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2006 New Car Model Guide, Model Guide, New Car Reviews, Toyota Cars, Trucks, & SUVs

2006 TOYOTA NEW CAR MODEL GUIDE
TOYOTA CARS

2006 Toyota New Car Model GuideToyota's 2006 car-based line for North America shows six nameplates with sedans in three sizes, a sporty two-door coupe and convertible, plus a crossover hatchback and a hybrid gas-electric vehicle that earns high fuel economy scores.

2006 Scion New Car Model Guide(Click Here for SCION Models
)

Toyota Prius
2006 Toyota Prius

Toyota's hybrid gas-electric sedan ranks among the most aerodynamic production vehicles on the market. It fits in the mid-size class with generous space for five in a comfortable cabin. And Prius contains Toyota's high-voltage and high-powered Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) powertrain that runs on a thrifty 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine or a battery-powered electric motor. The HSD controls all energy produced by the two plants and applies it to turn the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The system achieves high fuel economy figures for the class of a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV).

A dashboard video screen illustrates energy management with icons representing the gas engine, electric motor, drive wheels and battery. Advanced air bags and tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) apply to '06 editions, with options for leather and a reverse-view camera plus MP3-capable audio gear.

Toyota Solara Coupe
2006 Toyota Solara Coupe

Slinky mid-size Toyota sports coupes and convertibles, spinning off the platform of Camry, present stunning shapes highlighted by an aggressive face and sensuous lines swirling around the body. Powertrains come directly off Camry. A 2.4-liter four-cylinder plant applies to Solara SE, while Solara SE V6 and deluxe SLE V6 draw from Camry's 3.0-liter V6. A five-speed sequential automatic transmission ties now to four-cylinder models as well as V6-equipped Solaras.

Standard safety items range from side-impact air bags to ABS, plus optional curtain-style side air bags for front and back seats in the coupe. An optional sports kit for Solara SE installs a five-piece body kit, sport gauges in the instrument cluster, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter cap plus aluminum pedals and sport tires mounted on 17-inch alloy wheels.

Toyota Camry
2006 Toyota Camry

Toyota's popular mid-size sedan, assembled in Kentucky, accounts for a fifth of all Toyotas sold in North America. For 2006, there are multiple models available with four-cylinder or V6 powertrains. Camry's 2.4-liter four-in-line base engine is rated at 154 hp for 2006 when tied to a five speed electronically controlled automatic transmission. A 3.3-liter V6 for Camry XLE and SE trims achieves 210 hp through the five-speed automatic.

Leather seats are the standard on XLE V6 and Limited models, and satellite radio service is optional with any Camry rigged with a JBL six-disc CD audio and navigation system. Anti-lock brakes (ABS) are standard on every Camry, while a vehicle stability control (VSC) system is available on four-cylinder models but a stock item for V6 versions. Also, a navigation system becomes a stand-alone option on the Camry SE V6.

Toyota Avalon
2006 Toyota Avalon

As flagship for Toyota's fleet, the full-size Avalon sedan is big and powerful yet plush in appointments and excep-tionally quiet from the isolation of the cabin. It's also home-grown for the American market, with styling from Toyota's design studio in California, engineering via Toyota's technical center in Michigan and assembly at Toyota's Kentucky plant. A strong and sophisticated 3.5-liter V6 engine makes 268 through a five-speed automatic transmission with sequential shifting. Elab-orate safety systems, both passive and active, are aboard.

The spacious cabin contains bucket seats up front and a broad bench for three in back. A flat floor adds legroom for backseat riders, and that bench can be adjusted for comfort with the backrest tilting to five different positions. Toyota casts Avalon in four trims in 2006, including Touring grade with sport suspension tuning and a spoiler on the tail.

Toyota Corolla
2006 Toyota Corolla

Toyota's compact sedan comes together in California and at Toyota's Canadian factory in Ontario. Exterior styling appears shapely and contemporary but also muscular. For action, a 1.8-liter in-line-four engine hits 126 hp with primary trims of entry-level CE, upscale S and deluxe LE. Transmissions include the standard five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic.

Sporty Corolla XRS packs a spoiler, body-colored grille, blacked-out headlight extensions and 16-inch alloy wheels. It rides low on a sport-tuned suspension dropped by half an inch, while the cabin shows sport seats, silver-colored instrument plates with Optitron meters and a leather shifter knob. The XRS makes more power too, from a 1.8-liter four-cylinder with Toyota's variable valve timing, labeled VVTL-i for variable valve timing and lift with intelligence. The plant nets 164 hp in 2006 configuration with a six-speed manual stick.

Toyota Matrix
2006 Toyota Matrix

Score Toyota's five-door hatchback as a crossover utility wagon that blends the sleek lines and nimble manners of a sporty car with the practicality of a boxy SUV and the economy of a subcompact sedan. It looks wild but brings big space in a cabin that adapts to active lifestyles. The layout seats five, plus a rear bay for cargo. That bay has a flat floor and, with both rear seatbacks folded down, provides 53 cubic feet of stow space.

Matrix's price-leading Standard edition and XR grade employ front-wheel-drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD) traction and a thrifty four-cylinder engine. Front-drive Matrix XRS uses a high-performance 1.8-liter four with 164 hp off a six-speed manual shifter. Curtain-style side air bags show up on the list of options, with VSC available on Matrix Standard and XR.