Selling AFTER the fall is what a lot of would-be retirees did with their 401(k)'s when the market tanked last year - acting on the fear that it would fall even further. It's also what a lot of SUV owners did when oil spiked the year before that. Stupid. These same people are buying gold now that it has reached historic highs - guess what's going to happen to that investment? That said, Toyota does deserve significant blame - not for how they handled things since February, but for how they were doing business BEFORE then. It highlights the flaw of the free market today: it focusses on the current quarter, nothing else. Toyota saw that dodging recalls would be better for their bottom line in the short-term, so they spent the money on lawyers instead of fixes - the market rewarded them by driving up the stock price because they met/exceeded their quarterly target. Of course, if they were looking at their long-term brand value and customer loyalty (and the price premiums associated with that), they would have made a different choice. But bonuses are paid based on quarterly/yearly results, so who bothers looking long-term?
So why did you feel you had to sell? Could you not afford it? (I don't know what the Mazda 6 is nor how much it costs.) I hope you didn't sell out of fear. Your car isn't dangerous you know. And if it's just because you don't like how Toyota handled things in the past, what are you gaining by selling your car at a big loss? You could have driven that thing for another 10 years with no major problems/repairs.
Not true in my experience. The two times I tried selling to Carmax their offers were WAY below book. The first car I sold privately for $5500 more than Carmax's offer, the second one I traded in at a Toyota dealership for $2000 more than Carmax's offer. IMO, Carmax is good if you are buying a car, but not if you are selling.
Did you actually use the phrase, "unsubstantiated opinion"? Is that like an untested theory? My defense of PL comes from his long stint as a contributor to this site. He has made a decision and posted his reasons. I can't find in there where he questions the mentality of anyone driving a Prius. But yet, people have jumped on the bandwagon in attacking him. Saying that he's fair game because he posted his opinion is basically saying that people are allowed to make their own decisions as long as they don't tell us about it. Given the crowd so far, I'm starting to think that's probably the best course of action.
It's funny you say that since PriusLewis is a "Management Scientist" and has said the same thing. You could probably power an entire fleet of PHEVs if you hooked up a generator to Peter Drucker with the speed at which he must be spinning in his grave. Red! You're back! We missed you (and the pit bulls).
If you go on an enthusiast site and post a negative opinion, especially one that alleges the manufacturer is engaged in a coverup, you should expect some blowback. That's all I'm saying. Note that I did not post an opinion on his decision. I only responded to your post that frowned upon those who did.
I love ya Priuslewis. I'll miss ya. I am surprised though, I at least hope your financially comfortable, cause that was horrible timing! lol
This is the Internet! Facts need not apply! But to answer your question: Yes, the way it works nowadays is that anytime someone's opinion differs with your own, they're being rude and should shut the hell up. But it's not rude of you to say that. (you're just expressing yourself)
Thanks gray! I went into home repair mode and lost balance. Good thing is as soon as I'm done with the repairs I can get two pit pups! I can't wait!!!
Dude, sorry to see ya go, enjoy the new toy, maybe now you will want that JL Cleansweep for the new car!!! Check back in once in a while and let us know how your doing !!!
The exact reason given was The implication is certainly that a low trade-in value is what motivated him to sell, not any issue with the car. What I and some other people have issue with is that it simply doesn't make any sense. A low-trade in is an argument for keeping the car, not selling it. It's worth more to you than to the dealer.
We can only hope his new Mazda doesn't have any issues...like the lady I work with. Mazda 6 thats had $2000 put into it since the end of Jan and it's still not working properly. When it comes to parts, owning a Mazda is like owning a Mercedes...I know this first hand when I had my 626.
I don't think the OP deserves this negativity. I thought of selling a Prius to make money 18 months ago and buy a Yaris instead. Today I drove a rented Impala with 11kmi, while my Prius is in the shop for a fender replacement. I don't like how "removed from the road" the Impala felt, though I guess one needs to get used to any car. Psychological issues aside, I wonder what the OP's experience was when driving a different car.
Really you are going to compare a new Mazda 6 with a vehicle that hasnt been manufactured in 10 years or so Thats kinda like comparing the old toyota pickups with the newer tacomas. Most of the older toyota pickups had to have flatbeds put on because the box was rusted through in 3 years. But then the new ones have their issues as well. But at least they still look decent
My '93 pick up's bed is fine. It has a bedliner, but, unbeknownst to me, it had lots of scratches underneath when I bought it since I stupidly trusted the dealer's answer of "no" when I asked about it. My WORST experience at a dealer EVER. Don't EVER go to Frontier Toyota up near Magic Mountain. Truck runs great. I've only had to put in a new starter motor a while back and replace the cooling system a couple years ago.
Well you lost $26.5K on the Ford while I only dropped $15K over roughly the same time, so I'd say the Ford was not quite such a good investment. Oh, and my loss was in tiny Aussie dollars, not real dollars.
