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Brand Problems Swept Under The Rug
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Again till a real news agency actually puts something up with supporting facts and police reports I will be skeptical.
Note: I do not work for TMZ and am in no way affiliated with them, I just heard an interview or podcast or something that talked about their rapid evolution.
Bill
In today's world of "selective" reporting by "big mainstream media," if they don 't like a story or don't agree with it, then it goes unreported or gets spun beyond recognition. Your best bet to get all the news these days is on the internet.
For example, the N.Y. Times has not uttered one peep on what is being referred to as "climategate". Probably the biggest story on global warming ever. Their thinking is 20 years in the past where, if they did not report a story, then it just wasn't a story. This just doesn't work any more and that is why the Times is going broke. They have lost all their credibility and are not smart enough to figure it out.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
There's 103 stories found when I do a search on "Climategate" there.
The 16 hits that you got are nearly all blogs from readers or from other sources rather than the Times. Where are their actual news stories and reporting from staffers?
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
There's 75 climate stories just on Google this morning for example. And over 7,000 "auto brand" stories at the moment.
Like this one: :shades:
Car buyers display brand loyalties (Omaha.com)
But there's nothing in the story about people changing brands because of problems they had with something. Makes you wonder if all the news about car problems is overblown, like so many other news stories.
1) Car and Driver magazine's 10 best cars list does not have any Toyota; while Ford has 3 (including Mazda).
2) Motor Trend magazine named Ford Fusion Car of the Year.
3) Toyota's consumer ratings in the Yahoo Auto continues to drop. The 2010 Camry and Corolla; the 2009 Corolla only gets 3.5 stars (which means 1/3 of the people are not happy with them). The 2009 Camry gets even lower 3 stars (which means 1/2 of the people are not happy). They are lower than most the American car ratings. More interestingly, almost all the posts with high ratings for Toyota got super low "helpful" rating from the readers of these posts while almost all the posts with low ratings for Toyota got very high "helpful" ratings from the readers of these posts. This indicates that the negative view on Toyota of the Yahoo Auto readers is much higher than the people who post reviews.
These are in addition to the old news:
4) Toyota's worldwide sales drop 31%
5) Toyota lost 1.5 billion dollars in half year
6) Toyota lost No. 1 automaker title in 2009 after being there for just 1 year
7) Toyota produced 3.1 million cars but recalled 6 million cars in half year
8) IIHS published the 2010 safe pick list; Ford (including Volvo) has 6 cars on the list; Toyota 0
9) Consumer Reports give Toyota Camry V6 an average rating on reliability; while Ford Fusion gets the highest much better than average rating.
BTW, I'm not a Ford fan.
Wow, something I can agree with.
I think the issue is that "opinion" pieces should be in the appropriate section, not on the first page of the Sunday paper.
Even better, let's try to stick to cars.
Best to post those thoughts in the "Toyota decline" discussion if you must continue down the single track you are on, IMHO.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Toyota owns a big share of Subaru and they put FIVE models on the IIHS list:
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/
He included Mazda for Ford. Let's see...
On November 18 2008 Ford announced that it would be selling a 20% stake in Mazda bringing its stake to 13.4%, and surrendering control of the company
Toyota owns a bigger share of Subaru (from Edmunds):
Japan is buzzing with news that Toyota plans to raise its stake in Fuji Heavy Industries, Subaru's parent company, from 8.7 percent up to around 17 percent
Myths and misinformation.
Feel free to quote me in other threads where those myths were propagated.
Take a look at what passes for Civil discourse in this country now none of that surprises me anymore.
Where is the "roll eyes" emotorcon?
Where is the "roll eyes" emotorcon?
"Toyota was notified in January that roof strength would be a new test. The IIHS asked automakers to flag any vehicles they'd like to have included. Toyota had plenty of opportunity to flag other Toyota, Lexus or Scion models — including being present at roof strength tests at the IIHS facility — but choose not to. So IIHS assumed that there were no models that met the new guidelines. If there are other vehicles Toyota would want to include they were able to submit them at that time or at any time in the process — including right now."
indeed where is the "roll eyes" emotorcon?
http://jalopnik.com/5407648/iihs-fires-back-tells-toyota-to-put-cars-where-its-m- outh-is
You know what they say about the word "assume".
Midsize moderately priced cars (Camry leads this list.)
Small SUVs
Minicars
Camry gets a Good on everything except the headrests, and they're in the process of adding those (Sienna got it this year).
I wouldn't bet against the Camry making it on the 2011 Top Safety Picks list.
You know what they say about the word "assume".
actually, much like an exam, if you dont show up you fail. Face it...toyota knew they would fail and figured it would be much easier crying foul from the sidelines. If toyota was so sure they could pass they would have flagged their cars to be tested.
We shall see in the near future -- I'd bet the engineers will have their way now.
It's like being a straight A student, then they add one new course requirement after you earned your diploma and graduated with honors (the 2009 Top Safety Pick award).
Ford 6, Toyota 5.
But wait, what's this? Headline from Automotive News, today in fact (timing is everything):
Geely, Ford agree on Volvo intellectual property
The deal is being finalized, and if so Ford is down to having...the Taurus and MKS.
Toyota 5, Ford 2.
And the Camry is an active headrest away from being added to that list.
I rented a white '09 Toyota Camry at Sea-Tac this past summer. After dealing with Budget's incompetence in just getting me the right car to go with the right paperwork, I was off in to the Seattle traffic.
The white '09 Camry actually carted me along in an enjoyable manner through the moist Emerald City. I felt safe on slower-speed roads, but at freeway speeds I did not like the way it handled, steering was awkward and the car felt "floaty". Not dangerously "floaty" just annoyingly floaty.
Little did I know that my accelerator could've become stuck wide open at any time.
Am I being unfair to think that, do ya'all think? From the material we've had to read in the past month or 6 weeks you couldn't argue with that fear-ish statement.
Could you?
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Am I being unfair to think that, do ya'all think? From the material we've had to read in the past month or 6 weeks you couldn't argue with that fear-ish statement.
Only if some knucklehead did not secure the mats or decided to put in two or more mats.
If you're wearing seat belts as you should, the likelihood of injuries at low speeds is very low. Airbags themselves can cause injuries, so no need for them to inflate when not required. Besides, Tiger's injuries apparently were inflicted by his enraged wife.
I happen to like my Camrys and prefer driving them to lumbering SUVs. I feel they're big enough for safety, not like tiny cars such as the Smart or even the Yaris and Fit.
Am I being unfair to think that, do ya'all think? From the material we've had to read in the past month or 6 weeks you couldn't argue with that fear-ish statement.
I'm be more fearful of the guy in the lane next to me being high or having pulled an all-nighter. Only a very small percentage of crashes are caused by vehicular malfunction.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has decided that the failure of high-intensity-discharge headlights on what could be more than 100,000 Toyota Prius hybrids did not require a recall. The agency also closed its investigation before Toyota provided all the documentation the agency said it needed to study the issue, a decision one safety expert said was unusual. The agency began its investigation in April after receiving about 340 reports of headlight failures in 2006-7 model, including 112 reports in which owners reported losing illumination from both headlights while driving. During the investigation, the agency found there had been about 2,200 consumer complaints about the headlights failing and Toyota had received about 27,600 warranty claims on the issue. Agency documents showed more than 100,000 vehicles might have been affected. There were no reports of injuries or crashes.
This is an ongoing problem with Toyota's using HID lights.
Consumers filing complaints on the agency’s Web site said repair costs had ranged from $300 to $1,000. Failures occurred on vehicles with as little as 25,000 miles. The automaker is also facing a class-action suit over the headlamp failures. The suit was brought by Carlos Collado, a Prius owner, from Kent, N.Y. Filed in United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, the suit said that Toyota had long known there was a safety problem with headlights, which “sporadically stop working” and are expensive to repair, yet the company failed to warn consumers.
In court filings Toyota’s lawyers have denied the assertions. They note that before H.I.D. headlights fail they usually begin to flicker, thus providing a warning. They have also said it is unreasonable to expect the headlights to last for the vehicle’s life any more than regular halogen headlights do.
The replacement bulbs for my Sequoia are $9.95. Most Prius owner complaints I have read claim $900 to replace the HIDs that don't last as long as the Halogens. Toyota needs to replace those HID systems with standard type halogen lights and quit shuffling the problem under the rug. Even the Greenies are complaining about their beloved Prius.
Toyota stung by possible Prius HID headlight defect
We'd wager that the last thing Toyota wants in the midst of the super-important launch of its new third-generation Prius is a negative stigma attached to the previous model. Unfortunately, that's exactly what the Japanese automaker may have on its hands right now as a number of owners of 2005-2008 Toyota Prius hybrids with the "high-intensity discharge" (HID) headlight option are banding together on online forums, message boards and in possible class action lawsuits against the automaker in relation to failing headlamps.
According to Advertising Age, these HID headlight bulbs and their associated electronics can sometimes cost well over $1,000 to replace after they've gone faulty, and Toyota is unwilling to pick up the tab.
More to the story
I rented a Camry and it was fine. Not in a league with my Sequoia. Not a chance I would switch or buy anything that low to the ground. Well maybe for just a runabout for local shopping. If I could handle looking up at all the vehicles around me I would have kept the 05 Passat Wagon. It got 40 MPG on the highway. It was a lot more fun to drive than any Camry ever built. Different strokes
Plus, the point here is it'll very likely be on that IIHS Top Safety Picks list when the active headrests are added.
Also, why are there so few available? I looked on cars.com and autotrader, and there are very few for sale.
PS
I think the last generation Passat Wagon was one of the best looking vehicles on the road. And it was fun to drive.
Have you looked at the Honda Element? Many people think it's ugly, and it seats only 4 (as opposed to 5+ for most vehicles), but the lower line models have a plastic, easily cleanable floor as opposed to carpeting. There's lots of room in the cargo area, and the car is an IIHS Top Safety Pick.
I agree the Element is ugly, though very functional. It gets poor mileage compared to the VW TDI models. I don't think you can argue that it is any safer than a Passat. It does offer AWD which is a plus. If it got decent mileage I would consider one in spite of the UGLY body. As far as the VW Sportwagen TDI. Many owners are reporting double the mileage of Element owners. For the lack of power the Element is a gas hog. It has 40% less torque than the Jetta TDI. It has 25% less cargo space than the VW Sportwagen. None of which has been swept under the rug. It is all available here on Edmund's.
SMALL SUVs
Honda Element
Jeep Patriot - with optional side torso airbags
Subaru Forester
Volkswagen Tiguan
You could add small wagons from that list: Soul, Cube, Impreza, Golf, A3, Outback, Jetta, Passat.
I guess the Outback and Passat are a big bigger.
It's a great handling car, gets 25 mpg regularly and hauls plenty of lacrosse and camping gear.
The current B6 Passat wagon is almost impossible to find.
VW's rep does make one wonder.
I thought I read that the Passat wagon had been cancelled for the remainder of the run of the current Passat, as the Jetta wagon is almost the same size?
As you may know, the 2011 Passat arriving next year will be a very different animal, a much larger sedan designed in and produced solely for North America (big, cheap, and soft for "American tastes"). Not sure if there will be a wagon available, but I imagine they will offer a diesel.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I have an 80 pound Lab and a 57 pound German Shorthaired Pointer. I need some extra room!
I appreciate all suggestions, though. Thanks.
My understanding is that the new mid-size model has yet to have a name. It will grow in size to be more of a Camcord competitor and will be built at their new plant in Chattanooga. I doubt it will offer a wagon. A diesel will probably be offered.
The Passat name supposedly will stay with the CC and a new model will be coming out around 2013 with perhaps a wagon variant. It will continue to be made in Germany and will be priced as such.
read the full story here http://austlawpublish.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2
Think of that box as a large dog crate.
If you want to measure to compare, the Forester's cargo floor is 102" long from the center console all the way back. Not sure about the Element, but check it.