IMO they found that the HID's are too expensive and they drew too much energy. No verification of that JMHO.
All the trim levels except the top Platinum Package will have halogen headlights and LED tail lights. The Platinum Package will have two LED headlamps for the lowbeams combined with a halogen high beam. The explanation from the Prius Product Manager was that they wanted to use lights that used the least amount of energy. LEDs fit this need but they are expensive, very expensive. Thus as headlamps the LEDs are only found in the top package, but as tail lights LED's are standard on all trims.
There are three identified packages for those ordering 'pre-launch'. Silver is approximately the current package #4, with a couple of plusses/minuses Gold is approximately the current package #6 ..plus sunroof and solar panel ..plus heated seats Platinum is 'Gold' ..minus the sunroof / solar panel ..plus Dynamic Laser Cruise with Pre-Collision System ...........Lane Keep Assist ...........Intelligent Parking Assist ...........Fog Lamps ...........LED headlamps ...........17" Alloys
I'm fairly certain that there will be at least 3 or 4 additional variations in order to suit the wide variety of tastes in this market.
Still refraining from laying off any North American workers, Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday night that it is freezing wage, reducing hours and adopting a voluntary exit program.
The new measures, which Toyota dubbed a "shared sacrifice" philosophy, come as the automaker faces its first financial losses since 1950 and the unfamiliar specter of idle factory lines.
Toyota is considering a schedule in which some workers would work 72 hours in a typical 80-hour, two-week period.
Other provisions
Toyota says it will also:
• Add three to eight additional non-production days per factory to its North American schedule through April 30;
• Reduce bonuses for hourly workers;
• Eliminate bonuses for North American executive and salaried workers; and
• Offer no wage increases "for the foreseeable future."
The company will also offer a "voluntary exit program" for workers who want to leave. That plan will provide 10 weeks of pay, two weeks of compensation for every year an employee has worked, and a $20,000 lump payment to any worker who wants to leave.
This news comes on the same day we learn that the 2010 Tundra has been refreshed with a new engine to replace the very old 4.7L V-8 and a "platinum package" to be available on 5.7L CrewMax Limited models, which will sticker over $50K from the sound of it. Maybe they will sell enough of those to get some of those idled workers back to a full-time schedule.....not! :-P
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
It appears now that every vehicle maker is predicting a reduction in total sales for 2009 to the 10 - 11 million unit level. This is down from the 15-16 million unit rate of early last year. Every vehicle maker is going to have to look at its sales, its production and its overhead costs...and plan on 30% less for this year. That's the market.
It was unlucky timing to have the San Antonio and Woodbridge plants come on stream just as this hit. I also hear that the Tupelo plant is all but done...but empty. Tough times ahead for some. Death in the future for others. Nobody gets away unbloodied.
Since Tupelo is done anyway, they should get 2010 Priuses rolling out of there - importing them from Japan is causing Toyota to take a big hit in profits.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Yes the Woodbridge, ONT plant was scheduled to make all the RAV4s for NA. It's in production now but only on a limited basis. I think the plan was to jump production and sales up to the 200K range like the CR-V. That would be in a normal market of course.
Maybe not Elvis' backyard but close enough. Yes the Tupelo plant is sitting empty now with the state finishing the rail siding ( maybe done by now ) but the Prius project is on hold until things begin picking up again.
The Tundras and Sequoias were moved to San Antonio leaving a void in Princeton IN. The Highlanders were going in there along with the Sienna. I don't know if the Highlanders have started up there yet.
Toyota added tonight on TV that they are hoping that buy out will eliminate 18,000 employees, and they expect another 4 billion on loses based on January and February sales. At least that is what Fox business reported. It wasn't you but someone assured us late last year this would never happen to Toyota. Never seems a strong word.
Just this morning the press release said they had no anticipated number of employees in mind as a target for the buyout program, and now this evening the target is suddenly 18,000? I wonder if someone doesn't have the reporting wrong - is it Fox News or Auto News?
From the article I linked: Spokesman Mike Goss said Toyota has no target to reduce headcount and does not expect many of its employees to leave.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I was only quoting Fox news. They did post the number 18,000 as a bullet on the board. My thought is where would they go? Are they hoping for early retirement? But if things don't improve it could get like Nissan when they left California. I remember most of those people didn't care to leave California and move to the south. Must have been beach boys. That was quite a few people as well. But we will see if the numbers hold. The other number was the loss "predicted" for first quarter. 4 billion. Once again Fox Business news.
Quote: "At the time of launch, we plan to offer the following models and packages:
Models Prius II (model 1223): Standard equipment includes AM/FM/CD with WMA/MP3 playback capability, auxiliary audio jack, remote keyless entry, driver door Smart Key System, power door locks and power windows with auto up/down control, cruise control, tilt/telescopic steering wheel, driver seat vertical adjust, Push Button Start, electronic shift lever, 60/40 split fold down rear seats, Touch Tracer Display, Front, side, curtain, and driver knee airbags, 4-wheel disc brakes, STAR® Safety System, active front headrests, EV/Eco/Power modes, Multi-Information Display, 15” alloy wheels with wheel covers, halogen headlamps, rear wiper, heated outside mirrors
Prius III (mode 1225): Prius II equipment, plus JBL® AM/FM/6-CD changer with Bluetooth® hands free capability, integrated XM Satellite radio, and eight speakers
Prius IV (model 1227): Prius III equipment, plus leather trimmed seats and steering wheel, heated front seats, power driver lumbar support, 3-Door Smart Key, illuminated entry, Plasmacluster™, and autodimming rearview mirror with Homelink®
Prius V (model 1229): Prius IV equipment, plus 17” alloy wheels, LED headlamps with washers, and foglamps
Available Packages
Navigation Package: Voice-activated navigation system and backup monitor (available on Prius III, IV, and V)
Solar Roof Package: Tilt-slide moonroof with solar powered ventilation system and remote air-conditioning system, and voice-activated navigation system and backup monitor (available on Prius III and IV)
Advanced Technology Package: Lane Keep Assist, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Pre-Collision System, Intelligent Parking Assist, and voice-activated navigation system and backup monitor (available on Prius V)"
Pricing on the G3's will be decided in April / May before the first shipments are made.
Over the last several years on the Prius websites the one thing that the current owners demanded to Toyota was that it should NOT change the shape of the Gen3.
Pretty? Nope. But functional and useful? Absolutely....and now slipprier.
Nice to see the Camry pig-snout making it across the model lineup. What a great styling feature. The pseudo-aggressive headlight covers are a nice touch too.
Yep you hit the nail on the head again. If it sells the most and makes the most profit then that's the most beautiful product in the segment. That's an amazing insight, nicely done.
I am not sure I appreciate the glib sarcasm, but good styling has nothing to do with sales success - Toyota proves this as most Toyotas of the past decade at least have been questionably styled, at best. Bland if not ugly designs for transportation pods for the globalized masses who don't like driving nor looking at cars.
The current/old Prius in itself isn't bad, it's geeky - but unashamed, not pretending to be anything else. The kammback is functional. But this revised model, with laughably slashed about headlight assemblies and the horrible emblem lump pig snout...those are just lame cues. Sorry, that's just how it is.
Well, it's not an SUV....Toyota already has nicely bloated designs in that category :P
Yeah, the big mouth bass look doesn't work for many vehicles. Another styling cliche being embraced by lemming designers - when it makes it to the Aveo, you know it's tiresome.
The pigsnout emblem design is the worst thing Toyota has done since embracing gigantic overstretched headlight assemblies early in this decade. Not a nice styling ideal even if the masses buy them.
While being gentle I was pointing out that your opinion is at odds with a huge segment of the buying public. You, among others, continue to miss the most obvious fact of all. By making the Camry the No 1 seller the public is validiating Toyota's design decisions.
If it was god awful ugly as many haters would have you believe then sales would suffer. I hope that you don't think that buyers go into showrooms with blindfolds on and just fork over $20-$25 grand without shopping the vehicle. You'll just have to accept that it doesn't appeal to you but it does appeal to 2-3 million buyers during a normal life cycle.
As to the design cues you noted in the following post there may very well be a little bit of 'in your face' for all the haters. The Camry was and continues to be the No 1 auto in the US. These designs are there intentionally to make it stand out. To the haters - 'Deal with it'. To the buyers validating the designs - 'Thank you'.
The world is varied and one size does not fit all, life goes on.
Being popular among the braying masses who can't grasp good design doesn't make an ugly car pretty. Sorry.
Toasters and washing machines do their jobs as well as a Camry, but few of them are anything to look at as well. It has nothing to do with looks for most people - most of them couldn't know or care less.
I never said anything about the popularity or quality of Toyota products - but from a styling standpoint, most leave a painful amount to be desired.
It's clear that the styling doesn't appeal to you. That's why there are so many choices in the world. OTOH, I think that the Gen 6 Camry is by far the best looking of all the previous ones....and I've had 4 of them. So our two opinions balance each other out and the world goes on.
You disparage the public too quickly. The public is more 'right' than either of our two opinions simply because it has the money. This is a business not a beauty pagaent. The sole purpose of the automotive business is to sell units and make money. Any other emphasis is wasted effort.
For me the 55 -58 Chevy's were the best of the best. The 1957 Nomad my favorite car of all time. GM has gone down hill since. Toyota has also gone down hill. What our salesman friend is not aware of. It takes several years after a company quits making good cars before the buyers switch brands. Personally I think a class action lawsuit should be filed against Toyota. They are visually polluting the highways with their latest vehicles. From the Yaris to the Tundra. The latest versions are all just visual nightmares. Of course the person behind the wheel is not cognizant of the total displeasure they are causing those around them. The current Camorolla is nauseating to look at. Now it is 3 against one.
A toyota salesman is never going to admit there's anything odd about the cars he's selling. Nor will a salesman admit there are problems with the cars.
>It takes several years after a company quits making good cars before the buyers switch brands.
People are usually buying on reputation that has long been compromised before the general public catches on to the deficiencies in the vehicles.
I don't just pick on Toyota. I am finding it difficult to like ANYTHING on the market in the USA. I am just about to buy a year old Mercedes ML320 CDI. I know they are Ugly as sin. It is only eye pollution to those I share the road with. No different than all the geeks driving Prius on public roads. I am buying for driving dynamics, comfort and mileage. 3 or of 4 ain't bad. My Toyota Sequoia has 1 and a half. Comfort and ok handling. Mileage and looks are not so great.
Speaking of SUV's, I really like the new Toyota Venza! It is a sharp looking ride in the Pearl white! Now the grill is subjective, but still looks great too me. Car makers are really going all out with their grills. The new Acura's have a very interesting grill, like others have said the trucks and SUV's have been getting some weird grills too. The only issue with the venza, a smaller issue for me, would be the shift lever in right on the dash, it really should be on the bottom console. Never a big fan of a stick bowing out from the dash. Not bad looking, but looks a little out of place.
Not sure I would want the tan leather, as I wear blue jeans all the time, and the one I sat in at the car show wore pretty bad with blue all over it. Now, there were probably more butts drag in and out of the car than a normal car would in its life, but still. Looks awesome though! When new.
I think Toyota has all the stuff together. Producing the Venza or an SUV with a 4cyl is smart!! I really like Toyota, along with Honda.
I see the new RX really kind of looks like the Venza. I know if I was shopping in that category, I might save 20K+ and buy the cheaper version. The pig snout is very subtle, too.
If I was buying a vehicle in the Venza group, I would pick the Ford Flex. I like visibility in my vehicles. The Venza is not as unattractive as many in the Toyota line-up. If it had a 4 cylinder diesel engine pushing 35 MPG out on the highway. I might even consider it.
I think we're talking styling only here, not general quality.
Fintail, people won't buy something that is horrendously ugly. The Camry doesn't fall in that category, at least for most. I don't like the front either, but that alone wouldn't stop me from buying one. Horrendous = Aztek, Edsel, Pacer, to name the most obvious for cars sold in the US in the last 50 years.
Most of the cars I've owned haven't been beautiful, not by a long stretch. I have other priorities: safety, reliability, and value for the money spent. Arguably, the best looking car I had was the '90 Sable.
... the 'usual suspects have been rounded up' to put down the product lineup. 'Nothing to see here, move on'. Enjoy and have 'the time of your life'.
Inexperience with what motivates buyers to make decisions is quite often the basis for a lot of misconceptions. In the end the only consideration is numbers. It's just a business afterall. My friend gagrice has been predicting the demise of the entire lineup since I first joined here. While I respect all views it appears that the public is not listening to the predictions of doom. With as many as 5 or 10 brands soon to disappear forever I'll venture that the survivors will only be healthier yet when the market returns to some normalcy. Less brands = more units for each of the remaining vendors.
>I think we're talking styling only here, not general quality.
Excuse me... I'll talk about what I wish to talk about. Note this quote from an earlier post, "I never said anything about the popularity or quality of Toyota products - but from a styling standpoint, most leave a painful amount to be desired. " I chose to follow with that point. The topic is "Toyotas" not "Styling of Toyotas."
OK, you said People are usually buying on reputation that has long been compromised before the general public catches on to the deficiencies in the vehicles.
I strongly disagree if you're talking about Toyota (styling excepted). What companies are in the most trouble right now in America, and why is that so?
Folks do realize that the Aztek had sales in excess of 50K annually for a while, right? And that it still has a devoted following, owners' fan club and all?
In the new millennium, styling really matters so little in the sales numbers, and it is quite possible that Toyota is the proof in the pudding! :-P
But the pig snout looks kinda cute on the smaller cars I think. The Venza looks totally cartoonish with those enormous rims, and while the current Camry is a slight improvement on the last one in the looks department, neither is easier on the eyes than the ones from the 90s, IMHO.
Didn't I see an article on the news very recently that Toyota is experiencing a serious glut of new Camrys? The production line is backed up and about to burst. I suppose that means we will see lots of exciting new incentives on Camrys soon, if they aren't already here.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Yes, Toyota has a "glut" of new Camrys, and Honda has a "glut" of new Accords, and ______ has a "glut" of ______. Unfortunately, no one is doing well right now.
Actually, in my opinion, the 6 generation Camrys (the current models) are much better looking then the 5th. (2002-2006). But even the 5th was still the #1 car in it's class, so I'd say Toyota is doing something right. Maybe not for the Edmunds' enthusiast crowd (<5%), but with the rest of the car buying public (95%).
I believe Toyota will post another loss and it will be worse than they posted last year, even if some assured us they would not post a loss, you can go back and see who, in 08. I would predict in excess of 6 Billion for the year.
Now all we can do is sit back and see how close or far I am.
I agree, the shift lever on the dash look a little odd at first glance; but it's praactical. look at the extra storage space in the console they created when they repositioned the shifter. I've driven a Venza &,as they say, the shifter does fall right to hand.
Put another way... if they don't post a loss it will be a miracle with the worldwide auto industry off by 25-30%. The 'rising and falling tides' concept.
But...they will survive intact but bloodied and independent.
Comments
All the trim levels except the top Platinum Package will have halogen headlights and LED tail lights. The Platinum Package will have two LED headlamps for the lowbeams combined with a halogen high beam. The explanation from the Prius Product Manager was that they wanted to use lights that used the least amount of energy. LEDs fit this need but they are expensive, very expensive. Thus as headlamps the LEDs are only found in the top package, but as tail lights LED's are standard on all trims.
There are three identified packages for those ordering 'pre-launch'.
Silver is approximately the current package #4, with a couple of plusses/minuses
Gold is approximately the current package #6
..plus sunroof and solar panel
..plus heated seats
Platinum is 'Gold'
..minus the sunroof / solar panel
..plus Dynamic Laser Cruise with Pre-Collision System
...........Lane Keep Assist
...........Intelligent Parking Assist
...........Fog Lamps
...........LED headlamps
...........17" Alloys
I'm fairly certain that there will be at least 3 or 4 additional variations in order to suit the wide variety of tastes in this market.
Still refraining from laying off any North American workers, Toyota Motor Corp. said Thursday night that it is freezing wage, reducing hours and adopting a voluntary exit program.
The new measures, which Toyota dubbed a "shared sacrifice" philosophy, come as the automaker faces its first financial losses since 1950 and the unfamiliar specter of idle factory lines.
Toyota is considering a schedule in which some workers would work 72 hours in a typical 80-hour, two-week period.
Other provisions
Toyota says it will also:
• Add three to eight additional non-production days per factory to its North American schedule through April 30;
• Reduce bonuses for hourly workers;
• Eliminate bonuses for North American executive and salaried workers; and
• Offer no wage increases "for the foreseeable future."
The company will also offer a "voluntary exit program" for workers who want to leave. That plan will provide 10 weeks of pay, two weeks of compensation for every year an employee has worked, and a $20,000 lump payment to any worker who wants to leave.
http://www.autonews.com/article/20090213/ANA02/902120276/1176
(registration link)
This news comes on the same day we learn that the 2010 Tundra has been refreshed with a new engine to replace the very old 4.7L V-8 and a "platinum package" to be available on 5.7L CrewMax Limited models, which will sticker over $50K from the sound of it. Maybe they will sell enough of those to get some of those idled workers back to a full-time schedule.....not! :-P
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
It was unlucky timing to have the San Antonio and Woodbridge plants come on stream just as this hit. I also hear that the Tupelo plant is all but done...but empty. Tough times ahead for some. Death in the future for others. Nobody gets away unbloodied.
Since Tupelo is done anyway, they should get 2010 Priuses rolling out of there - importing them from Japan is causing Toyota to take a big hit in profits.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Elvis has left the building. :sick:
Maybe not Elvis' backyard but close enough. Yes the Tupelo plant is sitting empty now with the state finishing the rail siding ( maybe done by now ) but the Prius project is on hold until things begin picking up again.
The Tundras and Sequoias were moved to San Antonio leaving a void in Princeton IN. The Highlanders were going in there along with the Sienna. I don't know if the Highlanders have started up there yet.
Just this morning the press release said they had no anticipated number of employees in mind as a target for the buyout program, and now this evening the target is suddenly 18,000? I wonder if someone doesn't have the reporting wrong - is it Fox News or Auto News?
From the article I linked: Spokesman Mike Goss said Toyota has no target to reduce headcount and does not expect many of its employees to leave.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Ah, that would be Woodstock, ON.
2010 Prius Models and Packages
Quote:
"At the time of launch, we plan to offer the following models and packages:
Models
Prius II (model 1223): Standard equipment includes AM/FM/CD with WMA/MP3 playback capability, auxiliary audio jack, remote keyless entry, driver door Smart Key System, power door locks and power windows with auto up/down control, cruise control, tilt/telescopic steering wheel, driver seat vertical adjust, Push Button Start, electronic shift lever, 60/40 split fold down rear seats, Touch Tracer Display, Front, side, curtain, and driver knee airbags, 4-wheel disc brakes, STAR® Safety System, active front headrests, EV/Eco/Power modes, Multi-Information Display, 15” alloy wheels with wheel covers, halogen headlamps, rear wiper, heated outside mirrors
Prius III (mode 1225): Prius II equipment, plus JBL® AM/FM/6-CD changer with Bluetooth® hands free capability, integrated XM Satellite radio, and eight speakers
Prius IV (model 1227): Prius III equipment, plus leather trimmed seats and steering wheel, heated front seats, power driver lumbar support, 3-Door Smart Key, illuminated entry, Plasmacluster™, and autodimming rearview mirror with Homelink®
Prius V (model 1229): Prius IV equipment, plus 17” alloy wheels, LED headlamps with washers, and foglamps
Available Packages
Navigation Package: Voice-activated navigation system and backup monitor (available on Prius III, IV, and V)
Solar Roof Package: Tilt-slide moonroof with solar powered ventilation system and remote air-conditioning system, and voice-activated navigation system and backup monitor (available on Prius III and IV)
Advanced Technology Package: Lane Keep Assist, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, Pre-Collision System, Intelligent Parking Assist, and voice-activated navigation system and backup monitor (available on Prius V)"
Pricing on the G3's will be decided in April / May before the first shipments are made.
I actually work with three people who are already planning on buying one of these.
I think many more people have adapted to the new shape of cars than you have, you old duddy-fuddy.
LOL
Pretty? Nope. But functional and useful? Absolutely....and now slipprier.
Given the Camry leadership in sales volumes it makes excellent sense to copy it as much as possible. Very astute observation there.
But I like the small grille -- can't stand those gaping maws on some cars like Audis, or worse yet, large pickups.
And I prefer a smaller, rounded shape over those huge boxes like the Nissan Armada and Infiniti QX56.
The current/old Prius in itself isn't bad, it's geeky - but unashamed, not pretending to be anything else. The kammback is functional. But this revised model, with laughably slashed about headlight assemblies and the horrible emblem lump pig snout...those are just lame cues. Sorry, that's just how it is.
Yeah, the big mouth bass look doesn't work for many vehicles. Another styling cliche being embraced by lemming designers - when it makes it to the Aveo, you know it's tiresome.
The pigsnout emblem design is the worst thing Toyota has done since embracing gigantic overstretched headlight assemblies early in this decade. Not a nice styling ideal even if the masses buy them.
If it was god awful ugly as many haters would have you believe then sales would suffer. I hope that you don't think that buyers go into showrooms with blindfolds on and just fork over $20-$25 grand without shopping the vehicle. You'll just have to accept that it doesn't appeal to you but it does appeal to 2-3 million buyers during a normal life cycle.
As to the design cues you noted in the following post there may very well be a little bit of 'in your face' for all the haters. The Camry was and continues to be the No 1 auto in the US. These designs are there intentionally to make it stand out. To the haters - 'Deal with it'. To the buyers validating the designs - 'Thank you'.
The world is varied and one size does not fit all, life goes on.
Toasters and washing machines do their jobs as well as a Camry, but few of them are anything to look at as well. It has nothing to do with looks for most people - most of them couldn't know or care less.
I never said anything about the popularity or quality of Toyota products - but from a styling standpoint, most leave a painful amount to be desired.
You disparage the public too quickly. The public is more 'right' than either of our two opinions simply because it has the money. This is a business not a beauty pagaent. The sole purpose of the automotive business is to sell units and make money. Any other emphasis is wasted effort.
For me the 55 -58 Chevy's were the best of the best. The 1957 Nomad my favorite car of all time. GM has gone down hill since. Toyota has also gone down hill. What our salesman friend is not aware of. It takes several years after a company quits making good cars before the buyers switch brands. Personally I think a class action lawsuit should be filed against Toyota. They are visually polluting the highways with their latest vehicles. From the Yaris to the Tundra. The latest versions are all just visual nightmares. Of course the person behind the wheel is not cognizant of the total displeasure they are causing those around them. The current Camorolla is nauseating to look at. Now it is 3 against one.
A toyota salesman is never going to admit there's anything odd about the cars he's selling. Nor will a salesman admit there are problems with the cars.
>It takes several years after a company quits making good cars before the buyers switch brands.
People are usually buying on reputation that has long been compromised before the general public catches on to the deficiencies in the vehicles.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I don't just pick on Toyota. I am finding it difficult to like ANYTHING on the market in the USA. I am just about to buy a year old Mercedes ML320 CDI. I know they are Ugly as sin. It is only eye pollution to those I share the road with. No different than all the geeks driving Prius on public roads. I am buying for driving dynamics, comfort and mileage. 3 or of 4 ain't bad. My Toyota Sequoia has 1 and a half. Comfort and ok handling. Mileage and looks are not so great.
Now the grill is subjective, but still looks great too me. Car makers are really going all out with their grills. The new Acura's have a very interesting grill, like others have said the trucks and SUV's have been getting some weird grills too.
The only issue with the venza, a smaller issue for me, would be the shift lever in right on the dash, it really should be on the bottom console. Never a big fan of a stick bowing out from the dash. Not bad looking, but looks a little out of place.
Not sure I would want the tan leather, as I wear blue jeans all the time, and the one I sat in at the car show wore pretty bad with blue all over it. Now, there were probably more butts drag in and out of the car than a normal car would in its life, but still. Looks awesome though! When new.
I think Toyota has all the stuff together. Producing the Venza or an SUV with a 4cyl is smart!! I really like Toyota, along with Honda.
Some people want more out of their cars than an appliance styled from the braille school of automotive design.
Right now there's a banner ad to the side for a Yaris with a baby pig snout and kind of a pokemon face. Who does this?
Fintail, people won't buy something that is horrendously ugly. The Camry doesn't fall in that category, at least for most. I don't like the front either, but that alone wouldn't stop me from buying one. Horrendous = Aztek, Edsel, Pacer, to name the most obvious for cars sold in the US in the last 50 years.
Most of the cars I've owned haven't been beautiful, not by a long stretch. I have other priorities: safety, reliability, and value for the money spent. Arguably, the best looking car I had was the '90 Sable.
Inexperience with what motivates buyers to make decisions is quite often the basis for a lot of misconceptions. In the end the only consideration is numbers. It's just a business afterall. My friend gagrice has been predicting the demise of the entire lineup since I first joined here. While I respect all views it appears that the public is not listening to the predictions of doom. With as many as 5 or 10 brands soon to disappear forever I'll venture that the survivors will only be healthier yet when the market returns to some normalcy. Less brands = more units for each of the remaining vendors.
Excuse me... I'll talk about what I wish to talk about. Note this quote from an earlier post, "I never said anything about the popularity or quality of Toyota products - but from a styling standpoint, most leave a painful amount to be desired. " I chose to follow with that point. The topic is "Toyotas" not "Styling of Toyotas."
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I strongly disagree if you're talking about Toyota (styling excepted). What companies are in the most trouble right now in America, and why is that so?
In the new millennium, styling really matters so little in the sales numbers, and it is quite possible that Toyota is the proof in the pudding! :-P
But the pig snout looks kinda cute on the smaller cars I think. The Venza looks totally cartoonish with those enormous rims, and while the current Camry is a slight improvement on the last one in the looks department, neither is easier on the eyes than the ones from the 90s, IMHO.
Didn't I see an article on the news very recently that Toyota is experiencing a serious glut of new Camrys? The production line is backed up and about to burst. I suppose that means we will see lots of exciting new incentives on Camrys soon, if they aren't already here.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Actually, in my opinion, the 6 generation Camrys (the current models) are much better looking then the 5th. (2002-2006). But even the 5th was still the #1 car in it's class, so I'd say Toyota is doing something right. Maybe not for the Edmunds' enthusiast crowd (<5%), but with the rest of the car buying public (95%).
Now all we can do is sit back and see how close or far I am.
http://www.mfrtech.com/articles/1763.html
Good time to buy a car if you are in the market.......
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
But...they will survive intact but bloodied and independent.