If you hung around here long enuf, you would know that anyone who dare claimed their Toyota engine suffered from gelling was immediately attacked as having not maintained their car properly even though Toyota admitted that there was a problem in certain 6 cylinder engines. If you are not sure of what I am talking about, you can read the attacks that are likely to follow.
But the Toyota dealership also has a huge selection of decently designed gas sipping cars that make GM vehicles look like a joke. My father had a 2004 Saturn L300 wagon. The 6 cylinder was pathetic. The ride mediocre and the interior noisy especially in the summer when the ac/cooling fans were running wide open.
Actually Chevrolet sells more models that get 30 MPG than does Toyota. They even have a V8 that get almost 30 MPG. There is not need to ride around in one of Toyota overpriced and empowered 4 cy cars to get good mileage.
We just gave my inlaws our 99 300M. They had a 98 Chevy Lumina. Though just a year older, the 99 Chrysler is like a new car. On the other hand their 98 Lumina was falling apart. AC, power windows, radio, power lock, sunroof, paint, all pretty much non functional. The interior fabrics were completely worn out. My inlaws are about 70. No kids were ever in the car. Sorry but GM makes crap that doens't hold up. A friend had a 4 year old Cadillac. The windows keep falling into the doors.
I began to realize that the cell phone thing was getting out of hand when I drove past a driveway at my company at quitting time several years ago and saw five, count 'em, five cars lined up to leave the parking lot -- and every single driver had a cell phone to his ear. Why not make those calls from your office phones before you leave the building, I thought, and save the airtime charges -- and spare yourselves the distraction behind the wheel, in the bargain?
Back when more people smoked, I noticed that there were certain moments when people could be counted on to light a cigarette. Those moments corresponded to changes of position or location: sitting down or standing up, entering or leaving a building, or getting into or out of a car. It seems to be the same with cell phones, at least as far as their use in automobiles is concerned. Merely getting into a car makes a lot of people habitually reach for their phone.
To my way of thinking, a telephone is a communications tool akin to a two-way radio, something to be used when necessary -- not an entertainment device like a television or a stereo. I've always considered cell phones in particular to be useful for necessary calls, but not appropriate for frivolous chitchat.
Airtime charges are one reason (although with the plethora of calling plans available nowadays, that's less of a concern than it once was), and another is that if I'm not reachable by land- line, that means I'm out doing stuff and would rather not be interrupted without good reason.
I've had to point this stuff out to a few friends, in fact: "Uh, did you not hear me say that I'm at the supermarket? I can't talk right now because I'm busy shopping. If you just want to chat, then call me at home tonight, please." But my point of view seems to be very much in the minority these days.
You forgot to say in my opinion. Chevy is Americas number on brand. Obviously more buyers believe Chevy's are more dependable, that is why they buy so many more of them.than Toyotas. ;)
You forgot the new 2007 Camry Hybrid (40 mpg City). However, I don't count the hybrids since I don't believe they are cost efficient. And according the Government, only one Corolla gets over 40 mpg (1.8L, 5 speed manual), the other two engine transmission combinations are lower.
If you believe the JD Powers survey, the difference is trivial. Is it really worth paying hundreds (possibly thousands) more for a smaller car to gain 1 or 2 mpg?
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