Another car for people who really don't like cars. I suppose they are the majority in this quickly devolving reality
You've got it. Toyota is certainly banking on it....the big news this year being the new even bigger even more isolated Avalon being released, along with the new RAV4.....which has the same old 4-cylinder powertrain but will no longer offer the V-6 (but you will be able to spend $40 grand - after tax rebates - for an electric one with a whopping 113-mile range if you like).
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
You just described 90% of the American car buying public.
Bummer that the RAV4 V6 is going, is that certain? I remember Car & Driver commenting that it was the quickest vehicle Toyota sold, since it's light.
Then again the CR-V is the best seller and offers no V6. You have to get an RD-X. Hmm, maybe they are thinking of offering a V6 Lexus on that platform, slotted below the RX? RX transactions are in the $40s per TrueCar so they could easily offer a $30-35k crossover beneath it.
Too bad the door swings open the wrong way and visibility is poor. I hope they at least address those issues with the redesign.
There once was a time when auto makers didn't name the suppliers who provided faulty parts when a recall occurred.
IIRC, Saturn was the first when they named Texaco as the supplier of improperly mixed coolant back in 1991. Saturn recalled 1800 cars and replaced them instead of fixing them.
One of the things Hyundai did to turn things around is they had a top 10 list for suppliers.
It's not what you think, though. It was a top 10 for problems/issues. Those who stayed on the list too long would get booted. They bumped the warranty but also got serious about improving quality (at that point, it could only improve).
A side note is that import brands were sort of forced in to supplying local parts content, so I'm sure that played a role.
Well, you have to look to the source ("According to Safety Research & Strategies, a safety research consulting company that works with lawyers"), but my money is still on a tin whisker kind of issue.
Unfortunately it would take a continuing series of incidents and crashes for the issue to regain any traction and no one wants to see that. 368 reported incidents aren't enough unless there's another Saylor type crash since it's too easy to blame Bigfoot. At least lots more people know to shift into neutral or turn off the car (hold that button...) when it happens.
Now, if it happens to someone and they contact SRS instead of their dealer or Toyota, maybe some independent findings could reopen the issue with the NHTSA. But no one claimed the million that Edmunds offered for a cause.
>my money is still on a tin whisker kind of issue.
Nope. NASA and G'vment explained to us that it doesn't exist. And they tested 2 samples of defective pedals with whiskers. That's all taken care of! :sick: :shades: :P
Just like sludge and handling thereof, this issue will Dawgg toyota.
Yep, UA problems are probably not over because I believe Ford has an issue now. We'll never really know the causes though because the lawyers turn these things into cash grabs.
"Hello? Is this the law office I just saw on the ad on TV? Well, I suffered death as a result of a defective product and am calling from the local cemetary...My address? Uh...Plot 312.2, Section Q, Tranquil Acres Memorial Park..."
After ages of ridicule about soft handling and little driving fun, they react. Finally! Wasn't MT's old slogan "we never met a car we didn't like"? :shades:
It was very nice, but I'd still take a bluetec over it, for the same money. GS is kind of European in a way now - you have to load it up pretty heavily to make it appealing.
Sales still trail the German competition by a ginormous amount.
Comparably equipped, an E will be maybe 5-10% more than a GS. Nicely equipped, they will both be in the low 60s - unless one suffers a brain fart and orders a GS hybrid, then load it up and fly into the 70s.
It I was looking to spend nice (35K+) Genesis money and wanted that look, I might go and find a mint end of run E60 5er with a warranty - similar styling, some better aesthetics, probably nicer to drive.
I see them both having less than pretty eyes. At least you get the cool bulbs in the late run E60.
That 29K loss leader car is also rental spec with cloth, no roof, no gadgets, right? If I am going upmarket, I want some of the frills. OTD will be well over 35K for a nice one. You can find M5s for that now...maintenance will be murder, but oh the noise. And every amenity. I suspect even the 29K special isn't running in the red. Maybe the rising prices of small cars are able to subsidize.
CT, as in Lexus CT? Not going to get one for 27.9 indeed.
I like pano roof too - if I bought a new MB, I would have to have it. It's one of those things on the nonexistant weirdly optioned bluetec I throw at dealers to scare them away. MB really got the pano trend going with the W211.
I am sure the leather in an Elantra isn't exactly butter soft nappa stuff, either.
I will say the nicest soft leather I have seen was in a Lexus LS. The Germans prefer a firmer material (probably wears better too), but the MB nappa material is very plush.
I've seen some soft leather not wear as well, at the auto show the loaded up Jeep Grand Cherokee looked ready for a new seat and it hadn't even been driven.
I hope the LS has a higher grade, for a nicer car. To see how bad soft leather can wear, find an early 90s Lexus (old Acura Legends have similar issues). It will crack and split easily as it is just too soft, I think the chemicals used might have been too strong. They eventually solved the problem.
I remember a Chrysler 300 at a show in 2005 had a creased drivers seat within a few days.
My Solara has leather and no perforation. Wouldn't have been my exact choice (I'm more for cloth as well) but it hasn't been too hot - it's a light gray. The driver's seat has some visible wear to it, though.
Now my big thing is to convince my cat that the roof is not a good place to sleep....
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
Comments
Perhaps because it's a Toyota topic?
Or maybe no one cares about Ford? :surprise:
Purely speculation.
Where's xlu now that Toyota is #1 in the world again? Didn't he say that would never happen?
He's too embarrassed, LOL.
Automotive News is reporting Toyota sales were up sharply (no hard numbers yet). Chrysler was up but GM and Ford are down.
http://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/toyota+sales+increase+july+2012.htm
Impressive considering GM and Ford sales were down.
http://pressroom.toyota.com/releases/toyota+sales+increase+july+2012.htm
Impressive considering GM and Ford sales were down.
C'mon juice. Even you know the year to year sales increase is because of the tsunami last year.
Any way, they gained a lot more this July (26.2%) than they lost last July (-19.7%).
Plus consider that they had 2 fewer selling days, so the real gain was much more than that.
Their market share stands at 14.4% for the year, which is strong even historically.
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/01/toyota-recalling-778-000-rav4-hs-250h-units-f- or-loose-suspensio/
You have to wonder how long it took to diagnose the HS, given they all sorta do that.
Only if they recall all of them and burn them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZSkAwLQ8yY
2 star ANCAP rating, which is awful nowadays.
My boss owns one. Talk about iso-chambers. She likes it, though, just the way it is.
Another car for people who really don't like cars. I suppose they are the majority in this quickly devolving reality :sick:
You've got it. Toyota is certainly banking on it....the big news this year being the new even bigger even more isolated Avalon being released, along with the new RAV4.....which has the same old 4-cylinder powertrain but will no longer offer the V-6 (but you will be able to spend $40 grand - after tax rebates - for an electric one with a whopping 113-mile range if you like).
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Bummer that the RAV4 V6 is going, is that certain? I remember Car & Driver commenting that it was the quickest vehicle Toyota sold, since it's light.
Then again the CR-V is the best seller and offers no V6. You have to get an RD-X. Hmm, maybe they are thinking of offering a V6 Lexus on that platform, slotted below the RX? RX transactions are in the $40s per TrueCar so they could easily offer a $30-35k crossover beneath it.
Too bad the door swings open the wrong way and visibility is poor. I hope they at least address those issues with the redesign.
agree, if they did away with the side swing door they could probably double sales. It's always been a deal killer for me.
http://www.theonion.com/video_embed/?id=28675
Wonder if Dana supplied any frames that didn't rust? You may recall they supplied Tundra and Tacoma frames with this same issue.
IIRC, Saturn was the first when they named Texaco as the supplier of improperly mixed coolant back in 1991. Saturn recalled 1800 cars and replaced them instead of fixing them.
IMHO, naming these suppliers is a good thing.
One of the things Hyundai did to turn things around is they had a top 10 list for suppliers.
It's not what you think, though. It was a top 10 for problems/issues. Those who stayed on the list too long would get booted. They bumped the warranty but also got serious about improving quality (at that point, it could only improve).
A side note is that import brands were sort of forced in to supplying local parts content, so I'm sure that played a role.
Toyota UA article
Unfortunately it would take a continuing series of incidents and crashes for the issue to regain any traction and no one wants to see that. 368 reported incidents aren't enough unless there's another Saylor type crash since it's too easy to blame Bigfoot. At least lots more people know to shift into neutral or turn off the car (hold that button...) when it happens.
Now, if it happens to someone and they contact SRS instead of their dealer or Toyota, maybe some independent findings could reopen the issue with the NHTSA. But no one claimed the million that Edmunds offered for a cause.
In other news, water is wet, the sky is blue, and bears urinate in the woods.
Nope. NASA and G'vment explained to us that it doesn't exist. And they tested 2 samples of defective pedals with whiskers. That's all taken care of! :sick: :shades: :P
Just like sludge and handling thereof, this issue will Dawgg toyota.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
:shades:
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Errr, that was dog toyota...
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Not every lawyer passed the Bar on the first attempt.
One time I got pulled over for speeding on Cemetary Road. Cop said I should slow down in residential areas.
I wanted to ask if he thought the residents may no longer be dead if they were hit by a car, but I kept quiet and got off with a warning.
I doubt we could have gone down this road faster in our long-term 2012 Audi A8
Nice to see functional upgrades and not just a cosmetic package.
I want to know where they hid all the bean counters?
Motor Trend like it also:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1208_2013_lexus_ls_460_first_drive/
Being an enthusiast-oriented magazine, we left most impressed with the new LS 460 F Sport
Sales on that are up 429.2% for the year.
Sales still trail the German competition by a ginormous amount.
I'd fly under the radar with a Genesis sedan, that way my siblings don't ask me to lend them money!
I bet the F-Sport is at least as well equipped as the base BlueTec though, and probably has better "moves" to boot.
It would be nice to see Toyota bring some diesels to the U.S. market, even if they start with the expensive Lexus models.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
It I was looking to spend nice (35K+) Genesis money and wanted that look, I might go and find a mint end of run E60 5er with a warranty - similar styling, some better aesthetics, probably nicer to drive.
$29,060 no-haggle locally for the base Genny. Still 333hp, 8 speeds, 29mpg.
Last year they had a fire sale when the new V6 came out, and the old ones were clearing out for $27,900. Yowsah. They're losing money at those prices.
I'm not sure you could get a CT for as little.
That 29K loss leader car is also rental spec with cloth, no roof, no gadgets, right? If I am going upmarket, I want some of the frills. OTD will be well over 35K for a nice one. You can find M5s for that now...maintenance will be murder, but oh the noise. And every amenity. I suspect even the 29K special isn't running in the red. Maybe the rising prices of small cars are able to subsidize.
CT, as in Lexus CT? Not going to get one for 27.9 indeed.
I like cloth > leather. Breathes better.
My 93 Miata had leather (not perforated) and it was awful when it got real hot. Perforated stuff is OK, but I still prefer a quality cloth.
Hyundai's packaging it dumb - to get the pano roof you have to load it up, basically.
I am sure the leather in an Elantra isn't exactly butter soft nappa stuff, either.
I've seen some soft leather not wear as well, at the auto show the loaded up Jeep Grand Cherokee looked ready for a new seat and it hadn't even been driven.
I remember a Chrysler 300 at a show in 2005 had a creased drivers seat within a few days.
Now my big thing is to convince my cat that the roof is not a good place to sleep....
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/21/new-toyota-auris-revealed-ahead-of-paris-moto- - r-show/#continued
The Camry looks OK, the Avalon and RAV4 do not.
This is for Europe, but it's likely the Corolla would share at least some parts with it.
If they're smart, they'll have a Corolla sedan and then a Corolla GT to compete with the new Elantra GT (formerly Touring).