Toyota on the mend?

gagrice

Lucky for Toyota's image, they don't make any recipients of such personalization

I just saw a Tundra PU with those Conestogo wheels. It looked utterly ridiculous. I wonder what the owner was thinking. He ruined his PU for all but parking in front of Carl's JR when he eats dinner.

ateixeira

on a car with 200+ HP, a 3 or 4 additional pounds per wheel weight is probably negligible

Probably, but the base Venza has less power and I bet those 20" wheels weight much more than the 16"s on my Sienna. The difference is likely a whole lot more than 3-4 pounds, anyway.

fezo

Once they hit a certain point, they resemble a conestoga wagon to me.

Sould be right up your alley - you like old cars! :P

busiris

Probably, but the base Venza has less power and I bet those 20" wheels weight much more than the 16"s on my Sienna. The difference is likely a whole lot more than 3-4 pounds, anyway.

Speaking just for me, I would say a Venza wouldn't be my first choice if I was searching for a performance (or economy) vehicle.

I do agree that on some models, it seems that wheel sizing has gotten a bit silly... Almost to the point that the one with the largest diameter "wins". Surely its logic that only someone like Charlie Sheen could appreciate...

Winning!!!!

ateixeira

Venza and Murano come immediately to mind when I think of oversized rims because both have 20"s available as factory options (ridiculous IMHO).

This web site claims the set of 4 rims (20" size) for the Venza that it sells weigh a total of 180 lbs!

http://www.dragtimes.com/parts/4-NEW-2010-20-TOYOTA-VENZA-RX350-CHROME-WHEELS-RI- - MS_290399587600.html

That's 45 lbs a pop!

ateixeira

Best source I was able to find on the subject of wheel weight is Miata.net:

http://www.miata.net/faq/wheel_weights.html

Generally the 16" rims weigh less than half what those chrome 20"s weight.

stever

I always compare it to self-propelled locomotion. Maybe inaccurately. The old rule of thumb is that a pound on your foot is like five on your back. So I switched from boots to sneakers back when I used to go backpacking. Graphite is the way to go for less wear and tear on your shoulders if you paddle your own boat.

More applicable to cars perhaps are bike wheels. Strong but light rules the streets (and trails). The more you pay, the less (weight) you get.

Being cheap helps me dislike dubs.

ateixeira

Imagine spinning a top, vs. say, the Wheel of Fortune.

It takes much more force to spin the Wheel, and also more force to stop it. So you suffer in both acceleration and braking.

To be fair, the Wheel of Fortune is slightly bigger than the Venza's DUBs. LOL

Kirstie_H

A reporter is looking to interview anyone who recently considered buying a new Lexus but ended up getting something else, especially if it was related to styling, the freshness of the product or something that turned them off about the Lexus.
Please email pr@edmunds.com no later than Thursday, March 31, 2011 with your daytime contact information and a few words about your experience.

obyone

Local Lexus dealer switched from 100% Kona to some cheap Columbian blend. Would that qualify as reason enough? :P

lemko

When you see Sanka and a pot of hot water, you'll really know things are bad.

anythngbutgm

lol, my Subie dealer has a Kuerig machine and my Honda dealer in MA actually has a coffee bar as nice as their Lexus store next door. Caps, espressos, pastries, etc.

ateixeira

"Buffy, dear?"

"Yes, Biff?"

"I'm afraid they've cut the Kona supply at our Lexus store. The Brie as well."

"OH NO, NOT THE BRIE!!!!"

ateixeira

A lack of spare parts coming from suppliers struck by the Japan earthquake has started to affect U.S. Toyota and Lexus dealerships

Anyone not think they're playing this down?

gagrice

A friend of ours just bought a new Hyundai Sante Fe. She traded her 2009 Corolla. I asked her why as she had bought it used only 6 months ago? She told me that twice it had lurched on her, once backing out of her garage and once at a stoplight. She did not trust the car and traded it in on the Sante Fe. She did not know about the SUA issues with Toyota. She traded an old RAV4 on the Corolla. She loved the RAV4 so was very upset that Toyota quality was so downgraded in the 09 Corolla. So far she thinks the Hyundai was a good choice.

There was no recall on the Corolla for SUA from what I remember. I have to wonder if the original owner had the same trouble and traded it into Toyota? Or was it a lemon return?

ateixeira

Was she registered with Toyota as the new owner? If not she may not have gotten any recall notices.

First thing I do when I buy a used car is call the manufacturer with my VIN to make sure prior recalls have all been performed.

gagrice

She bought the car from Toyota of El Cajon. I would expect them to do any recalls. Her RAV4 was about 10 years old with 130k miles. She just thought she needed a newer car. And this red Corolla jumped out at her. She says in retrospect she should have just kept the older vehicle, as it ran great. I'll ask if she took it in after the lurching incidents.

ateixeira

Dealer should have performed them, in that case.

Doesn't mean they did, only that they should have.

busiris

She did not know about the SUA issues with Toyota.

No offense intended, but how could anyone not be aware of SUA issues and Toyota?

As much as it was in the news, day after day after day...

gagrice

For non car people it goes in one ear and out the other. I know more people that had no idea about the mess Toyota was in. That explains why Toyota did not lose all that many sales. The sales people are not going to tell them. Most people do not pay that much attention. After the smoke cleared from the Saylor accident most people could not tell you what kind of car was involved.

stever

You can invite your friend to join the Anyone experience Sudden Unintended Acceleration in a Santa Fe? discussion.

gagrice

Someone gave her a laptop for Christmas and she still has a hard time with Email. She is a yard person not a blogger. Today she dug up about 100 iris plants for us to put around our place.

Just glancing over that thread it seems to me that we should be going back to tried and true automotive controls. Drive by wire seems to be causing more trouble than it is worth.

PS
She told me it has Bluetooth. What do I do with that? Too much crap in cars today.

berri

Speaking of bluetooth - how about these people who have a bluetooth on their ear walking around stores talking? They look like mental patients talking to themselves, and just what the hell is so important that you have to walk around stores talking anyway? I think some people need to get a life.

busiris

Speaking of bluetooth - how about these people who have a bluetooth on their ear walking around stores talking? They look like mental patients talking to themselves, and just what the hell is so important that you have to walk around stores talking anyway? I think some people need to get a life.

I am a victim of being hit buy one talking on a cellphone while driving... a grocery cart. A couple of years ago, a woman in my local grocery store was so into her call (handsfree earpiece was in action) that she literally ran into me. She claimed she never saw me standing there.

I'm a fairly big guy...

LOL!

samm43

I believe it, unfortunately.

There have been a number of studies that have proven that a cell phone user, even with the wireless tech in-car, or of course the ear piece type, are so into the call they are almost as incapable of total safe operation of their car as someone who is using one limb to hold the phone to an ear. The reasons are numerous, but primarily because of the attention span to listen thoughtfully, and respond thoughtfully. It's a totally different ball game than listening to your favorite music CD.

Sam

berri

She claimed she never saw me standing there.

So don't tell me, she sued the grocery store!

I honest to god can't understand all the drivel people waste their rime talking about on these things. I guess they long for attention, or have out-sized egos and think somebody really cares.

gagrice

This should be good for Toyota. The more vehicles that get blown up in Middle East battles the better for the auto maker.

ateixeira

Drive by wire seems to be causing more trouble than it is worth

True across the board for all makes. There's something to be said for plain old simplicity.

I don't think today's emissions rules will allow them to go back, however.

ateixeira

Bluetooth has its place. Much better to press one button on the steering wheel and just talk vs. having to fish a phone out of your pocket.

ateixeira

Lots of Toyota Hilux pickups there, also a bunch of Mitsubishi L100s, I think that's what they're called.

Goes to show that the traditional Land Rovers and Land Cruisers have been replaced by these small workhorses.

Again, I just think the former SUVs just got too complex and expensive. Seems to be a recurring theme...

lemko

I think I see a gray Hyundai off to the left.

fintail

I saw a Sonata in a news clip there last night.

I think the van behind the truck the guy is standing on in the foreground is a Mercedes Vito.

gagrice

What got me about the second picture is one well placed mortar would make the Toyota dealer in Tripoli wealthy. That is if he could get vehicles to sell the Rebels. Or sell to US to give to the rebels. I don't see any Nissan Frontier PU trucks. Are they a US only vehicle?

imidazol97

>would make the Toyota dealer in Tripoli wealthy.

I hope nobody is suggesting Toyota and friends have anything to do with escalation of the unpleasantries occurring in Lybia these days! We all know Toyota and friends have nothing but the highest ethics. Period. :mad:

ateixeira

That's just what is available to them, so that's what they buy.

I doubt Rangers and Colorados and Dakotas are even sold there.

busiris

So don't tell me, she sued the grocery store!

I honest to god can't understand all the drivel people waste their rime talking about on these things. I guess they long for attention, or have out-sized egos and think somebody really cares.

No, it wasn't that severe...

It does concern me, however, that we seem to constantly adding devices to autos that have an increasing effect of distracting the driver from his/her main task... driving... while at the same time, doing little-to-nothing in the area of driver training to help folks understand that the number 1 issue is vehicle control... not conversation with a friend or finding a good tune on their ipod.

Many drivers can handle a fair amount of distraction, but a lot of drivers don't seem to be able to focus at all, even with minimal distractions.

ateixeira

Distractions have always existed. Even in the AM only radio days people would search for a station by turning the knob.

fintail

To be fair, in a few clips I have seen domestic make vehicles too, especially trucks.

fintail

I believe the current smaller Nissan truck range is sold elsewhere - at least in Europe, but under different names.

Toyota has a history there going back at least 30 years - Toyota trucks and old diesel MBs, they keep the region rolling.

ateixeira

No Yaris production for another month (!), hybrid production line gets priority but still only half pace:

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/30/report-toyota-yaris-plant-to-but-shuttered-fo- r-at-least-another/

nippononly

the new Yaris is scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. in Nov/Dec of this year, so this begs the question whether they will even resume production of the old Yaris, or will just begin the transition to building the new model a couple of months early. It is already for sale in Japan.

busiris

No doubt. But the factory-provided distractions in my first car (1969 6-cyl Chevy Nova, with heater and AM radio - didn't even have a cigarette lighter or carpet - the floor covering was a vinyl matting) really don't compare to those in just about any new modern car, especially the higher-line models.

ateixeira

Toyota may lose 500,000 units of output post-quake, analyst says

Automotive News

tlong

We're away for a week or so and I got to pick from some rentals at Alamo. Choices were a previous gen Optima, Cobalt, Journey, HHR, previous gen Corolla or latest Corolla. I've driven HHRs before so I picked the brand new Corolla.

The good:

Pretty roomy. Big trunk. No rattles. Everything looks assembled well. Car is fairly quiet. Radio sounds pretty good. Engine much more refined sounding than a rental Corolla I had about six years ago.

The bad:

New taillight design looks like the third grafted on set of taillights to the same old body. Doors feel and sound tinny when closed. Engine growls a bit when accelerating from a start. Hard plastic everywhere. Dash is kind of a silver-beige that I wouldn't call appealing.

Overall:

This car is really practical and decent. It doesn't have much of anything that is offensive. I'm sure it will be very reliable and I can understand why somebody would buy one if they needed decent transportation. But there is nothing that would make you fall in love with it, either, except perhaps for the reliability.

stever

"Although a Toyota spokesperson said the price increase was scheduled and is consistent with price increases in prior year, the timing raised eyebrows as the entire auto industry continues to assess the potential near- and longer-term ramifications of already lengthy production disruptions in Japan – and some ripple effect in U.S. assembly plants generated by a constricted components pipeline from Japan.

The price increases could be a preemptive move to address potential product shortages in coming months related to the Japan disaster - price increases now may help protect margins if Toyota feels forced to react to near-term incentive and market-share pressure from competitors. There also is increasing speculation the Japanese automakers may in coming months evidence more reaction to the long-term decline of the value of the yen versus the U.S. dollar – a trend that has impacted profit margins"

Toyota Raising Prices (AutoObserver)

gagrice

Why not raise prices? They can't sell em cheap, maybe they can find a few uninformed buyers that will pay the price. March numbers are not coming in good for Toyota compared to the other auto makers. Toyota was down 3.6% from a year ago in March. Honda and Nissan look like the winners of those lost sales. Both up double digits. Now all three will have to fight the loss of product due to the earthquake.

ateixeira

You should have taken a Journey. Was it one of the newer ones with the improved interiors?

I'm surprised they would offer that much larger vehicle at the same cost as the other compacts.

ateixeira

Toyota cleared by U.S. jury in N.Y. unintended acceleration case

Read more: http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110401/RETAIL05/304019744/1- 147#ixzz1IIsmdqoP

ateixeira

Whoa!

My van's tachometer suddenly pinned at redline and my van took off like a maniac!

I slammed the brakes and NOTHING happened, in fact it just kept building up speed. I hit the brakes again and something even worse happened - the radio starting playing John Tesh all by itself and WOULD NOT SHUT OFF!

I think the floor mats got stuck in the volume knob.

I tried to put the gear lever in Neutral, both hands firmly on the wheel at all times, but changed gears with the 3rd arm I sprouted. No luck, John Tesh played on and on! It was awful!

Nothing like experiencing this first hand to become a believer!

anythngbutgm

Could've been A LOT worse juice, at least it was only John Tesh.

Could've been David Hasselhoff :P