SOUND OFF: Why Does Everyone Pick On Toyota?

What? So we folks in the rest of the world don't know what's best? What an arrogant and biased statement.

lol, thats hilarious....you compare toyota to the literacy of Americans.

and please tell me MidEngine, where is America on the education/literacy, matter fact, intelligence chart compared to everyone else in the world.

lmao...thats just to funny!

For starters MOST Americans no nothing about cars or driving. Now, Toyota is a good company, but it's not a driver driven company. There cars are nice, but not fun to drive. They're grocery getters and nothing more. Other than the IS-F and the ,yet to released, LF-A, which are both wearing Lexus badges. Toyota has nothing for the driving enthusiast. To, put it plainly, Toyota's cars are made for people who like to ride to where they need to go rather than DRIVE.

there has been very DRIVER oriented toyota vehicles made, still around. though they may not be local in the USA, they are available.

Supra TT
Celica GT4
Corolla GTS AE86
Chaser
Starlet EP82


have you had the oppurtunity to drive these vechicles? they are certainly DRIVER oriented...and in Japan there are new models which offer DRIVER pleasure as you mention...

houstoncutie, are you implying that the Toyota Corolla is the best car in the world? And that sales are the only way to decide a car's greatness? Then the Bugatti Veyron is one of the worst cars in the world.

It's NOT, it just sells well because it's CHEAP and easy to own. It's not even close to the world's "favorite car," because usually, people want something that they CAN'T have (e.g. Veyron), not something that's easily attainable like the Corolla.

Does the name "Corolla" excite you?

What does that have to do with anything???

The Ford explorer was the best selling SUV a while back and it was the biggest cheap pile of crap I have ever driven

Although I will say Toyota makes a damn good car. My celica I had in the Air Force was trouble free. Another thing, If a Toyota breaks a timing belt, no engine damage will occur because they aren't zero tolerance engines, unlike numerous audi/volkswagen 1.8t 20v engines which were notoriously troublesome. I am still a BMW Fan though. All of my BMW's have been reliable, especially my old faithful 87 325e, which has seen hell and back and then some. I love Audi interiors and styling, the a8 is just a beautiful sedan. Currently I have a land rover discovery series 2, and my 745i and 325e. they have all been great so far.

Because Toyota is on top, kind of like automotive penis envy. The only import to ever outsell GM, and a customer base that would line up to pay 20 grand for a Toyota scooter if it were advertised as a hybrid. I am not a Toyota fan, but I know for sure just about ANY automaker would trade places with them in a heartbeat.

Stone

I am a Toyota fan, as can be seen by my symbol on the top left of every post (If you do not know what that is then it shows that you are a huge fan). But in my opinion today's Toyotas are not enthusiast material. They are boring, not sporty, and made to be good cars for the family not just good cars. This anti-enthusiast company is not the best car company in the eyes of the people, yet it is the best in management, production, sales, and profits. So many people hate it for not being a brand that has more passionate products and pick on it because they don't like Toyota. Others probably just hate Japanese brands because of their previous perceived notions.

That's Toyota's problem not mine...give me cars!

From a corporate standpoint:
Toyotas have long been considered at the top of their game, naturally the comany at the top is going to be picked on the most.

From an enthusiast's standpoint:
A Toyota fan is often looked upon in the same manner one looks at a bandwagon sports fan. Depending on the depth of this "fans" automotive knowledge, this can be very grating. I personally have had in-depth discussions with knowledgable Toyota fans, as well as clueless Toyota fans. The knowledgable Toyota fans are fun to discuss topics with whereas the clueless Toyota fans are agrivating to be around.

"The knowledgable Toyota fans are fun to discuss topics "

"Knowleadgeable Toyota fan"...LOL. There is no such thing as a knowledgeable Toyota fan. If they would be knowledgeable they would not be Toyota fans. Is as simple as that.

anusStar makes yet another IGNORANT overgeneralization.

i am as much an enthusiast as just about anyone else here. i just happen to not have the deep pockets to buy and MAINTAIN sporty-but-not-absolutely-reliable cars.

(i DO own two motorcycles that provide all the speed and twisty-turny fixes i need.)

i own three toyotas (one a classic awaiting restoration) because they are about the cheapest to own and OPERATE, affording me numerous OTHER pleasures and luxuries. i am NOT a ONE-DIMENSIONAL gear head who lacks OTHER interests.

and, i will still pit my automotive/mechanical engr'g knowledge against yours ANY time.

I think you meant "brown" star. :)

LOL! that too. i was just being a BIT more specific for those who can't make the connection you suggest!

Why Does Everyone Pick On Toyota?

Because they make ugly cars.

:(

Logically speaking, if the cars were as uniformly ugly as you say, how the hell could Toyota be where they are today?

Reliability.

That's the only reson Toyota are where they are today.

The Orange Toyota radio and TV jingle is, "You won't get a lemon, from Toyota of Orange".

Once every car company builds reliability into their cars like Toyota then you will see Toyota fall from grace.

then whats the keep back if it's that easy?

surely BMW GM VW would of taken notice by now, its been more than 15-20 years of constant reliable products.

you give us an article from Germany on how German cars are more reliable...

MidEngine, you really need to take off your blinders.....in AMERICA japanese vehicles on a whole are more reliable than German vehicles.

why in AMERICA? no bias towards either...think my friend, THINK!!!

MidEngine...

your second link has no merit...it has Jaguar with a better reliability rate than all of the vehicles on the very list.

lmao...good job MidEngine!

you're the one who provided me the data, a data with no key to interpret the info AT ALL...from looking over the numbers i wouldnt expect anyone to assume the numbers were read the way i did read it.


companies like plymouth, oldsmobile, mitsubishi, land rover, volkswagen, KIA, hyundai, DAEWOO all have 25% or lower.

so in all, your "reliability" report info makes all the cars i listed above very hihg in reliability. in the REAL WORLD...i think many word assume otherwise.

keep trying MidEngine....all your saved attchments on your desktop only flatters yourself! no one else believes in your "toyota is crap b/s"

toyota vehicles with millions of miles on their motors can attest to that! i wonder, do you have those milestone vehicles saved to your desktop too?

would***

I think people pick on Toyota because of their:

A) Fanboys

B) Boring designs, but successful cars

C) Jealousy

Why would anyone pick on Toyota? Remember how American cars rode the wave of past performance through the 80's, when they didn't deserve it? That's Toyota now. Overpriced; resistant to even admit problems let alone initiate recalls (US Govt has to order them to recall), class-action lawsuits against engines with hotspots throughout, etc, etc. GM's number one problem vehicle regarding maintenance: The Pontiac Vibe, made for GM by..you guessed it...Toyota.

The biggest reason: The cars are simply ugly.

lol...the consumer rating on the matrix is high. i don't know about the vibe. they are idential and use almsot all the same pieces...is it just the fact the GM has a blight with vehicles and reliability?

gm agreed to a joint venture with toyota in the 1980s, so it could LEARN from toyota how to put together reliable cars. gm threw in the Fremont, CA plant which it was about to close anyway, and toyota put in the production lines and assembly SYSTEM.

the initial products were corollas. about 1/2 were rebadged as chevy prizms. they still make corolla matrixes, and the gm version is the pontiac vibe.

within just a few years, mgmt guru tom peters said that the BEST ASSEMBLED CAR in the WHOLE gm lineup, not excluding buicks and caddys, was the prizm!

this story best illustrates the diff bet'n gm cars of the '80s and toyotas:

in planning for the launch of the new chevy Prizm, gm mgmt had to order spare parts for their dealers, to support the new car. they sized the orders by extrapolating the amount of spare parts that their dealers needed for OTHER small gm cars.

after a few years, the chevy dealers had this to say about prizm buyers: "They drove the new cars out, and just NEVER CAME BACK." the dealers ended up being STUCK with TONS of spare parts that the reliable corolla/prizms simply NEVER NEEDED!

CR over the years backed up tom peters' assessment: the Prizm --and in later years the Vibe-- always ranked as THE MOST RELIABLE vehicle in the whole gm lineup.

because they only make cars that only girls and old people would buy...mabe that's why they take longer to brake down.

mabe that's why they take longer to brake down.--lol

...they take longer to break down.

that statement is true.

I dont know about the first sentence

When you are on top human nature is to searce you out and ask why are you so great some times they find out what is all the hoopla about they are a car company.
Like i have posted before , no auto mfg is bringing new ideas forward, if Toyota made cars that got 60 mpg or all electric that can go 500 miles on a charge and tires that don't need replacement or brakes for 100k then we all would say they earned that right top dog but selling a ton of cars means you are marketing well and you have a decent product.
People just don't find a lot of jazz or inovation to go crazy over them or anybody else really?

toyotas don't have to be as SPECTACULARLY SUPERIOR as you propose.

they only have to be say 10% better. and they are. have been for DECADES. so they're now on top.

That's just the way our culture works.

Business success and celebrity both are made targets of when they are on top or when they are at rock bottom.

It doesn't look to me like people especially pick on Toyota...most of the idiots just PICK UP a Toyota.

hater

ANUSstar is among the DOLTS who likely think jeeps are the most advanced vehicles on the planet.

so when people actually choose toyotas instead, which represent rocket ship technology in comparison, he is SO BEFUDDLED he thinks they must be idiots. when it is actually HE who is mentally challenged and totally out of touch with reality.

GayAlex Considering the nature of your comments I recommend you to stick to your favorite site gaywheels.com. Good Bye.

Toyota is picked on because of their no.1 position and how they got there, by making very reliable (albeit boring) transportation devices. Outside of a handful of cars they've made, that's all you can really call them. But the rest of the auto industry have mostly caught up to them as far as reliability goes and most have even surpassed them as far as styling goes. So for those reasons, they will be nitpicked until further notice from fans, press, competition, etc.

Theres nothing wrong with Toyota. Its the fanboys who uses toyota's success for Lexus, and Lexus' success (whatever that may be) for Toyota. They intertwine the two.

Then there's the people who make Toyota more than what it is. Its a great car, perhaps best in its class, in some case, but do not over do it and say its the best at everything.

Toyota's are rarely best in class, Thierry. When it comes to comfort, handling, appeal etc., other makes lead over Toyota. Toyota's might be class leaders in reliability.

^^^The ones broken down are Japanese cars not German cars. You need a pair of glasses.

I am 100% serious--GS300, do you REALLY see ANY broken down German cars? Because I don't, I just don't. I barely see any cars on the side of the road, anyway. They may have electrical glitches, but most German cars have flawless mechanical engineering, at least recently.

Star, that comment is very cliché. If you have nothing constructive to say, leave.

"They may have electrical glitches, but most German cars have flawless mechanical engineering, at least recently."

Yes, recently, they have improved greatly as far as mechanical engineering..and yes, they occasionally have electrical glitches. i used to work for a mechanic and i agree.

Star never has anything constructive to say..not even constructive criticism..he just talks bs

S4cabriofone Why don't YOU leave Audi fanboi? I'm afraid your definition of "something constructive" is limited to praise for Audi. And you are not going to hear that from me since I'm not Audi fanboi like you are.

Do you seriously think that? You need to read some of my posts, buddy.

S4 I did..but regretted the wasted time immediately after...buddy.

You just don't get it, do you?

I may own an Audi, but that does not mean I can't admire/aspire to own cars from other brands. YOU, on the other hand, are ridiculous. You can't ever admit to liking a Japanese car, only because it's Japanese (or not European, depends how you look at it). Although I admit to liking European cars better (by a long shot), that doesn't mean excellent models aren't produced by Japanese makes. The Nissan GT-R, Infiniti G, Lexus IS350, Acura MDX, Honda Accord, Mitsubishi EVO X, Nissan 350Z, Lexus LS460 and Infiniti M45 are just a few. Of many.

So what if I the R8 is my favorite car? Obviously, it's justifiable, but that's not what matters right now. It's how YOU are so offended by my opinions. I don't make unsubstantiated claims unless I'm in a fiery mood. Otherwise, it's only my opinions talking. There's no reason for you to take that personally; it's what I THINK. I also want a BMW M3, Porsche 911 Turbo, Porsche GT3, BMW M6, Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG, Ferrari 599 GTB (the one car I'd have over the R8), Ferrari F430, Lamborghini LP640, Jaguar XKR, Aston Martin DB9, BMW M5, Maserati Quattroporte, Range Rover Supercharged, Bentley Continental GT Speed, Maserati GranTurismo, BMW 335i coupe and Porsche Cayman S.

But you don't care about any of those. You only care about the one that offends you--the R8. And may I ask... WHY?

i think toyota leads a few class, like the yaris and camry, but again, best in class is subjective.

Yaris??? The Honda Fit beats it on all counts.

the yaris beats it in the aspect which matters most to this segment...and thats mpg.

every other aspect in this segment can be overlooked. the reason for these vehicles are mpg and thier respective economy. the yaris holds firm!

"every other aspect in this segment can be overlooked"

That is quite possibly the most ridiculous statement I have ever read on this website.

As for MPG... do you honestly think the Fit won't get exceptional mileage? It also happens to be MUCH better to drive, MUCH better to look at, MUCH better to be in and MUCH better to own. So THERE.

People pick on Toyota because the make lame lifeless cars.

Should we pick on you because you make lame, lifeless comments?

I was on toyota when they had the Supra TT,
Celica GT4, and the Corolla GTS AE86.

but the LC is the only car I seem to like from the US market. the JDM market has lots of interesting cars like the crown, etc.

GM is again #1, from the numbers for Q3 this year. They're very close, though.

It will be a tug-of-war. It's not a "matter of time," it's a "matter of GM." If they go away for some reason, yes, Toyota will be the undisputed #1. But with GM's American comeback it won't be so easy.

toyotas are reliable, well-built, dependable cars....with absolutley no soul and even less desirability.

"We also have to recognize that some of the criticism is legitimate, and we have to make sure that legitimate criticism (is something) we look at and spend a lot of time analyzing and change direction, if necessary," he said in an interview Monday. "We can't be arrogant and say everything we do is right."

THIS, I like. Very nice.

Same reason BMW is;
1. They are #1 in their respective categories.
2. Their fan base.
3. Both company are a bit arrogant.
4. Their fan base.
5. Their fan base.

Did I mention their fan base.

They are a sell-out. Let me know when they make a real car again. The only Toyota worth anything was the Supra, it is long gone. The fanboys have been hanging on to that car for too long. Come out with someting that has a SOLE.

They are trying to be GM, to beat GM. This hurt their rep, and their line-up so so boring.

Joining NASCAR was the nail in the coffin.

Yah that is funny, SOUL.

Oh well my statement is the truth.

Toyota= watered-down boring cars.

Your typical Toyota looks like a garden shovel.

:(

The reason why people pick on them is because their quality control has gone waaaaaay downhill!! I have a 2005 Tacoma and I have never seen a car/truck with such poor body work, paint job, overall quality of materials in my live. My old 94 Grand Cherocke was 10 times better all but being a massive gas guzzler. Sure Toyota's have reliable drivetrains, but if everything else sucks, I'd rather have a car from a company that gives a s*$@ about what they are making and the quality of their product, like an Audi or BMW. After my experience with this Tacoma, I will be hard pressed to ever buy another Toyota product again. It's that bad!! 2009 A4 Avant, here I come!!

I do not think we really knock on Toyota on here. If peeps do it is because of the Ass clowns above. Most Auto Makes have fanboys but the Toyota group always call BS when an article is not in Toyotas favor and then get a "In your Face" mentality when an article favors Toyota/Lexus.

"The whole IS-F or IS-A can beat that car" in every sports car related article is a real hoot too. You know who you are and whip that drool off your chin...

I wish we had more people were like you and less people like... you know who.

Toyota is toyota.... Maybe a Toyota doesnt offer the best confort or the best good looking car but numbers are numbers and the question the you people should ask... why toyota is growing how they do it.. why americans cars are declining in the market thats all

I pick on Toyota because......I locked into a $32k car deal for an '07 Camry XLE V6 w/ full warranty, that had the first manufacturer defective V6 engine, and the dealer pretty much didn't give a piss. All they have to do is ignore the customer with the complaints because the customer can't do anything until the car has reached the lemon law limit for it's state, here in the U.S.; what a crock....I still want to beat the piss out of the guy they brought over to the cubicle, that they thought could calm me down....cocky sob.

you COULD go over the dealer's head and complain to the zone rep.

"Why Does Everyone Pick On Toyota?"

Because Toyota is like a scab and we all pick on scabs.

Kind of a scabby company if you ask me .

Well, not EVERYONE picks on Toyota, but a lot of people do because they don't understand what they hype is over them. I'm the same way with Hyundai. I hate them and I just don't realize why everyone else does. So I understand why people hate Toyota.

Grammar patrol!

OH..and what is the jealousy thing all about? Jealous of what exactly? Because they are selling more cars? I don't give a $H*&. Good for Toyota. Hmmmm...still thinking about the last time I pulled up next to a Camry in my Porsche and glared in Jealousy.......BWAHAHAHAhahaha....

It is the jealousy to a success of a company.

Boy am i late to this one. I know you all think that by posting 30 times a day, you are somehow making yourself more relevant to the mfrs. But wise up. Although the indutry has made it clear that they are scanning the blogs, the mindless drivel that make up 90% of the posts are likely overlooked. You guys are singing the same song all day, every day.

Toyotas are ugly. My last Toyota fell apart at the seams. Lexus is a poser in the luxury market. Toyota does'nt make cars for enthusiasts. I would like Toyota but I hate the fanboys. This gets so old. We've heard it all before.

Toyotas are not ugly. They have some good designs, some inoffensive designs and some questionable designs. Like most everyone else (except maybe Aston martin).
Increased recalls do not mean Toyotas are wholly unreliable now. They did a recall for floormats for cryin out loud.
Lexus is getting better and better. And it wasnt that long ago that the superior Lexus forced German brands to step up their game. All u German fanboys should be thanking Lexus.
Enthuiasts know that Toyota has had some awesome cars in the past, and will again in he future. they have just chosen to enter some new segments and put their energy there. However, that has not stopped them from building some amazing engines in the past couple years. Toyota is not out of the enthusiast game yet.
And my favorite. Pissing and moaning about fanboys. Fortunately most of the faux lexus fans have given up their idiocy and gotten lives. What is left is some people who have had 20-30 years of good experiences with Toyotas, and we are CONSTANTLY being bashed on this site. And there are only about ten of us to begin with on this site. So if us 10 Toy lovers are that powerful to you, then I need to find a job in Toyota's marketing department. (And lets not start in on some of the German crazies here that if, I were of the same ilk, would turn me off from German cars forever. Fortunately, I will not base my decisions on a bunch of bloggers.)

Now as for the article, two problems. One, Toyota is not far off their projections for this year. They are experiencing single digit growth as they planned. And I doubt they planned on knocking off Ford so soon. And the Tundra is also meeting goals, on track to sell 200,000, despite the article's claims. Toyota is doing just fine, and as Lentz points out, is only using problems as a means to improve.

One word NASCAR!

LOL!

toyota only entered nascar because gm and ford RAN AWAY from cart and irl after getting their asses beat by toyota and honda.

LOL!

dodge didnt fair well with its intro back into nascar...it took them a few years to gain some grounds.

i expect toyota to do the same. Joe Gibbs has expressed his liking with the toyota team, and in the future we'll see that oval T in the top 10's regularly

two words....Formula One!
great job toyota...."oh what a feeling"

The watered down their line-up to compete with GM. Their cars are boring. Period!

They watered....

not watered down, they focussed on vehicles that would sell to the American mainstream. matter fact, most companies held that same position...Toyota just rode it out longer.

now they are, little by little, moving back into the popularity of vehicles with the celica, FT-HS, sports divisions, etc.

Why I bought my 05 Matrix XR AWD.
Reliability, has extremely high ratings with all reveiwers and very few issues from what I found online.

Cost of Ownership, between mpg's, general maintenance, and mileage I put on my vehicle, it fits my lifestyle.

Price, for $18,000 I got this thing fully loaded certified pre-owned 1-year old. 6-disc in dash CD changer, front and rear fascia kits from factory, side skirts from factory, 16" alloys, fog lamps, moonroof, leather wrapped steering wheel, rear bumper protector, all wheel drive. I could have bought a Subaru 2.5 wagon, but it had no style.

Lifestyle, it just fit, the creased body lines, the stance it had with the reverse wedge shape, the available all wheel drive that only engages when needed, otherwise it's a FWD. Either way I get 25-30mpg on average. The cargo room is unsurpassed in its class. It holds more than my fiances Jeep Liberty.

Bottom line the car fit me so I went for it. I don't have brand loyalty, I've owned Saturns, a Honda, and now the Toyota. I would say I am disappointed in their failure to continue to produce sporty cars such as the MR2 and Supra. But I think soon enough they will be changing things around, hopefully.

I always said that they should make a TRD model for most of their lineup instead of just offering TRD accessories. Make it like Chevy's SS, or Honda with their Mugen offerings now. Small marketshare but even more noteriety. It kills me to see a company join the ranks of NASCAR but yet fail to offer anything performance wise to consumers.

The mayor reason taht american cars are losing market vs asian cars is that a toyota doesnt cosume much gasoline.... I have a corolla... a need to refuel 300 to 400 kms in the city and 500 Kms on road.. same to Land cruisers an 4Runners.... Also the quality of a asian car is the same or Better than a GM or Ford... toyota is in the F1, Indy Nascar etc .... Resuming Toyota is Quality durability.. A Toyota came live for 10 years or more...

Another thing I am from Venezuela.. Toyotas here is Long live car.. also the use car market have the better prices .. people take you out form hands a use Corolla or any Toyota. Land Cruiser the same.. you can find Lands Cruisers with 15 20 years and they still good cars and doesnt need to go to repaairs contality so... Why GM and other Americans Co are losing the market.. numbers tlaks for them self is the reallity

not only do toyotas EASILY live to well over 10 years, if kept 'til the wheels fall off, they will still be rolling LONG AFTER other brands are in the recycle center (junkyard).

these are the ages at which a mfgr's cars get to the point of averaging 100 problems per 100 vehicles: vw/audi 5.3 years, hyundai 5.6, chrysler 5.6, gm 5.7, ford 7 years, nissan 10, honda ~10.7, and toyota ~17 years! last 2 are extrapolations, as chart ends at 10 years.

source: CR, 4/07. pg. 23

I pick on Toyota for one reason and one reason only..call me rediculous if you like...I pick on Toyota because the people who buy Toyotas simply drive like A-holes. They (yes, I am generalizing) sit in the #1 lane of any given freeway in SoCal tying up traffic and "blocking" those who may want to go even 1 MPH over the speed limit. I have come to the conclusion that Toyota drivers are the root cause of road rage as we know it. That alone makes me dislike the whole company. Sorry if you disagree..its a free world..hours of drive time formulating this opinion.

funny, when i lived in California, it tended to be FORD drivers that were the worse left lane bandits!

South Carolina drivers are the same way... Maybe it is just when they are in other states???

OccarNut I absolutely agree. Toyota/Lexus drivers are indeed responsible for causing road rage and most of the traffic jams. I don't have the time for such an ample project but it will be interesting to make a tape with this awful drivers in Toyota cars who absolutely drive everybody insane on the road with their ridiculous driving style.

lol...that statement is just ridiculous!

bad drivers are bad drivers to their lack of driving experience and teach. not due to the brand of vehicle. if thats your thoughts on bad driving, how do you explain weaving in/out of traffic from the honda tuners?

Is not ridiculous at all. It just seems that only people that have really poor driving skills buy Toyota and Lexus.

weaving in and out of traffic never bothered me since is in most of the cases done by a person who's is concentrating on the task. What worries me is the half asleep driver in the Toyota who pushes the brakes really hard at the smallest change in pace for the traffic or it panics in most of the day to day traffic situations.

So what about the people who sit in the left lane in there AMG, M6, S4, or any other car that needs to be driven, doing 60. I may not be a fast car, but when I am doing 80, get the f*** out of my way, left lane for passing only, if your not passing, then moooooove over.

One thing that kills me is people who own these high end beasts like S, AMG, M, etc. and drive them slower than my grandmother going to her weekly book club. What's the point of owning something like that if you don't drive it somewhat aggressively here and there.

Whelan...I never, ever seen any of the cars you mentioned driven slow in the left lane. If you've seen them in that position is maybe because they were trying to pass a Toyota or a Lexus car that was blocking the left lane. There is no other explanation.

then again, the limits on roadways are made for a reason. not just to "limit" you but to ensure your own safety.

sure many want to go faster...but those who speed go a lot faster they need be, putting everyone else on the road at risk. i myself never go more than 10-15mph over the speed limit because i kno i am most comfortable at that speed and for those around me as well.


Star...i find it very hard to believe for you to be at ease knowing there are drivers swerving in/out thru lanes recklessly. that just goes to show me your lack of experience/education as a driver on the road.
also a driver tapping his brakes shouldnt be of no alarm to you once you are driving alert with your surroundings. you should be about roughly 2 seconds behind a driver in front of you, giving you ample amount of time to react to a slam on the brakes!

i do attest that most don't know the "common" laws to driving...especially the passing lane grievance. some know that the left lane is for passing, once you have commited the passing...move back into the right lane. but most stay in the passing lane and hold speed.

r56mohd Tapping the brakes(even if is a very annoying habit) is not synonym with braking hard without real reason(which is what I said). I don't understand your point. According to you we should be understanding when somebody keeps braking hard without reason just because we can stop the car in time. I don't want to slam my brakes because an idiot driving a Toyota never learned how to drive. These people are the reason for others to start swerving through lanes in an attempt to pass them. It sounds to me like you are the one with severe lack of knowledge when it comes to the rules of driving.

its ridiculous to say that most stupid drivers drive toyotas, or most people that drive a honda, drive good, etc. i drive a honda, a toyota, and a lexus (toyota). so that means that i drive good in my honda civic and i drive like a fool in my lexus??? NO. I do drive like an asshole in my honda 1000rr though lol..but i think it has more to do with how many toyotas are on the street compared to other brands. thats a very lame reason to say that u dont like toyota..but U R entitled to your opinion i suppose lol

rediculous...sorry

...worst

and there were a lot of chevy plodders too.

ugh :(

In regards to the idiots saying "OMG TOYOTA REDESIGNED AN SUV AND ITS BIG"

shuttup.. please.. seriously, find something USEFUL to bitch about. The new Seq. actually gets good gase mileage for what it is.

In regards to Consumer Reports, whom I have no faith in when it comes to their ability to judge cars, they are no longer AUTOMATICALLY recommending Toyota. What other brand was getting a flat out "it's good" without being fully tested?

They'll fix the Tundra tailgate issue, it's just a small growing pain. It's not like the Ford Focus that had numerous safety recalls the year it came out.. Or the Ford cruise control system that can randomly ignite and burn your house down.

Everyone picks on Toyota because there's very little to pick on, unfortunately we're a society that thrives on the downfall of others and the smallest meaningless item gets blown out the water and turned into some huge deal.

Media.. goto hell.

I can't spell apparently so feel free to ignore the typos.

It sounds like we can all agree that toyota is a huge, succesful company that sells alot of cars...that nobody really gives a shit about, and are all very forgettable! Lexus included!

let me make myself clear, as I said above, I understand they sell alot of cars. However real car enthusiasts don't care about any of their products. Do you think 10 years from now people will say "boy, remember that 2007 lexus IS-whatever. Gee what a legend" I thought we were car enthusiasts here, not accountants!

Why is Toyota getting picked on? Because it has left the "Cult Class" it has been in for many years & is has become a mainstream product like the North America Domestics. Now normal people are driving these vehicles and they are expressing normal opinions, reflective of driving issues. Toyota makes decent vehicles but they are certainly not spectacular and despite the loyalty & bias of this autospies readership that is reality.

I can't buy Toyota or Honda because I have to sleep at night.

"you don't see people hating Jaguar or VW with a passion.

there's a reason.

they're not that good."

Incorrect. Jaguar (XJ/XK) and VW (Jetta/Rabbit, EOS, Passat--well, actually all of them) make excellent cars that just happen to sell slowly in the US.

they're not that good. in sales volume. so NO threat at all.

and while decent mechanically, they ARE NOT THAT GOOD with respect to the electrical systems and parts.

"you don't see people hating Jaguar or VW with a passion. "
There's a reason.

they're not that good. "


You are kidding, right? I don't know about Jaguar but there is no car that gets as much hate as VW in America other than BMW. Guess what...they are that good. By comparison plain vanilla cars like Toyota or Lexus get the approval of the dumb masses but they are seen as automotive cancer by the car enthusiasts.

Why would everyone pick on Toyota? First off, we have a '06 530i SMG and an '07 CX-7, and a '00 V6 Manual Camry, so i know cars. Toyota always had a wide range of options for their cars which no other manufacturer in US has. They don' advertise the factory waranty performance parts that u can specify at the dealer when u order a Camry SE 5spd Manual, which sounds and drives more performance oriented than any of the other mid-size FWD cars in the market (4 cyl.)

Why do i like Toyota's so much? I have a BMW too, but my first car was a '93 "Big Body" Camry V6 5 spd Manual w/ Leather & Moonroof. I didn't know what i was getting into, cuz i bought it used, the person didn't specify that it was a stick, and i was upset, but when i punched the throttle in 1st and it hit the limiter quicker than i thought and chirped 2nd, i knew it was something else, i also used to think Camrys were boring until then. Now i have an '00 V6 Camry Manual Trans. Just love it.

for all the flak and hatred directed against the camry, there is ONE thing NO ONE can take away from it. the camry was the FIRST "economy car" to offer a FOUR CAM ENGINE!

to this day, its closest competitor the Accord, still only offers a Single Over Head Cam v6. (altho' it is a VERY good engine too.)

David E. Davis, thot of my many as the Dean of Automotive Journalism, was MUCH IMPRESSED by his first drive in a v6 camry. called it one of the great "Q-ships" and even compared it to the Mercedes 600 of old. (some may think that a stretch, but he DID make the comparison!)