19th Oct 2010, 18:29

"Seriously though, why does this argument continue to dominate this site? Buying imports does not stab your country in the back."

Since only 1 in 10 U.S. auto-related workers are employed by foreign auto companies, buying a car built by a foreign company is technically only stabbing 90% of your friends and neighbors in the back. So go right ahead. Buy that Honda or Toyota (BOTH of which are ranked LOWER in build quality than Ford) and know that you have benefited a whopping 10% of your auto-worker fellow citizens. Odd reasoning to say the least!!

20th Oct 2010, 12:57

What is the reasoning behind this post? None of my neighbors or friends work for any car company, so how am I stabbing them in the back if I buy an import?

And like I've said before, I have put way too much money into domestic cars just to get them to limp along down the road. The last one I traded needed $2K in additional repairs still after already dumping $1400 into it. I've never put one cent into an import other than routine maintenance. So you are saying I should blindly support American automakers even though they are making me go broke? No thanks!

Really it is time to drop this tired and old argument and just get back to rating cars that you have experience with. Maybe you should start a forum about which cars are better and the politics behind it. The 100's of posts about the same exact thing that have been put on this site could be a great start for ya. Reading the same thing over and over is really getting old seriously, and it definitely is not adding anything useful to these threads anymore, which is why Steven has to interject here and there to get things back on track.

8th Nov 2010, 01:17

What is wrong with a car being built in Canada? The autoworkers get paid really well here, and it's a desirable job that you can support a family with.

Automakers save on health care costs by having factories here, as Canada has free health care.

I'm Canadian, and I don't consider American cars imports, they are made in North America.

8th Nov 2010, 09:46

Nothing against Canada... I love Canada, but U.S. companies need to produce their goods in the U.S. Our country is dying quickly due to all of the outsourced manufacturing. Those great jobs you are supporting your families with are supposed to be U.S. jobs. Take a look at Detroit some time, and see what a wasteland it has been left by the American car companies.

We are in a lot of trouble here, and need to restore our economic base of manufacturing. We cannot do this with outsourcing, and the domestic car companies continue to look for new avenues to do this. Anything built in a country other than the U.S. is considered an import, since it is then imported back into our country from Canada or Mexico.

Buying a Toyota in the U.S. is as much buying "American" as buying a Chevy these days. At least the Toyota was built here, providing that family supporting job to a U.S. citizen.

9th Nov 2010, 12:07

I usually like reading the very first owners comments on each review.

I would pass on this vehicle. It was too crammed inside for me to consider. I am 6 foot and average size, still crammed.

10th Nov 2010, 09:43

Have you seen the new Tacoma's? They're HUGE trucks. In reality they're about the same size as the old generation Tundra. The older generation was definitely smaller. On the other hand, my wife is around 6 feet tall and is perfectly comfortable in my smaller 2WD older gen Tacoma.

10th Nov 2010, 12:06

So true! Way too many people choose not to understand this.

10th Nov 2010, 12:12

Here's another myth - all domestics are built in America. Just another MYTH.

The following cars are built in either Canada or Mexico, therefore, they are imports:

Chrysler: Town & Country, Caravan, 300, Charger, Challenger.

Ford: Fiesta, Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, Edge, MKX, Flex, Fusion.

GM: Camaro, Impala, Allure, Lacrosse, Equinox, Torrent.

10th Nov 2010, 16:42

I am glad I bought my Vette made in America. And I don't miss having my imports towed anymore with low mileage issues.

10th Nov 2010, 18:37

Heck, I'm still patiently waiting for an explanation of just what the myth of the superior Japanese cars is? Billions were spent on it... spent on what???

11th Nov 2010, 05:20

Some of the billions made paid some salaries, but the rest went back to Japan to enrich their economy. I found the drivetrains a big issue on my Hondas lately. Not acceptable for us whatsoever anymore

11th Nov 2010, 09:38

Corvettes have extremely mediocre reliability - definitely way below a Camry priced at less than 1/3rd that of the "Vette".

11th Nov 2010, 10:09

Wrong on all counts on the new Corvettes. Driven daily, detailed weekly. No issues.

11th Nov 2010, 10:34

Seriously? Vettes AGAIN on a Toyota thread? Seems the only car that domestic lovers can claim is good is the Vette. Good that your car, that is at least three times the price of the average Toyota, is better. It better be! These apples to oranges comparisons are really getting tired. This time you are even on a truck thread so there is absolutely no comparison between these two vehicles.

Overall domestic car lines fall short of the imports period! J.D. Powers and CR agree for all you that love quoting them!

11th Nov 2010, 10:49

Why are you posting about a Corvette on a Tacoma TRUCK post? That's a totally unrelated vehicle in every which way. Can you haul a load of lumber in your Vette? Nope. Can you take your Vette' Offroading? Nope. Can you buy a set of muddin' tires for your Vette'? Nope. Have you ever even actually owned a Tacoma? I seriously doubt it. Thus how do you know what the true reliability and performance of a Tacoma is?

I on the other hand DO own a Tacoma, have owned the same truck for 15 years, have used it to haul anything and everything, and have had no problems with it, and when I mean no problems I mean NO problems. So yes- I can personally attest to this model's reliability and integrity- which by all counts is more than anyone could ask for. That has been my personal experience. If we wanted to hear about Corvettes we would go and read posts for Corvettes. I can also assure you that most people who own Tacomas have absolutely ZERO interest in Corvettes. Otherwise we would buy one.

11th Nov 2010, 12:09

"Some of the billions made paid some salaries, but the rest went back to Japan to enrich their economy."

How do you feel about sending 50% of Chryslers profits back to Italy?

11th Nov 2010, 14:09

So I met up with my friend yesterday who is a successful real estate agent. She comes from a Toyota family and has always driven Toyota/Lexus. I was really surprised to see she had traded in her RX350 for a Chrysler 300!

When I asked her why, she said she was finished with Toyota and all their products. The recalls on the Lexus had wasted so much of her time bringing it to the dealership. She also has children and does not feel safe driving a Toyota product. As well, resale has plummeted for Toyota/Lexus since the recalls.

I don't think it was the recalls alone that made consumers lose confidence in Toyota, all companies have recalls, but it was the fact that Toyota knew about these problems for a long time and didn't do anything about it until it was way too late, and people had already died because of the faulty engineering.

Most people buy a Toyota based on their reputation in the 1990's when they actually made a quality product, but their quality has gone downhill in the last 10 years.

Hyundai now makes a better car.

Everywhere I go now, I see tons of advertising for Toyota, way more than any other company, they seem very very desperate for buyers now.

I don't like any of their products anyways, but there is still no chance I would EVER buy one of their overpriced, unsafe, and poorly engineered products.

Toyota has gone from best value for your $$$$, to absolute worst value for your $$$$, in less than 10 years.