Toyota Not All It's Cracked Up To Be??

[SuperWonk]

"There's no doubt that Toyota (TM) has become the world's most-beloved car company. Toyota is gaining market share almost everywhere it does business, and it's a wildly profitable enterprise. Lexus is now the best-selling luxury auto brand in the U.S. (see BW Online, 10/20/05, "Toyota Grows a Greener Lexus"). And when it comes to technology, the Prius hybrid-electric car has given Toyota bragging rights as a clean, green, and tech-savvy company.

But every company takes its body blows. Early this week, a environmental activist group called the Bluewater Network took aim at the mighty carmaker in an effort to challenge Toyota's reputation as green and clean -- an image the green lobby has spent the past five years building up.

The ad shows Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe (see BW Online, 7/22/05, "The Man Driving Toyota") standing next to a wolf wearing a sheep costume. Bluewater alleges that Toyota's newest hybrids -- the Lexus RX 400h and Toyota Highlander SUVs -- don't have much better fuel economy than the gasoline-only versions of those vehicles (see BW Online, 9/20/05, "Hybrids: More Power, Less Fuel"). It also points out that Toyota, along with Detroit auto makers, is suing to stop pending legislation in California that would reduce greenhouse gas. Plus, the ad flags that Toyota has opposed tougher fuel-economy regulations in Washington...."


http://businessweek.com/innovate/content/oct2005/id20051027_151002.htm

Interesting development...
Anyone heard about this?

[AX10]

1. It's deceptive to place a hybrid large SUV in the same class...

as a hybrid sedan.

[Zenlitened]

2. Who pays Bluewater's bills?

:shrug:

[Quetzal]

3. I've never heard of Bluewater before

does anyone know anything about this organization?

[punpirate]

11. It's a division of...

... Friends of the Earth and is headquartered in San Francisco. It's largely been concerned with waterway pollution by motorized equipment used on waterways.

[David Zephyr]

4. Regardless, Toyota is the best car company in the world.

Quality, innovation and customer satisfaction...and sales.

[SammyWinstonJack]

7. Too bad the Big Three blew Tucker out of the water, with a little help

from the Government. That was some car Preston Tucker built. Talk about quality and innovation. :wow:

[David Zephyr]

17. I'm an inventor with many patents and I love and respect Mr. Tucker.

Sadly, this his story is that of so many small inventors and real entrepreneurs who are ripped off financially by large corporations. It's an age old story.

The new patent laws that were adopted here in the U.S. reducing the "patent pending" time way down from what it used to be was also an corporate assault on the little guy as well.

I don't know how many are aware of the fact that the large petrochemical concerns are now buying up many of the hydrogen fuel cell patents and then just sitting on them...claiming that they are doing the "hard research" when they are only buying time for the heroin they peddle which we call oil and gasoline.

Glad to see you favorable comments about Tucker here Blue State Native.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. I love my Toyota. '94 4wd pickup.

Bottom of the line. Not even a radio. Has never failed me.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

6. I own an RX400h

and I will attest to the fact that the gas mileage is much lower than advertised, and not much better than my RX330, which is the non-hybrid version of the same car.

I don't drive the car in a way that gets the best mileage (lots of very short trips to my kids' schools and the grocery store, and my husband drives like a maniac), but even so it's barely better than the all-gas version. It's still new, but lots of other people on the Lexus forums report the same disappointment.

That being said, I love this car and wouldn't trade it for anything. It drives smoother and quicker than any car I've ever driven, and it's incredibly comfortable. And for a mid-size SUV, it does get good MPG. Just not what they advertise.

Edited to add: the Lexus sales experience is also unmatched. I'm not sure I would ever buy a car from anyone else, they are so easy to deal with.

[leesa]

19. ou are not going to get great mileage from a heavy car.

You bought it for status so deal with it. Perhapd the emissions are better.

[Catherine Vincent]

8. I love Toyota!

My '91 Camry is still holding up. My next car will hopefully be a Toyota (if I can afford it).

[SuperWonk]

9. but....

If Toyota cars are found to be less 'environmentally friendly' than they reportedly are, doesn't this turn into a pretty big deal?

[SammyWinstonJack]

10. I would think so.

:shrug:

[rinsd]

13. Well how are they less environmentally friendly?

A slight boost in MPG doesn't sound very impressive until you realize the exhuast is cut down substantially.

[rinsd]

12. Another group that has deluded themselves into all or nothing position..

..sure let's go after the ONE car company that is making a majority of their newer cars hybrids because they disagree with raising CAFE.

IDIOTS!

[AmericanErrorist]

14. Delete

[Selatius]

15. I drive a '95 Camry LE

It's been a dependable car. I've never had problems with the engine itself except once with a cracked radiator, and there have been problems with the electronics in the dash, but otherwise, it's a good car. They bill it at 20 in the city and 28 on the highways, but I would say it's more like 25 or 26 in the city and 31 on the highways. It's probably due more to my driving habits than anything.

[karlrschneider]

16. I'll have to do some thinking about this...we have 3 Toyotas, one is an

83 with well over 200,000 miles. (It's a pickup) And we still have our old 81 Honda Civic sedan and drive it regularly too. I've owned way over 100 cars and this bunch is IMO among the very best. The worst was a DeLorean. What a nightmare that POS was...
;-)

[SuperWonk]

18. The point...

Is not whether the cars are good or not - I think most people think they are.
The point is that Toyota is not exactly selling their product as truthfully as they should. Especially if people think they are pretty good cars. There is no need for any of this mumbo jumbo.


"So if Toyota brass want to brag that they make smart business decisions and can successfully sell the latest technology, they'll find no argument here. But fostering an image that Toyota is a green company out of the kindness of their hearts? That's just smoke."


Just a thought...

[SuperWonk]

20. Kick... n/p