27th Mar 2008, 02:19
I was trying to locate this story and have not be able to find it. I was wondering if you could be so kind as to post the name of the paper or where it can be found.
27th Mar 2008, 18:28
And since this review is about full size trucks, not cars anyway, please focus on how they compare.
The GM I have has twice the factory warranty, far superior handling and ride, better load bed capacity, better towing, more people carrying capacity.
I drove a new Tundra and then bought a new GM Silverado.
Also the newest imports I had have significantly dropped in quality and mechanical reliability. Nowhere near the level 20 years ago, and in all fairness 10 years ago. Quite frankly I think the latest ones are abysmal... it's not just a couple lemons we can attribute our misfortune.
Again on the larger full size trucks not cars (who cares?), if you focus on the topic at hand and even test drive new 2008's, you certainly can see first hand.
I will test drive again in a couple years as I drive a lot and try them both again. At least I do so.
Many become an authority on what happened 10 plus years ago and do not buy frequently as I and certainly many others do as well.
I want the newest technology, safety features and certainly the best capability meaning ride, handling.load and towing characteristics. And at this point and time, no full size import truck I have seen and driven lately remotely stacks up as well as my current domestic model. Capability and function is why I do not drive just a small economy car or a tiny truck instead.
27th Mar 2008, 23:06
I haven't seen any Toyota at, or anywhere near the top of ANY reputable automobile authority's list of good cars in a very long time, with the exception of Motor Trend's hastily chosen 2007 Car of the Year, which was basically in recognition of the fact that Toyota had, for the first time since its beginnings, put an engine in a Camry that could actually beat a 9-second 0-60 time. After recognizing Toyota's drastic drop in quality, it chose the Cadillac CTS for its 2008 award.
In the current issue of Motor Trend, mention is made of the fact that Japanese car makers are catering to an aging population and are exporting their most boring and uninspired products to the U.S., "especially Toyota" they made a point to note, and compared the new Accord to a front drive Crown Victoria (though I wouldn't give it that high a compliment). I suppose Toyota might actually top one list: That of the world's most boring automobiles.
29th Mar 2008, 10:02
I am in the market for a new truck. Yet unlike many of the posts I have seen here, test driving or even looking at Toyota or anything foreign is not even a consideration.
Never mind all of the reviews on this site that clearly expose the Tundra for the flimsy piece of garbage that it is, or that all of my domestic vehicles have been flawless, I simply would not drive an imported vehicle under any circumstances. I would be completely ashamed.
Nothing against the Japanese or any other country that imports vehicles to America. I simply support my country, know it makes great vehicles that have never let me down and do not want to drive anything else.
I cannot wait to see the names I am called, or accusations that I am simple minded for having that opinion, as if it is such a bad thing. Oh wait a minute, I don't care.
At least I can hold my head up as I drive down the road.
30th Mar 2008, 00:37
23:06, Well, your opinions about whether or not Toyota are boring means nothing when it comes to their actual reliability and quality ratings, where Japanese cars still hold the top spots. Boring is an opinion, and the FACT that they are the best-made automobiles in the world is just that; fact. Not opinion.
30th Mar 2008, 12:34
You mean top spots in quality like the Toyota Yaris ending up in Consumer Reports list of 10 Worst Cars? Or the absence of a Toyota or Honda in J.D. Powers Top Five list of initial or 3-year reliability? Or that Consumer Reports and CNN Money don't recommend used Toyotas because of engine sludging? It sounds like the experts don't agree with your opinion of Japanese quality.
30th Mar 2008, 13:55
Again the last commenter is commenting yet again about cars. This is about full size trucks remember???... I would advise everyone as a constructive suggestion to just get out of their chairs and test drive a few import full size trucks, and then a few full size domestics. I did. My criteria yet again is function. I am paying more to own a full size truck than a car; that means function, features and benefits with no compromises...loads, towing, people carrying, ride comfort and great handling... if we are going to keep digressing to the car kick, then let's focus on why cars are purchased instead of full size trucks. I cannot imagine buying any full size truck without considering all aspects of vehicle ownership, otherwise I could cruise around in a high mpg econobox. I also own a car, but never compare it in the same sentence as my full size domestic. I see the truck as utility, the car for distance commuting, going out to dinner and perhaps getting a few groceries... they are entirely different.
30th Mar 2008, 20:26
00:37 that is an opinion... there's a lot of posts otherwise on both here and on consumeraffairs.com with major mechanical issues on various late model Toyotas. Topics such as sludging, engine failures, air bags, braking do not seem indicative of the best made automobile in the world. It would seem that if the manufacturer could have a unconditional 100,000 mile warranty, that would set the precedent for some domestics models to increase their existing 100,000 mile warranty even further as well.
It will be a while before I buy another new Honda/Toyota again. My new domestics are superior to the last new imports we owned as far as quality and less premature mechanical concerns. I buy new every 2-3 years... 2 vehicles at a time. I expect them to hold up at least that long.
31st Mar 2008, 16:21
10:02 Which 'domestic' cars make you the proudest? All of the Fords that are assembled in Mexico, such as their best-selling Fusion? The one that has LESS American parts in it than a lot of Toyota's?
Or maybe you like Dodge's, or Daimler's, when they were owned by a German company? Wonder which country will own them next? What a joke.
Instead of giving a heartfelt, patriotic speech, next time look up some facts; like the quantity of domestic parts in Fords and Chevy's.
Plenty of Toyota's actually contain more domestic content than many Fords or GM's, and the Toyota is certainly the better car or truck every time.
How sad that you buy into Big 3 propaganda at this point in history. It isn't 1955 anymore. American automotive quality got left behind by foreign companies a long time ago.
Oh, and since you're so patriotic, look and see where the computer you typed that message on was made. Then look at your appliances, your TV, your radio, heck, take a look at anything electronic in your house. Most if not all of it was made overseas somewhere. Spare us the flag-waving.
My Tacoma is a far better vehicle than any domestic ever was, and put more Americans to work than a lot of Ford or GM vehicles do now a days.
26th Mar 2008, 20:59
18:58 In the last 20 years, give or take a few, Japanese auto manufacturers have been at the top of every major publication that reviews automobiles, and Toyota specifically has had more and higher rated cars than anyone else. Period. They still do. Japanese manufacturers are still always at the top overall.
I wish the Big 3 built cars that were actually close to as good as a Toyota, but the shame of it is that they don't and never did. Yeah, you can cite a few exceptions. So what. Toyota still has WAY more vehicles historically rated much higher in quality and reliability.