23rd May 2011, 21:01
What Impala from the late eighties are you referring to? That nameplate was dropped in late 84 and the Caprice was still available until the Impala SS was reborn in 94. What was so bad about the styling of the Caprice from the late eighties? Yes, it may have been a little boxy looking, and a Camry from 84-91 was not?
24th May 2011, 10:51
"People generally think that paying more for something makes it "better". That has been what has driven much of the Japanese superiority urban legends."
Nope. In fact, when Toyota and Honda first started selling cars in the US, they were considerably cheaper than domestic makes. This was partially due to them being new in the market and needing to compete with the Big 3 on price. Their prices only went up because over time people began to see how reliable they were - hence more demand. But even today, any Toyota, Honda, or Nissan is going to be in lockstep with price with domestic makes. That's the way it's been for decades. So again - there was and is not a "myth". A myth means something is untrue. But since the big 3 Japanese automakers build reliable cars, and most people know it already, then it's not a myth.
24th May 2011, 15:42
An article in today's paper discussed how Toyota had totally ignored any concerns for customer safety. Over the past two years this has become abundantly clear. They have also dropped so severely in quality that even their own owners now rate them in the bottom 3rd of all cars in quality. The Camry has been ranked 2 full levels below the Ford Fusion in reliability for the past 5 years, and Toyota's overall product line ranks fully 17 levels below Ford in build quality. Anyone considering a Toyota as "better" than just about anything is definitely laboring under a myth.
24th May 2011, 21:31
Not true. One ratings test results I was reading about placed Mercury at the bottom of the list, while Ford was near the top with the same exact cars. Ratings companies use data by uninformed consumers that have no idea what they are driving. These ratings systems are so severely flawed it is ridiculous, and many of the claims of reliability are based purely on brand perception, and not on factual data.
Yeah, Toyota is so low ranked, yet Lexus, who is built by Toyota and shares many parts with them ranks #1. And people swear by these ratings companies? Give me a break!
25th May 2011, 09:07
Yes, because we all know GM and Ford have never ignored safety issues in favor of profits. There have been so many dangerous designs from domestic auto companies, including the failing sub frame on the Windstar as Ford's latest achievement. There have been multiple fire issues over the years, resulting from poorly designed components. GM never changes much in their designs, even if they are proven to be unreliable and a constant headache for owners.
In truth, ALL manufacturers are in it for the money. Toyota got caught this time, but they are hardly the first. They most assuredly won't be the last. Overall, they still outrank most domestic cars across the board. You can talk about JD Powers lists all day long, but since they rank Lexus at #1, it is hard to believe their system is tried and true.
25th May 2011, 10:11
Keep using those worthless ratings all day long, because none of it really amounts to anything other than fluff. Those ratings are both for initial and short term (3 year or less) reliability and quality. I tend to keep my cars for 10-15 years at a time, and every single one has been a Toyota with absolutely flawless reliability. Oh - and you can claim that the Fusion is domestic, but the thing is almost entire made in Mexico. The Camry on the other hand is over 80% domestically produced. Nuff' said.
25th May 2011, 15:13
Nope. Not anymore. As of March 2011 Ford knocked Lexus off the top spot. Ford's Lincoln line is now the world's best car in terms of long-term reliability. Even before that, Lexus and GM's world-class Buick traded back and forth for the number 1 spot for over a decade.
25th May 2011, 19:07
I agree about falling quality in our 95 Camry 4 cylinder automatic. WAY more stuff going wrong and cheaply made than my 88 Jeep.
The stupid distributor fell apart in the Camry at 145k miles - that and a new battery at mechanics? Over $1000.
26th May 2011, 10:58
...again - these are for short-term reliability ratings. I have no doubt that any car - whether it be a Ford, Toyota, or Chevy can make it for 3 years without a problem. Question is will they go for 10-15 years without a problem? If the past and even recent past are any indicator, there's a very good chance we'll see exactly what we've always seen - which is that the Ford products will likely poop out at the 100k mark, while Lexus and Toyota models will be going strong 10 years, 200,000+ miles later. That has always been the case, and it will likely continue to be the case. If you want a car to last for 10-15 years without a problem - buy a Lexus or Toyota. Oh - and it's likely that Toyota will be made in the USA... not Mexico.
26th May 2011, 11:20
A lot of people were upset that our government loaned (and I stress LOANED, not GAVE) money to GM and Chrysler to help them weather the bad economic times. Well, here it is two years later and both automakers have repaid the loans PLUS INTEREST. In addition, several new plants have been opened in the U.S. and over 1 million jobs have been saved and/or created. I backed the so-called "bailouts" from the beginning. I have never regretted it. A million Americans have benefited, our economy has been helped, the government (in other words tax payers) have MADE money, and America now builds the best cars in the world according to actual owner surveys. It always pays off to support our own industries.
23rd May 2011, 18:20
No one thought Mercury was a "low quality" brand. It generally ranked HIGHER overall than Ford (which is odd, since they were the same car). People generally think that paying more for something makes it "better". That has been what has driven much of the Japanese superiority urban legends. The only surveys that really matter are those based on actual owner experience. All those surveys now rank Ford as higher than Honda, and much, much higher than Toyota. That says a lot, since the reason most people used to rate imports higher was because they were ashamed to admit that they paid 5-7 grand more for a car that was not as well built. Now that Honda and Toyota can no longer get away with selling their mid-sized sedans for 7 grand more, all of a sudden the buyers are not nearly as reluctant to admit that their cars are less (FAR less) than perfect. A $17,000 Camry isn't perceived as any "better" than a $17,000 Fusion, because they now cost the same to buy.
Four years ago when I bought my Ford, I got a totally loaded automatic with leather for $5000 less than a comparable Japanese car with ZERO options and a stick shift. No more. Now the cars are advertised for exactly the same prices. Now you'll see more owners being honest about the problems they encounter with their imports, because the shame of being taken is not quite so severe.