The market segment for boring, uninspired, overprices\d vehicles is finally turning the corner.

Gotfire: The market segment for boring, uninspired, overprices\d vehicles is finally turning the corner.

boring, uninspired, good gas mileage, cheap to own, last forever. Yep. that sounds like a good car for a prolonged recession.

jso2897: Well, it tried to, but the stabilizer arm snapped halfway through the turn.

Then the frame broke.....

Katie98_KT: boring, uninspired, good gas mileage, cheap to own, last forever. Yep. that sounds like a good car for a prolonged recessionpeople who aren't stupid enough to buy commuter cars based on their commuter-unfriendly assets.

ClarifiedTFY

Although, honestly, I don't like Toyota either. I just don't like the way any of their cars drive. I personally prefer Ford's functional models.

I'd rather have a Nissan. Oh wait, I do.

Ford's functional models? You do know the prius accelartion incident was fabricated by some desparate guy in debt in San Diego. The only thing I hate more than crooked politicians are dumb Americans.

The only interesting cars Toyota makes are the FJ Cruiser and the Prius.

The Prius still looks too much like a spacecraft. I don't know why the Japanese insist on doing that. The Americans put out much nicer-looking cars these days.

As for the FJ, unfortunately they cut back production when oil spiked in 2008 and raised the prices to obscene levels. You could probably buy a new Wrangler and swap in a V8 for what they're asking on Cruisers now. Which is a shame, becasue they're good, fun trucks.

imcguyver: Ford's functional models

In the sense that it meets or exceeds my basic needs, not in the sense that it works. For example, buying a Fusion as a functional daily driver instead of being stupid and buying a Viper because it's really fast on race tracks it will never see. Like most people, far more than half of my driving is to and from work. I don't need a car that can go three times the highest speed limit I'll ever see or to be mollycoddled for that brief trip because my precious little bum can't handle a few light bumps now and then, so I don't feel any particular need to buy anything more than a Fusion, Accord, Camry, Impala, etc.

Not that I have anything in particular against people who do buy things like that, I'm just mocking Gotfire and his absurd post.

RickyWilliams'sBong: The only interesting cars Toyota makes are the FJ Cruiser and the Prius.

The Prius still looks too much like a spacecraft. I don't know why the Japanese insist on doing that. The Americans put out much nicer-looking cars these days.

As for the FJ, unfortunately they cut back production when oil spiked in 2008 and raised the prices to obscene levels. You could probably buy a new Wrangler and swap in a V8 for what they're asking on Cruisers now. Which is a shame, becasue they're good, fun trucks.

Just bought an FJ about 2 months ago. Just a shade over $30k, and no one is willing to deal on them, especially once they learn that you will only accept a manual transmission. For comparison's sake, the top of the like Jeep Wrangler, the Rubicon, clocks in at over $40k. And it still has the dodgy build quality and "death wobble" propensity, although the new engine is vastly improved.

And the cruiser is a solid, fun truck... very surprised how much my wife and I enjoy driving it. Fuel economy is kinda terrible, but that was expected.

imcguyver: Ford's functional models? You do know the prius accelartion incident was fabricated by some desparate guy in debt in San Diego. The only thing I hate more than crooked politicians are dumb Americans.

Um, you do know that there were several incidents, many of which were true, right?

imcguyver: You do know the prius accelartion incident was fabricated by some desparate guy in debt in San Diego.

What about the 2007 Avalon incident (new window)?

Gotfire: The market segment for boring, uninspired, overprices\d vehicles is finally turning the corner.

Boring, yes. Uninspired, yes. Overpriced, no.

They make 150K - 200K miles with basic maintenance. Easy. Resale values are awesome. For people who don't care about style, and just want something that will work - day in and day out, no worries - the Toyotas and Hondas of the world are perfect.

When the competing cars of the same size classes die in the 100K - 150K range for the same price, and resale value falls off nearly twice as fast, I don't care so much about style or originality. I just want it to work.

Psylence: the top of the like Jeep Wrangler, the Rubicon, clocks in at over $40k. And it still has the dodgy build quality and "death wobble" propensity,

A Rubicon is nowhere close to 40k unless you go with a loaded Unlimited. The resale value is one of the best of any vehicle around and death wobble is only an issue if you put a lift on it. Not to mention the fact that a Rubicon will make an FJ look like a go cart in off road situations.

How the fark does VW sell so many cars? Staggering, unreliable shiatboxes.

Khellendros: They make 150K - 200K miles with basic maintenance

OH for crying out loud, so did my uncle's Valiant and that was in the sixties.
Talk about low expectations.

Cluckity: How the fark does VW sell so many cars? Staggering, unreliable shiatboxes.

They emit a Reality Distortion Field - weaker than what you get from an Apple product, but still enough to make you overlook their obvious flaws.

/2011 Jetta TDI
//Service appointment next week for its 4th recall notice so far, potentially leaking fuel lines

Gotfire: The market segment for boring, uninspired, overprices\d vehicles is finally turning the corner.



They sold their soul to the devil about 10 years ago when they decided their strategy was to become bigger than GM. And to do that, they had to sacrifice quality. They made that ever present see-saw decision any successful company has to decide: going with quantity over quality. And that is exactly what they did.

They basically said they would be happy being the Buick of Japan.

Ivo Shandor: Cluckity: How the fark does VW sell so many cars? Staggering, unreliable shiatboxes.

They emit a Reality Distortion Field - weaker than what you get from an Apple product, but still enough to make you overlook their obvious flaws.

/2011 Jetta TDI
//Service appointment next week for its 4th recall notice so far, potentially leaking fuel lines

I traded my 2009 Jetta TDI in for my FJ. The panoramic sunroof had to be repaired 3x due to leaks, as well as other minor issues. Loved the mileage of the car, hated the reliability and the utter lack of traction on roads around here. Cold out? No traction. Raining? No traction. Snow? Forget about it... and thats with dedicated snow tires.

Hope you didn't get the sunroof!

I picked up a 2011 4runner and couldn't be happier. Everything else is just shiate to me.