Ace$nyper

iTrader: (8)

I don't really know what's not to like about the new Tundra its cozy awesome brakes and the motor is so bitching, factory shortie headers even pretty nifty I think. Me liking them is kind of aside the point though, both trucks are far from poorly made though, it comes down to prefence in this case.

Frankly the recalls don't hurt them too large as a company if anything they might break even for damage help. Many people love to see hey a dome light sucks we'll man up and fix it.

I don't know what makes there line up so bad, sure it's not maybe suited for yours or my taste, but they offer something for most everyone.

Even with alot of our US built and deisnged trucks where do we get parts from, or even steel in that matter? As we all saw yesterday with the dow the whole world is tied up a sneeze in china dips our prices.

Please don't get me wrong I am not saying any of this just to stir pot or anything, I'm just more so bringing my few years of schooling into it.

Hopfully if anything this will make us step up to the point where little things like the shape of the door handle is a reason to buy one over the other. In ww2 We were able to walk to Kelly Jonson and say, we need a fighter 90 days later we had a p-51 in the air testing. 110 days later first one was shipped. I might be off a few days but it's quite close to that, thats just an example I'm using.

Ace$nyper

iTrader: (8)

You majored in Econ you know i'm already punching out a good 20+ pages a week, I can be a little lax on the net

Please no reason to do so with the insults. I'd honestly like to hear your reasoning or why i'm wrong, just saying so doesn't prove you right nor help inform me or anyone else. I would like to learn as with more schooling and time in you should know more then I.

If Toyota can't even fathom to be on the level with GM or Ford, why did E-town swap out? Why is Toyota growing in sales?

Take a look at this dug it out from the paper today.
Most Popular New Cars
1. Honda Civic
2. Volkswagen Rabbit
3. Honda Accord
4. BMW Z4
5. Toyota RAV4
6. BMW 335
7. Ford Mustang
8. Toyota Tacoma
9. Toyota Camry
10. Dodge Caliber
11. Saturn Sky GM * from an arm that doesn't offer a pickup*
12. Ford Fusion
13. Ford F-150
14. Pontiac Solstice
15. Mazda MAZDA3
16. Hyundai Azera
17. Toyota Corolla
18. Toyota Avalon
19. Toyota Prius
20. Saturn VUE
21. Toyota Highlander
22. Buick Lucerne GM *another one that doesn't offer a pickup*
23. Honda Pilot
24. Chrysler 300
25. Chevrolet Tahoe GM *Yes they offer a pickup, yet this is an SUV*

Toyota pick ups are being listed at 2 spots of the top ten.

Domestic car companies are being out sold, it's not that hard for someone who can count let alone someone whos been watching the market to see.

Alot of bias lingers in people to either buy american or not to, how many people here know someone who owned an car so riddled with problems they would never get another from XXX company or country.

Buy American doesn't work anymore, with the majorty of buyers getting what works for them best over whats best for the country etc. Call it selfish buying lack of care changing culture or what have you but this is something we really can't aruge.

If the US makers want to thrive as I said in my post before, we gotta just out class them like in the 60s no one would touch a Honda then because even to someone not after a sports car it just couldn't match up. We are either at the level or below in many cases, few of them we still hold the upper hand though.

I'm in not in anyway anti US market, heck I live here I love it here, i'd love to see more power here. I just come with another point of view that's all.

Ace$nyper

iTrader: (8)

Our influance spreads over there, it's even used commonly as a refrence the Japaness LOVE Elvis Cowboys and other "American" things, why because they now can see them and see how cool they are. I've heard and don't want to state as a fact over there a corvette sells for over 90K+ USD. I do know a few years ago the fastest car in japan happened to have an LSX in it in a Y-body, or what little was left lol.

30 years ago we didn't have youtube. They want to enjoy the cool parts of our culture, just as we love ninjas sake and other Japaness things.

Going on that point is more a social issue, how to keep the melting pot from consuming everything.

Either way, why hasn't this sprung a spark under anyones butt to change it?

NHRATA01

iTrader: (10)

What's the determination for the "Most popular cars?" Sounds pretty baseless, like they sampled 100 people and asked what their favorite car was.

If you go by sales numbers, which would the most logical determination, the big 3 full-sizes are 3 of the top 4, with the Camry, Accord, Civic, Impala, Cobalt, and Corrolla rounding out most of the top 10. I think the Altima was the 10th.

Ace$nyper

iTrader: (8)

I don't know off hand I just copied it out of the Times today, they just had a blurb and some agancy that did the survey.

I just also found the list from AOL matching no listing of whom plublished it, if I found the paper that I gave to a co worker I'll happly post it up for you.

But just to back up my findings the AOL link is : http://autos.aol.com/?ncid=AOLCOMMautoNAVIdira0001

yes I know aol stinks but best I can do for now.

aliwantsnss

iTrader: (1)

Actually the reason that the F-150 has been the best selling truck is because the GM trucks are counted as 2 differant brands.

LS1LT1

iTrader: (16)

Interesting that you bring up WWII, I can assure very few people in this nation would've ever considered buying a Japanese vehicle (were they available that is) or anything Japanese for that matter during the years following WWII, it was akin to a U.S. citizen buying a camel from Osama Bin Laden right now.
I guess people forget.

LS1LT1

iTrader: (16)

True, Japan sent some pure, rusting crap over here in the '60s and early '70s and a lot of hard working consumers did get burned yet somehow people so freely forgave them...why can't good loyal Americans do the same for GM and Ford after their dark years?


Ok I will, it is selfish IMO.

LS1LT1

iTrader: (16)

And there is among one of the MAJOR problems right there...how DARE Japan arrange it so that an American nameplate vehicle is taxed/marked up so high in price so that they can't even sell there yet we allow them to sell freakin' Camrys and Accords by the boatloads here at reasonable prices?
Unfair trade/pricing schedules much?

Ace$nyper

iTrader: (8)

Years following no, and my grandfather and many other vets never had and never would have.

Japan and the US are allies and sadly most of the Greatest Gen have passed on.

When my dad was born and I was born the US was friends/allys with Japan.

Wars leave a bitter taste more so to the vets, but over time most if not all of it heals. I mean be honest are you biased against british for opressing us nearly 200 years ago?

No offence but I'm not sure where this fits in with the econ of today.

Ace$nyper

iTrader: (8)

If what I have been told and that is true the vette has that kind of mark up, would be based on them not wanting to have cars that arn't made there on the streets. Japan as many knows pays over double what we do for gas taxed out the wazoo and cars are more a rare thing for the richer people.

The US could put up trade barriers like that, but who knows what recrose they would hold on us as many of the japaness companies are intertwined and run in ways we don't allow here. Fuji makes everything from super tankers to noodles for example.

We don't offer as much as they do in smaller low cost cars GM only has a handful of entry cars Colbolt Aveo g6 etc. Back to Back one of the weakest areas is still higher dollar cars only a few can sell a car for over 40K from japan.

Then once price goes up a good deal of people look over towards the other side of the ocean *bimmer MB* still another debate on hand there.

Ace$nyper

iTrader: (8)

Stepping back and seeing 2 cars, one company 10 years ago was just past proving it self and was now a player and the other was riddled with issues. What one are you more likely to pick?

That's how a good deal of consumers are. You and I we might look a little farther into it. By what ever reasons you'd like to use for the reasoning the timing of the matter was right as Japan starting getting their act together is when the US car market starting getting shakey.

The US market has rebuilt the trust of the people in my eyes, I don't think that's an issue for them as much as they are just getting shafted right now and are trying to find out why and how to fix it.

LS1LT1

iTrader: (16)

Reason enough for me to not buy theirs...now maybe two wrongs don't make a right but I find it ironic in a nation where people's pride, honor and manhood has them shooting each other over a parking space or over a girl that a person would actually still buy a car from someone that ABSOLUTELY REFUSES to buy a car from them.

dailydriver

As well as, and this is what gets me the MOST , local/state/federal government PAYING THEM/giving them tax breaks for building transplants here, while dissing American companies by NOT offering the same. HOW CAN THEY LOSE??? They get ALL of the great publicity for employing locals, say, "see, we really are an AMERICAN company" (just don't mind/look where the profits go), and get tax breaks and PAID for this. WTF?!?! Why don't we just hand them the whole country right now??

Add me to the list of those who want to hear the "Econ 101er's" explaination of how TOTALLY unfair trade practices/unlevel playing fields are "helping" this (OUR, remember??) country.
I sometimes wonder just how many of these "high and mighty" profs teaching this crap are in Japan, Inc.'s pocket. Just like all of the Toyota fanboy "shills" online, E-town management, and half of our "illustrious" senators/congressmen?

Ace$nyper

iTrader: (8)

I maybe worded that off, but that's their goverment/large corps doing.

Much like the goverment here sure doesn't speak for all of us.

Ace$nyper

iTrader: (8)

No matter how much is being taken out of our country: GM is trying to sneak out of benifits *what those early retirement buy outs were that were all over the news last year* and laying off more people then Toyota hires.

If we choose to stick to your blame laying path, not that i'm saying it's a bad idea or wrong. Why arn't you even more so pissed at GM ford etc for allowing them to end up in the state they are today?

Toyota is bringing us jobs and narrow vison thats better then what gm is offering us. Narrow vision factoring out where profits go etc.

dailydriver

GM/Ford/domestics got into some of this "trouble" by taking care of their fellow AMERICAN workers. Yes, even if they were being "coerced" into it by the UAW, and not really wanting to do it themslves. Fact is, they did it, and guess what, those "overly taken care of/overpaid/undeserving" workers then turned around and spent their "unearned" paychecks right here, in THIS country, NOT Japan (sadly enough, at a time when they still could)!! So, NO, I CANNOT blame the domestics for this, no matter how I feel about the UAW!
Your beloved TOYota NEVER had to worry about this. Call it foresight, call it smarts, call it timing/luck. Fact is, they never had, and never will have the "legacy" burdens of the domestics. Add in their dumping/one sided trade policies/America's "brainwashing" by them, and I give GM/domestics PLENTY of kudos for even still being in existence at all.

Yes, your "oh so benevolent" Nippon Giant is bringing jobs (while getting paid out of OUR pockets to do so) to this country. But at what ultimate cost to US, and the "big picture" TOTAL of jobs/OUR economy. Remember, the U.S. auto industry is one VERY LARGE "umbrella", NOT just the "big 2.5".
Anyway, last I checked, the domestics STILL employed (DESPITE the layoffs, closures, being seriously in the red) innumerable times the amount of your Japan/import Inc. here in THIS country. Your boys have a looonnnggg way to go to catch up in this dept. I for one just hope that they NEVER can!

Ace$nyper

iTrader: (8)

I don't get how you think I've sided with one or the other at all.

Many places goverments etc are just as short term thinking or looking as alot of the buyers out there.

If you want to bring up the benfits etc fact that were forced on the auto makers hurting them, I'm not going to deny that. Toyota is offering great benifits to their workers, better then what GM did. My friend whom works for them not only gets great medical but helped him refiance his house. Better then my friend at Saturn gets.

dailydriver

I have no doubts about this (lord knows, they can afford it, right??). Again, it's a win-win for them, great publicity, and "buying" loyalty.
The fact still remains though, that they DID NOT do this way back when, and HAVE NOT done this back to the late '40s (or earlier). That's an awful lot of $$$$$$$$$ in their pockets/coffers, no? I guess they are "smarter" business people than GM/domestics for not having had to have done this until now, as compared to OUR companies having had to do this for at least the past 60 years??

Mr. B

iTrader: (1)

The U.S.-Japan trade imbalance was the nation's second largest at $75.6 billion, although the European Union would be No. 2 if counted as a single trading partner, with its exports here outstripping its U.S. imports by $109.3 billion. The U.S. gap with Canada was $66.5 billion, just behind Japan.

Given the number of Japanese car plants that have opened in the U.S. in recent years, it may come as a surprise that the auto industry still accounts for nearly one-quarter of America's trade deficit. But it's true: Last year the U.S. imported $128 billion more in vehicles and auto parts than it sent abroad -- double the level of six years earlier.