9th Feb 2007, 14:52

"and I see 30 and 40 year old imports still buzzing by."

Now it is you who are stating the exception. Where did you see these 1967 Hondas and Toyotas? Maybe you've seen a handful of VW Beetles, but Toyota hardly had a presence prior to the early 1970's. In California, I know you will see more 40-year-old Mustangs than 40-year-old Toyotas. At least you admit that the imports will have rusted away.

9th Feb 2007, 15:38

Will no one answer my question? Why are you guys that drive that domestic junk commenting here on a Toyota site? They're junk, no matter how much you like them, this thread is for people who buy quality cars such as a Camry. Who cares about an '83 Cavalier with 200,000 miles? It must have taken parts from at least 6 other Cavaliers in the graveyard to make that happen. Let me guess; it never had any major work done, right. Yeah, when pigs fly. But seriously, why post a list of older, junk domestic cars that were scrap to begin with? You're not going to convince any Toyota owner that I ever met that your list of junk cars are half as good as a Camry or any other import. WHY are you not writing that crap on a Cavalier thread? Tell me.

9th Feb 2007, 16:03

What I don't understand after reading all these comments is why the American car companies are in such financial trouble if their products are so dependable.

Anyone care to comment?

9th Feb 2007, 16:16

This is because of the union pay situation that took place many years ago, and is now only ended. If you look at the new line of GM vehicles, the quality is much improved over recent years affected by the union pay. Because they don't have to deal with it anymore, they can afford the new re-designing and to use higher quality materials. I believe Ford's contract ended sometime in 2005, hence the new re-designs, and updates year to year. I have said this once and I will say it again, once people begin to realize that the superior quality of the Domestic vehicles has returned, they will begin to buy them again. In no time the Domestic's will be out of debt, and back in business, because of the pure profit they will be making off their vehicles. It may be a fairly time consuming process, but it will happen.

Even though their recent quality has dropped, it does NOT make them junk. I feel that they always have been, and always will be, superior to the imports. In these past years the margin may have thinned some, but because of Toyota's recent decline in quality and the Domestic's incline in quality, that margin will soon return to its former glory.

9th Feb 2007, 16:24

Wow, 109 comments and I about forgot that the Camry is the car we are commenting about here. My, My, how we lose track when we debate insignificant differences...

9th Feb 2007, 17:00

"Toyota is the best auto manufacturer on the planet. Anyone who thinks otherwise is wrong."

AHEM HEM HEM AHEM, excuse me?

10th Feb 2007, 10:58

This makes no sense. ALL union contracts for ALL three automakers are in full force. GM is still paying something like $1,600 PER vehicle in union costs.

But you are right in that this next round of union talks over the next few years will radically alter the landscape.

What is ultimately going to happen, as outlined by GM in January, is that virtually everything will be offshored, with only minor functions (marketing, etc.) staying in America.

Paying some Czech or Chinese worker $300 a month vs. $5,000+ a month for an American worker is far too tempting for the big three.

10th Feb 2007, 12:00

<<"Toyota is the best auto manufacturer on the planet. Anyone who thinks otherwise is wrong."

AHEM HEM HEM AHEM, excuse me?>.

Well, like it or not, Toyota has a market cap greater than the big three combined, generates more money than any other car maker (although Porsche is the most profitable car maker), revolutinized the car world with its hybrids (that the big three outright dismissed as folly), and is expanding at a rapid rate while the big three are contracting.

By definition, Toyota is the best car manufacturer on the planet.

Do they make the "best" cars and trucks? That is up to opinion and personal taste. I love the Scion xB, but everything else is uninteresting.

10th Feb 2007, 13:12

I am a 20 year old kid who owns a 1994 Honda Accord with 249,560 miles to be exact and I have never had any problem since I got the darn thing at 204,000 miles when I was eighteen. I used to think every time I hit a bigger number like 210k, 220k, 230k that the car had a lot of miles... my friends who drive domestics thought it would blow up just cause of the miles... but she still ran very well and now that I expect to hit 250,000 miles in a few days. I am starting to think that 250,000 miles is not a big deal since the car purrs like a kitten. When people get on here and start getting excited that their Cavalier has 208,000 miles I have to laugh because I now think any car should be able to do that--especially if you use your wallet to help drive the car that far. 275,000 miles or 300,000 miles does not seem like too much to ask from this 1994 Honda driven by a young hard driver who drives the gears up to 4-5 grand rpms. If you are wondering if the car has had a rebuild--it has never had anything replaced except the radiator hoses and radiator--clutch pump--and two timing belts--possible alternator rebuild?--and other Honda recommended maintenance.. If you ask me this is the classic Japanese car experience...I have saved alot of money from buying this car and I can now afford a newer car with what I have saved from driving this car.

10th Feb 2007, 13:34

Let them be brainwashed. YOU won't convince ME that there is any reason to go slavishly crawling to boring import crap when domestic companies have been building quality cars for decades, and the quality today is better than ever.

10th Feb 2007, 13:52

"This makes no sense. ALL union contracts for ALL three automakers are in full force. GM is still paying something like $1,600 PER vehicle in union costs."

Last I read, from Edmunds, GM's contract ended in late 2006. And I thought that Ford's ended as well, but I misread. I stand corrected with Ford, but not GM.

"Well, like it or not, Toyota has a market cap greater than the big three combined, generates more money than any other car maker (although Porsche is the most profitable car maker), revolutinized the car world with its hybrids (that the big three outright dismissed as folly), and is expanding at a rapid rate while the big three are contracting.

By definition, Toyota is the best car manufacturer on the planet.

Do they make the "best" cars and trucks? That is up to opinion and personal taste. I love the Scion xB, but everything else is uninteresting."

NOTHING you stated up makes them the BEST AUTO MANUFACTURER ON THE FACE OF THE PLANET. The hybrids have already been somewhat proved useless. Perhaps they may one of the "biggest" but they are far from the "best." How are they rapidly expanding again, oh you mean by only selling little over 100000 Tundras vs. Fords 800,000+? Along with, say losing customers of the Camry to the Ford Fusion? Their quality greatly declining? No, they're not getting any bigger, and definately not any better, so what next?