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Why the Big 3 are where they are now...

xp8103

New member
Headline: Toyota Loses Money For The First Time Since 1941.

That about says it all.... And it says a lot!
 
Headline: Toyota Loses Money For The First Time Since 1941.

That about says it all.... And it says a lot!

Well I'd like to help them out but my Honda which is now in its 10th year is still going and looks like new. I expect another 6 years out of it.

But I'll probably buy a Toyota again. They just have an edge on the rest of them.
 
I thought Toyota has been the biggest of the Big three for a while now. Why do we still call GM/Ford/Chrysler the "big three"?
 
But I'll probably buy a Toyota again. They just have an edge on the rest of them.

I think they used to have an edge they no longer have. Recent Toyotas do not have the same track record of the Toyotas of old. I think they lost the edge when they decided to be the biggest and sell in every market segment. A look at recent recalls, service bulletins, etc. indicates a drop in quality control.

I recently decided to give my daughter my 98 Town Car with 127,000 miles on it and replace it with a more economical but used car. I decided to buy an off rental car and narrowed the choice down to a 2008 mid-line Altima, Camry or Impala. I did a lot of research to see what issues the cars had with the owners. The Altima and Camry were 4 cylinders and the Impala was a V6. I found the Impala had the fewest issues, got as good or better fuel mileage and had much more power for the mountains. The Altima had several issues but none were numerous which led me to believe it was a lack of overall quality control. The Camry had fewer issues but some were frequent. There was a large number of issues with the 5 speed automatic transmission along with creaks and complaints about the low quality interior. The Impala issues were things such as inconvenient cup holders and other things that annoy rather than break down. I bought the Impala for $3,000 less than the Camry with a 40,000 mile longer powertrain warranty. I live in the country where the nearest Toyota dealer is in the next state and I can get parts and service on a Chevrolet around the corner.
 
I bought the Impala for $3,000 less than the Camry with a 40,000 mile longer powertrain warranty.

Domestic costing less new or used is the norm. That has always been the case. Its what they cost over the life of the car...thats when the numbers switch.

And its a good thing you got that longer powertrain warranty.


I live in the country where the nearest Toyota dealer is in the next state and I can get parts and service on a Chevrolet around the corner.

Once again, a good thing. I've hardly needed parts and service for my Honda. The first set of front brake discs with 2nd set of pads at 97K miles (we have long and tough winters with plenty of road salt) and a catalytic converter at 92K miles (bad luck there). So other than lubes and filters, a mere $800 in almost ten years...not bad. Ooops, I forgot those front and rear stabilizer links that I recently replaced...so add another $200.

We won't talk about that domestic car I once bought. It was my first new car (I gave then a chance)...and also my last.
 
I found the Impala had the fewest issues, got as good or better fuel mileage and had much more power for the mountains.

We made the same choice when we traded in our POS Subaru Outback. The Impala has given a great car for us and we'll stick with it.

I think it's obvious now that every automaker that doesn't cater exclusively to the very rich (Ferrari) is not doing well. It's not just a "Big Three" thing.
 
Personally I'm waiting for the really good electric cars to come out. I'm watching a Chinese BYD ad that is totally electric. $23,000 with a 60 mile range. Available now.
 
Once again, a good thing. I've hardly needed parts and service for my Honda. The first set of front brake discs with 2nd set of pads at 97K miles (we have long and tough winters with plenty of road salt) and a catalytic converter at 92K miles (bad luck there). So other than lubes and filters, a mere $800 in almost ten years...not bad. Ooops, I forgot those front and rear stabilizer links that I recently replaced...so add another $200.

We won't talk about that domestic car I once bought. It was my first new car (I gave then a chance)...and also my last.

Writing off American cars based on one vehicle is like writing off all foreigh cars because you had a Yugo, Fiat, MG, or other POS that was your first experience. I;ve had several Japanese vehicles rust out from under me and have major problems but I don't refuse to consider them when I am buying. Every manufacturer in every country makes bad vehicles sometimes but that is no reason to write off an entire country.

Your Honda has cost you double what my 01 Escape with 103,000 miles (bought Nov., 2000) has costs me. One set of front brakes, one relay and one coil since new.

My son-in-law thinks there is nothing like a Toyota. He has 260,000 miles on his 95 Avalon and plans on alother. He conveniently forgets that Toyota replaced his valve seals at 70,000 miles, he paid for a used engine at 140,000, brakes 3 or 4 times with rotors, front axles, 2 wheel bearings, struts front and back. The 93 Park Avenue I gave my daughter has 200,000 miles on it and everything is original except the brakes (and it still uses no oil).
 
I've been an import auto lover primarily German cars for sometime. I've owned many Porsche's in the past and currently own a GTI and a Audi A4Q. Love both of them. That's not to say that American cars are crap because their not. They have been getting a undesirable bad rap for the past few years. They're certainly equal to any of the Japanese brands and in some instances better. Ford in particular has come a long way. I may be in the market for a new truck late next year and the new F150 is on my very short list. I was out in my friends 3 year old Cadillac yesterday, 60K on the odo, rides and drives just as well as any German car. If I was in the sports car market it would be hard press to beat a new Corvette, 400+HP under 50K is one hell of a deal.
Right now shares of stock in the big three are dirt cheap, actually their cheaper then dirt! Some of you might think about purchasing some while this "sale" is on so you won't be kicking yourself in the butt a few years from now. You know what I mean, like I wish I had that 396 Chevy that I sold for a few hundred bucks back in 70's. Now your watching Barret Jackson and seeing them sell for 60K+. How many of us have experienced that! Now's the time for good deals people and now is the time to take advantage of it!
 
I saw a business report on the BYD car. Their trademark is close to BMW, I wonder how long it will be till their quality is the same.

The ZAP is another great car which will be built in Kentucky by non-union workers. Watt ! That is right by non-union workers. It will be interesting to see if it can pull a bass boat.

How come the Government is not supporting the innovative electric car businesses of Silicon Valley ? Californians love their cars and are leaders of future trends, one would think the US would reward the producers of society with a successful business plan since the government is in the car business.

The US government is about to do that. it's part of the new administration's plan. They would have to have a much farther range then 60 miles for me to ever be interested in one. The real problem with the electric car is battery technology. I just heard somewhere this week that Intel is working on batteries for electric cars with the ability to maintain a charge for a full day of real world driving. The company that can do that is the company I would like to have stock in today.
Is that really BYD's logo? Gees I would think it's close enough to BMW for some legal implications. Besides if a company has to virtuly copy another manufactures logo I doubt their creative enough to come up with a worthy electric car!
 
Personally I'm waiting for the really good electric cars to come out. I'm watching a Chinese BYD ad that is totally electric. $23,000 with a 60 mile range. Available now.

I don't think the electric car will be the answer. A lot of them will overstress an already overstressed power grid that will result in brownouts and blackouts. It also greatly increases pollution at the power plant when they use fossil fuels. The pollution and hazardout waste created by the manufacturing of the battery far exceeds the pollution a gasoline engine will create in the lifetime of the battery. A problem other than the short range is the even shorter range that is caused by power robbing mountains and use of AC.
 
My brother was in Italy in 07 and rented a 3 cyl turbo diesel Ford. 57 MPG, good power, a blast to drive, didn't even know it was a diesel when you were driving it. When he came home he e mailed Ford as to why they don't bring it here. I just heard on one of the news stations that they may do just that. Of course if they would have had them here last spring Ford could have sold a bundle of them, better late then never I guess.
 
ad age

"German engineering, Swiss innovation, American nothing."

- Adversting slogan used on a billboard in South Africa by Daimler to promote its Smart "forfour" compact car.
 
Every manufacturer in every country makes bad vehicles sometimes but that is no reason to write off an entire country.

Whatever works for you. The bottom line is minimal cost per mile.

And I think when one looks at the big picture, the answer is quite clear.
 
Whatever works for you. The bottom line is minimal cost per mile.

And I think when one looks at the big picture, the answer is quite clear.

That's exactly why I drive my Fords and a Chevy. I'm a stupid old economics major who figures in all of the expenses rather than believing the crap I hear and read. I started out pennyless and retired at 55 debt free on a single modest income. I must be doing something right. I retired five and a half years ago and my nest egg has grown (slightly).

THE ANSWER IS QUITE CLEAR.
 
GlobalRider,

That's an interesting avatar for someone singing the praises of japanese cars.

Yeah, its a cute one that I have stuck to that "thing" hanging off the final drive of my oilhead. Gets the Japanese riders going after they figure out what it means. :laugh

Unfortunately, I think my KLR 650 got a glimpse of it as it hasn't run since I got back from a trip in 2003.

I choose to ride a BMW. That doesn't mean I think it is more reliable than a Honda, and if Honda produced something exactly like my GS, I'd probably own it.

Sure I'll buy a car from the big 3. All they have to do is give it to me and if I feel I got 10 to 15 years of trouble free service from it, I'll pay them for it then. When companies have to use slogans like "Qulaity is Job 1" and "Mark of Excellence", you have to wonder.
 
So far in 7 years of Chevy truck ownership all I needed were 3 sets of tires (salt and sun dry-rots them before the tread is done...:banghead ) oil and filter changes and a set of parkingbrake pads. I only drive the truck for work and although it only has 80K miles I can't complain.
IMHO the problem for American vehicles is the perception that they still are the same crap that came from Detroit in the 80's and early 90's. Things have changed a lot and in the case of fuel economy, Chevy trucks beat anything the competition makes, foreign or domestic in the same size class. The Japanese still can't make a full size truck for the way we use them here in the US. Just look at what you see on farms and construction zones. I don't see too many 5th wheeltrailers hitched to a Tundra..
Are Japanese vehicles good?? Yes, but don't dismiss the domestics :usa too easily..Just my 2 cts..
 
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