An innovative suspension component comprised of a coil spring that supports the vehicle’s weight, an internal shock absorber that helps to control the vertical motion of the wheel and body, and a structural tube that helps align and position the wheel. The top of the strut is attached to a reinforced mounting structure inside the fender, the bottom of the strut is attached to the top of the wheel hub, and the bottom of the wheel hub is connected to the vehicle frame by a lower control arm that can pivot up and down.

Think of it like deluxe air conditioning. Manual climate controls operate the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and defrost/defog features of the vehicle. Temperature, fan speed and vent settings must be manually selected.

A fixed or retractable radio antenna mounted on the front fender or roof of the vehicle.

Helps you get a grip. Used in the rear axle of an RWD vehicle, this unit incorporates internal clutches or gears to limit the torque delivered to a spinning wheel or axle, while adding torque to a non-spinning wheel or axle for improved traction.

Automotive paint mixed with metal flakes such as brass or aluminum to provide a sparkling finish.

They take power, they make power. They’re the magical electric motors that also serve as electric motor/generators in the Hybrid Synergy Drive^® (HSD) powertrain. All HSD^® vehicles have a minimum of two electric motor/generators, and HSD^® vehicles equipped with 4WD-i add a third motor/generator. All three of the motor/generators used in HSD^® vehicles can operate as high-torque electric motors, taking electricity and transforming it into rotating motion. They can also serve as electric generators, taking rotating motion and converting it into reusable electricity.

An automotive finish that has more reflective quality than solid paint, but less sparkle than metallic paints. During its manufacture, it is mixed with silicate flakes that are used for their consistent structure. These flakes are uniform in size and shape, and lie in the paint like tiny reflective fish scales. This consistency makes the finish bright without making it too intense, and also contributes to the paint’s durability.

A particulate air-filtration system that reduces airborne particles larger than three microns (a human hair is 40-120 microns). This helps prevent pollens, spores and road dust from entering the cabin, providing a more comfortable environment for those who suffer from allergies, asthma or other breathing difficulties.

A certain model (Corolla, Avalon, etc.) may come in several varieties (“grades”) or levels of “trim.” These are often designated with letter combinations, like CE or XLE. The model grade is usually based on features that come standard with a vehicle, though some stylistic differences may also factor in, such as body treatments, wheels, etc.

Three-dimensional trim pieces added to protect or accent the vehicle’s body—like the automotive equivalent of a chair rail in your home. Moldings can be added as parking lot protection for doors and fenders, chrome or black accents for window frames, or styling elements for the trunk/cargo door. Moldings are added to the body rather than stamped-cast, or styled into the exterior panels.

They could be aircraft call letters, but they’re not. They’re audio coding formats that allow audio files to be compressed and stored to digital media at a fraction of the size of the uncompressed source files, with no perceptible loss in quality.

Typified by an aggressive design with deep rain channels and large tread blocks, you can tell that these tires are made for the slushy stuff. This designation can refer to an all-season, all-terrain or dedicated winter snow tire.

More than what their name implies, mudguards help protect the vehicle body by blocking any type of debris thrown upward by the tires. In particular, mudguards work with aggressive, deep-tread tires (typically found on trucks and SUVs) that might throw mud and small rocks.

You could also call it a “silencer,” but that sounds a little too sinister. A component of the exhaust system, the muffler quiets (or muffles) noise engine by routing exhaust gas through a compact “echo” chamber that helps to cancel combustion noise from the cylinders.

This compact LCD screen can practically do it all. It can display trip information such as driving range, fuel consumption, elapsed time and outside temperature. The same screen can also be used to display audio system and air conditioning system settings.

Suitable for hardcore off-road action, the multi-link live axle rear suspension designs in the Toyota 4Runner and FJ Cruiser have two upper and two lower trailing arms, plus a Panhard rod. Coil springs and shock absorbers are mounted between the frame and axle.

A multi-link suspension design uses multiple steel or aluminum arms to connect the wheel hub with the chassis, precisely controlling the position and alignment of the tire. Multi-link is always a fully independent suspension on cars and crossover SUVs and is usually used at the rear of the vehicle, where the links can help to control caster, camber, toe-in and toe-out.

A seriously deluxe drive system that includes the following selectable modes: rear-wheel drive (RWD), full-time 4WD, part-time 4WD and low-range gearing.

It knows when you’re getting dirty and plays along. This system, used on certain trucks and SUVs, can detect a loose surface such as sand, gravel or deep snow and adjust the braking response. On loose surfaces, moderate wheelslip is actually a good thing, as the tires are able to build up a “wedge” of sand, gravel or snow that can help slow the vehicle.

Imagine if you could breathe through more than one mouth or nose. Sure, you’d look funny, but that’s beside the point. By using more than the traditional two valves per cylinder (one intake and one exhaust), multiple valves (usually four per cylinder) increase the flow of the air/fuel mixture into the engine and exhaust gases out of the engine. This arrangement also allows a centralized location of the spark plug for more uniform combustion.

The multitasker of the electrical world, this technology allows one electrical wire to control numerous features. For example, a power window switch that includes one-touch up, one-touch down and jam protection would require up to five wires: power, ground and a separate wire for each individual function. With multiplexing, one wire can communicate with the power window motor and tell it to roll up, roll down or reverse direction if it encounters resistance while closing. By multiplying the data streams running on a single wire, multiplexing reduces the cost, complexity and weight of a vehicle’s wiring harness.