Toyota Widens Lead Over GM, Ford By Boosting Quality

Bloomberg ^ | 05/11/04 | Bloomberg

[Pikamax]

Toyota Widens Lead Over GM, Ford By Boosting Quality (Update1) May 11 (Bloomberg) -- Toyota Motor Corp. passed Ford Motor Co. in profit in 2000 and General Motors Corp. a year later. Today, Asia's largest carmaker is poised to post an annual income of almost $9 billion, twice the two U.S. automakers combined.

[ambrose]

There's a shocking concept... make a car that doesn't look and feel like a piece of junk.

[gortklattu]

I changed from a Corolla to a Focus in 02. The Focus drives better than my Saab and I haven't had ONE problem with the car....in 80,000 miles.

Of course, you have to have a 5 speed manual and the ZX package for the Focus to be worthwhile.

[jennyp]

They just keep on ticking.

[sushiman]

The Japanese have been making better cars than the Americans since the 70's , and now they're even beating the best of the German autos plus they are less expensive . Japanese workmanship , quality and pride are tough to beat .

[sushiman]

That looks like the dash of my old Celica !

[vetvetdoug]

I wonder where Unions fit in Toyota?

[staytrue]

GM and Ford both outsource a lot to mexico. Mexico is cheap, but the labor is not as good as Japan.

[LdSentinal]

Camry. Camry. Camry.

Nice car; nice ride; ugly back.

[LibWhacker]

Toyota: Giving $8 billion of hard-earned customer money to Jesse Jackson.

[weegie]

they have representation at board level

[rdb3]

When I was briefly in the car salesman field, I met customer after customer whose perception was that Japanese cars were of better quality than American ones.

Perception is reality, whether we like it or not.

[jennyp]

That looks like the dash of my old Celica !

In fact it's our '87 Supra.

[July 4th]

Yep, our family stopped driving American cars between 8-10 years ago after horrible problems in every single one of them. A Crown Vic left some parts on the freeway, a Windstar engine chewed itself up, and a Grand Am started on fire.

The Lexus has given us no problems, my Acura is 10 years old and has had fewer than $200 in repairs over its lifetime, and the Bimmer drives and runs like it was made for the road.

When the US gets it right, we'll go back. But American cars have crapped on us multiple times, and we're not ready to spend money to subject ourselves to punishment.

[martin_fierro]

Hey, cool!

Just bought an '04 Tundra 2WD Extended Cab in January. Love it so far, have great expectations that I'll be driving it for years.

[Moonman62]

Japanese workmanship , quality and pride are tough to beat .

Aren't their cars mostly made in America these days?

[martin_fierro]

I like the old Camry back

much better than the new.

[LdSentinal]

Yup. The new Camry's back looks like it has gigantic frog eyes.

I also prefer the old Accord to the new Accord.

[KneelBeforeZod]

I've got a 6 year old Acura. still gets up to 34mpg going flat out on the freeway and it will do 135+ mph. Thats what I heard anyway.

[KneelBeforeZod]

maybe its just that people who buy japanese cars take better care of them than people who buy US cars?? well one can always hope