7th Mar 2009, 06:02
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steven@carsurvey.org
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In reply to 6th Mar 2009, 19:11.
Editing takes place to stop the discussion from boiling over into open warfare. It's a very fine line between making a point forcefully, and being offensive. It's my decision in the end, and I hold my hands up that I don't always get it right. I try very hard to be even handed, but in the end it's up to visitors and members to come to their own judgment.
If you're got concerns about a particular comment, email me the details at the above address. I'm happy to discuss things, and have made changes following such discussions many times.
If people want to have a discussion about the policies of Carsurvey.org, either email me, or post a comment on my blog if you want a public discussion: http://www.distantparts.com/2009/03/07/231/
Steven Jackson, CSDO Media Limited (the company that runs Carsurvey.org)
7th Mar 2009, 07:37
Let's see, all of our domestics have never had any real problems. Probably because we keep them maintained. I do not have to own every vehicle to know domestics make good cars. I never said imports are bad. I am just saying if I did have a car that transmission went out before 30k; I would be very angry.
I stick with Fords. Out of all the cars my family owned, they are most reliable.
7th Mar 2009, 08:10
My comment sounded like hard core Toyota apologetics and didn't appear to accurately respond to his 0-60 assertion because of editing. I was TRYING to make bald inaccurate statements WITHOUT proof because I think that this style is being embraced on this forum while virtually all independent sources are disparaged as biased... and this simply because some don't agree with the outcome of the research. I inferred as much but had that part of my comment removed... which served to completely rework the meaning of what I said. Instead of saying that this style of assertion is baseless like I was trying to, I ended up appearing to engage in the very thing with which I disagree.
Thanks Steven for your reply. I understand your points.
7th Mar 2009, 08:39
I also have had no transmission problems with either the 6 domestics or the 6 imports (weird that we would have owned an equal number of each). I usually own them to somewhere near 100,000 miles. Obviously I don't think that domestics are problematic or I wouldn't own them (I own 2 domestics and one import currently). My point, though, is that our experience isn't conclusive.
I agree, domestic companies make some very fine cars. But that doesn't make them ALL good. It's too narrow of a slice of the whole to come to a conclusion like that. Likewise someone thinking that a car that comes from Japan HAS to be good is making the same mistake.
I can, however, completely understand how an owner of 20 trouble-free domestics (or imports) would continue to buy them. After all, they've never been given a reason to change.
A broken tranny prior to 30,000 miles WOULD be a reason to reconsider my purchasing paradigm. I wouldn't stop buying vehicles from an entire region because of it, but I would stop buying that vehicle. I also might stop buying from that company if their service was unsatisfactory.
Speaking of Ford, I really like the new Fusion Hybrid and F150. I also think that the new Mustang will be a hit if gas prices haven't ended that type of buying. I think they sell the most reliable full sized van. The area I think they need to work on is small cars. They haven't been able to produce them at a profit --- in the past. But with the new concessions from labor, they should be able to bring over more of their European cars and do more home-grown development.
7th Mar 2009, 11:28
Over 900 off topic comments so far. I am quite impressed with hearing 0-60 times with the Camry on a full size truck review. My sons Viper goes 0-60 slightly under 4 seconds... 1st gear up to 60 with 5 gears left. Sounds impressive until you realize it has perhaps zero interest on a late model full size truck review.
After test driving the new Tundra, if anyone is interested, I found a better value and capability with GM Silverado. The handling, ride, load carrying, people carrying, towing and far superior warranty sold us. If anyone else has a full size truck and has tested/owned anything remotely equivalent I have interest in full size truck comments. Maybe that is why I hope to read comments on this review to keep abreast of full size new truck developments. Alas I suspect I am one of few that own a full size truck on here and keep hoping to see some full size truck comparisons updates not Camrys, health care plans, political science lectures and the like.
Taking a wild guess, I would say 4 people have a full size truck out of over 900 comments... my guess but I would feel pretty confident that it is quite accurate.
7th Mar 2009, 11:52
I have corresponded with Steven, and have had my OWN comments censored. I feel that every effort is made to keep the comments non-inflammatory and that does require some censoring. Import fans frequently use "crap" to describe cars many Americans feel very strongly about. That is offensive to those of us who support the American auto industry and prefer domestic vehicles. To accuse Steven of being biased because he refuses to allow abusive comments about other posters is not called for. I appreciate very much that he allows wide-ranging (but relevant) comments, and I staunchly support his right to edit any comments (MINE as well) that might come across as offensive.
6th Mar 2009, 22:54
From what I can figure out doing some web searches and reading forum comments, here is what I think happened. When Toyota decided to make a 268 HP Camry, they decided to focus on fuel economy rather than performance. Before they got some good transmission software worked out, it was time to start selling the cars. You can find on different forums lots of complaints about V6 Camrys having poor acceleration. And there are many complaints from people saying they almost got into accidents in intersections when their Camry unexpectedly would not accelerate as expected. I think the problem is confined to early models of the 268 HP Camrys.
It appears that Toyota eventually did come out with new transmission software and the acceleration improved, but they had to give up some of the fuel economy they had been trying to achieve.
Maybe someone with more direct experience with this on a Camry can comment on it. My interpretation of this may be off because I had a similar problem with a 1998 Taurus. I bought it from my sister-in-law when it was two years old. For the first month I had it, it sometimes had poor acceleration, and unpredictably almost no acceleration in a turn in an intersection. It seemed to happen when I was approaching an intersection at about 20 mph and then tried to accelerate right when I started the turn.
I heard that car had "smart transmission software" that adapted to your driving style. Maybe the problem was that I drove differently than my sister-in-law did? I never figured that out. But the problem was fixed when I brought it back to the dealer and they re-programmed the transmission. The problem never reoccurred over the next 5 years I owned the car before I sold it.