19th May 2008, 15:30
8:10 I can certainly see how a domestic owner fails to understand how someone can drive a vehicle and not need the warranty; domestic owners almost always need it.
I used to be a domestic owner before I finally wised up and bought a Toyota. Yeah, I used to be the guy who was proud of his Chevy. Then, I finally stopped listening to all of the 'foreign junk' remarks that all of the country boys that lived around me used to make. Best move I ever made. Let them keep shelling out money to keep a Chevy running.
Switching to Toyota was the best move I've made when it comes to automobiles. I'll be buying my fourth one shortly, each of the last 3 used hard and traded in only to upgrade. Never a single repair. Not a snowball's chance in a furnace of owning 4 GM's over a 16 year period and not fixing anything.
20th May 2008, 11:23
I'm a mechanic and I can't believe what I'm reading about these "swinging tail pipes". Mufflers and tailpipes HAVE to be vibration isolated with mounts that allow movement, just as engines require mounts that allow movement of the engine. If a vehicle does not allow for engine movement and normal vibration, the exhaust system will rapidly develop stress cracks from metal fatigue. That import owners are unaware of this makes it very obvious that any other judgments offered regarding the build quality of vehicles are seriously flawed. I've never found that import exhaust systems last one second longer than those of domestics, and if you'll simply bother to look under ANY import you'll find that both the engine AND exhaust systems are vibration isolated because they HAVE to be.
The kind of comments I'm seeing about this are why I pay little attention to comments from import fans. The testimonials from actual owners, and those who take the time to educate themselves about automobiles, carries far more weight than the "It's better because I say so" rants of import owners who have never even bothered to look underneath their own cars. That's why reading these comments will persuade people that domestics are far superior. Their supporters offer real, valid and documented evidence.
20th May 2008, 15:30
I wouldn't have even bothered with the recall on the Toyota. I would have upgraded to an exceptional aftermarket exhaust system, and I do that anyway, recall or not. I recently upgraded to a new dual Borla Cat Back free flow exhaust system all stainless steel with the million mile warranty... on my latest GM Silverado. I also changed the intake as well. Nice upgrades that provide some nice sedate performance. It's nice to be able to afford upgrades on yet another domestic vs. shell out for unnecessary premature mechanical repairs on imports.
GM has an excellent performance center right at the new car/truck dealership we are now buying all our vehicles from now on. The only down side is the angled tips submerge a bit more readily at the boat ramps. The engine fires up on a half crank now and a tremendous hp boost.
I like low key sleepers; tastefully done, not loud nonsense with roof high wings,torched springs and the f*** pipe on the little 4 cyl. imports.
20th May 2008, 20:44
10:31 Your comments make sense if you are not in the market for a full size truck. So why even look at a Tundra? Buy a small one, or better yet a small car. The number one selling vehicle in America is a full size truck... I have a family we travel together and I also have a boat. Try spending a grand on a weekend with a boat on fuel (that is only part of the expense) and you have an entirely different perspective. You cannot skimp on function and quality.
I prefer to buy the best truck available, which is a domestic in 2008. I carry 4 in my truck, so the comment on the 250 lb. solo driver isn't applicable. However might be the case with a small compact truck ownership.
21st May 2008, 17:22
The best truck in America has been a Toyota since the day Toyota started making trucks. You'll find plenty of F-350's and such that will haul more, but if you're talking quality and reliability, Toyota takes the cake as usual.
21st May 2008, 17:23
The mechanic here again. Today I checked out the tailpipe mounts on a late model Tacoma (I'm sure the Tundra is similar. I haven't looked at them). It most certainly DOES have provision made for movement (vibration isolation) HOWEVER, it is accomplished with a simple (and incredibly CHEAP) system involving a metal rod that fits into a metal sleeve, allowing only for slight back and forth and side to side movement. Domestics use far better and more complex mountings using reinforced rubber strips attached to metal brackets. These in turn bolt securely to the frame and muffler/tailpipe. Unlike the very cheap little metal sleeves on the Tacoma, these mounts allow for compound movement in all directions. This is a far better system (and more expensive). A vehicle with a rigidly mounted exhaust would tear the exhaust loose at the exhaust manifold in about a week or less. I saw this very thing happen on a car that the owner HAD rigidly welded the exhaust pipe to the mounts. It caused a stress crack to form at the pipe where it bolts to exhaust manifold. The owner was, like many people, oblivious to the fact that engines MOVE due to torque, and they and anything bolted onto them must be allowed to move to compensate.
I feel relatively certain that many of the comments I see are made by people who are totally oblivious to ANYTHING mechanical. I see terms such as "4 CYCLE" engines (ALL cars have 4 "CYCLE" engines) and "V-4" (there are no "V-4"'s). If a person doesn't know what a "cylinder" is or what the "V" in V-6 or V-8 means, it's pretty obvious that discussing the mechanical superiority of one vehicle over another is way out of their league.
19th May 2008, 10:31
Personally, I find it hard to believe that anyone is going to prefer full-sized, V8 powered trucks or SUVs regardless of the make, or whether it is "import" or "Domestic" - or whatever superficial generic distinction you want to bestow on them. The fact of the matter is that driving one of these giant trucks now costs close to $80 to fill up, which in my opinion is A LOT of money to be spending just so you can own a full sized truck and act all manly about it.
My small truck costs $35 to fill and will run a whole week on it. Secondly, I am a somewhat smaller person (5 ft 6", 140 pounds) and I find the ride, the seats, and the interior extremely comfortable. But if you're some 250 pound dude, then ya - I could see the ride being uncomfortable. But that's a totally different topic altogether.
Gas is over $4 a gallon where I live, and eventually it is going to spread across the country. Some of you need to wake up and smell the reality. Driving anything that gets less than 30MPG is going to become increasingly expensive and eat away at your living standards. This argument about Japanese versus American trucks is frankly extremely old-fashioned and totally nonsensical. We're free to drive what we want, but at some point the gross reality of the fuel situation is going to make everyone have to consider other options that perhaps don't consist of gigantic gas-guzzling trucks for going to Home Depot.