the RPG Tucson looks like something Batman might buy his son for his sixteenth birthday. It rides six inches higher than the stock Tucson, with fenders modified to make room for the 32-inch Mickey Thompson MTZ P3 tires wrapped around KMC 17-inch “Bully” wheels. The suspension, meanwhile, gets new 2.5-inch adjustable coilovers and shocks from King Shocks.

Under the hood, new turbo plumbing, a high-flow exhaust and new intake and intercooler systems are among the changes made to the 1.6-liter turbo four. While Hyundai did not specify how much output has been increased as a result of these new bits, it’s safe to say that it produces somewhat more than the stock motor’s 175 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. As for its all-wheel drive system? No word on any changes to that, so don’t expect to see it creeping though Moab any time soon.

---

Will it ever see dirt? Likely not much. The most Hyundai would say is that its Blue Link navigation system “will help the vehicle get to all its events with ease as it tours the country next year.” So if your idea of “off-road” is being loaded on a trailer, that’s probably about as off-road as it’s gonna get.

2016 Kia Optima Priced Optimally for Mid-Size War

Kia has released pricing for the all-new 2016 Optima sedan and—surprise!—it costs the same as it did before. In today’s car-pricing climate, holding or cutting a car’s price is something of a coup, so kudos to Kia on that one. The Kia also undercuts most of its competition, including the Honda Accord, Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima, and the Toyota Camry. Here’s a breakdown of the Optima’s five trim levels—LX, LX 1.6T, EX, SX, and SXL:

Optima LX: $22,665; standard equipment includes a manual six-way driver’s seat, 60/40 split-folding rear seats, cruise control, a driver’s automatic down window, a 5-inch touch screen, a backup camera, Sirius satellite radio, Bluetooth, 16-inch aluminum wheels, and chrome exterior trim. The LX comes solely with a 185-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic.

Optima LX 1.6T: $24,815; as its name implies, the LX 1.6T trades the LX’s 2.4-liter four for a turbocharged 1.6-liter four making 178 horsepower (but 195 lb-ft of torque, 17 greater than the LX’s engine). The turbo is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. This trim level also adds gray-finished 16-inch aluminum wheels, heated and power-folding side mirrors, acoustic front window glass, auto up/down front windows, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and pushbutton ignition with keyless entry.

Optima EX: $25,715; curiously, the EX goes back to the LX’s 2.4-liter four/six-speed automatic combo. Otherwise, it adds 17-inch wheels, LED taillights, dual projector-beam headlights, LED running lights, dual-zone automatic climate control, two rapid-charge USB ports (on top of the non-rapid-charging port standard on every other model), a heated steering wheel and front seats, a 12-way power driver’s seat, woodgrain interior trim, and leather seating surfaces.

Optima SX: $30,515; the SX steps up to a turbocharged 2.0-liter four with 245 horsepower and is the range’s sporty variant. As such, the SX adds a sport-tuned suspension, paddle shifters, 18-inch aluminum wheels, dual exhaust outlets, gloss black exterior trim, red-painted brake calipers, adaptive self-leveling HID headlights, and a rear spoiler. Inside, there’s an 8-inch touch screen with navigation, a color screen in the gauge cluster, metal trim, and rear side-window sunshades.

---

Optima SXL: $36,615; sharing its turbocharged 2.0-liter four with the SX, the SXL slathers the Optima in options. This means: quilted nappa leather seats, a 10-way power passenger seat, an electronic parking brake, adaptive cruise control, a panoramic sunroof, automatic high beams,  LED reading lamps, heated second-row seats (outboard positions only), and special 18-inch wheels. The safety roster is impressive, too, with rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-departure warning, and a surround-view camera.

2015 Nissan Murano Platinum AWD

WHAT WE LIKE: This past summer, we liked loading the Murano with people and stuff and taking it on long-weekend excursions. Ride quality is good, and the interior is easily quiet enough for young children to nap­. The rear seat has plenty of room for young and old alike, and there’s lots of cargo room in back. The front seats are particularly comfortable for hauls long and short, and it’s easy to find a good driving position, although some drivers would welcome more thigh support. Pleasing ergonomics, a sensible layout of the controls, and logical display screens minimize driving distraction. The chocolate-brown upholstery and tasteful silvery wood-grain trim lend an upscale ambiance to the cabin. Well-behaved adaptive cruise control, which will bring the vehicle to a complete stop, helps minimize the stress of summer-weekend traffic jams on Michigan’s I-75. A fuel range of 400-plus miles is also a boon.

WHAT WE DON’T LIKE: The continuously variable automatic transmission has come in for a lot of criticism. One editor noted that the Murano“makes a beeline for the lowest possible engine speed. Every time you give it the boot, it moans and bellows its way up to 4000 rpm, sounding like a distressed cow in dire need of milking.” Another driver described the powertrain as “unpleasant,” but features editor Jeff Sabatini opined that the CVT is offensive only when you’re driving the Murano in a sporting manner, which buyers are unlikely to do often, if at all. Murano customers are perhaps more likely to be bothered by the high load floor in the cargo area as well as the somewhat shallow door pockets and the smallish cubbies for stowing road-trip paraphernalia.

WHAT WENT WRONG: Not a thing. The only times the Murano has seen a wrench so far is during its scheduled maintenance visits, which come every 5000 miles. The first service cost $59.59 and was comprised of an oil and filter change, a tire rotation, and an inspection. The second maintenance checkup was identical but cost 34 cents less, thanks to a drop in the price of the oil filter. Add that to the piggy bank.

WHERE WE WENT: Aside from a handful of commutes to northern Ohio, the Murano hasn’t left the state of Michigan. But it racked up thousands of miles going back and forth a total of nine times to various locations in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula—Up North as we like to call it—from our home base in Ann Arbor. The Murano visited family cottages, summer camps, resort towns, and even Lake Michigan’s Beaver Island, which is a 32-mile ferry ride from the mainland.

2016 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

“This is a truck that’s easy to embrace. It knows what it wants to be.”

That is the final line in our entry for the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado in a recent four-truck comparison test, a test in which the Chevy finished second behind only Ford’s newer F-150. As we’ve been saying since the truck debuted for 2014, the squared-off, steel-bodied, leaf-sprung Silverado, on paper, is completely unremarkable. And yet somehow, the assemblage of its entirely unexotic components is something more. For 2016, the Silverado retains its simple hardware but gets a new face, expands the availability of its optional eight-speed automatic transmission, and adds Apple CarPlay integration.

If that list of updates sounds comprehensive, it really isn’t. Besides a newly topographical hood—with more creases stamped into it than seemingly every other body panel combined—and the loss of its stacked headlights, the 2016 looks the same as the 2015. Inside, there’s nary a hint of disturbance, with the dashboard, steering wheel, and seats carrying over unchanged. As we mentioned, there is Apple CarPlay (Android Auto integration joins the party in a few months), and it’s operated via the uplevel 7.0- and 8.0-inch MyLink touch screens. The look of the screens is familiar, although they now share internal hardware with the upgraded units in the 2016 Malibu, which means they respond more quickly to inputs than before.

2015 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 AWD vs. Jaguar XF 3.0 AWD

Mid-level luxury sedans are to working professionals what Toyota Camrys are to normal folks. They’re go-to vehicles and safe options for cash-laden customers who crave generous amenities, good performance, and the status of an upmarket brand. What does your child’s orthodontist drive?

2015 Hyundai Genesis 3.8 AWD vs. 2015 Jaguar XF 3.0 AWD

We bet Dr. Arslanbob owns something like a Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Audi A6 or BMW 5 Series.These cars are plush and prestigious without straying into extravagance like range-topping models often do. No one wants to risk enflaming the serfs trapped in their clapped-out hoopties. Flagships can draw more undesirable attention than a ruptured bag of glitter. Keeping a step back from the top is a reasonably safe place to be, though that’s probably what Spiro Agnew thought …

Giving Type-A customers some welcome choice, the British and South Koreans both have legitimate alternatives to upscale German offerings. The Jaguar XF is a versatile four-door with more brand cachet than a membership at Pebble Beach. As for Hyundai, its Genesis sedan has morphed into a phenomenal all-around vehicle, though one that still offers a lot of bang for your buck. Either way, financial planners, junior executives and lawyers who haven’t made partner yet will like them both, though one is a much wiser choice.

Classic Rivals

Compared to one another, the Jaguar XF and Hyundai Genesis are almost classic rivals, something akin to the bad blood between Ford and Chevrolet, Coke and Pepsi or Courtney Love and sobriety. The big cat represents old-world class and traditional luxury, while the Korean brand stands for value and 21^st century ambition.

With identical mission statements, these vehicles share a lot in common and are similar in size. At 118.5 inches, the Genesis rides on a wheelbase that’s four inches longer than the XF’s hub-to-hub span. Not surprisingly, the Genesis’ body is 1.2 inches longer as well. As for width, Hyundai’s offering is also a couple inches broader than its British rival.

In the front and rear, the Genesis has more head room plus a wider cabin. However, the XF counters with an extra-spacious trunk and a lighter curb weight — its trunk hold can accommodate 17.7 cubic feet of goods while the Hyundai’s is only able to swallow 15.3.

Another laudable attribute of theJaguar is that it’s 150 pounds lighter, but don’t get too excited because both of these all-wheel-drive cars clock in at more than two tons. Miata rivals they are not.

The XF may have more storage space and a mass differential tipped in its favor, but the car’s real advantage is found ahead of the firewall. Its 3.0-liter supercharged V6 punches harder than the naturally aspirated unit found in the Genesis. Thanks to an Eaton twin-vortex blower and dual intercoolers, this six-shooter releases a stampede of 340 horses and 332 lb-ft of torque. At 3.8-liters, the Hyundai’s V6 does have a displacement advantage, but it’s no match for the Jag, delivering just 311 ponies and 293 units of twist.

Fortunately, it’s a level playing field aft of the bell housing, as both cars are equipped with eight-speed automatic transmissions that bolster performance and fuel efficiency. In the economy department, Jaguar’s offering stickers at 17 miles per gallon city, 27 highway and 20 combined. Hyundai manages a still-respectable average of 19 mpg, which is derived from its city score of 16 and its interstate rating of 25.

X to the F

But who cares about numbers?! They can’t convey the way a car feels, how comfortable its seats are or the manner in which a transmission responds at wide-open throttle. Putting these machines through their paces back to back on the same driving loop revealed a few intriguing differences.

Starting with the Jaguar, it feels a bit faster than the Korean in this comparison, though that should come as no surprise. Also, its transmission is smooth and prompt.

This car is also a delight to the ears, thanks to a touch of whine provided by its mechanical atmosphere multiplier. The supercharger’s siren song is enthralling and totally unexpected in a luxury vehicle. Unfortunately though, the Jaguar’s engine is not quite as well isolated as the powerplant its rival brandishes and a little extra vibration can be felt inside, which, coincidentally, is another one of this car’s downsides.

The cabin in the XF is disappointing; there’s simply no other way to describe it. It’s cramped and unacceptably flimsy, with various creaks and groans making their presence felt within the first block I drove it. This means one of two things, either the test car was infested with poltergeists or it was on the verge of falling apart. Not being a particularly superstitious person, I’d bet money on the latter.

Beyond this, the control stalks feel sloppy and frail, like they could divorce themselves from the steering column without notice, the lids on the center console that cover the cup holders and storage cubbies feel insubstantial to the touch, and even the gauges look like they belong in a budget hatchback, not a luxury sedan.

However, despite the stench of disappointment inside, the XF does have two noteworthy features. Its rotary shift knob rises from the console when its engine is fired up, which is a nifty touch. Additionally, this car’s air vents on the dashboard are motorized, opening when the climate control system is switched on and closing again when things are shut down. It’s a delightfully gratuitous feature.

2015 Mazda3 vs Hyundai Elantra GT vs Volkswagen Golf

What we have here is an international compact car showdown.

Hailing from three different countries, the Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3 and Volkswagen Golf represent the best that the compact segment has to offer.

Refreshed for 2016, the Elantra GT continues Hyundai’s tradition of value for money with an added dollop of refinement. The Mazda3 is a favorite around the AutoGuide office, having won our 2014 Car of the Year Award. The Volkswagen Golf was all-new last year and has been gobbling up award after award all over the world.

Needless to say, this is a strong group of competitors. But which one is the best compact car?

Handling, Ride Quality and the Death of the Shimmy

The Golf and the Mazda3 are easily two of the best driving cars in their segment. The chassis, steering and brakes are set up in both cars to deliver a responsive and sporty drive. Even though they’re so fun to drive, though, neither car rides overly rough. The Golf does hold a bit of a refinement edge while the Mazda is better damped for comfort over rough pavement.

SEE ALSO: 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT vs 2015 Subaru Impreza

The Elantra’s suspension delivers a balanced ride, which is a marked improvement over past versions of the car. No longer does the rear-end shimmy over uneven pavement imperfections, but it’s still outclassed here by the other two, always feeling a little less polished. As well, more wind and road noise makes its way inside the cabin of the Elantra GT compared to the other two cars.

Sorting Out the Balance of Power

Both the Mazda and the Hyundai use 2.0-liter four-cylinder engines, but based on differing philosophies. The Elantra is focused on power and packs 173 HP – 18 more ponies than the Madza3. Both cars use a six-speed automatic transmission and although the Mazda is sometimes too quick to upshift, it feels smoother and more refined than Hyundai’s automatic.

Still, neither car can compete with the Golf’s drivetrain. Outfitted with a 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the Golf makes 170 HP and nearly 200 pound-feet of torque. That’s almost 50 lb-ft. more than either the Mazda3 or the Elantra GT. And all this power and torque is very usable. The Golf always feels like it’s in its sweet spot, ready to power away from the other two at a moment’s notice. It too uses a six-speed automatic that, like the Mazda’s, can be hesitant at times.

Efficient, Efficienter, Efficientest

With the least amount of power, it’s no surprise the Mazda3 comes with the highest rated fuel economy numbers at 30 mpg city and 40 mpg highway. SkyActiv is more than just a catch phrase — it really does work at making Mazdas quite efficient. During our testing, it returned the best observed fuel economy average of 33.6 mpg.

SEE ALSO: 2015 Volkswagen Golf vs 2015 Volkswagen Jetta

Surprisingly, the turbocharged Golf was the next most efficient in this trio, clocking in an observed average of 31 mpg. The Elantra GT may have been the worst in this test, but it’s no slouch either, averaging a more than respectable 30.1 mpg average.

How Far Compact Interiors Have Come

All three cars have attractive, quality feeling interiors. The Golf’s is the most premium looking and feeling, which makes sense, as it has the highest starting price. The Elantra offers a more stylized layout that mimics the larger Sonata’s while the simpler Mazda3 has a few Audi and Mercedes design elements blended in.

When it comes to the driver, the Mazda3 and Elantra GT offer good comfort and a well situated driving position. But neither can offer as much as the Golf does. It appears Volkswagen designed the interior of the Golf around the driver first and foremost, achieving a great setup that has all the primary controls perfectly placed.

Body Count

The Elantra and Mazda3 can be had in a choice of body styles, hatchback or sedan. The Golf has two body styles of its own, but both are hatchbacks with either two or four doors. As a hatchback, with 23 cubic feet of cargo capacity, the Elantra GT is slightly better at carrying gear compared to the Golf with a capacity of 22.8 cubic feet. Both trounce the Mazda3 Sport, which can only haul 20.2 cubic feet of junk. Opt for a sedan and the story stays the same, with the Elantra offering around two and a half more cubic feet of storage space than the Mazda3.

Things are a bit different in the back seat though, as with 35.8 inches, the Mazda3 offers the most rear legroom. But during our real world testing, we didn’t notice the space advantage of the Mazda3 and were not fans of the hard plastic arm rests. The Elantra should have the most headroom, but the optional panoramic sunroof in the GT hatchback takes it all away, causing even moderately tall people to kink their necks when sitting back there. Although it’s far from perfect, the Golf offers the most livable all-around rear seat experience of this trio.

2016 Scion iM Review

Born in Japan and raised in Europe, the 2016 Scion iM is primed to make its North American debut. Ready or not, this multicultural hatchback is on its way, but are company executives off their rocker thinking it’s a legitimate rival to established nameplates?

FAST FACTS

Engine: 1.8-liter four cylinder; 137 hp, 126 lb-ft Transmission: Six-speed manual, CVT automaic Fuel Economy: Up to 28 MPG city, 37 highway and 32 combined Price: Starts at $19,255 including $795 in delivery fees

Old (World) Meets New

Essentially a rebranded version of the Toyota Auris, which went on sale in the old world earlier this year, Scion’s iM targets buyers younger than 35 like Kim Jong-Un’s artillery zeroing in on Seoul. Per usual, the capital T’s youth-focused brand aims to attract this coveted demographic with a unique buying process and customization options.

Arguably hip, young individuals are the folks this practical hatch is made for, be they aspiring ragtime musicians, freelance baristas or even recent college grads with degrees in interpretive pottery. According to Scion, the iM offers these cool customers sporty styling and dynamic handling wed to exceptional value, a blend of attributes competitors like the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf or Mazda3may not offer.

Features Galore!

Perhaps the iM’s greatest strength is the content you get for the price you pay; it offers more bang for your buck than a steamer trunk of shotgun shells purchased at the Salvation Army on blue-tag day. And thanks to Scion’s mono-spec philosophy there’s only one version of the car available. Any enhancements of customizations are handled at dealers.

Offering more for less, this car comes standard with dual-zone climate control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and an audio system with a seven-inch color display; Bluetooth, voice recognition and USB connectivity are baked right in like tart cherries inside a fruit cake. Additionally, there are eight airbags and just as many cup holders, plus heated side-view mirrors that power fold at the push of a button.

Dressing things up on the exterior, you get a unique body kit and 17-inch alloy wheels at no extra cost.

As for functionality, the iM offers just shy of 21 cubic feet of cargo space with the 60/40-split rear seat in the passenger-carrying position, and a metric s***ton more with those backrests folded flat. In short, this little Scion has plenty of room for a drum kit, full-size espresso maker or even a mobile kiln for backyard firings.

Further burnishing the iM’s value reputation, features like LED tail-lights, the sport body kit and dual-zone climate control are either not available or come bundled with expensive options packages in its key rivals.

Driving this point home, the car starts at $19,255 including $795 in delivery fees. Out the door, models equipped with an automatic transmission are just $740 pricier. Getting all of the abovementioned goodies at no extra charge means you’ll probably have enough money left over to start a microbrewery or even take up beekeeping at your local cooperative urban farm.

But if you’d rather splurge, there are a number of dealer-installed extras on the menu. You can get things like a navigation system, special body graphics and even a handful of TRD performance parts including a special air intake and lowering springs.

Bringing a Spoon to a Gunfight

All Scion iMs are motivated by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, serving up 137 horses and 126 lb-ft of torque. That’s roughly equivalent to 10 hipsters riding fixies at full tilt, seven if they’re pedaling to get mustache wax or something plaid, their hearts spurred on by the flames of desire.

You may not have a choice of engine but you can pick which transmission you want. A six-speed manual is standard but for folks that can’t handle three pedals a CVT is also offered. And if you opt for the gearless automatic it comes with something Toyota calls G AI-shift logic, which measures lateral loads while driving through corners and holds the transmission in a lower ratio for faster acceleration out of turns.

No doubt about it, the iM is down on power compared to its rivals. However, the tradeoff for this is greater fuel efficiency. When equipped with the manual this car is rated at 27 miles per gallon city and 36 highway. Combined it averages 31 MPG. The automatic is slightly more efficient, returning 28/37/32 on the same EPA loops. Either way the iM is quite thrifty, but you’ve got to believe Toyota wanted to see a “4” in the tens spot with those highway ratings. We sure did.

The Drive

Three-pedal versions of this Scion are a bit tricky to drive smoothly. The clutch is super light and its engagement point quite vague. Throw in an embarrassing paucity of low-RPM torque and you have a combination that can challenge even veteran motorists. Fortunately, hill-start assist is standard so you don’t roll backwards on inclines. Additionally, the iM’s shifter is less than satisfying, with long throws and quite a bit of sloppiness as it moves from gate to gate.

Underway there’s some noticeable vibration right around 4,000 RPM; this harshness easily breaches the car’s NVH defenses where it can annoy the driver and occupants. Fortunately things smooth out at faster or slower engine speeds so feel free to adjust accordingly. This issue could be attributable to the prototype model we evaluated.

Given it’s lack of grunt you really need to keep this engine on the boil because there’s precious little thrust on tap, something that makes driving the iM during rush hour an issue as you can’t react very quickly to openings in traffic. Also, the engine becomes quite winded when climbing even modest grades. The hills surrounding Los Angeles, where we evaluated the car, proved to be quite daunting. Not surprisingly, altitude does it no favors either.

Regrettably, changing directions is not one of the iM’s strong suits. While negotiating corners the tiller is light and rather lifeless in your hands. Also, the car’s chassis doesn’t seem to have much interest in delinquent behavior. Pitching it into a tight turn is met with annoyance rather than exuberance. Overall the iM feels a little bit soft and somewhat disconnected. If you expect this car to drive like a Mazda3 or even a Ford Focus don’t get your hopes up; it’s fine for what it is but it’s not a class-leading experience.

Interior Time Out

Fortunately it’s not all doom and gloom. The iM’s interior is surprisingly premium, with elegantly textured soft materials and rich-looking hard plastics. Toyota spent a big chunk of change in here and it shows. Cushioned door uppers and a swath of contrast-colored vinyl running across the lower dashboard are particularly nice touches.

Ensuring passengers also have a pleasant experience, the back seat is quite spacious, with impressive leg- and head-room for the class. I fit back there reasonably well and I top out at an even six-feet tall. Additionally, the aft floor is nearly flat, meaning a third rider has plenty of foot space.

The Verdict

The 2016 Scion iM is loaded with standard equipment and is priced to sell, offering drivers quite a lot for relatively little. It’s a sound choice for the smartphone-and-Snapchat generation, though other demographics are sure to enjoy this vehicle’s attributes. However, true enthusiasts should look elsewhere.

This new hatchback is slated to go on sale September 1, which is just a couple months away. If you’re one of those trendy, younger-than-35 drivers feel free to grab a kale and quinoa smoothie and camp out at your local Scion store.