slowdown

Why I'd Avoid Toyota, The #1 Automaker in the U.S.

So let me see if I have this right...Toyota loses money on every Prius they sell (yes they do) and you think a hybrid Cobalt (that GM would sell at a loss) would have kept them out of bankruptcy? Why???


On Jun 23 11:44 PM buddhabill wrote:

> Toyota expects to sell 160k Prius' this year. What's the projection
> for the $40,000 hybrid pick-up? 20k?
>
> It's a nice 'halo' product that did nothing to keep GM from bankruptcy.
>
>
> How many EV1's could have they sold? Or hybrid Cobalts?
>
> GM once had the clout to push product through their 7000 dealerships
> - with some leadership they could have been ahead of the whole EV/Hybrid
> thing....that is the real crime.

Why I'd Avoid Toyota, The #1 Automaker in the U.S.

We build a right hand drive Cadillac's and export them to Japan all day long. As you say...the problem is that by the time the taxes are levied against them the cars are too expensive for anyone but the very rich. Additionally...there isn't a business case to design and engineer a right hand drive version of the Chevy Aveo because those same taxes make them more expensive then the Japanese domestic comp vehicle. So...between the currency manipulation and protectionist policies practiced...we don't have free trade with the Japanese.


On Jun 23 02:36 PM Pstoneki wrote:

> I would agree that Japan taxes imports heavily. So does the US. However,
> the Japanese sell very few of their own models sold in external markets
> in Japan. It is very expensive to buy a car in Japan, even a Japanese-built
> car, due to parking requirements / permiting, insurance, and their
> very draconian vehicle inspection rules. Size is also a big issue
> - most cars sold in Japan are much smaller than the Japanese cars
> built for non-Japan markets.
>
> American cars just don't sell in Japan. They are too American in
> style, too big, the driver sits on the wrong side, the engines are
> too large and inefficient, the engineering / features are not in
> tune with the Japanese market, and the 'quality' is not there. Remember,
> every country has a different definition of quality so what the Japanese
> (or any other market) finds important may not be 'quality' in another
> market. For instance, a car with a pillowy ride and light steering
> is not considered high quality in Europe. However, in the US it is.
>
>
> If GM made an effort to engineer and sell cars in Japan they could
> do it. Just look at what they have been able to do with Buick in
> China. They just have chosen not to.
>
> Japanese cars do not seem to sell well in China. My experience working
> in China is that they have a very strong memory of Japanese atrocities
> on Chinese soil (see Nanking) and this has hurt Nissan, Toyota, and
> Honda. And has helped GM/Buick.

Why I'd Avoid Toyota, The #1 Automaker in the U.S.

We build a right hand drive Cadillac's and export them to Japan all day long. As you say...the problem is that by the time the taxes are levied against them the cars are too expensive for anyone but the very rich. Additionally...there isn't a business case to design and engineer a right hand drive version of the Chevy Aveo because those same taxes make them more expensive then the Japanese domestic comp vehicle. So...between the currency manipulation and protectionist policies practiced...we don't have free trade with the Japanese.


On Jun 23 02:36 PM Pstoneki wrote:

> I would agree that Japan taxes imports heavily. So does the US. However,
> the Japanese sell very few of their own models sold in external markets
> in Japan. It is very expensive to buy a car in Japan, even a Japanese-built
> car, due to parking requirements / permiting, insurance, and their
> very draconian vehicle inspection rules. Size is also a big issue
> - most cars sold in Japan are much smaller than the Japanese cars
> built for non-Japan markets.
>
> American cars just don't sell in Japan. They are too American in
> style, too big, the driver sits on the wrong side, the engines are
> too large and inefficient, the engineering / features are not in
> tune with the Japanese market, and the 'quality' is not there. Remember,
> every country has a different definition of quality so what the Japanese
> (or any other market) finds important may not be 'quality' in another
> market. For instance, a car with a pillowy ride and light steering
> is not considered high quality in Europe. However, in the US it is.
>
>
> If GM made an effort to engineer and sell cars in Japan they could
> do it. Just look at what they have been able to do with Buick in
> China. They just have chosen not to.
>
> Japanese cars do not seem to sell well in China. My experience working
> in China is that they have a very strong memory of Japanese atrocities
> on Chinese soil (see Nanking) and this has hurt Nissan, Toyota, and
> Honda. And has helped GM/Buick.

Why I'd Avoid Toyota, The #1 Automaker in the U.S.

They are called Right Hand drive cars and we build and export them every day to other countires.


On Jun 22 09:16 PM KIT wrote:

>
> The Japanese drive on the other side of the road like the British.
> They switch the drivers wheel to our side on export cars. I know
> of no American car built to left side drive for the japanese market.
> How many Toyotas would sell in America if they refused to build cars
> for our roads?

Why I'd Avoid Toyota, The #1 Automaker in the U.S.

You're right....we should pay labor according to what they bring to the job...Henry Ford did that...he thought that the people that built his cars ought to be able to afford to buy them...Lets see how many people making $14.00/hour can afford to buy anything but a 10 year old oil burner. It is a sad day in this country when the only way to be viablle is to pay wages based on the emerging markets in third world countries.


On Jun 23 10:10 AM Pstoneki wrote:

> Who cares what the Mexican's make? Their cost of living is much lower
> than the US. After all, they don't have a need to buy a big fishing
> boat, snow machines, 4 wheelers, and a giant truck to pull them around
> like most of the Big 3 assembly folks I know. Apples to oranges comparison.
> Let's face it - we pay unskilled trades a lot of money when, often,
> the complexity of the work does not warrant it. I've worked on the
> line in several GM plants. Beyond the mind-numbing boredom induced
> by doing the same thing every day the job was not hard and did not
> require any advanced education. We should be paying people based
> on the unique skills they bring to the job and the value they add
> to a process.

Why I'd Avoid Toyota, The #1 Automaker in the U.S.

Pose the question another way....how many American made Japanese cars do the Japanese buy? Answer - none....the Japanese government will not allow Toyota/Nissan to import their own vehicles manufactured in other countries because they practice protectionism.....and since you worked for them and were there...mind telling us how much an imported vehicle costs over a domestic one? Last I knew - the Japanese government taxed the living daylights out of foriegn competitor products...again - protectionism.


On Jun 22 11:29 AM Pstoneki wrote:

> The Japanese buy very few American cars. Why? THE QUALITY. Their
> expectations are much much higher than the American consumers. When
> I worked for Nissan I used to visit dealerships in Japan. I watched
> every (and I mean every) customer examine every single detail of
> the particular car they were buying, down to how parallel the defroster
> element wires in the back window were. If the car was not absolutely
> perfect in every way they wouldn't buy it. Find me an GM/Ford/Chrysler
> car that can pass that kind of test.

Ten Cars Detroit Should Copy

Oh..and I forgot - when I do burn regular gas - I get 26/27 mpg. My husband on the other hand drives much nicer then I do....he get's 32 mpg with it. Unfortunately we can barely stand to ride with each other (I drive too fast for him and he drives way too slow for me).


On Mar 29 10:44 PM slowdown wrote:

> I forgot - I paid $23K for the Impala and it's loaded...leather/sunroof
> etc and I don't have a $4500 battery that has to be replaced. <br/>

Ten Cars Detroit Should Copy

I forgot - I paid $23K for the Impala and it's loaded...leather/sunroof etc and I don't have a $4500 battery that has to be replaced.


On Mar 29 10:42 PM slowdown wrote:

> Here's some fun facts for you Rick - My nephew bought a Prius a few
> years ago and paid $40k for it. It was supposed to get 60 mpg. He
> gets 40 mpg. I purchased a 2008 Chevy Impala. The Impala has more
> room and the back seat flips down so it's open to the trunk. We hauled
> a twin bed (mattresses/side rails and head/footboard) to my son's
> dorm with it. I get 24mpg burning E85 and I burn it 95% of the time
> because it's readily available in my area.
> Prius - 1000 miles / 40mpg = 25 gallons of gas.
> Impala - 1000 miles / 24mpg = 41 gallons of fuel * 15% (85% ethynol)
> = 6.25 gallons of gas.
> That said - why do you and other continue to make such false statements
> and why on earth are you not harping on our governement to give the
> $33bln in oil subsidies to the ethynol companies to invest in the
> technology?
>

Ten Cars Detroit Should Copy

Here's some fun facts for you Rick - My nephew bought a Prius a few years ago and paid $40k for it. It was supposed to get 60 mpg. He gets 40 mpg. I purchased a 2008 Chevy Impala. The Impala has more room and the back seat flips down so it's open to the trunk. We hauled a twin bed (mattresses/side rails and head/footboard) to my son's dorm with it. I get 24mpg burning E85 and I burn it 95% of the time because it's readily available in my area.
Prius - 1000 miles / 40mpg = 25 gallons of gas.
Impala - 1000 miles / 24mpg = 41 gallons of fuel * 15% (85% ethynol) = 6.25 gallons of gas.
That said - why do you and other continue to make such false statements and why on earth are you not harping on our governement to give the $33bln in oil subsidies to the ethynol companies to invest in the technology?