2016 Toyota Mirai Sedan

If Toyota has its way, the 2016 Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell car could go down in popular history as the car that brought the future to us. Its name, after all, means "the future" in Japanese. Forget the Prius, the Tesla Model S and the BMW i3, Toyota executives say; the Mirai and its hydrogen fuel-cell technology is the first step in the next century of the automobile.

If you ask Toyota, the 2016 Mirai signals that the future is now.

The beauty of hydrogen fuel-cell cars is that they deliver all of the benefits of electric cars without being limited by a charging cord. The all-new 2016 Toyota Mirai sedan seeks to optimize this formula, promising a fuel-cell system that is lighter, smaller and less expensive than anything that's come before it. On the road, the Mirai delivers 300 miles of range, putting most plug-in electric cars to shame.
At the moment, however, the future is mostly confined to California, where the majority of just a handful of current public hydrogen stations are located. So it is with the 2016 Mirai, which is only available in the Golden State. Toyota says it has plans to sell the Mirai in the Northeast, too, pending the construction of new hydrogen stations between Massachusetts and New Jersey. But for the time being, California residence is a must for Mirai ownership.
If you've got that part down, and you're not overly concerned about hydrogen fuel safety (you shouldn't be), this Toyota is certainly a car worth considering. One question, of course, is how you feel about the polarizing exterior styling. Toyota designed the Mirai to stand out from the crowd, and it does so with a daring shape marked by radical angles, scoops, curves and accent lines. Inside, the Mirai's spaceship-like instrument layout makes another strong impression. There are just four seats, though; engineers decreed that the added weight of a fifth passenger would hurt both range and performance, so there's no middle seat in the back.
If you want your next car to have "hydrogen" written all over it, the Mirai is pretty much without competition. The only other fuel-cell vehicle in the retail market right now is the California-only Hyundai Tucson FCEV, and supplies are very limited. Honda plans to launch its own fuel-cell sedan sometime in 2016, but the next batch of fuel-cell vehicles will require a longer wait. For now, at least, the Edmunds "B" rated 2016 Toyota Mirai is indeed "the future" of hydrogen-powered cars.

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Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2016 Toyota Mirai is a four-door sedan with seating for four. It's available in a single trim level.
An official list of features was not available as of this writing, but we expect standard equipment on the 2016 Mirai to include 17-inch aluminum wheels, LED headlights, cruise control, dual-zone automatic climate control, neoprene-look cloth upholstery, eight-way heated power front seats with power lumbar adjustments, heated rear seats, a heated tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, an 8-inch touchscreen, a rearview camera, a navigation system with a fuel-station finder, Bluetooth audio and phone connectivity and a JBL audio system with satellite radio, a USB port and an auxiliary jack.

The Mirai's standard equipment list appropriately includes a number of high-tech items, including an 8-inch touchscreen interface.

Also standard are a 24-hour concierge service, 24-hour roadside service, three years of free maintenance and an 8-year or 100,000-mile warranty on all fuel-cell system components.
The sole option is a trunk-mounted power take-off system that enables the Mirai to serve as an emergency generator, providing up to 60 kilowatt-hours of electricity from a full load of hydrogen, sufficient to power a small home for up to a week, Toyota says.

Powertrains and Performance

Driving the front wheels of the 2016 Toyota Mirai is a front-mounted electric motor that delivers 151 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque. A Prius-sized 1.6-kWh nickel-metal hydride battery mounted behind the rear seats stores some of the juice generated by the fuel-cell system for use when an extra burst of power is needed.
In Edmunds track testing, a 2016 Mirai accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 8.7 seconds, beating the 2016 Prius by 1.1 seconds. Top speed is 111 mph. Toyota says the Mirai can travel about 300 miles on the 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of pressurized hydrogen it carries. With 1 kilogram of hydrogen delivering the same amount of energy as a gallon of regular gasoline, that's a fuel-efficiency equivalent of 60 mpg.

Safety

Standard safety equipment on the 2016 Mirai includes antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, front and rear side airbags and a rearview camera. Active safety equipment includes lane-departure alert, a blind-spot monitor, adaptive cruise control and a frontal collision mitigation system with automatic braking. Special hydrogen sensors will issue warnings and shut down the hydrogen tanks' stop valves if they detect a hydrogen leak.
In Edmunds brake testing, a 2016 Mirai stopped from 60 mph in 130 feet, a longish distance that's nonetheless not unusual among hybrids and EVs.

Interior Design and Special Features

Toyota lavished Lexus-like quality on the Mirai's cabin, with soft-touch materials at all the places where people come into contact with interior surfaces. Fit and finish is excellent. The instrumentation and controls are generally user-friendly, although the instrument panel can take a little getting used to, as it floats directly above the center stack on the top level of the Prius-like two-tier dash. There's nothing behind the steering wheel where the gauges usually reside.

There's a lot going on with the 2016 Mirai's dashboard.

The supportive front seats are roomy but still grippy, and there's plenty of head-, leg- and hiproom in all four seating positions. A large armrest with an integrated storage bin separates the heated rear seats. On the downside, the center console's storage compartments are fairly small, and the expanse of glossy plastic surrounding the climate controls is a magnet for fingerprints.
Because the car was designed from the start to be a fuel-cell vehicle, the bulky fuel tanks and battery don't intrude much into either cabin or trunk space. The Mirai's trunk isn't as large as that of most conventional cars its size, but it's still roomy enough to handle typical chores like grocery shopping or runs to Target.

Driving Impressions

Ride quality in the 2016 Toyota Mirai is smooth and comfortable. Thanks in part to the weight of the low-slung fuel-cell stack, the Mirai feels secure around the turns. Steering and suspension feedback are pretty numb, but this isn't a car you buy for the thrill of tearing through corners or dancing along tortuous mountain routes.
As in any electric car, all of the 2016 Toyota Mirai's torque is available as soon as you start pressing the accelerator, so the car feels rather quick from zero to 40 mph. Things slow down after that, so acceleration during highway passing can be relatively sluggish, but we suspect most drivers will be just fine with the Mirai's level of performance.

Some might find the 2016 Mirai's styling a bit too adventurous, but it certainly stands out in a crowd.

The brakes feel firm and sure, though, and while the Mirai's rather mild regenerative braking system won't let you slow the car almost to a dead stop without applying the brake pedal (as is the case with some electric cars), it also won't alarm you with an abrupt jerk when you lift off the accelerator pedal.
Without the background noise of an internal combustion engine, the Mirai's cabin remains fairly quiet. At lower speeds, the clicking hydrogen injectors, humming hydrogen pump and whining air compressor are faintly audible, but never intrusive.

2016 Toyota Prius Two Hatchback

The fully redesigned 2016 Toyota Prius further cements the model's reputation as the most fuel-efficient hybrid car you can buy. But the company that dominates the hybrid sales market is not coasting on its success. Toyota turned its attention to refining the rest of the car, with impressive results. At the same time, Toyota produced a radically different exterior design that many of us find challenging to like, though whether Prius fans will love it or hate it remains to be seen.

The redesigned 2016 Prius has styling unlike anything else, unless you count the hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai, which seems to have been the inspiration.

The essential appeal of the Prius, of course, lies in its fuel economy, and for 2016 the numbers are indeed impressive, with an EPA combined rating of 52 mpg for the standard car. But there is one hybrid that can beat it, and that machine is the new Prius Eco, a fuel-economy-oriented variant (as if the Prius needed one) that is rated at a whopping 56 mpg combined. As an added bonus, the gas engine is now noticeably quieter when it comes to life, and it sounds less strained during hard acceleration.
But there's plenty more to recommend the new Prius than just the powertrain. The previous Prius' odd upright driving position is no more, replaced by a lower, more natural orientation that makes the car feel less like a science experiment. There's more front leg- and headroom, too, although a couple inches of rear legroom have been lost. The payoff is found in the cargo bay, which grows by 14 percent. Hybrid credentials aside, the Prius has long been a smart pick due to its hatchback practicality, and for 2016 it's even more practical than before.
As for the car's underlying architecture, a lower and wider stance combines with the new double-wishbone rear suspension to improve the car's ride and handling. Bumps are now more readily absorbed, and the steering's added heft is reassuring. This new Prius is still not speedy or all that exciting to drive, but there are far fewer failings to overlook. It's a pleasant car to drive in its own right.
With these refinements, the Prius also has fewer peers than ever before. Honda has shelved its slow-selling Insight, and no other automaker is attempting a Prius rival. At this point it's a matter of size, mpg, configuration and, yes, styling. Is the 2016 Prius hatchback big enough, or do you want the extra passenger space of a midsize sedan that has a trunk? If so, the 2016 Ford Fusion Hybrid or the 2016 Toyota Camry Hybrid might be worth a look. If a plug-in hybrid is more to your liking, the redesigned Chevrolet Volt is pretty impressive. But for a regular hybrid, we highly recommend the 2016 Toyota Prius.

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Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2016 Toyota Prius is a four-door hatchback that seats five passengers, and it comes in six trim levels: Two, Two Eco, Three, Three Touring, Four and Four Touring. The compact Prius C and larger Prius V are different models covered in separate reviews.
Standard features found on the Prius Two include 15-inch alloy wheels, automatic LED headlights, LED running lights and taillights, heated mirrors, keyless entry (driver door only) and ignition, automatic climate control, dual 4.2-inch driver information screens, cruise control, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, cloth upholstery, a height-adjustable driver seat, a 60/40-split folding rear seat, a 6.1-inch touchscreen display, a rearview camera, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, voice recognition with Siri Eyes Free and a six-speaker audio system with a USB port, an auxiliary audio jack and a CD player.
The more efficient Prius Two Eco is fitted with ultralow-rolling-resistance tires, two-tone wheel covers, a lighter lithium-ion hybrid battery, a lightweight inflation kit instead of a spare tire and illuminated keyless entry on three doors. The rear wiper that comes standard on the other trims is deleted here.
Inside the Prius Three you'll find leatherette steering wheel and armrest trim, white interior accents, a wireless phone charging pad (compatible phone case not included) and the Toyota Entune premium infotainment system with a 7-inch touchscreen, navigation, satellite radio, HD radio, real-time data (traffic, weather, fuel prices, sports, stocks) and access to apps like Pandora, iHeartRadio, OpenTable and Yelp via a paired smartphone running the Entune app.

Sleek automatic climate controls share space with Toyota's familiar touchscreen infotainment system in the 2016 Prius.

The Prius Four comes with a blind spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic wipers, leatherette upholstery with contrasting white stitching, heated front seats, a power driver seat with adjustable lumbar, seatback storage pockets and a rear cargo cover.
Standard equipment on the Three Touring or Four Touring includes everything on the corresponding Three or Four plus 17-inch alloy wheels, foglights, LED clearance lights, unique rear bumper styling and leatherette upholstery with contrasting blue seat stitching. Both also come standard with the Toyota Safety Sense package, which includes full-speed adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and intervention, a pre-collision warning system and automatic high beams.
The Prius Three and Four can be upgraded with the Advanced Technology package, which consists of a sunroof, a head-up display and the Toyota Safety Sense equipment found on Touring models.
Finally, the Prius Four and Prius Four Touring can be equipped with the Premium Convenience package, which includes JBL 10-speaker premium audio, a self-parking system and Safety Connect emergency services.

Powertrains and Performance

As before, the new 2016 Toyota Prius is powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine and a pair of electric motor/generators. Their outputs are blended in a unique electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (CVT) that feeds as much as 121 horsepower to the front wheels. Light to moderate braking transforms one of the electric motors into a generator to keep the hybrid battery topped up.
In Edmunds track testing, a 2016 Prius Three accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 9.8 seconds, a few tenths quicker than the outgoing model but 2.1 seconds slower than the last Camry Hybrid sedan we tested. The upside is an EPA fuel economy rating of 52 mpg combined (54 city/50 highway). Our on-road testing of a Prius Three proved that this rating can be readily matched or beaten. Those looking for ultimate frugality can turn to the new Prius Two Eco, which earns an astonishing rating of 56 mpg combined (58 city/53 highway).

Safety

Every 2016 Toyota Prius comes standard with antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, front side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, a driver knee airbag and a passenger seat cushion airbag. A rearview camera also comes standard.
Blind spot monitoring with cross-traffic alert comes standard on the Prius Four and Four Touring. The Toyota Safety Sense package includes full-speed adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning and lane departure warning and intervention. It's standard on the Prius Three Touring and Four Touring and optional on the Three and Four.
The Safety Connect system that can be added to the Prius Four and Four Touring is subscription-based (with a one-year free trial) and includes automatic collision notification, stolen vehicle locator and one-touch access to roadside and emergency assistance.
In Edmunds brake testing, a Prius Three came to a halt from 60 mph in 120 feet, which is solidly average.

Interior Design and Special Features

The 2016 Prius has a more conventionally laid out interior than its predecessor. A traditional center console between the seats contains cupholders, a shallow storage bin (home of the wireless phone-charging pad) and an armrest. The stubby shifter with its separate Park button remains, and the speedometer and gauge array still sit high in the center of the dash. A new head-up display option can present the most crucial information directly in front of the driver.

The 2016 Toyota Prius trades the last generation's sporty wraparound cockpit for a cabin with a more spacious feel.

Materials quality feels appropriate, with interesting seat fabrics and leatherette materials showing up on lower trim levels. But the choice of pearl white as a prominent center console accent color is sure to be polarizing. And though some legacy Prius design quirks remain (as well as one or two new ones), the layout and control placement are generally easy to understand and use.
The intuitive 7-inch touchscreen upgrade responds quickly to commands. A clumsy Entune app is necessary for high-level smartphone integration, but you can do without and still have a satisfying experience via the USB or Bluetooth audio connections. Bluetooth pairing, incidentally, has been greatly simplified.
Perhaps the biggest change involves the driving position, which features a lower seat with a less upright posture and more maximum head- and legroom despite a roof line that's almost an inch lower. The view out is still clear thanks to a lower cowl and side glass. And the telescoping steering wheel now has ample range of adjustment, with simplified control buttons that have a more positive feel.
But more than 2 inches of rear legroom has been lost. The remaining space is still enough for most families, but the Prius may not be the choice it once was among taxi drivers. The payoff is increased luggage capacity, which stands at 24.6 cubic feet, a full 3 cubic feet more than the last model. The Prius Two Eco and Prius Four twins lack a spare tire, which lowers the floor and raises their luggage capacity to a cavernous 27.3 cubic feet.

Driving Impressions

The 2016 Prius is just slightly quicker than before, so it's not going to win any speed contests. That's perfectly acceptable in light of its maximum-mpg mission. The new Prius powertrain is more evocative of a full-on electric vehicle than ever. Part of this is due to improved noise suppression: You don't hear the engine as much when it is running. But the system also stays in EV propulsion mode more of the time, provided you're not a leadfoot.

The all-new Prius drives better than the nameplate's reputation might lead you to believe.

On diverse real-world roads, the Prius is even easier to drive than before, with smoother-acting brakes and a bit more reassuring heft to the steering. The new double-wishbone suspension is far more adept at soaking up road imperfections and quelling body motions than before, and it's also an effective road noise filter.

2015 Toyota Corolla S Sedan

If the 2015 Toyota Corolla was somehow competing on a reality TV show it'd probably be voted off in the first few rounds. It's just not an attention-grabbing kind of car. But for a majority of small sedan shoppers, having a car that avoids histrionics is exactly the point. If you're somebody who just wants to set it and forget it with a minimal amount of fuss, chances are you'll find plenty about the 2015 Corolla that's to your liking.
Coming after a complete overhaul last year, the latest Corolla's restyled exterior won't exactly blow your hair back, but the fresh interior is a big step forward, bringing a newfound sense of style along with widely available niceties like a user-friendly touchscreen and automatic climate control. The backseat's cavernous legroom gives the compact Corolla near-midsize passenger space, while the continuously variable transmission (CVT) enables stellar fuel economy. Throw in the Corolla's pretty high crash test scores and its historically robust reliability and you've got pretty much everything most people need and want for a small sedan.
Just keep in mind that if you value driver engagement, the Corolla remains one of the least inspiring options in this class. More dynamic alternatives include the sophisticated and similarly fuel-efficient 2015 Mazda 3 and the frugal yet fun-to-drive Ford Focus. Although the 2015 Hyundai Elantra lacks that sporty edge, it does offer ample style at an attractive price, and the always-popular Honda Civic and Volkswagen Jetta have been remade into strong all-around contenders. But considering its undeniable appeal for the money, this Toyota still earns a solid Edmunds.com "B" rating. Other small cars will steal the headlines, but don't let that distract you from the 2015 Corolla's fundamental competence.

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Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options

The 2015 Toyota Corolla is a five-passenger compact sedan available in four main trim levels: L, LE, LE Eco and S. All but the L are further offered in Plus and Premium sub-trims.
Standard features on the base L model include 15-inch steel wheels, LED headlights (low beams only) and running lights, powered accessories, air-conditioning, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel with auxiliary controls, a height-adjustable driver seat, a 60/40-split-folding rear seat, Bluetooth phone connectivity and a four-speaker sound system with a CD player, a USB/iPod interface and an auxiliary audio jack.
The LE adds 16-inch steel wheels, heated mirrors, variable intermittent wipers, keyless entry, metallic cabin accents, cruise control, automatic climate control, a rearview camera, a six-speaker sound system with a 6-inch touchscreen display, Bluetooth audio connectivity, phonebook download capability and voice controls.
The LE Plus adds 16-inch alloy wheels, foglights, piano black interior accents and eligibility for both an optional sunroof and the Driver Convenience package, which includes the sunroof and adds keyless entry and ignition, a roof-mounted antenna (versus the standard in-glass antenna), satellite radio, HD radio, a navigation system and Entune App Suite mobile-app integration.
Going with the LE Premium gets you the LE Plus model's standard and optional features plus a power driver seat, heated front seats and premium vinyl upholstery.
The LE Eco starts with the LE's features and adds efficiency-maximizing engine and transmission tuning, 15-inch steel wheels with low-rolling-resistance tires, a rear spoiler and enhanced aerodynamics. The LE Eco Plus adds special 16-inch alloy wheels, foglights, chrome window trim, an Eco driving mode and the same options as the LE Plus. The LE Eco Premium shares the LE Premium's upgrades.
Should you choose the sport-themed S trim you'll get the LE's features plus unique wheel covers, a chrome grille frame, foglights, color-keyed mirrors with signal repeaters, a rear spoiler, a chrome exhaust tip, sport front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters, a Sport driving mode, sport instrumentation and a trip computer.
You can upgrade the S trim with the S Plus that has 17-inch alloy wheels, firmer suspension tuning and rear disc brakes (versus the standard drums), and it's eligible for the sunroof and Driver Convenience package like the other Plus models. Notably, if you specify the six-speed manual transmission (offered only on S Plus), you don't get the shift paddles or Sport driving mode, but you do get the Driver Convenience package as standard. The S Premium starts with the S Plus' equipment and shares the upgrades of the other Premium models, including the premium vinyl upholstery.

Powertrains and Performance

The 2015 Toyota Corolla is powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that comes in two different versions. On every trim level except the LE Eco, it produces 132 horsepower and 128 pound-feet of torque. The LE Eco's more efficient version also makes a little more power, checking in at 140 hp and 126 lb-ft of torque.
The base Corolla L comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission, offering a four-speed automatic as an option. The other trims feature a continuously variable transmission (CVT), though the S can also be ordered with the six-speed manual.
In Edmunds performance testing, a Corolla LE Eco sauntered to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds, comparable to a CVT-equipped Honda Civic but nearly a full second behind the Ford Focus and Mazda 3.
EPA-estimated fuel economy varies depending on which Corolla you choose. It checks in at 31 mpg combined (27 city/36 highway) with the four-speed automatic and also 31 mpg combined (28/37) with the six-speed manual. The CVT returns 32 mpg combined (29/38) in the LE and a comparable 32 mpg combined (29/37) in the S. The LE Eco leads the way at 35 mpg combined (30/42) in standard form and 34 mpg combined (30/40) in Plus or Premium form.

Safety

Standard on every 2015 Toyota Corolla are stability and traction control, antilock brakes, front side airbags, side curtain airbags, a driver knee airbag and a passenger seat cushion airbag. A rearview camera is standard on all trims except the base L.
Note that most 2015 Corollas feature cheaper rear drum brakes, with only the S Plus and S Premium upgrading to rear discs. In Edmunds brake testing, a Corolla LE Eco with the rear drums stopped from 60 mph in 130 feet, a longer than average result.
In government crash testing, the Corolla earned the top overall rating of five stars, including five stars for frontal impacts and five stars for side impacts. The independent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the Corolla its top rating of "Good" in the moderate-overlap frontal-offset, side-impact and roof-strength tests. In the small-overlap frontal-offset test, though, the Corolla received the second-lowest rating of "Marginal." Its seat/head restraint design was rated "Good" for whiplash protection in rear impacts.

Interior Design and Special Features

The current Corolla's cabin is easily the most interesting one to date, and yes, we realize that's not saying much. Still, it's clear that the designers were given freer rein this time, and the result is a reasonably stylish dashboard, accented by un-Corolla-like flourishes such as a sportily contoured steering wheel and an eye-catching asymmetrical shifter surround. The top priority remains ease of use, so the various audio interfaces employ tried-and-true knobs for volume and tuning, while the LE-and-up automatic climate-control panel (a welcome luxury in this price bracket) consists of a large knob and a few foolproof buttons.
Another pleasant surprise is the 6.1-inch touchscreen interface, also standard on LE and above, which provides large virtual buttons and simple, clear graphics. The screen responds quickly to inputs, and its feature set is generous for an economy car offering. The available Entune App Suite integrates smartphone-connected services from Bing, Facebook, Yelp and Pandora, among others, as well as real-time traffic data and sports and stock information. Note that getting started with Entune can be a bit of a hassle, since you have to install an app on your phone and register for an account.
The Corolla's front seats provide generally adequate comfort, particularly the S trim's better-bolstered chairs, though some may wish for more lumbar support. Also, longer-legged drivers could use more range from the telescoping steering wheel. Thanks in part to a 3.9-inch-longer wheelbase than the previous Corolla, the current car offers considerably more rear legroom than most small sedans, if not a commensurate amount of headroom. The middle rear position is made more hospitable by the nearly flat floor, which lacks the traditional center "hump." Trunk capacity is average at 13 cubic feet, but the wide opening facilitates loading and unloading.

Driving Impressions

Despite last year's complete redesign, the 2015 Toyota Corolla delivers much the same driving experience as its predecessor. Partly, that's down to Toyota's tried-and-true but generally underwhelming 1.8-liter engine. Acceleration is adequate but nothing more. The LE Eco's version gets some tweaks that add a few horsepower, but we couldn't detect a difference. We do like the CVT, as it has computer-simulated "shifts" to mitigate the typical CVT's constant-rpm drone during acceleration. Skip the archaic four-speed automatic in the base L unless the price is simply too good to pass up.
The Corolla's handling, too, is familiar. Sporty S-trim touches notwithstanding, there's no playfulness to be found here; instead, enthusiastic driving around turns is met with a lifeless steering feel and pronounced body roll. Instead, this car is all about no-hassle commuting comfort, with a quiet, compliant ride that makes the daily grind seem less onerous.