CEO: Toyota vehicles lacked passion, must be more exciting

Jul 25, 2009 Last reply: 16 years ago 66 Replies

"Inaba acknowledged that Toyota vehicles had often lacked "passion" and that the company's vehicles must be "more exciting, more nimble."



"Toyota is a good car but not exciting. Those are the comments we usually (or) always get," Inaba said.



Toyota's sales have fallen 38 percent in the first six months of the year -- to 770,000 cars and trucks from nearly 1.25 million vehicles in the first six months of 2008. U.S. industry auto sales fell 35 percent in the first half of the year.



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Get some of the GM geniuses over there to design the cars. That'll work.

--Vic

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Not me. I'd like to see a new incarnation of my Corolla GTS (my Scion tC comes close) or an afforable replacement for the Supra.

You said there's a limit to what you'll pay? My Scion was $15,000 out the door and gets ~32 MPG combined driving. And it's a HOOT besides.

BTW, your Prius will beat me off the line, since an electric motor devolps all its torque from 0 RPM. Just get your eyes off the screen and stop using Prius Foot...

Yeah, but nothing in the Toyota lineup. Why would anyone drive anything else?

Why do you hate Toyota?

And it will be that way until someone decides to stop letting the lawyers design the cars.

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Yep. I sold my Dodge Neon R/T and got a Prius. The Prius doesn't have anywhere near the performance, handling or excitement of the R/T. But, I see three dollar a gallon gas coming back, and there is a limit to what I will pay for an exciting vehicle. I just have transportation again.

I see plenty of exciting cars out there. I just cannot afford to drive them.

....and the EPA, the NHTSA, Consumer Reports, the DOE, accountants and the State of Kalipornia

Toyotas have always been about as exciting as a refrigerator or watching paint dry or grass growing.

The few I have had did not prove to be particularly reliable to boot. Unlike many of the vehicles I have had, I have never had an "I wish....." moment on any of the Toyotas after I got rid of them.

Lugnut

Corolla in SR5 body style, mid-seventies. Really quite a surprisingly fun car. Not too many sold in the US, in spite of the reasonable price. Not very well supported by Toyota. Discontinued early.

--scott

Well, some people just want to get from point A to point B reliably. Toyota fits that category. If you want some excitment with little money get a Honda.

And admirably well. Others fit the category, too, but suck at the execution.

And wait four months?

Sitting on the lot, $15,200...

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165 HP. That's 30 down from the Civic Si, but it was sitting on the lot when I pulled in with the cash.

Nope. I liked the tC when it came out. When they didn't have one, I went to a Scion dealer and drove off with it right there.

I was talking to someone today who traded an Si for an '05 Celica. Said the Si has no grunt off the line, but will wind out. The Scion will do both.

I asked him if he wanted to trade the Celica for the tC, but no go...

You'd waste your money there instead of waiting a little bit for an Si?

Si is in plentiful demand. That you couldn't find a dealer that had one, tells me you weren't trying very hard...

Not with the torque limiting that the Prius HCU/PCM employs. It's pretty much a dog, but will last damn near forever at that calibration...

Toyota MDT in MO

The Civic Si suffers from what I call "fake horsepower".

Toyota MDT in MO

Oh. Well, I don't mind. My Surpa gets 21 MPG. About 2/3 of my other cars. It goes on the road in April, and goes in the garage in November. It doesn't go out in the rain. Basically, it's limited to days when I can remove the Sport Roof.

I like driving. I like driving somewhat responsive vehicles that are fun to drive. Some people like boats. I'd just go down to the river and throw money at it.

Same thing.

Hmmm....I smell OVERRIDE!!!!!

I meant what I will pay at the pumps.

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