This is how we know that we have some of the most insightful user base in the automotive kingdom. Because for every enthusiast willing to go back and forth with me on how much more substantial a Corvette ZR1 is over a Z06 -- endlessly --, there is a guy like this.
Hendrick sent us a note -- that you can see down below -- that makes an excellent point. Although Toyota has earned itself some serious recognition with JD Power and Intellichoice for 2011, it just hasn't seen runaway sales -- no pun intended. Typically, buyers tend to follow these awards closely since they align with a large percent of the buying population's agenda.
But after all that's went down with Toyota Motor Sales' recallfest and the media tongue lashing that ensued, it appears that it would be a rational conclusion to say the media bashing has made a recovery difficult. Essentially, plenty of "journalists" took a stick to Toyota as if it was a goddamn pinata.
Those guys in Detroit, you know who you are, weren't voting for the home team huh? Objective coverage my ass.
From there Hendrick wonders, with a little inspiration from Ed Wallace of Bloomberg Businessweek, if the media owes Toyota an APOLOGY...
Discuss...
**Hendrick writes:
Since Toyota earned the most 2011 JD Power Dependability awards and the most 2011 Intellichoice #1 Picks, out of all automakers, you'd think they'd be getting record sales.
So with everyone, even Kia and Suzuki, reporting record sales for March, except Toyota, which dropped substantially, do you think the media created a mountain out of a molehill during the recalls?
Ed Wallace and Jeremy Cato, both reputable auto columnists, think so, and recently called for the media to apologize...
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