2007: The year of Toyota

2007: The year of Toyota
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MY SIDE By JEFF WINCEL

It has finally arrived, the year in which Toyota is expected to overtake General Motors as the largest auto manufacturer in the world. If this was in the wake of the oil shortages of the mid-1970s or the early

1980s there would be a cry across the country to buy American --- to save GM. But this is the 2000s and Toyota looks more like an American company than does GM. While GM has continued to shutter its plants in the United States and spend its investment dollars in "low cost" countries such as China, Toyota continues to invest in new production plants in the United States and in American suppliers.

In an effort to keep the foreign automotive onslaught at bay, the domestics OEMs (original equipment manufactures) pushed through legislation that required all new cars to be labeled with the percent of domestic (American) content, believing that consumers would want to "buy American." This content sticker requirement is now coming back to haunt GM and Ford (Chrysler is no longer a domestic, but a German company), as consumers are seeing higher U.S.-supplied parts and assembly from companies like Toyota.

According to the Center for Automotive Research, Toyota purchased $28 billion in materials, components, goods and services from U.S. companies. It either directly employed or supported the employment of 386,000 American automotive workers. Automotive industry reports indicate that Toyota is now planning another U.S. assembly operation; all this while GM continues to surrender its American presence and employment.

Welcome to the 21st century and the rise of Toyota. I wonder how long it will take before all our domestic automotive companies are simply an afterthought in the global competitive market. In one of its most recent moves, after demanding its suppliers follow them to Mexico, Ford tossed out Lear, Johnson Controls and others on one of its key interior programs in favor of a new "low cost region" supplier. So like GM, not even in the NAFTA region are the OEMs capable of demonstrating any loyalty to its "home market" and domestic suppliers.

GM simply is in an endless race for the cheapest (not just the lowest cost) components it can find. It is a race that it will never win, always suffer from, and will ultimately lose whatever customer loyalty it has left. Toyota, even after paying higher prices (maybe) for its components from American suppliers, makes a much better car or truck than GM. So when we hear the cry to "Buy American," we just may be talking about buying a Toyota.

Jeff Wincel is principal of the LSC Consulting Group in Holland and an adjunct professor at Grand Valley State University's Seidman School of Business.

-- The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause. Who at the best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. T.R. April 10, 1899

Reply to
Jim Higgins
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I grew up as a GM guy. My last 6 new car purchases were 85 Nissan truck,

86 Chevy Nova (really a Corolla), 90 Nissan Axxess, 98 Sienna, 02 Jeep TJ and now the 07 Prius. I have a hard time now considering GM to be a quality product worthy of my cash. I want it to actually last a long while, as I run my vehicles forever and do not trade them in, and handle to my standards. The Jeep - well that's a Jeep thing. The most credible line of vehicles is Toyota today as I see it. This as I see it is exactly GM's problem. I have rented many GM cars; I would not buy them today. Tomes
Reply to
Tomes

Tomes respectfully adds...

Tomes, I have too!

I have been driving for 19 years and have owned only GM automobiles.

Loyalty to a brand - not exactly.

I have been with Chevy, Oldsmobile & Saturn and so my GM loyalty has gone as far as it could go.

Having said that, my 1997 Saturn has been good for me for the past 10½ years of reliable service.

Very few issues over the past decade and the Saturn was my first NEW car where I could claim original miles on the odometer.

But just look at Consumer Reports today and see where Saturn is now.

It makes me sad to see such an organization that produced such a high quality auto turn out such cheaply built cars today.

It just makes me sad to know that GM cares not about quality, but about profit.

The reports of the interior of the latest Saturn Vue feeling cheaply made just makes me embarassed of the name - Saturn - which once stood for quality.

I am; as you have seen with my recent postings; nervous about purchasing my first non-GM auto.

But before I go on and on about the issues with GM, let's discuss about some positives here.

I understand that certain autos in the Saturn lineup actually use Honda engines.

While this certainly is good news - it makes GM look like they are throwing in the towel by admitting that they can't build a reliable product without the help of the competition.

It is a very sad day for me - to admit that I agree that GM has lost the confidence of their loyal customers.

I am most likely going to purchase a Toyota brand and with the confidence of all the wonderful people in here.

I thank you all, now let's keep this wonderful dialog going - this is very informative! _________ ===fish=== ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

Reply to
fish

This is where I am now and I am quite comfortable here. Tomes

Reply to
Tomes

I was a gm guy since 88 but I have had it with gm. Just traded a 2001 Monte Carlo with 32k for a Camry le. Why? well I will tell you all, lets see...ABS pod replacement, steering rod, power amp for radio, alternator, intake manifold gasket, strut grinding to factory specs, serpentine belt and window regulator. Just wanted to say again 32k on vehicle. Ford and GM wonder why they are loosing the market share. BTW some of the repair were not under warranty.

Reply to
BigJim

Tomes suggests to fish...

Tell me Tomes, how is the service department?

For me, the Saturn service is amongst the best service experience I have ever had.

They are friendly, informative, accurate and very quick with getting the job done in impressive timing.

Plus they offer a free car wash with every service.

I like the service department at my local Toyota dealer. It looks very clean and professional. I have ask someone who has the practical experience. _________ ===fish=== ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

Reply to
fish

I have visited around 70 or 80 different service departments. All of them serviced Toyotas, some of them serviced other brands as well. There are many service departments with the attributes you described above, but unfortunately, there are almost as many that IMO, do not have all of those attributes. One of the attributes that you did not mention is technical competence, and most dealers are technically competent. If there is a weak link in Toyota's system, it is the friendly and informative part. My advice would be to get recommendations from people you know.

Reply to
Ray O

My sister went to a dealer south of the Chicago area that's not known for really selling Toyotas. She's looking for a new one or a 'gently used' one, i.e. 1 or 2 years old. Some years back this dealer was trying to sell 2 and

3 year old Toyotas that hadn't been driven for sticker!, no adjustment for sitting on the lot. She was talking to the salesman and he was giving her the 'dumb blonde' talk down to attitude and she gave him an education in Toyotas, which he apparently had no real passion for or knowledge of. This particular dealer has become a two word joke among area Toyota dealers. I know a lot of people in the county he's in and most of the people that own Toyotas have either come up to a dealer in Chicago that will offer a better price or better deal or they go to Champaign or points south for the same reason. Most Toyota buyers seem to also be savvy when it comes to looking for a good price. Despite the fact I can drive less than 20 miles and get a much better deal, he refuses to bargain or deal. How he moves Toyotas is to trade them with other dealers. You will see very few Toyotas with his sticker on them around that area.

Charles of Schaumburg

Reply to
n5hsr

Saturns have always been cheaply built. You have been extremely lucky with yours.

My folks owned mostly GM cars for the longest time. They now drive a 2004 Toyota Corolla and they say it is the best and most reliable car they've ever owned.

Reply to
High Tech Misfit

All of this depends on the individual dealers, not the manufacturer. Every manufacturer has good and bad dealers.

Reply to
High Tech Misfit

Well, here is where I have but little input, Fish. I bought my Sienna an hour and a half away because they had what I wanted and I got a very good deal in 1998. Therefore, I have been using a local shop hence. I intend to try out our local dealer where I bought the Prius, as they gave me a book where every other service is free and it all adds up to a 'normal' price or thereabouts. Worth a shot.

I do agree with the other posters on this in that each dealer's shop will be different and you will need to research out your own particular shop with folks that actually use it. Maybe do some exit polling or something, unless you know someone who goes there. Tomes

Reply to
Tomes

It seems you sure like your Toyotas, but your opinion is the opinion of a minority. More American still prefer what GM has to offer over Toyota, by far, GM sold 4.5 million in 2006 and Toyota sold 2 million less. Ford sold more than Toyota as well in 2006, at 3 million. Chrysler sold nearly as many at 2.4 million. Nearly 10 million Americans bought domestics in 2006, only 2.5 million bought Toyotas ;)

mike

Reply to
Mike Hunter

Then these are Americans that are fooled by advertising into thinking they are buying American. They obviously haven't tried a Toyota yet. We weren't going to buy a Toyota when we bought the Carina in 1974. Dad still remembered WW2. He wasn't even too happy about thinking about a VW, and definitely wasn't impressed by the Fix It Again Tony dealer in town.

But Toyota has produced over 30 million Corollas alone since 1966. How many did GM produce worldwide last year vs. Toyota? Pretty soon Toyota will be #1 worldwide, and Mr. Durant's creation will no longer hold the title it has coasted on for so many years.

Charles of Schaumburg

Reply to
n5hsr

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