2014 SRT Viper TA & 2014 Toyota Highlander

HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !

JOIN US FOR AN ALL-OUT ASPHALT ASSAULT IN THE SRT VIPER TIME ATTACK... PAT GOSS USES THE "FORCE" TO ACHIEVE PROPER BALANCE FOR THE ROAD... YOLANDA VAZQUEZ TOURS ONE MUSEUM THAT'S FILLED WITH MOBILE MILITARY ICONS... AND THEN WE GO FOR HIGHER GROUND IN THE NEW TOYOTA HIGHLANDER...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION Announcer: MOTORWEEK, TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

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THIS IS BEAUTIFUL.

JESSICA, I HAVE SOMETHING I WANT TO ASK YOU...

YES?

WHEN I'M SWITCHING TO WINTER TIRES DO I HAVE TO CHANGE ALL FOUR OR CAN I JUST PUT TWO ON THE FRONT AXLE?

I DON'T KNOW.

Announcer: THERE'S A BETTER PLACE TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR TIRES.

GET SOME WINGS?

Announcer: TIRERACK.COM CAN HELP YOU GET THE ANSWERS YOU NEED AND HELP YOU FIND WHICH TIRES ARE BEST FOR YOU.

MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AT TIRERACK.COM.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS.

NO MATTER WHAT CUSTOMERS DRIVE, THEY CAN PURCHASE ONLINE FROM A COMPREHENSIVE SELECTION OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

DIEHARD.

MORE INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT DIEHARD.COM.

John Davis: THE LATEST SRT VIPER MAY BE A KINDER AND GENTLER VERSION OF THE CAR THAT WE'VE HAD A TWO DECADE LONG LOVE AFFAIR WITH.

BUT JUST WHEN WE WERE COMING TO GRIPS WITH ITS MORE REFINED PERSONALITY, THERE'S A NEW VIPER TA, OR TIME ATTACK MODEL, TO GET TO KNOW.

AND WE KNOW THAT THE ONLY WAY TO GET FULLY ACQUAINTED IS TO ATTACK OUR FAVORITE SLICE OF GEORGIA ASPHALT, SAVANNAH'S ROEBLING ROAD RACEWAY.

SPEND ANY TIME ON A RACE TRACK IN THE NEW SRT VIPER AND YOU'LL CERTAINLY FIND IT CAPABLE.

BUT FOR THE VIPER OWNER WHO PUTS IN MORE TRACK TIME THAN COMMUTE TIME, SRT HAS GOT SOMETHING TRULY SPECIAL, THE 2014 VIPER TIME ATTACK.

IT'S THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION... "HOW CAN I MAKE MY BIG OL' PIECE OF AMERICAN MUSCLE EVEN MORE AWESOME?"

MORE POWER WOULD BE NICE, OF COURSE, BUT THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS HELP YOU GET AROUND A ROAD COURSE ANY FASTER, AND THE VIPER HAS ALWAYS HAD A SURPLUS OF THAT.

WHAT YOU REALLY NEED ARE BETTER BRAKES AND A TIGHTER SUSPENSION.

AND IN THAT VEIN, THE TA IS ALL SYSTEMS GO, WITH A FULL RETUNING AND ALIGNING OF ITS TRACK HOLDING PARTS, ALONG WITH A CARBON FIBER X-BRACE OVER THE ENGINE.

IN ADDITION, THE BILSTEIN DAMPTRONIC SYSTEM GETS RETUNED.

YOU WON'T FIND A COMFORT SETTING, JUST SETTINGS FOR STREET AND RACE, AS COMFORT MODES ARE CLEARLY FOR THE MEEK.

IF LATE BRAKING IS YOUR THING, YOU'LL ALSO FIND A FRIEND HERE, AS THE TA HAS GOT SOME SERIOUS BINDERS.

BREMBO CALIPERS CLAMPING DOWN ON 2-PIECE HIGH THERMAL CAPACITY ROTORS QUICKLY BROUGHT A HALT TO OUR PROGRESS--IN A GOOD WAY.

ALSO, GOOD FEEDBACK, AND AFTER THREE DAYS OF HARD ABUSE, NO SIGNS OF FADING.

IT ALL WORKS TOGETHER TO MAKE THE TRACK EXPERIENCE UNLIKE ANY OTHER STREETABLE VIPER WE'VE DRIVEN, AS YOU'RE ABLE TO FEED IN MORE POWER THAN EVER BEFORE COMING OUT OF CORNERS.

BUT JUST WHEN YOU START TO GET COMFORTABLE AND PUSH HARDER, THE TA WILL GIVE YOU A LITTLE REMINDER THAT THIS IS STILL A VIPER AND IS WILLING TO DANCE WITH YOUR DRIVING ABILITIES VERY QUICKLY.

IT MAY BE EASIER TO DRIVE FAST, BUT IT'S NOT ENTIRELY EFFORTLESS.

NOW, AS FOR THAT ENGINE, IT'S THE SAME 8.4-LITER V10 AS BEFORE, WITH THE SAME 640-HORSEPOWER AND 600 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

SRT FELT NO UPGRADES WERE NECESSARY, AND WE FIRMLY AGREE.

AS IT HAS PLENTY ENOUGH POWER TO GET YOU TO 60 IN 3.3-SECONDS.

LAUNCH CONTROL IS AVAILABLE, BUT YOU CAN PROBABLY DO BETTER ONCE YOU'VE GOTTEN SOME EXPERIENCE AT MODULATING THE PEDALS.

LIKE EVERY OTHER VIPER, INSTANT ACCELERATION IN A CRAZY FASHION IS THE ORDER OF THE DAY.

EVERY GEAR SHIFT IS ACCOMPANIED BY GOBS OF POWER, BUT WITH A SLOWER THAN NORMAL RAMP UP TO FULL THROTTLE AS ALL THAT MUSCLE IS APPLIED, TAKING YOU TO THE END OF THE QUARTER MILE IN 11.4-SECONDS AND 129 MILES-PER-HOUR.

THE TACHOMETER WORKS AS ONLY A REMINDER OF WHEN TO SHIFT, AS THERE'S EQUAL AMOUNTS OF POWER THROUGH THE FULL SPECTRUM.

THE 6-SPEED MANUAL'S SHIFTER THROWS ARE LONGISH, BUT STILL DECENT AND VERY PRECISE.

THE CLUTCH HAS A GREAT AMOUNT OF FEEL, AND PEDALS ARE TIGHTLY SPACED.

GREAT FOR HEEL AND TOEING, NOT SO GREAT FOR QUARTER MILE FURY.

AND WITH ALL OF THOSE TRACK WORTHY UPDATES, IT IS SLIGHTLY LESS SUITED FOR STREET DUTY, BUT SUCH IS LIFE.

IT'S A COMPROMISE WE WERE OKAY WITH, AND IF THIS CAR AT ALL APPEALS TO YOU, WE'RE BETTING YOU WILL BE TOO.

INSIDE, YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN SOMETHING SPECIAL THE MOMENT YOU PARK YOUR POSTERIOR IN THE BALLISTIC CLOTH SEATS WITH ORANGE STITCHING.

COMFORT FEATURES ARE FEW, AS THIS IS A PLACE FOR CONDUCTING BUSINESS.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED IS WITHIN EASY REACH; AND WHILE THERE IS ADEQUATE ROOM TO GET YOUR WORK DONE, THERE'S NOT MUCH TO SPARE.

EVERYONE ELSE WILL KNOW YOU'RE IN SOMETHING SPECIAL AS WELL, WITH THE ADDITION OF AN AERO PACKAGE THAT INCLUDES CARBON FIBER SPLITTER AND SPOILER.

ALL THE GROUND SUCKING ADD-ONS ARE FULLY FUNCTIONAL, PROVIDING 7-TIMES MORE DOWN FORCE.

THEY JUST HAPPEN TO LOOK MENACING AS WELL.

AND WE'RE OKAY WITH THAT, TOO.

IF YOU REALLY WANT TO ATTRACT A CROWD, OPT FOR OUR TEST CAR'S TA ORANGE PAINT, BUT ACT FAST AS NUMBERS ARE LIMITED TO JUST 93.

AND NOW FOR THE BEST NEWS OF ALL, IT WON'T COST YOU A WHOLE LOT MORE MONEY AS ADDING THE TIME ATTACK PACKAGE TO A STANDARD VIPER, PRICING IS ACTUALLY LESS THAN THAT OF THE GTS, AT $120,480.

SO, YOU CAN OPT FOR THE LUXURY OF THE GTS OR THE AWESOMENESS OF THE TIME ATTACK.

THERE'S NO QUESTION WHERE OUR MONEY WOULD GO.

WE'LL DROP OUR COIN ON THE 2014 SRT VIPER TIME ATTACK, HIT SOME TRACK DAYS, AND CALL IT A DAY.

THIS IS TRULY BIG BOY STUFF.

MILITARY HARDWARE NEVER FAILS TO IMPRESS WITH ITS ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY FOR THE TIMES.

THAT'S CERTAINLY TRUE TODAY, AND IT'S BEEN THE CASE FOR DECADES, EVEN CENTURIES.

SO, OUR FYI REPORTER YOLANDA VAZQUEZ RECENTLY DID A TOUR WITH SOME PAST MILITARY MOBILE ICONS THAT FIT OUR MOTORWEEK WHEELHOUSE PERFECTLY.

>> Yolanda: HERE'S SOMETHING YOU DON'T SEE EVERY DAY, A 48-TON, M47 PATTON TANK DOING A FEW SPINS AROUND A PARKING LOT, OR ME GOING FOR A VERY NERVOUS RIDE IN A WORLD WAR II M8 GREYHOUND RECONNAISSANCE VEHICLE.

THERE WE GO!

IT'S JUST SOME OF THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS YOU'LL SEE AT THE ARMED FORCES HISTORY MUSEUM IN LARGO, FLORIDA.

Frank Correa: THIS MUSEUM IS THE LARGEST COLLECTION IN THE SOUTH EAST UNITED STATES.

IT'S TRULY A JEWEL.

WE HAVE WELL OVER 130,000 ITEMS.

Yolanda: FRANK CORREA IS A LONG-TIME HISTORIAN WITH THE MUSEUM WHO SPENT FOUR YEARS WITH AN ANTI-TERRORISM TEAM IN THE MARINE CORPS.

Frank: THIS PLACE, I TELL PEOPLE WHEN I GO ON SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, THIS MUSEUM WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE, IT REALLY WILL.

Yolanda: AND IF YOU'RE A HUGE MILITARY BUFF, THERE'S ENOUGH TANKS, TRACTORS AND JEEPS TO TICKLE YOUR FANCY.

THIS WORLD WAR II M3 SCOUT VEHICLE THAT WAS USED FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES, THIS 1944 8-CYLINDER, TWO MACHINE GUN SHERMAN TANK, AND THIS AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLE FROM WORLD WAR II AND THE KOREAN WAR.

Frank: IT'S BASICALLY A FLOATING TRUCK; HALF TRUCK, HALF BOAT, THAT CAN CARRY TROOPS, PAYLOAD, AMMUNITION, EQUIPMENT, FOOD, WHATEVER YOU NEED.

Yolanda: AND THEN THERE'S A HODGEPODGE OF OTHER ITEMS LIKE THIS ONE-OF-A-KIND JEEP PROTOTYPE FROM THE '60s THAT NEVER CAUGHT ON, AND THIS 1942 HARLEY DAVIDSON WLA.

REMEMBER THE FIELD HOSPITAL TRUCK WE ALL USED TO SEE IN THE TV SERIES MASH ?

WELL, THIS IS A REAL ONE.

IT'S A 1951 DODGE AMBULANCE.

IT HAS A TOP SPEED OF UP TO 55 MILES PER HOUR, WITH A DRIVING RANGE OF OVER 200 MILES, AND IF YOU COME TAKE A LOOK AT THE BACK, THIS IS WHERE THEY WOULD PLACE ALL OF THE WOUNDED SOLDIERS FOR TRANSPORT.

THE KOREAN WAR STICKS OUT STRONGLY IN BILL ALLEN'S MIND.

HE WAS A POW FOR 31 MONTHS IN A NORTH KOREAN PRISON CAMP.

Bill Allen: WE BURIED OVER 1,600 BODIES WITHIN 60 DAYS JUST FROM STARVATION AND NO MEDICAL.

Yolanda: THE 82-YEAR-OLD GIVES WEEKLY TOURS AND HAS SET UP A LITTLE CORNER OF HISTORY IN THE MUSEUM.

Bill: I JUST BROUGHT A BUNCH OF MY STUFF OVER HERE AND ASK IF THEY WANTED IT AND THEY SAID YEAH.

SO, WHEN THEY GOT THE STUFF, THEY GOT ME.

Peter Clark: IT'S A HIDDEN GEM IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA.

Yolanda: FOR PETER CLARK, THIS MUSEUM BRINGS BACK MEMORIES.

AS A SECOND LIEUTENANT, HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REMOVAL OF ARMY GAMMA GOATS LIKE THIS ONE FROM HIS UNIT.

Peter: MMM, I'M FEELING OLD RIGHT NOW.

THAT IS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT, YEAH, I ACTUALLY RODE IN IS NOW IN A MUSEUM.

YEAH, THAT'S A SCARY THOUGHT.

Yolanda: BUT HE ENJOYS LEARNING MORE ABOUT HIS COUNTRY'S MILITARY HISTORY WITH HIS SON BRAD.

Brad Clark: BASICALLY, IT'S ALL MY FAVORITE THINGS TOGETHER IN ONE AREA.

Yolanda: BUT THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE MUSEUM, WITHOUT A DOUBT, IS THE CHANCE TO RIDE IN THIS 1943, COMPLETELY REDONE, M8 GREYHOUND.

OHHHHH!

WHOAAAA!

CORREA PUT IT THROUGH ITS PACES ON SIX ACRES OF LAND TRYING TO TRIP ME UP.

Yolanda: OH BOY, DON'T LET GO, WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T LET GO.

BUT I HELD ON TIGHT AND WAS REWARDED WITH AN M8 CREW MEMBER CERTIFICATE IN THE END.

LOOK AT THAT.

IT'S OFFI-CI-AL, I SURVIVED.

AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE INDEED.

A WAR-TIME VETERAN WITH AN ENDURING SPIRIT - RARELY SEEN MILITARY VEHICLES, AND A GENEROUS HOST WHO BELIEVES IN DUTY, HONOR, COUNTRY.

Frank: I'M THE LUCKIEST GUY IN THE WORLD.

I GET TO PLAY WITH ALL THIS STUFF, AND I GET TO TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THE GREAT HISTORY OF OUR NATION, AND THE SACRIFICES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE BY THOSE WHO HAVE WORN THE UNIFORM.

I'M TRULY BLESSED.

WHAT CAN I SAY?

LIKE ANY ZEN MASTER, PAT GOSS KNOWS THAT BALANCE IS THE KEY.

SO LET'S HEAD DOWN TO GOSS' GARAGE AND GET THINGS SORTED OUT.

Pat: ALRIGHT, YOU KNOW TIRES HAVE CHANGED OVER THE YEARS.

SO HAVE CARS.

AND ONE OF THE MORE COMMON PROBLEMS THAT WE FIND WITH AUTOMOBILES IN GENERAL HAS TO DO WITH TIRES.

YOU SEE, TIRES CHANGE FROM BEING A TALL TIRE, THAT'S THE WAY THEY USED TO BE.

THE DISTANCE FROM THE RIM UP TO THE CURVE OF THE TREAD USED TO BE QUITE A DISTANCE, AND IT WAS RELATIVELY FLEXIBLE.

TODAY, TIRES ARE MUCH LOWER PROFILE.

THE DISTANCE FROM THE RIM TO THE TOP OF THE TREAD IS LESS, AND THE SIDEWALL IS MUCH STIFFER.

THIS MEANS THAT MINOR PROBLEMS CAN BE AMPLIFIED AND TRANSMITTED INTO THE CAR, AND YOU FEEL THEM.

YOU FEEL THINGS A LOT MORE THAN YOU USED TO.

BUT EVERYBODY SAYS, WELL, WE'RE GOING TO BALANCE THE TIRES.

WELL, THAT'S PART OF THE EQUATION, BUT BALANCING ISN'T ALWAYS THE ANSWER.

SO YOU HAVE TO GO A STEP FURTHER.

NOW, WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A HUNTER ROAD FORCE BALANCER.

NOW, THIS TAKES IT TO A NEW LEVEL.

AND THAT IS, THIS ROLLER BACK HERE COMES OUT AGAINST THE TREAD OF THE SPINNING TIRE.

IT APPLIES 1,200 POUNDS OF PRESSURE TO SIMULATE THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE ON THE TIRE AS IT ROLLS DOWN THE ROAD.

NOW, A COMPUTER IN THE MACHINE, AND SENSORS, SENSE VARIATIONS IN THE TREAD; STIFFNESS, OR THE TIRE ISN'T COMPLETELY ROUND, OR ANYTHING THAT WOULD PREVENT THE TIRE FROM ROLLING SMOOTHLY WHEN ITS WEIGHTED BY THE CAR.

THEN IT TRANSLATES THAT INTO A ROAD FORCE READING, AND WE HAVE A WARNING THAT IT IS EXCESSIVE.

NEXT THING WE DO IS TAKE SOME MEASUREMENTS.

NOW, WHAT WE DID WAS, WE TOOK MEASUREMENTS OF THE RIM.

OF COURSE, THE MACHINE HAD ALREADY MEASURED THE TIRE.

NOW IT'S TELLING US THAT WE CAN DO WHAT'S CALLED MATCH MOUNTING.

AND THAT IS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THE HIGH SPOT OF THE TIRE AND MATCH IT AGAINST THE LOW SPOT OF THE WHEEL.

IT'S REALLY MORE COMPLICATED THAN THAT, BUT TO MAKE IT UNDERSTANDABLE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.

AND IT'S TELLING US HERE THAT WE HAVE 15 POUNDS OF ROAD FORCE IN THE TIRE AND IF WE SWAPPED THE TIRE AROUND, MOVED IT AROUND ON THE RIM, SUCH AS IT'S SHOWING US OVER HERE, THAT WE CAN REDUCE THIS TO 8 POUNDS TOTAL.

THAT BRINGS IT WITHIN SPEC, AND THAT MEANS WE'RE NOW GOING TO HAVE A SMOOTH RIDING TIRE.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT, DROP ME A LINE RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .

John: BY NOW YOU KNOW THAT WE ARE FOND OF THE LATEST HONDA ACCORD.

OUR 2013 EX-L WITH NAV SEDAN IS LEAVING AFTER SIX MONTHS WITH NO SERIOUS ISSUES.

STILL, AS WE WRAP UP OUR LONG-TERM TEST, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ANYONE IN THE MARKET FOR AN ACCORD HAS ALL THE DETAILS.

IF YOU'RE THE OWNER OF AN OLDER ACCORD, YOU MAY BE SURPRISED HOW BIG THIS CAR IS, OUTSIDE AND IN.

COMFORT IS EASILY THAT OF A FULL-SIZE CAR.

BUT THAT MEANS IT'S NOW A FAIRLY HEAVY CAR AND YOU FEEL IT.

STILL, THE AGILITY THAT IS AN ACCORD TRADEMARK REMAINS MOSTLY INTACT.

WITH ALL THIS GROWTH OVER TIME, FUEL ECONOMY HAS ACTUALLY GOTTEN BETTER.

WE AVERAGED 29.5 MPG ON REGULAR GRADE OVER 14,500 MILES.

SOME SMALL CARS WE TEST DON'T DO AS WELL.

IF YOU HAVE NEVER DRIVEN A CAR WITH A CVT TRANSMISSION, THE POWERTRAIN CAN BE A BIT LOUD AT TIMES AND TAKES SOME GETTING USE TO.

YOU'LL ALSO FIND HONDA'S TWIN SCREEN INFOTAINMENT, NAV, AND CLIMATE COMMAND CENTER A BIG CHANGE.

BUT IT BECOMES MORE INTUITIVE THE MORE YOU USE IT.

PAST THAT AND YOU'LL LOVE THE 9TH GENERATION HONDA ACCORD JUST LIKE WE DO.

A QUICK UPDATE ON OUR NISSAN VERSA NOTE SHOWS IT'S MANAGING DAILY DUTIES WITH EASE AND CONFIDENCE.

AFTER THREE MONTHS AND 5,200 MILES OF COLD WEATHER COMMUTING, FUEL ECONOMY IS A REASONABLE 31.8 MILES PER GALLON USING REGULAR GRADE GAS.

NISSAN'S LATEST CVT WORKS SMOOTHLY, ALTHOUGH IT DOES REQUIRE THE 1.6-LITER ENGINE TO REV LOUDLY AT TIMES.

BUT MOST OF ALL, WE LIKE THE SUBCOMPACT VERSA NOTE'S BIG CAR PRACTICALITY.

SEATS ARE SURPRISING COMFY, AND THE HATCH CAN SWALLOW PLENTY OF GOODS.

WE LIKE THE VERSA NOTE AND HOPE TO KEEP ON SINGING ITS PRAISES.

WE'LL REVIEW THE KIA OPTIMA AND SUBARU FORESTER ON THE NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE.

THERE'S ALWAYS PLENTY OF MOTOR NEWS OUT OF THE WINDY CITY.

SO LET'S HEAD INSIDE TO YOLANDA VAZQUEZ WITH ALL THAT'S NEW FROM THE 2014 CHICAGO AUTO SHOW.

Yolanda: THE WINDY CITY IS SUFFERING THOUGH A NASTY WINTER WITH RECORD-LOW TEMPERATURES.

STILL, IT WAS ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR THE 2014 CHICAGO AUTO SHOW.

SUBARU UNVEILED THE 2015 LEGACY SEDAN.

MORE CONSERVATIVE THAN THE LA CONCEPT, THE LOOK HAS EVOLVED.

SLIGHTLY LARGER, IT LOSES ITS MANUAL TRANSMISSION.

THE CVT AUTO STILL WORKS WITH FLAT 4 OR 6 POWER AND STANDARD ALL-WHEEL DRIVE WITH A NEW BRAKE-BASED ACTIVE TORQUE VECTORING SYSTEM.

LINCOLN REFRESHED ITS NAVIGATOR BODY-ON-FRAME SUV TO COUNTER CADILLAC'S ALL-NEW ESCALADE.

BEHIND THE HANDSOME TWIN-WING GRILLE NOW SITS FORD'S TWIN TURBO ECOBOOST V6 ENGINE.

THE INTERIOR ALSO GETS A GOING OVER WITH REVISED MYLINCOLN TOUCH.

BMW IS OVERHAULING ITS X3 CROSSOVER FOR 2015 WITH A REFRESHED EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR, NEW REAR-WHEEL-DRIVE ONLY MODELS, AND A DIESEL ENGINE OPTION.

DIESEL WILL ALSO BE COMING TO THE 7 SERIES SEDAN IN THE FORM OF THIS 740 LONG WHEELBASE XDRIVE MODEL.

VOLVO MADE A STATEMENT WITH TWO POLESTAR MODELS: THE S60 SEDAN AND V60 5 DOOR, BOTH WITH A TURBOCHARGED SIX CYLINDER GOOD FOR 345 HORSEPOWER IN THEIR SIGNATURE REBEL BLUE PAINT.

KIA ENTERED THE PLUG-IN EV GAME WITH THE 2015 SOUL EV, FEATURING A 27KWH LITHIUM-ION POLYMER BATTERY, GOOD FOR 80 TO 100 MILES OF RANGE.

THIS DEBUTED ALONGSIDE A REFRESHED OPTIMA HYBRID DUE THIS SPRING.

CHEVROLET TRUCK NEWS INCLUDED THEIR BIG CNG BI-FUEL SILVERADO HEAVY DUTY PICKUP, AND THIS SMALL CITY EXPRESS COMMERCIAL VAN, WHICH IS BASED ON NISSAN'S NV200.

TOYOTA REVEALED A NEW TRD PRO SERIES OFF-ROADING PACKAGE FOR THEIR TACOMA, TUNDRA, AND 4RUNNER LINES, AND NISSAN PUT A 4-CYLINDER CUMMINS TURBO-DIESEL IN ITS MID-SIZE FRONTIER TO GAUGE WHAT SHOWGOERS MIGHT THINK.

AND THAT'S WHAT THE WIND BLEW IN FOR THE 2014 CHICAGO AUTO SHOW, AND OUR ROUND UP OF THIS WEEK'S MOTORNEWS.

John: WHILE THERE ARE SEVERAL PATHS TO TAKE WHEN REDESIGNING AN SUV OR CROSSOVER, THE TRIED AND TRUE ROUTE SEEMS TO BE TO MAKE IT BIGGER AND MORE COMFORTABLE.

AND THAT'S THE APPROACH THAT TOYOTA HAS TAKEN WITH THE 3RD GENERATION OF THEIR LARGEST CROSSOVER, THE VERY SUCCESSFUL HIGHLANDER.

SO LET'S SEE IF IT STILL RATES HIGH ON OUR LIST?

THE HIGHLANDER HAS INDEED BEEN A VERY SUCCESSFUL FAMILY-SIZED CROSSOVER FOR TOYOTA AND THAT WILL MORE THAN LIKELY REMAIN THE CASE FOR THE 2014 EDITION.

BUT NOT WILLING TO TAKE ANY CHANCES, TOYOTA HAS EQUIPPED THE NEW HIGHLANDER WITH A MORE SOPHISTICATED DESIGN AND ADDED ADDITIONAL FEATURES TO KEEP SUBURBAN HOUSEHOLDS IN THEIR CORNER.

WHILE EVERYONE LIKES TO TALK PRACTICALITY, AND EVEN FUEL ECONOMY, WHEN MAKING EVERYDAY VEHICLE DECISIONS, MOST BUYERS STILL CONSIDER THE RIGHT APPEARANCE A STRONG SUIT.

THE HIGHLANDER'S SLICKER SHEET METAL WILL HELP PUT THAT SITUATION IN ITS FAVOR.

BODY PANELS ARE MORE SCULPTED THAN BEFORE, AND THERE'S ALMOST 3 ADDITIONAL INCHES OF LENGTH TO PLAY WITH, THAT GIVES IT MUCH MORE PRESENCE.

UP FRONT, THERE'S A LARGER TRAPEZOIDAL GRILLE, REMINISCENT OF THE ONE SPORTED BY THE ATHLETIC NEW COROLLA; AND REDESIGNED A PILLARS, THAT ALONG WITH LARGER REAR QUARTER WINDOWS, ALLOW FOR BETTER ALL-AROUND VISIBILITY.

SUBSTANTIAL 18-INCH ALLOY WHEELS COME STANDARD, WITH 19s AVAILABLE.

ENGINES ARE CARRYOVER, HOWEVER, BUT THE ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE V6 IS MORE FUEL EFFICIENT THANKS TO UPDATES FOR THE 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE NOW 18-CITY, 24-HIGHWAY, AND 20-COMBINED.

THE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE COMES IN AVERAGE AT 16.5-BARRELS OF OIL USE PER YEAR, WITH 7.2 TONS OF CO2 EMITTED.

WE SPENT TIME IN ALL POWERTRAIN OPTIONS AT THE PRESS LAUNCH IN CARMEL, CALIFORNIA.

AND AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, THE V6 WITH ITS 270-HORSEPOWER AND 248 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, WAS OUR PREFERRED OPTION.

IT'S BOTH STRONG AND MORE REFINED THAN THE BASE 2.7-LITER I4.

THE V6-BASED HYBRID IS ALSO HIGHLY DESIRABLE WITH EVEN MORE POWER AND EFFICIENCY, BUT IT STILL COMES WITH A SUBSTANTIAL STICKER PRICE PENALTY.

REGARDLESS OF POWERTRAIN, ON THE ROAD, HIGHLANDER FEELS BOTH MORE COMFORTABLE AND POLISHED.

AND THANKS TO ADDITIONAL BODY SEALING, ADDED SOUND DEADENING MATERIALS, AND REROUTING OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, THE RIDE IS QUIETER AND SMOOTHER, MOVING HIGHLANDER CLOSER TO LUXURY UTILITY RANKS.

DYNAMIC TORQUE CONTROL ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE DEFAULTS TO FRONT-WHEEL-DRIVE UNTIL SLIP IS DETECTED, THEN UP TO 50% OF POWER HEADS REARWARD.

YOU ALSO GET TORQUE SHIFT FOR ADDED GRIP UNDER HEAVY ACCELERATION AND HANDLING LOADS.

INDEED, WHEN THE TURNS GOT EXTRA TWISTY, WE FELT IT HELPING US THROUGH THE CORNERS.

INSIDE THERE ARE MORE SOFT TOUCH MATERIALS, PRIMARILY ON THE DASH.

BUT THE MORE TIME YOU SPEND INSIDE THE CABIN, THE MORE YOU FEEL LIKE TOYOTA COULD HAVE SPREAD THE SOFTNESS AROUND A LITTLE MORE.

AS BEFORE, THREE ROW SEATING IS STANDARD, BUT THE THIRD ROW IS NOW WIDER, ALLOWING FOR THREE ACROSS, AND FOR FIRST TIME, 8-PASSENGER CAPACITY.

STILL, THE SHORTER YOUR LEGS, THE MORE COMFORTABLE YOU'LL BE.

THIRD ROW ACCESS IS EASIER WITH A ONE TOUCH SLIDING FUNCTION FOR THE SECOND ROW... WHERE THERE'S ADEQUATE ROOM FOR JUST ABOUT ANYONE, WHETHER YOU OPT FOR BENCH SEATING FOR THREE OR CAPTAIN'S CHAIRS FOR TWO.

CARGO SPACE BEHIND THE 3RD ROW IS UP AS WELL, TO 13.8 CUBIC-FEET.

BUT BEHIND THE 2ND ROW, SPACE REMAINS THE SAME AS LAST YEAR AT 42.3 CUBIC-FEET.

AND SURPRISINGLY, MAX CARGO WITH ALL ROWS FOLDED IS ACTUALLY DOWN A BIT TO 83.7 CUBIC-FEET.

ON THE NEW FEATURES FRONT, THERE'S AVAILABLE DYNAMIC RADAR CRUISE CONTROL WITH PRE-COLLISION, BLIND SPOT MONITORING, AND LANE DEPARTURE WARNING.

THE HIGHLANDER ALSO ADDS A USEFUL SHELF THAT SPANS THE DASH AND IS A GREAT PLACE FOR ELECTRONICS AND KNICK KNACKS THAT SEEM TO ALWAYS FIND THEIR WAY INTO THE CUP HOLDERS.

TOYOTA HAS STEPPED THINGS UP IN CONNECTIVITY, TOO, WITH THE LATEST VERSION OF ENTUNE STANDARD, AS IS BLUETOOTH WITH AUDIO STREAMING.

FOUR TRIM LEVELS ARE AVAILABLE STARTING WITH THE LE AT $30,075.

LIMITED MODELS START AT $40,500 WITH LE PLUS AND XLE IN BETWEEN.

ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE IS AVAILABLE ON ALL MODELS, BUT THE 4-CYLINDER IS ONLY AVAILABLE IN LE TRIM, AND HYBRID ONLY AS A LIMITED.

WHILE THE 2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HAS INDEED ACHIEVED A LOFTIER STATUS, THANKS TO ADDITIONAL FEATURES, MORE PASSENGER SPACE, AND INCREASED REFINEMENT; IN MOST WAYS, IT'S STILL THE SAME GREAT FAMILY CROSSOVER AS BEFORE.

SO WHILE THE HIGHLANDER IS INDEED NEW, IT IS ALSO TOTALLY FAMILIAR.

AND THAT WILL PLEASE THE TOYOTA FAITHFUL TO A "T".

WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW.

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW, FOR MORE MOTORWEEK, WHY NOT CHECK OUT OUR PODCAST, AS WELL AS COMPLETE EPISODES AT PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME WHEN WE DO THE TWIST AND TURNS WITH THE SUPER TUNED BABY BENZ CLA45 AMG.

THEN WE'LL KICK BACK IN THE ACURA RLX SPORT HYBRID.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, I'M JOHN DAVIS.

WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK .

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY TIRE RACK.

AND BY... ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS.

NO MATTER WHAT CUSTOMERS DRIVE, THEY CAN PURCHASE ONLINE FROM A COMPREHENSIVE SELECTION OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

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