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I've personally never had a vehicle rust out in that spot, but I'm not exactly in snow country, either.
During the evening of April 23rd, conservation commandos from Agenda 21 slipped onboard the Norwegian whaling ship Skarbakk in Henningsvaer in the Norwegian Lofoten Islands. With a monkey wrench they disassembled the salt-water intake valve (used for cooling the main engine). They then opened the valve and flooded the engine room.
This brings to 6 the number of illegal whaling boats sabotaged in Norway. These regular attacks have kept insurance premiums at exceptionally high rates. All whaling vessels in Norway have to pay war insurance premiums to operate their whaling vessels:http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-090427-1.html
So I don't think that issue has anything to do with where a vehicle is built. We kill a lot of whales each year. Should we not buy any US built vehicles?
This is one of the key factors that can't be ignored. People are basically self-centered. It's hardwired into us. We think about ourselves first. If we are in good shape and our vehicle in this case is taking good care of us ... we're happy. Anyone else who might be having a problem...oh well, that's their bad luck. It's harsh but that's real. Hey you've been ranting against Toyota for years and years...then you went out and bought a Sequoia. :surprise: You did it for your own personal reasons, because for you personally it was the best deal and the best fit at the time.
If the vast vast majority of 30-40 million users are very satisfied with the way their vehicle treats them...then this majority is generally going to stay in that comfort zone.
Recalls? Puleeze. You and the other haters throw that word around like it was the scarlet letter, that's so 18th Century. Besides do I care one whit about a recall in China??? Hell no that's somebody else's problem, not mine. As long as the recall costs me no money and no incovenience ... it never happened. Nobody is going to do anything to my pedal or floor mat. Yet I will receive a recall notice. And soon after receiving it I will shred it to be used for kitty litter.
The reason why sales figures are such a valid metric is because they are the true measure of how the public is judging their own personal experiences with their own personal vehicles. It really is where the rubber meets the road.
I really liked the Jetta TDI I had. My uncle is still driving a '00 Passat GLS. I think he has around 160k on it and he still loves it. Last time I talked to him he told me it's still rock solid and still much more refined than my aunt's '05 Taurus. He's had some problems with it here and there, but nothing outrageous.
My experience and perception of VW is they offer a vehicle that you want to drive and if problems come up, they are worth fixing. OTOH, with my Ford's and GM products, I want to through them away as soon as problems develop. They feel cheap in comparison.
How is it "sweeping under the rug" when the recalls are being conducted, the vast bulk of them for what amounts to an unsecured floor mat issue?
I do nearly all of my own maintenance too, and my Camrys (with the 4-cylinder) and '98 Frontier are all easy to work on. BTW, my Frontier lives in the same climate zone as Andre, and I have no rust issues, except for some on the exhaust system and on the back side of the rear bumper.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Thank you for the suggestion, though. I like to read these forums and get ideas.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Is that really relevant? I mean, if you buy a US nameplate you are buying from a country that invaded another sovereign country that had not made any attacks on the US and was not involved in 9/11. All countries have big baggage.
Not necessarily. That's a strategic decision. GM has tons of sales and no profits. Take computers -- Dell has a very low profit margin and sells tons of computers. Apple sells relatively few computers and makes a bundle. Honda is more like Apple and GM is more like Dell. Of course BMW is really the most direct analog to Apple.
Taking that strategy, it appears to me that Toyota may be heading somewhat in the direction of GM - decontent, get cheaper, sell more. In the long run this may not be a good strategy as the reputation eventually suffers. Honda's decision to limit fleet sales may be a better one, although the Accord is too big and not as attractive as in the past IMHO, which may be why it has slipped vs. the Camry.
We LOVE our Mazda 5. It's like a micro-minivan. It seats 6 and handles like a Mazda 3. It's an excellent value for what you get. The sliding doors are awesome as they don't bang the adjacent car in the garage. We had originally looked for a CR-V but for $5K less we got the same amount of room, 1 extra seat, better handling, same mileage, and a lower step-in.
As for all this ranting about Toyota quality, my 07 Prius with 61K has been flawless since the day I bought in in 11/06. I also do all the routine maintenance on my cars, you save alot of money and know it is done right. My only complaint is, it is a boring car to drive, but great on gas and very versatile.
On a side note, a friend of mine who bought a used 98 VW Jetta 2 years ago with 80K against my advice for $6500. Within 5 months, he need to have the motor replaces with another used motor with 60K for $3500. Within 6 months of the motor replacement, the timing belt broke on the replacement motor costing him another $800. The clear coat layer has pealed off most of the surface of the Jetta and the red paint has faded off the hood, roof, and trunk. His car failed inspection 6 months age and needed a new catalytic converter and the entire exhaust behind the catalytic converter replaced due to rusting. He also has a mysterious leak where the front driver and passenger area the carpet is soak with water which he is not willing to fix anymore. The car is on its last leg, but he cannot afford anything else until after he graduate in June 2010.. He should have bought a used 96-99 Corolla as I had advised, to keep his cost down while going back to school for a nursing career.
This is confirmed more by the fact that there is no indication of any massive or extraordinary 'fleet dumping' going on such as GM and Chrysler used to do at the end of the year. Toyota has almost always planned for 0-16% of it's sales to go toward the fleets depending on the model. It's when sales of a model or two ( Taurus / Classic Malibu / Sebring / Impala ) are excessive in the 60-70% range that fleet sales have a negative impact on corporate profitability.
When fleet sales are moderate they can actually generate 'free money'. It's like having a currency printing press at the plant, the concept is marginal pricing. We used to do it almost every year as a steel producer...with our competition as our customers. Amazing.
Lots and lots of people are using the phrase of "...becoming just like GM...". I think that's bogus. GM had two huge problems that crushed it under an unbearable weight. Both of these problems were resolved in BK court.
1> GM had the plant, equipment and labor force to produce 5 million units annually. But most of all GM had the debt burden of a maker of 5 million units annually. If GM could have sold 5 million units here every year it would not have gone belly-up. When GM's sales volume slipped to 3 million units and then last year down toward 2 million units that weight of all the Fixed Costs of a 5 million unit producer crushed it. All of these Fixed Costs had to be covered before even one dollar of profit could be recognized. If your Mortgage is $2000 per month and you only make $1500 per month and your credit is maxxed out.....you're dead in the water.
2> GM had turned Variable Costs into Fixed Costs via bad negotiations with the UAW. Healthcare and Legacy costs should not be Fixed, whether the maker can make/sell 5 million units or 2 million units.
Since GM had these two unbearable burdens it had to do dumb stuff like sell 60-80% of the Malibu Classics and Impala's to the fleets just to keep the plant running in order to cover the Fixed Cost burdens. In essence if GM could have continued to sell 4 million units it could have scraped by. At 5 million units it would have been a cash machine. At 3 million units or less it was in BK court.
Toyota has none of these burdens. It's in no way similar to GM. It can take these 'free-money' sales to the fleets if it makes sense...or turn them down.
Now back to the burb thought and the family hauler. We have 8 - thats 8 landcruisers in our new hood - we have 4 R320's two ML320-350's and every mini van made. The largest gripe everyone has about all of these vehicles is the milege except one person who lives two houses over he has a 08 ML 320 CDI he gets 22-23mpg around town and trips to Tahoe he gets 28mpg!
The number one complaint about the Toyota mini vans the run flat tires suck!!!! Other than that people seem to like them and yes everyone says they are disapointed in the milege.
Again anyone can build a good 4 passenger car or mini SUV that gets pretty decent milege - but virtually no one builds a true family hauler that gets good milege and yes it can be done! Toyota has made it very clear its 100% dedicated to its hybrid tech and has zero interest in diesel options for its larger vehicles. Yet its landcruiser is sold over seas with a fantastic 4L turbo diesel engine that gives it unmatched power and milege. Again the US consumer is a patsy for BS marketing.
Naysayers will say diesel sucks CA will prevent it etc. Thats not true and we have fantastic diesel examples in CA already and they turn a profit much faster than miles of wire and hybrid batteries. I'm all for hybrids small city cars etc. But when it comes to the family hauler that covers long trips a gas hybrid makes zero sense.
You know the run-flats are only on the AWDs, right? The FWDs get normal all-seasons. Word is that Honda is planning to drop run-flats entirely this year, and I thought Toyota already had? Or maybe that is still in the planning phase?
On a related topic, I think vehicles as large as the Sienna should have a full-size spare, especially since it is a long distance hauler and can be a loooong way from the nearest tire repair when a flat occurs. Donut spares and the very expensive run-flats are a poor substitute for the real thing.
I have a friend with a Sienna AWD, has let his run-flat tires get bald in order to avoid the $1000 cost of replacing them. And that's at less than 30K miles.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
The other factor besides price is that they are actually pretty difficult to replace. My dad has an AWD Sienna he has been stranded twice on road trips waiting for a replacement tire to get trucked in. The FWD sienna's had standard tires but that doesn't fix the issue for almost half of the sienna owners out there. The Honda minivan is a great ride! and good driver they had some folks complaining about the tire thing but it didn't seem to be as loud as the toyota perhaps the honda was easier on tires than the AWD sienna?
If you have a tire issue with a normal tire generally in most cases you catch it before it becomes a really big issue and a simple plug from a local shop will get you home. A run flat 99% of the time people don't even know they have a flat till the run flat starts failing and bits staryt to fly hence the tire pressure gadgets almost always are found on run flat vehicles and will flash or chirp or do something so you know you have a flat.
And yes a large family hauler should 100% have a full size spare especially if its used for long haul trips. Toyota was talking about finding a non runflat option but I haven't heard if they actually figured out a solution or not. My dad dumped his sienna after the last 24hr stay in a road side motel - even though they loved all the cool stuff the tire thing was so bad they got rid of it.
Whales have a lot of feel-good friends our there. I could see the Sea Shepard Society or Cousteau's group calling for an international boycott of a highly visible Japanese company like Toyota to pressure the Japanese government to rein in commercial whaling (banned in '86, but no one believes that Japan's whaling is done for scientific purposes). And who better to target than wannabe Prius buyers?
My Tercel had a bit of surface rust on it after 17 years in Anchorage but no perforations. The rear swing arms (?) did get rusty and were replaced under a recall around year 8 or 10 iirc.
Oh, I've tasted "black & white" muktuk. Not my cup of of tea. Sort of like gristle surrounded by chewy Crisco. :P
Please include the same system as in the TCH (I currently own a 2007. love it). A RAV with the same setup would also eat up the competition. I don't want a 6cyl hybrid. I hope you are listening, Toyota. I need more space for stuff, not more power.
Just so you know the take rate on AWD Siennas is like 10% or something, nowhere near half. I know Toyota told one of the car mags that it is looking into dumping the run-flats (although that will require them to figure out a way to squeeze a spare in somewhere). Honda will not use them for 2011 Odysseys, ending the use of run-flats for ANY model at Honda.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Honda seems to be right behind them After we ended up donating the Lexus we bought a Honda Pilot. I wish someone would of told me how bad Honda's reputation for building faulty transmission were. We are on our second at 7,000 miles. I think I have gotten caught up in the Honda & Toyota Hype train. NO more Japanese Kool Aid for me., thank you.
Registered member since 1/2/2010, and 3 posts all knocking foreign cars - Honda, Toyota, Hyundai.
Do you work for the UAW?
Btw, A good friend of mine bought one of the first Tundras after dumping his second lemon GMC Sierra and to this day he has never experienced any of these issues. Even as a sevice manager for a GMC dealer, the Sierras were so bad it drove him to Toyota...
You donated a 2004 Lexus RX? I hope it had a bunch of miles because even with your supposed "issues" RX models command good money on the used market. Coulda made some coin on that one...
NO more Japanese Kool Aid for me., thank you.
lol
Sorry to hear you lost your UAW job. I tried to warn ya'll that killing the goose laying the golden egg was not smart. I may not be a big fan of Toyota. But the alternatives offered by GM are worse.
That's a broad statement and doesn't apply to all GM vehicles and all owners' experiences. Some people have had problems and complain greatly and vociferously posting over and over. That is typical internet exaggeration of problems. The internet exaggeration can be found in certain problems occuring in threads in Edmunds. On the other hand, Many people have had good service from GM vehicles through the years. The same dichotomy of experiences occurs with foreign brand cars as well.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
You can be a troll if you wish but you'll have to do it from under a bridge.
1998? More like being brain dead since 1978 or at least for as long as I can remember.
GM might be able to build cars to your standards, but they don't meet mine or the other 80% of the buying public.
The new CTS, LaCrosse, and I'll go out on a limb and mention the new Regal as being intriguing. I have no use for the rest of the lineup or 99% of what GM has built prior, they simply don't appeal to me for a variety of reasons.
I still see people fleeing the General. A friend of my daughter's mom just got rid of her '06 Denali, replaced it with a new CRV and her dad just bought a new Altima. My neighbor replaced her G6 for a Toyota Corolla. A good friend of mine replaced his Old Alero (which consistently fell apart after 60k) with an 09 Civic. My sister couldn't deal with the Park Ave my dad gave her anymore and traded it in on a Honda Pilot. My BIL hasn't bought a GM product since suffering through a late 90's Saturn and an early '00 Malibu, he's driven VW's, Honda's, and Acura's since then.
My dad bought his first Honda, an 09 Accord EX-L. My FIL after owning numerous crappy mopars and few lousy GM products bought my MIL a new Camry in 05 (and he was a 32 year United Steel Worker member), it now has 120k miles on it and it's twice as solid and more refined than my wife's GP with 1/2 the miles on it and it is 2 years newer. I can go on and on with examples where people I know well have switched from the D3 to imports and have yet to switch back.
Not many people desire the STS, DTS, or the LaCrosse (old model) as they are all handily outsold by the competition. Okay, maybe the DTS can outsell a Town Car, but I don't think that really means much. We'll see this year how the new LaCrosse does. I have seen a few on the road.
My 1998 comment was to do with allowing the UAW to win that battle and starting the downhill slide to oblivion.
At least Toyota cannot use the UAW as an excuse for their demise.
A friend of my daughter's mom just got rid of her '06 Denali, replaced it with a new CRV
More likely because she couldn't afford the fuel costs. A CRV is a much smaller vehicle than a Denali: an apples to oranges comparison.
You mention cars like Saturns and Malibus. Those cars, as well as their imported replacements like Altimas and Camries aren't even on my radar. If I want to drive an appliance, I'll put wheels on my Whirlpool washing machine.
About the ONLY previously owned domestic car you mentioned those people owned that I would desire is the Park Avenue your sister got from your Dad. Now, I wouldn't turn my back on a free car, even if it was a cruddy import econobox. But as soon as I could afford a car of my own choice, I'd get it. I don't think many young girls would desire an older person's Park Ave even if it was the most ultra-reliable vehicle on earth.
There are a lot of Cadillac DTS around here as well as older LaCrosses, so I don't get what you mean by "not desired by people other than me." By the way, I wouldn't mind a Lincoln Town Car either. I like it a lot more than that truncated MkS.
I sure as heck would like a new LaCrosse, as would my wife, but I'm in no hurry to get myself into auto debt when my current fleet is in perfect operating condition and appears will be well into the future! I believe her 2005 LaCrosse will last at least as long as my 1988 Park Avenue barring any natural/manmade disasters, theft, or serious accidents.
They were at 68,000 signatures as of last evening.
I doubt Toyota will take it seriously, and even if they do, I don't think there's any way they could keep NUMMI open at this point. The projected closure date is around April 1.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Since Toyota is a supporter of Audubon there are petitions all over this area stating that they'll never buy a Toyota again. Life in the good ol' USofA.
Not exactly, but if you find the 3800 to be a satisfying powerplant, then we have a difference in standards. I simply wouldn't buy a car with that engine in it. Due to it being unrefined and underpowered compared to the v6's offered in competing models. Why settle for less.
More likely because she couldn't afford the fuel costs. A CRV is a much smaller vehicle than a Denali: an apples to oranges comparison.
Then why didn't she just buy a Equinox then? GM lost another customer is my point.
You mention cars like Saturns and Malibus. Those cars, as well as their imported replacements like Altimas and Camries aren't even on my radar. If I want to drive an appliance, I'll put wheels on my Whirlpool washing machine.
You rave about your wife's 06 LaCrosse and her previous Impala and make that statement? Those cars are rental fodder. Now the 2010 is impressive, I'll certainly give credit when credit is due.
About the ONLY previously owned domestic car you mentioned those people owned that I would desire is the Park Avenue your sister got from your Dad. Now, I wouldn't turn my back on a free car, even if it was a cruddy import econobox. But as soon as I could afford a car of my own choice, I'd get it. I don't think many young girls would desire an older person's Park Ave even if it was the most ultra-reliable vehicle on earth.
She didn't and it wasn't. My dad gave it to her as she needed a car to go to back to grad school. That car was a train wreck. I'd be surprised if she ever looks at another GM product. She worked for Enterprise before going back to school, so she had plenty of experience with lousy Trailblazers, Impalas, LeSabre's, Regals, and Grand Prix's etc.
I simply don't like how most GM products drive. To me they feel too heavy, numb, and lack polish. The last new GM car I've test drove was an 07 Aura XR 3.6. It still felt, heavy, numb, and cheap. Many interior bits were horribly cheap. No wonder it's gone. No way would I have bought that car over a v6 Altima or Accord.
I also test drove a couple of 08 Denali's and Yukon's and they still felt cheap and poorly built. So I bought an 07 Expedition due to a higher tow rating and much tighter suspension and more flexible seating, only to find they, like GM still seem to build crap too. Looking at truedelta, consumer reports, and JD Power, they all agree the Sequoia is much more reliable than the big SUVs from Detroit. I just might have to buy one.
Guess I'm with you on the Camry. My MIL loves hers but, they are just to soft, numb, and boring to me, kind of like a Buick with some actual refinemen;). Granted the v6 model will leave most cars costing a lot more in the dust, but I don't care for the car itself.
As for a Town Car, they were nice 20 years ago, but the only thing they're useful for today is being cut in two and streched. I'm embarrassed that Ford has let the Panther platform linger for so long.
When Oracle lays off thousands of people you don't see them standing around out front waving protest signs they get busy and find a new job. Thats how you do it these days layoffs happen teams and products are canceled move on with your life and find a new gig. Nothing is forever especially a job.
I guarantee you won't be saying that once you've driven one of these.
As for buying a Sequoia best talk to gagrice first. Seems there are issues with some kind of mat clips. :P
As for the Sequoia, I really would have a hard time buying one. I really don't care for the styling inside and out or the pricing. Great powertrain though. I'll probably just keep the Expedition because I do like it. I just don't like how much is costs to keep it running properly.
I agree. All the newer Toyota SUV/CUVs look like a woman wearing spandex that should not. The bulges are in all the wrong places. I am sure the 5.7L engine is an improvement on the marginal 4.7L in my Sequoia. The older Sequoias are smooth riding and good for long trips. I would not want to pull a trailer at the rated weight of 6200 lbs. Just does not have the power needed. Nothing a 6 cylinder diesel would not cure. The only decent sized SUVs with diesel are the Q7 and GL. All are near $60k and about as ugly as the new Sequoia. Mighty slim pickins.
That goes for any 1/2 ton SUV. My Expedition is rated for 9klbs. I wouldn't want to tow anything that heavy much farther than a few miles. Just not enough engine or wheelbase to tow that much IMO. My 25' travel trailer that weighs around 6,500lbs is about all the Expedition can safely handle. Same goes for the Suburban I had. Only the 3/4 ton Suburban and the late Excursion were true h/d towing machines. I probably should just go with a diesel pickup.
I'm with you Gary, I'd love to have a 4-5 Liter turbodiesel in my Expe. I know you'd like a 3L or so, but I think I'd want a bit more hp and torque and in something like an SUV that's meant for hauling and towing, the extra displacement would probably be needed to reliably produce 400-450 ft-lbs of torque that would work wonders for towing my tows.
I've towed my TT with my BIL Cummins powered Ram. Wow, it was like it wasn't back their. Plus he gets 22mpg+ on the hwy. I'm lucky to get 17-18 and the Ram has about an extra 200ft-lbs or torque at its disposal.
I think the auto makers are frustrating me with all the concept cars, or cars for fleet use only. I want a retail car on the market!!!!