Toyota on the mend?

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  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    Thanks for the link, I'm glad to see the Impreza make the cut in the small car category. Mines only got about 80k on it so it's not really worn much but still other than brakes, tires and O/C's it's been a great car. Still have the originaly battery even.

    The new Impreza, aside from the whining CVT is a fantastic piece. Highly recommend it to anyone shopping the segment. :D
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    They give the nod to the RAV4 even though the Forester XT actually scores higher. They take in to account that in terms of volume, most Foresters are not the turbo model, so they rate the RAV4 higher on average.

    As a brand Subaru scored highest, Mazda 2nd, Toyota 3rd. Still quite good.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I stand corrected - they gave the nod to the Forester XT after all:

    http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-28/subaru-named-top-maker-by-consumer-repo- rts.html

    Scion xD was rated the worst subcompact hatchback, though. Sienna LE also dropped, when I got my 07 model it was top rated, but cost cutting for the '11 model changed that.

    VW also had some best and worst models. Can't disagree with the de-contented Jetta rating poorly, to be honest.
  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    Toyota Increasing U.S. Transmission Production

    Approximately $55M in total investment and more than 100 new jobs in U.S.

    Of course there will be the usual suspects who will paint this as a negative... :sick:
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    WV can use the jobs, too.
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    Of course there will be the usual suspects who will paint this as a negative...

    Ain't that the truth...

    If only they would channel their hatred into something worthwhile!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yeah, like Honda.

    I'm kidding. :D
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    From AN:

    Toyota sales rise 12% as inventories recover
    LOS ANGELES -- With inventories recovering from last year's earthquake, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. reported a 12 percent increase in February sales, reaching 159,423 vehicles.
    Toyota Division jumped 11 percent, while Lexus Division surged 21 percent. It was the fourth straight monthly gain for the automaker following six losses, and the biggest since February 2011.
    Among volume models, leading the way for Toyota were its recently redesigned Camry, with a 27 percent increase, and the Prius family, with a 52 percent jump. Toyota's hybrid-vehicle volume was up 63 percent, reflecting consumer sensitivity to rapidly increasing gasoline prices, said Toyota Division General Manager Bob Carter.


    The gas price spike was late in the month, so March should be even stronger. The Prius C's timing could not be better, also.

    For the next few months we are likely to see HUGE double digit gains since March onwards was affected by the tsunami.

    http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120301/RETAIL01/120309978/1- 292

    For the first time ever, Camry actually outsold the Silverado.

    GS sales were up, ahhh, SLIGHTLY. As in up 587%:

    http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/toyota-motor-sales-reports-increase-in-f- ebruary-2012-sales-141064693.html

    That just shows how poorly the old one was selling, though. It's only about half of the segment leaders' volume. Wonder if they will increase supply, now that they know it's hot?

    M-B had their best Feb ever but Lexus actually beat them.
  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    edited March 2012
    :P They really need to work on the Corolla though, it was one of only 2 that went down in sales last month. Still holding the #3 spot but the new Focus raced past it.

    2012 Honda Civic Dominates Compact Pack in February Sales Race

    What happened to XLU? Hasn't been around in the past 2 months? Oh wait, the news is positive... :P

    Edit:

    Malibu Feb 2012 - 19,987

    Prius Feb 2012 - 20,589
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    If the Focus is up 114% there must have been a fire sale or a huge fleet allotment.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    If the Focus is up 114% there must have been a fire sale or a huge fleet allotment.

    It's the same story for the Focus as the imports affected by the earthquake and disaster - the Focus was in short supply last February as it was just introduced. Now there's plenty of inventory.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Makes sense. To be fair, I'm seeing a lot of them on the roads. Just saw a new 5 door with temp tags this AM.

    Sharp looking compact! :shades:
  • mcdawggmcdawgg Member Posts: 1,722
    edited March 2012
    I am expecting the Toyota hate club to be showing up any minute now. ;);)
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 20,778
    Glad you can now face reality.
    2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,688
    That's 700,000 vehicles involved in this recall.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    At least they admit fault and fix it, unlike some "customer satisfaction" campaigns from other manufacturers. :P
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,688
    >At least they admit fault and fix it,

    You mean like they did with the sludge?: customers' fault.

    You mean like they did with "unintended acceleration"?: customers' fault.

    700,000 units. Have they finished up with the other recalls? Maybe they can have NASA investigate these first to deflect fault? Give them two samples of each and NASA can declare it no problem... :grin

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    They extended coverage for sludge to 7 years or 100k miles. What you're saying simply ain't true...

    Faulty gas pedals were made by a domestic supplier in the USA.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    PS Anti-Toyota sites claim 3,000 to 7,000 engines out of 3.3 million failed from oil sludge problems, not quite the epidemic it's often made out to be. I wonder if that's worse than average for some other makes, Dodge in particular (the 2.7l V6 was far worse)
  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    I've read that the VW VR-6 was the worst culprit for sludging...

    But I'll give ya the sludge and raise you Dexcool...

    link title

    Prior to its 2009 bankruptcy, GM doled out $6.1 million to settle 40,000 of the 68,000 claims involving its “Dex-Cool” system. Additionally, GM also covered the owners’ $24 million in legal fees.

    Now back to our regularly scheduled program... :D
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    GM gets a 10-to-1 handicap, and 68,000 is not 10 times more than 7,000. ;)
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,688
    >They extended coverage for sludge to 7 years or 100k miles. What you're saying simply ain't true...

    They went through a long period of denial and then it was customer's faults..., then they extended the coverage for problems.

    >Faulty gas pedals were made by a domestic supplier in the USA.

    Those darn US suppliers. Just can't get good help anymore. Of course, toyota was slow to turn in the complaints to the NHSTA under the correct category that would invoke an investigation. When did the problems start?... 2002?

    They must be taking lessons from GM.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    edited March 2012
    When did the problems start?... 2002?

    The last one rolled off the line in the 2006 Camry, 7 years ago... And out of almost a dozen applications in the US alone, if what juice is saying, 7000 engines is a drop in the bucket.

    Not apologizing, nor making excuses but here is a link from a discussion in 2008 regarding the settlement.

    WASHINGTON -- Government Motors Corp. has agreed to pay as much as $800 each to millions of customers to settle lawsuits that it sold about 35 million vehicles with faulty coolant and engine parts .

    link title
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    When you're talking a few thousand bad ones out of a few million engines, it's hard to establish a pattern.

    Toyota asked for one receipt per year proving oil changes were done. Seems reasonable.

    The "tin whiskers" were as tiny as 1/100th the thickness of a human hair, inside a sealed pedal assembly. Nobody could find them, even when they were looking.

    Edmunds offered a million bucks and didn't have to pay up.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,906
    Not to sound like Sam Ervin's "I'm just a simple country lawyer" (look it up), but isn't 2012-2006 six years, not seven?
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Not to sound like Sam Ervin's "I'm just a simple country lawyer" (look it up), but isn't 2012-2006 six years, not seven?

    Stay with me now - you'll need both hands: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. See five on one hand and two on the other - that's 7.

    :P
  • fezofezo Member Posts: 10,386
    They must be taking lessons from GM.

    You're making progress. :P
    2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,906
    Hey Robr, I'm assuming you're from down south or something. When you say the last of something was built in 2006, you don't include 2006 in your count. I was born in 1958 and in 2012 I'll be 54...not 55 by including the year 1958. Duh.
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    edited March 2012
    Um, a 2006 model of car can be, and most of the time IS released the year before.

    Hence the 2013 Rentibu is for sale now... in 2012.

    Duh. :P
  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,906
    Um, we all know that....were 2006-model Toyotas being built in calendar 2006 and were 2012-model Toyotas being built in calendar 2012? That is what specifically was being discussed.

    2013 Malibus are trickling into dealerships now, but that model-year-so-far-ahead-of-actual year is the exception rather than the rule. Of course, from the mists of pre-history, the next model year cars were available in late September/early October.
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It varies a lot by brand.

    I remember the Dodge Neon came out in January, IIRC it was model year 2000 in January 1999.

    Honda tends to wait - some models are only launched in December the year before.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Of all hybrids, that's the one that makes the most sense.

    It's small, affordable, efficient - the ideal city car.

    Fitzmall shows 8 in stock, though often they list cars that are en route and some could be pre-sold. Street prices are $21-23k for the Two and Three models, right about where they should be.

    Also, it pushes the regular Prius up to $24k and up, so they've avoided overlap. I think they can pretty much stop making base models of that one.
  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    I agree with you completely. I'd also add that the C doesn't look all that bad either. :)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I don't like center-mounted gauges - none. Same for Mini Coopers and even the BMW Z8.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    http://abcnews.go.com/US/florida-polo-tycoon-manslaughter-trial-jurors-crushed-c- ars/story?id=15928807#.T2oYzXrezTo

    But Goodman's defense has said he was not drunk at the time of the crash, and that his car malfunctioned, speeding out of control through the stop sign.

    Yeah, right.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    http://www.autoblog.com/2012/03/22/2013-scion-fr-s-priced-from-24-930/

    With freight included. That's a grand less than I predicted.

    Dealers will screw this up and add mark ups, watch. :sick:
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,483
    I think the local Scion dealer usually adds 3-5K "worth of" crap to each car. And the simps eat it up.

    Surprsing it can be ordered with a slushbox. I bet the Subaru will be sportier.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,688
    We need to check the Bentley for whiskers in the electronics. That would help explain the car's unexpected behavior. ????? :grin

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    And more expensive (base), which is fine.

    I have $500 or so Subaru Bucks stashed away, too. Tempting, but I'd want at least a panoramic roof if it were to replace my roadster as a commuter.

    We can buy tires with the Subaru Bucks so no loss there.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Funny, at first I read Whiskey.

    10 shots' worth. :D
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,483
    I am not a fan of the entire Scion brand strategy and why it exists (as the rest of the world will get it as a Toyota), I'd probably choose the Subaru just based on that. Price difference can't be massive, and you might get more useful equipment too rather than just cladding.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Scion exists to let Toyota take risks with styling. They can squeeze products in the lineup even short-term, ones that don't fit in at all with the main lineup.

    They followed that strategy far more at the beginning, with the original xB. Less so now (that's probably what you're saying, and in that case I agree). The FR-S may revive the brand, but I'd like to see more quirky/boxy models to chase after the successful Kia Soul.

    The iQ "fits", mostly because it doesn't fit in with conservative Toyotas. The FR-S fits, too. Now ditch the xD and xB and give us something in between that is quirkier and has some personality.

    The BRZ misses in one important way - no AWD sort of makes it not fit in at the Subaru store, ironically.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,483
    I think Scion exists to get younger buyers who see themselves as cool to buy Toyota - as they don't want to touch the parent brand due to beige contamination. xB might have been daring, but the rest are all pretty conventional. As you say, xB and xD are pretty invisible now, and the tC is kind of douchey. Lineup needs a redo.

    I still wonder why AWD was left off, couldn't cost that much.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,688
    >Funny, at first I read Whiskey.

    Yes. I think there's even more chance of whiskey having been splashed into the electronics on the machine. Quick read looks like a case of intoxication of someone who holds their liquor well with years of practice.

    Really a sad case especially for the victim who died needlessly due to the driver's negligence. It seems that he show little concern for one of the little people who got hurt by his actions.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    edited March 2012
    The no-AWD wasn't a cost issue, it just would not fit. It was packaging - there's no space at all.

    Edit: found a neat overlay. It's a tiny car, closer to a Miata than a Genesis coupe, which dwarfs it:

    http://www.tune86.com/sites/default/files/pictures_photos/2011/03/FT_IIvsGenCvsS- - tangvsMX5.png
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,483
    That's too bad. I didn't think of the ride height issue. I have seen that illustration, makes me think of this:

    image

    Too small for me.
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 20,778
    Very interesting graphic. The Hyundai and Ford have the same profile from the base of the windshield on back.
    2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    No surprise, the 'Stang needs room for the big V8s.

    I think Hyundai said the Tau V8 doesn't fit in the current engine bay of the Genesis coupe.

    The back seat of the FT is a parcel shelf, basically uninhabitable. I guess the one thing is you could take one child with you and put them in the back seat, while sliding the front seat all the way up. Kids under 80 lbs cannot ride in a front seat, so I guess at least it gives you that flexibility.

    I've had a couple of 2 seaters so that's been an issue for me before.
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