loyaldriven

[loyaldriven]

Front Engine, Rear Drive, Sport aka #SmileMaker. #FRS #LoyalFRS

[loyaldriven]

Good morning from Seattle. I'm so hyped to get behind the wheel of a #2016Tacoma. Stay tuned for LOTS of pics today. #LoyalTacoma #TacomaTime (at Cedarbrook Lodge)

[loyaldriven]

Can't wait to drive the new #2016Tacoma tomorrow.😍 Seattle is gorgeous too, I'm not melting (like I would be in St. Louis), LOL! #LoyalTacoma (at Cedarbrook Lodge)

[loyaldriven]

From the #ToyotaMuseum in #ToyotaCity, #Japan... @brianwilliams85 shares this pic of a #Toyota #LandCruiser70 30th Anniversary.😍 (at Toyota Kaikan Museum)

[loyaldriven]

Scion iA and iM Press Review

Earlier this week, I had an opportunity to attend the Midwest Press Review in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The first wave of folks (about 24 of us) drove the all-new Scion iA and iM. These two new models are long overdue for the Scion brand and while both cars are uniquely different, they will attract new buyers to the brand. I really believe both of these models will bring great success to Scion dealers nationwide.

Couldn’t resist snapping this pic of Wrigley Field as I flew in from St. Louis for my connecting flight.

I’m a fan of architecture and the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is really something to appreciate as you exit for ground transportation.

I arrived at the swanky JW Marriott in downtown Grand Rapids and was met with Scion fanfare featuring tasty lemonade (totally non-alcoholic) served with chips, salsa and guacamole (no peas, please).

Scion is so wonderful and gracious to their guests. I was delighted to find this thoughtful gift in my room. Oh and that JBL Bluetooth speaker can jam!

View from my hotel room included the Grand River and bridges, loved it.

Cocktail hour was met with these 2 lovely models and a unique opportunity to discuss Scion details with lead product engineers and specialists.

After a great presentation on the iA and iM, we walked over to dinner at Cygnus 27 (on the 28th floor, LOL). Really enjoyed the roasted beet salad along with the monkfish. Great food and company where we dined on large round tables allowing us the opportunity to talk about Scion and more.

Couldn’t resist snapping this pic from inside the restaurant, Cygnus 27.

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel for some rest. The next morning would have us start early to drive the all-new iA and iM models. I was excited to learn that of the 12 cars, 6 were equipped with a manual transmission.

The next morning, after an excellent breakfast, we headed outside to see (and select) our cars. I got together with Chris from “The Chavez Report” as my driving buddy and we both agreed that manual was the way to go. We also agreed to start with the iA thinking this would give us more time with the iM but unfortunately that didn’t work out (for me, that is), haha!

The iA is based off of the Mazda 2 sedan and while that decision has brought about many questions (and even some criticism), know that Mazda will not have a 2 sedan in the US market. And while a rebadged car isn’t the most exciting news, I can tell you that the iA I drove was a great little car. Little? Well, sure...it is a compact sedan, but the interior certainly doesn’t have you think that. 

Every surface you can touch on the iA feels great. I can’t say that anything on the interior of the iA felt “cheap” or looked out of place. The touchscreen looks quite modern with just enough trim bezel to make it look high end. Seriously looks better than a Mercedes-Benz CLA nav screen, that’s for sure. The double-stitched accent on the dash looks great and really elevates the style of this interior. Black piano trim pieces are “just enough” and tastefully compliment the interior and pull it all together nicely.

When it comes to the audio and nav controls, you have a dial and dedicated buttons within the middle console. Makes it a breeze to control and there’s even a small area to allow your palm to rest. I really liked using it because I could see myself using the touchscreen when I’m not driving (like in a parking lot) but would certainly use the dial and dedicated buttons while driving. My only gripe about the interior is with a lack of a center arm rest. On a long drive, that would get mighty uncomfortable (for me, anyway).

When it came to driving the iA, I loved the clutch and short throws of the manual transmission. There’s plenty of power to get the car rolling down the road and with an average of 40 MPG, you know it’s not a horsepower hoarder by any stretch. I don’t mind working the motor for power and I liked that the iA isn’t obnoxiously loud getting up to speed. You quickly forget that you’re driving a $15k-ish car because it doesn’t feel or drive like one.

So let’s talk about the exterior styling of the iA. It’s certainly bold. When’s the last time you remembered the styling of a compact sedan? Exactly. The iA has edgy and bold styling making it stand out...not blend in.

80 miles into our drive, we made it to the half way point where we would switch cars and I gotta tell you I was pretty excited to finally get inside the iM. Luckily, the Spring Green Metallic iM was not only available but it was also sporting a manual transmission. Double WIN.

Do you see that 4Runner TRD Pro in the background? That was our official support vehicle equipped with spare rims/tires just in case we encountered any road hazards. Scion peeps think of everything! This 4Runner is also a new addition to the Midwest region for the press fleet so who knows, maybe I’ll convince Toyota we need a road trip to Moab, Utah. HaHa!

Now that we’ve got the iM, we’re ready to go and lunch is just 43 miles away. This is also the time I realize we spent too much time with the iA and will need to hustle in the iM. Like, seriously HUSTLE. I had an early flight out of Grand Rapids so I had to be back at the hotel for my ride to the airport. With no time to waste, we started the journey to our lunch spot.

Absolutely love the white stitching on this iM steering wheel. The interior is tastefully finished and looks great. The strip of white leatherette sporting some sweet stitching really pulls it all together.

Driving the iM, it was easy to feel (and appreciate) the extra power since we came from the iA but I did miss the short throw of that iA manual. With the iM you gotta ride the clutch a little longer and the shift throws are not so short but you get used to it pretty quick.

This iM in Classic Silver is equipped with TRD springs and TRD intake.

So with that, the iM got us back to the hotel with only a few minutes to spare. I made my flight out of Grand Rapids and headed home to St. Louis. I loved the opportunity to explore both new Scion models and wish I had more time with the iM...but I’ll get one all to myself soon enough, right?

If you or someone you know is looking for a compact sedan, check out the iA. I totally recommend that car over say something like a Versa or Focus. And if you’re a hatch fan, definitely check out the iM. I hear the CVT model in Sport mode is fun too so don’t forget to try it if you’re not a manual transmission fan. Thanks for reading and following along. Til next time... -Raul

[loyaldriven]

Cocktail hour with the #ScioniA and #ScioniM. I asked about no sunroof option on the iM, what else do you wanna know? (at JW Marriott Grand Rapids)

[loyaldriven]

Heartbroken returning the Scion FR-S...but it's time to go home. Driving the #Corolla rental into San Diego. I'll be posting more RAV4 and #LoyalFRS pics this weekend.👍 (at Toyota National Headquarters)

[loyaldriven]

Just checked out the new #RAV4 in SE trim and wow, it looks great both inside and out. What do you think? #RAV4SE (at Toyota National Headquarters)

[loyaldriven]

Such a sad sign. Goodbye #LosPadresNationalForest. Your curvy roads are fantastic (not to mention those double tunnels).😍 #LoyalFRS (at Los Padres National Forest)

[loyaldriven]

😍 #TRD goodies galore are making me grin like a crazy person out here with this #ScionFRS! #LoyalFRS (at Angeles Crest Highway (CA 2))

[loyaldriven]

Doesn't feel good. Feels great! #WhatMovesYou | #ScionFRS #LoyalFRS 😍 I've got this sweet ride and I'm already absolutely in love. Why? Cause Angeles Crest Highway. That's why. (at Angeles Crest Highway (CA 2))

[loyaldriven]

Check out the #Mirai at #JayLenosGarage. Photo by @brianwilliams85 | #LetsGoPlaces #ToyotaMirai (at Jay Lenos Garage)

[loyaldriven]

I'm in Eastern NC for the weekend with this beautiful #AvalonHybrid. Would you believe that there once was a little airport✈️ terminal right where this plane is? I can remember you could park and walk right into the airport and onto the airplane. How times have changed. Oh...and speaking of "time" and "changes," I'll be attending my High School Reunion tomorrow evening. Any guesses how long that's been?😅 #LoyalAvalon (at New Bern Airport)

[loyaldriven]

Getaway from the Gateway in a RAV4

I’ve lived in St. Louis, Missouri, also known as the “Gateway to the West,” for 5 months now. Coming from the Northern New Jersey/Metro New York area, it’s very different here, that’s for sure. During some Facebook chat, my mom suggested we meet up in Gatlinburg, Tennessee for the 4th of July weekend, I couldn’t resist the invite! I think if I had to choose coastal living or mountain living, it would always be the mountains.

Thinking about which Toyota model would make a great “Getaway from the Gateway” vehicle, the RAV4 hit the spot. This RAV4 was also in the rare Hot Lava color, making it even sportier. I wasted no time gearing up the essentials and left early Friday morning with my partner in the passenger seat as “navigator.” From St. Louis to Gatlinburg is about an 8-9 hour drive and I didn’t want to rush it. My partner used the Roadtrippers app to find some cool spots along our route (that’s how we found Metropolis, Illinois - home of Superman). Seriously. But I’ll get into that in a minute.

Cruising on the highway in this RAV4 was pretty fantastic. Really comfortable seating and I found it to have good acceleration and passing power all while averaging 28 mpg. We stopped at Cracker Barrel for breakfast somewhere in Illinois, one of my favorite breakfast spots during a road trip.

After a good breakfast and nearly 4 hours into our road trip, we stopped at a town called Metropolis. Apparently the “Home of Superman,” this town has a Superman Museum and gift shop along with a 15 ft. bronze Superman statue on Superman Square, no less. Truth, Justice and the American Way, for sure!

After a short visit with Superman, we drove south into Nashville, Knoxville and finally Gatlinburg, TN. Nearly 6 more hours of driving after Superman, but every mile was pretty comfortable sitting behind the wheel of this RAV4. Nashville’s highways were a mess and apparently the LARGEST fireworks show in the United States is held here. I did not know that. Once we arrived in Gatlinburg, it was just in time for some homemade spaghetti with the family followed by fun in the water park.

Our next day in Gatlinburg was a big deal, it was July 4th and America’s birthday! Before the fireworks show that evening, we did some exploring in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I really do love the mountains! That town below the overlook is “main street” Gatlinburg in Tennessee.

Don’t you find it funny how time flies when you’re having so much fun? Time with family in Gatlinburg was amazing and we loved it so much, but we had to get back home to St. Louis. With that, we said our goodbyes (not before getting a round of Miniature Golf and another water park visit, haha). If you’ve been following me for a bit, you know I love my coffee and also my doughnuts. Krispy Kreme doughnuts remind me so much of North Carolina and where I grew up so we HAD to make a stop for a half dozen (even with the manager trying to convince us we needed a FULL dozen). This stop was right outside of Knoxville. We continued driving and my partner suggested we make a stop in Nashville that we missed out on while driving into Gatlinburg. I couldn’t agree more!

There’s something great about a latte and this artisan chocolate was also a nice treat. Barista Parlor, located in Nashville, Tennessee, is rated well on Yelp and for good reason. We encountered friendly service along with tasty lattes. If you’re ever in the area, check this place out.

When we walked outside to leave Barista Parlor, we found that the Hot Lava attracted this ELEMENT in a lighter but similar color. I had an ELEMENT myself back in 2004/2005 and really liked it, but mine was before Honda got “all fancy” with painted panels. Haha!

550 miles and 9 hours later, we arrived in St. Louis, but it was late and a camera “issue” wouldn’t allow me to snap a long exposure shot in front of Busch Stadium...so the next morning, I snapped this one across the Mississippi River to mark it as “We’re Home.”

Since I still had the RAV4 for a few days, I figure why not take advantage of the large interior and do some mountain biking. This area in downtown St. Louis is peppered with warehouse space and abandoned factories, but makes for adventure-filled riding. I also think it’s a great gritty and industrial look for photography. Just keep alert, if you know what I mean.

Urban riding is one thing but I also wanted to get out on some trails. I drove the RAV4 about 60 miles west into Cuivre River State Park. This is the same park I visited with Kathryn Ragsdale of Toyota (Bodine Aluminum Plant) during my cross country road trip, CamryTour, last year in June. Funny how a year later, I found myself at the same park. Trails were really wet but lots of fun and a lot of hill climbing with rocky terrain. Can’t wait to go back and explore some more.

After a good scrubbing at a local car wash, the RAV4 was ready to head back to Chicago. I’ll also tell you that the interior is pretty fantastic to clean up. I used a moist towel to clean the interior of any dirt smudges from the mountain bike. I was pretty impressed how easily the interior carpet and seat fabric cleaned right up like new.

I found the RAV4 to be an excellent vehicle for my lifestyle. Ample power out of the 2.5 Liter 4 cylinder engine, good on gas, versatile interior and very comfortable. This particular RAV4 was in XLE trim and included the Entune Premium Audio with Navigation and App Suite. The XM radio was really appreciated on our long trip...along with the dual zone climate control. Funny how “comfortable” can be a difference of 1 degree, LOL. Moonroof was used quite often and in the open vent mode, it was really quiet. Think whisper quiet. Loved it.

After a solid 2,000 miles and lots of seat time behind the wheel, I can easily and HIGHLY recommend you check out the RAV4 if you’re looking for a great “compact” SUV. Thanks for reading, til my next adventure, get out there and Let’s Go Places!

[loyaldriven]

#iM in love.💙 Excited to see this #ScioniM in the "wild" at #ToyotaHQ this morning as I returned the key for #LoyalTRDpro.😍 I get to drive an iM and iA later in July. Can't wait to share my experience with you.

[loyaldriven]

I'm in Sunny☀️California and just picked up keys to this #StormTrooper. #LoyalTRDpro | #LetsGoPlaces (at Manhattan Beach Pier)

[loyaldriven]

✈️ Heading to #SanDiego tomorrow. 💡I'm collecting Toyota stories, so tag an IG friend in the San Diego area. Would love to connect. (at Blueprint Coffee)