Toyota overtakes Ford as number 2 car builder


B O N Y said:
Had for two weeks a Pontiac G6 as a rental for my wife. I drove it one day while my car was being serviced. Nice peppy little car, as good as anything you can buy in that category.
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'Rented one also ... 'found the rake of the "A" pillar REALLY put 'same 'in the way' when getting in & out of the car ('had to duck under it). Did you notice that at all?
 
Larry, I just drove it from Fresno to Modesto and back. It impressed me as an able grocery getter. Did have a little front wheel hop when I nailed it up to the legal speed limit, and big time understeer. Don't recall issues getting in and out. Do recall like all rental cars I have driven lately it was in need of a good wash.
 
DBK said:
Not true.

The Japanese put plants here to have trained chimps assemble vehicles sourced elsewhere and then say "Look at this American made product!". That's an overstatement, but raise your hand if you want to be a nation of assemblers at the call of our Asian masters. They willing accept the competitive cost disadvantages our labor market has for fear of otherwise causing backlash in this market. Yes, some of their vehicles have higher domestic content than others, but on balance, it's not even close.

In 07, the F-150 and Silverado were both 90% domestic content. The Tundra (a vehicle they actually said caused them "shame") was 65%. Out of the top 32 most popular cars built in the U.S, over 50% of the domestics on the list are 75% domestic content or higher. Of the Nissan, Honda, and Toyota vehicles on the list, less than 25% are. If you want to go model range, Ford and GM are near 80% overall, Honda is 51%, Nissan 46%, Toyota 40%.

p.s, watch these and tell me which you'd rather have:

This one especially from 5:00 forward.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRfE_XAk2mE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWjTbiYo3x0

But hey, I give credit to the Japanese for instilling this notion (especially amongst people under 30) that their products are more American than the ones designed, engineered, marketed, developed, and built up the street from me.
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Dave (and everyone else), let me make it clear that I am pro-american cars. I love my mustang. But unlike many consumers I talk to every day, I do not have blinders on. I will buy the best product available to me, whoever makes it. Just so it is out of the bag, if you didnt know, I sell Toyotas. Don't worry, I didn't drink the juice. Case in point, Dad (Spirit) recently told me he was buying a new civic. I told him to go for it, its a better product than the corolla. In fact, Im really only sold on the 07+ Tundra, 08+ Sequoia, 4Runner, and maybe the Camry....I was already sold the new Tundra was the best truck out there before I got the job. What made me buy one was driving it, and seeing what all I was getting for my dollar. Built to the closest specs possible to my truck, the Chevy, GMC, Ford, Nissan, Dodge, and even Honda MSRP for MORE than my truck and still dont come with some comparable equipment. Ask anyone who knows me and I'm not a 'truck' person. I only bought it cause it was THAT good of an automobile.

I know the frame is "weaker". I know that, Toyota knows that. The frame was built the way it is for a reason. No, its not a full open C frame. It has 3 sections. It is more expensive to build than a fully boxed frame. It is built to not sacrifice ride quality and weight and still be as strong as needed. No user that puts the frame of any modern truck to its rated limits will ever bend or break it. The frame is built to flex. It proves for a much smoother ride than my friend's 08 GMC and every other boxed frame truck ive driven and still pulls more, easier. Is there a video on youtube that has a 07 Tundra frame vs. a Ford SuperDuty frame? The SuperDuty frame is also a multi-section frame with boxed, reinforced and open C channel, NOT a fully boxed frame. Is it an inferior product too?

I've seen the bed bounce video many time, i think it is very funny. I can understand the concern. I have read about other people that can feel it, I cant. Nor has any customer I've talked to. Ive taken it off road, driven on gravel and dirt roads, nothing. Next time I find a road like in the video, I might complain a little.

Also, Dave, my truck is 75%, not 65%. And oh yea, the Tundra is designed, engineered , marketed, and developed in the US and built up the street from me. I feel ok that my truck is the only truck on the IIHS top safely pick, and it beat the 08 SuperDuty for 08 MT Truck of the Year. And I understand the argument about sending profits to overseas markets by buying imports. But keep in mind the Japan are not as greedy as us Americans. Fujio Cho, the Chairman of Toyota Corporation makes an American equivalent of only $900,000/year. Which I wouldnt be surprised if some of you make more than that.

I am not here to argue with people. I love Fords, and I sure hope they produce awesome products for the future so they can get out of the hole they are in.

In the end, I'm sure we will agree to disagree on this subject. So, I'll just say "Go Ford GT!" :thumbsup
 
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that Tundra's butt bounces like Bouncy's rack :)
Guess the video speaks volumes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWjTbiYo3x0
 
B O N Y said:
that Tundra's butt bounces like Bouncy's rack :)
Guess the video speaks volumes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWjTbiYo3x0
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Bony, that is the same video DBK just posted earlier.
 
My neighbor in his New Tundra have been pulled out twice. A few hundred feet past my street it turns to dirt When it gets wash board the back end bounced like the video. He has to go under 15 mph. I gave him one of my newer F-150's for a couple days. He said he could go any speed and in total control and not shaken a bit.

This week he is argueing with Toyota as the trans went and he wants out of his lease but they want him to pay big bucks and pay for the tail gate which poped out when his bed was bouncing.

The 250 frame is heat treated and super thick. If they could Hydro Form it like the F-150's they would and maybe someday they will.

Also i did build machines for Toyota in Va for the Tundra.......Don't believe the USA content. I can write a book on how easy it is for them to cheat that figure. Just find how many plants and employees in the plant in the USA and you will know more then.

And yes I know this rant will never change anyones mind. It is like rants about politics rarely does anyone listen and say really I did not know that from now on I will......

Some day I will just give up or wait for that USA Manufacturing savior (in 6 years 79% of USA manufacturing has left the USA).

Think about this:
USA provides for Japans defense. (60 years now)
Asian goverments subsidize the car companies to sell in USA cheaper.
For 100,000 a Hundia plant can employ 181 worker for 1 year.
So for the price of 10 Usa workers you can employ 1,800 which is a typical plants total employment..........how can we compete with that? How much harder do we need to work to compete with that.
Now you added in unfair trade practice
Copy of our engineering
Unsafe pollution of the earth
Communist country subsidies
No retirement
No Medical bennies
And so on and so on

I hope I am wrong but in a very short time every business from the wine salesman to the barber will be hurting because we have stuck our heads in the sand and not stood up and said enough is enough.

Ok I'm done.
 
tpraceman said:
My neighbor in his New Tundra have been pulled out twice. A few hundred feet past my street it turns to dirt When it gets wash board the back end bounced like the video. He has to go under 15 mph. I gave him one of my newer F-150's for a couple days. He said he could go any speed and in total control and not shaken a bit.

This week he is argueing with Toyota as the trans went and he wants out of his lease but they want him to pay big bucks and pay for the tail gate which poped out when his bed was bouncing.

The 250 frame is heat treated and super thick. If they could Hydro Form it like the F-150's they would and maybe someday they will.

Also i did build machines for Toyota in Va for the Tundra.......Don't believe the USA content. I can write a book on how easy it is for them to cheat that figure. Just find how many plants and employees in the plant in the USA and you will know more then.

And yes I know this rant will never change anyones mind. It is like rants about politics rarely does anyone listen and say really I did not know that from now on I will......

Some day I will just give up or wait for that USA Manufacturing savior (in 6 years 79% of USA manufacturing has left the USA).

Think about this:
USA provides for Japans defense. (60 years now)
Asian goverments subsidize the car companies to sell in USA cheaper.
For 100,000 a Hundia plant can employ 181 worker for 1 year.
So for the price of 10 Usa workers you can employ 1,800 which is a typical plants total employment..........how can we compete with that? How much harder do we need to work to compete with that.
Now you added in unfair trade practice
Copy of our engineering
Unsafe pollution of the earth
Communist country subsidies
No retirement
No Medical bennies
And so on and so on

I hope I am wrong but in a very short time every business from the wine salesman to the barber will be hurting because we have stuck our heads in the sand and not stood up and said enough is enough.

Ok I'm done.
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+1 If we keep buying these foreign products, one day, a long time from now, a future generation of your children could be speaking their language as the primary language of our country.
 
Many of us won't be here to see it, but in the Future...
1. China and Japan will hold all of our county debt...multiple trillions $$
2. We will no longer be able to manufacture in North America
3. All our key products,,,cars, electronics, planes etc will come from China/Japan
4. We will then NOT Be able to pay the interest on our debt...SO..we will try to stiff China / Japan
5 CHINA WILL THEN CUT OFF OUR SUPPLY OF MOST PRODUCTS EXCEPT CORN
6 WE WILL ASK THEM "WHAT CAN WE DO TO PAY DOWN OUR DEBT?'
7 THEY WILL SAY THE ONLY THING THE UNITED STATES HAS TO OFFER IS REAL ESTATE. THEREFORE WE HUMBLY REQUEST THAT YOU DEED ALASKA (OIL /NATURAL RESOURCES) AND CALIFORNIA AND POSSIBLY ARIZONA TO US IN REPAYMENT. NO DEBATE NO CHOICE AND THE NEXT GENERATION RUNNIG THE US WILL DO IT..

AJB
 
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