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.

[martin_fierro]

IMHO the new Camry's a$$ suffers from the same problem as the Avalon's: TOO BIG! It mars an otherwise good-looking car.

The new Accord Coupe is spiffy-lookin'. <|:)~

[driftless]

I once owned a Dodge Dart that was nothing but a hunk of junk. I bought a Toyota Corolla in 1983 and it was a far superior car. Since then I've been buying Tauruses one of whom I got over 200,000 miles with (did have to get a new tranny after 100,000 miles). So the quality of American cars is probably getting better, but I'm not surprised that the Japanese still make more dependable ones. They prize workmanship and reliability over styling and whizbang special effects.

[Clemenza]

The great C. Edwards Deming, the father of Total Quality Management, is once again proven right...

[LdSentinal]

The new Accord Coupe is very good looking with a rear that looks like a Mercedes.

The problem I have with it and the 4-door new Accord is the ride. They firmed it up like a European car. Frankly, I hate to feel the bumps. The old Accord (1998-2002) had the right balance in ride, ergonomics, visibility, handling, seats, etc.

[Caipirabob]

I got lucky and got an amazing deal on a Lexus the day the third transmission "slipped" in my Ford Explorer. I have to wonder if they were hungry for the sale or if they were in a hurry to haul of the Explorer, which was spewing fluid like a gutted pig in front of their building. The Lexus has run two years with no problems other than a single flat tire.

Guess which one I won't even consider driving again?

[Caipirabob]

I liked the rounded end of the previous year's Camrey as oppsed to the one on the top. It just looked bigger. I've always liked that line of cars, though. The new ones are gorgeous, IMHO. Two of my neighbors have new ones, blue and black.

[Revelation 911]

my '02 FORD EXPLORER has a 3 year/36,000 mile warranty

It's 5 months out of warranty but only has 35,000 miles

The Transmission needs to be replaced. The rep says they cant pro rate it or help me out

Ive had Ford products all my life - an '89 Bronco II, an '89 Aerostar, '95 Aerostar, and my '02 Explorer - but will never buy one again

[cruiserman]

Nah, the one before the top one is even better. More rounded.

[T-Bird45]

I've got about 230,000 miles on my 1994 Isuzu Trooper and it just keeps on going. US-built, Japanese design -- isn't that also the case for the Camry? My wife drives a 2002 Toyota Highlander that she just loves and shows every sign of being a high-mileage keeper.

[RayChuang88]

The reason why Toyota has succeeded is the very fact they have designed every one of their car platforms to be easily adaptable to each local market.

A good example is the Toyota Yaris hatchback sold in most of the world; they added a full trunk to the Yaris and it became the Toyota Echo that is sold in North America. Another good example is the Toyota Corolla--from one common platform they produced multiple body designs adapted for each local market, with the almost-unique design four-door sedan for the US market and one further body style that became the Toyota Matrix/Pontiac Vibe tall wagon sold in North America.

Toyota has also become a huge force in the SUV market, too. The RAV4 small SUV is especially popular here in California, and their top-end Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus GX470 SUV's are among the very best SUV's in the world, period.

Toyota is also an innovative company, too. The groundbreaking Toyota Prius demonstrated you can have an automobile that is very fuel-efficient and sports extremely low emissions, too.

In short, Toyota has enough resources to take on any automobile company in the world, no contest. What especially scares BMW and Mercedes-Benz is that Toyota could within a few years build rear-drive small sedans that could literally suck the life out of the BMW 3 and 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz C and E class models if Toyota is willing to do this--and the Toyota models will be more reliable and better built, too.

[TXBSAFH]

At the gate looking in.

[TXBSAFH]

You get what you pay for. You pay cheap you get cheap work.

[bmwcyle]

Runs like new with 110385. America does have reliable cars.

[petercooper]

Jesse is shaking down everybody these days.

[Henchster]

"What especially scares BMW and Mercedes-Benz is that Toyota could within a few years build rear-drive small sedans that could literally suck the life out of the BMW 3 and 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz C and E class models if Toyota is willing to do this"

Actually, Toyota IS doing this already with their Lexus IS300 series sedan/wagon.

[Wright is right!]

"Camry. Camry. Camry. Nice car; nice ride; ugly back."

As I've said for decades, "Never get excited about ANYTHING by the way it looks from behind."

I coined that one after seeing this luscious-looking figure walking down a road in Philly - long, flowing blonde hair, trim figure - turned out to be a GUY.

Michael

[TXBSAFH]

I have a 2001 Jeep Cherokee and love it.

[Habeus Corpus]

Perception my rear. My 1997 GMC has 67,000 miles on it. It rattles, the gas guage went out at 53,000 miles, the window motor burn out about evry 14 months, the rear door handle is broken, the intake manifold gasket wento out at 60,000. And, this intake manifold gasket problem is endemic of almost all v-6 GM's! It was my 7th GM ( first one I bought brand new)and will now be my last! Reality is reality!

[Wright is right!]

"Toyota is also an innovative company, too. The groundbreaking Toyota Prius demonstrated you can have an automobile that is very fuel-efficient and sports extremely low emissions, too."

One more thing you could have added - the way Toyoyo designs everything from the molecule on up to go together only one way - the right way. Anyone who has ever worked on a Toyoyo will tell you that the parts they design are ingenious in the way they fit together. They fit together and STAY together. Any idiot could put together a Toyoyo by simply following instructions and it would come out perfect. Which is why Amellican-made Toyoyos are so good and Amellican-made Fords/GMs/Chryslers aren't. It's the same work force, but bad design.

Michael

[biblewonk]

Or here if youdruther.