Smoke and Mirrors

In all seriousness, how often do people buy a vehicle to compensate for something?

There are people who can use a big vehicle to it's fullest, but then there are the single-occupant drivers who do nothing but drive around suburbia and highways owning big honking vehicles. Why?

 

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Sadly, I know too many good examples of this...

I owned a huge F150 with all the bells and whistles, I have to say, it sure is nice to have all that room, tower above traffic, and feel relatively safe you'll be the one driving off if someone in a smaller vehicle rear-ends you. Plus, the 4X4's are FAR superior in crappy weather, in addition to the height and type of tires, I could blow down 495 with a few inches of unplowed snow on the ground at 65mph.

Then I realized I wasn't making enough use of it and traded it in for the Prius... :lol:

Also notice the guys that DO buy trucks just to feel "big", usually tend to be on the short side.... :lol:

 

Bigger is not always better. Homes are very different from cars. Sure there is some degree of variance due to "comfort" but i'm talking about usage models.

If a person's needs only demand for a smaller car (never go offroad, never carry a huge amount of stuff in the car, never expect to pack the car full of 7 people, never expect to tow anything) then buying a big honking SUV is gluttony, and it doesn't just hurt his pocket book... it hurts the bottom line of energy independence, and hurts because of the unnecessary pollution that bigger vehicle creates.

 

Malorn,

What are you trying to accomplish by your posting here? from what I gather your concerns are:
1. Toyota makes itself out to be more of an american company than it is.
2. Toyota makes itself out to be more environmentally conscious than they actually are
3. American media perpetuates these myths.

OK... I'm sure most people here would concede these points (at least to some degree) and are not being fooled by Toyota's advertising or media hype

Given the above, what would you have us do? Boycott Toyota? Are there other car makers out there that are any more ethical?

Toyota makes an automobile that we like and choose to buy.

You also seem to be saying that Hybrid technology is just Toyota's distraction to start selling more trucks in the US. This one is just plain ridiculous.

I ask you again, what are you honestly hoping to accomplish? Maybe just getting a rise out of us?

 

I've got to say, in this respect... The man has a point...

Just a little while ago, Toyota announced they would raise their prices to help us poor Americans with our auto industry... Makes people want to "smile" when they think of "Toyota", makes them feel good. Could this, on some level, translate into considering a Toyota suv/truck? Sure can... Just like oil companies, how far would someone go for a few billion?

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain indeed...

h34r:

 

At first I thought you were trying to make some point specifically about Toyota. Then I read your other thread with the poll and it is very clear to me now.

You are scared to death of globalization. Your only arguement is "Buy American or we will be a 3rd world country in XX years." It's not nearly that simple.

It worries me as well as there may very well be some tough times ahead for us. However, buying inferior American products is not the solution.

 

Honestly, yes. Toyota makes a superior product, be it gas powered, electric powered or anything else they come up with. I've owned 4 different american vehicles (3 Jeeps and 1 Chevy Blazer). None of them were taken past 150k miles. My wifes family (parents, sisters family, brother..etc) have all had Toyota's and have had most of them past 200k miles. My brother-in-law has a Corolla right now that's got over 300k on it and it's still going strong. Now, they've all needed work in the past, but never as much as I ended up needing in my American vehicles.

I think you are barking up the wrong tree here. If you are worried as Snarf points out, there are so many other issues that are far worse. For starters, how about all the money we send to help other countries?? When we need it, how much do we get back??

 

you are telling us to suppose things and make "what if" statements. Concentrate on how things are in reality and not "what if" and "suppose for a moment".

According to you Toyota is not green auto maker, FINE, but at least they deliver quality, and GM delivers neither. How many different ways can you come up with to convince me to buy crap?

YES I would still be buying Toyotas even if they were not making hybrids.

 

I don't think she said "no matter what". Neither did I. I'd continue to buy them as long as they held up to their reputation. If GM or Ford started to have a reputation for reliability, then I'd consider changing.

I'd be willing to be you, that for every 1 American car on the road with over 200k miles, you'd find 10+ Toyota's.

 

One family with a business with several trucks hardly a sample set make...

 

Are they used for business? That's a totally different story. I just know of a lot more Toyota's with well over 200k miles. And in reality, any car can go to 200k and beyond, it's just a question of how much needs to be done.

Take Jeep's for instance. I've owned 3 and have family friends that have owned many of them. They all have transmission issues after 100k.

It doesn't really matter - To a degree, it's a matter of opinion. I don't have hard facts - I just know I've had issues with all my vehicles after 100-120k miles. I've known plenty of toyota's that have done much better, so aside from trying a Hybrid, I decided I'd go for a Toyota as well.

Let me ask this. What would you have recommend I get? I drive 30k miles a year and I need the room that the Prius offers.

 

Well, then your issues aren't really with Toyota. There with the consumers. If people weren't buying trucks, auto makers would stop making them.

Fuel efficiency was my top goal. So the Prius made the most sense. I also liked the fact that it had luxury features, such as the Nav system, SKS..etc..etc. And it's a hatchback.

Trucks do have their place, but most people don't use them as they should. They aren't needed for daily driving, unless your towing or hauling lots of stuff.

 

There are no timing-belt in Hybrid Synergy Drive vehicles. Let's not forget that Toyota isn't stopping HSD at Prius, Highlander Hybrid, Camry Hybrid, RX400h, and LS450h. By 2010, all the vehicle line up (including) trucks will be offered with HSD. Emission will be lower. Fuel economy will be higher. Power response will be quicker. Power delivery will be smoother. What's the problem now? Trolls can only bitch and moan until 2010. This is nothing new, I have seen these type on the Edmunds.