Japanese for “Toyota Motor Corporation.”

I know many of you enjoyed the “Cash for Clunkers” article. I can’t believe it but there are STILL what I consider “clunkers” being manufactured. One of them is that GMC YUKON. THIS IS A CLUNKER. IT GETS 18 MPG!! WHY IS GM STILL MAKING THIS VEHICLE!!

No matter what you think of Toyota, I still like their vehicles. But Toyota also fell victim to profit margins over quality the past several years. I also think Toyota lost track of what made them rise to the top-AFFORDABLE QUALITY TRANSPORTATION. I think Toyota needs to remember”QDR”–QUALITY DEPENDABILITY RELIABILITY!!!

I really felt bad seeing some of these so called “clunker” cars from the late 90’s being trashed.  There were only a few Toyotas but still-I sold cars in the late 90’s and early 2000’s and these cars were considered JUNKS???

I hope Toyota will learn from its mistake-and GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL TOYOTA-THE STARLET; THE COROLLA; THE CAMRY; NO MORE BIG CLUNKER TRUCKS, VANS AND SUV’s.

This is why I believe this “cash for clunkers” was just a ploy to get the economy moving. LOW MILEAGE BIG SUV TRUCK VANS ARE STILL BEING MADE. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THE YEAR!!

I remember going to a seminar for Toyota in 1999. It was at the old Oakdale Theater in Wallingford. A gentleman was speaking to us. He said he used to work for GM but decided to jump ship and go to Toyota. He told us that when he arrived at CALTY (a Toyota manufacturing facility in California) he asked where the “repair lot” was. This is where cars that were not made correctly or had problems were put until the issue was resolved.

He told us Toyota’s answer-WE DON’T HAVE ANY REPAIR LOTS!!!

WHAT HAPPENED TOYOTA?? U.S. CORPORATE GREED-THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED!!

Go back to your old ways Toyota and you will once again be successful. The American carmakers STILL WILL NOT PRODUCE A SMALL DECENT CAR. Toyota FORCED them to do so. I will say the BEST AMERICAN SMALL CAR EVER MADE WAS THE FORD FESTIVA!! EXCELLENT CAR. NOT MUCH TO LOOK AT -BUT EXCELLENT. Mazda-junk-low quality base metals. NOT TOYOTA. TOP SHELF FOR ALL TRIM LEVELS. I HOPE TOYOTA SOLVES THIS PEDAL PROBLEM.

FORD, GM, WILL NEVER BEAT A CAR LIKE THE COROLLA-NEVER!! NEITHER WILL HONDA OR NISSAN. or SUBARU.

Toyota always made the consumer feel that even if they bought a low budget car-it would be made with the same quality as a high end car. NOT THE U.S. AUTOMAKERS!! That is why they were so successful.

The Nissan Altima is a piece of garbage. The Honda Civic is OK but it is touch and go-you might get a good one, you might get a bad one. That is why I don’t like Volkswagen-it is hit or miss.

Now I bought my daughter the Kia Rio-I don’t know. It SEEMS OK but I know it won’t ever be a TOYOTA COROLLA OR CAMRY-IT WON’T LAST 300,000 MILES!!

In the early 80’s 60 Minutes did a show about Toyota. Dan Rather went over to Toyota City in Japan. I remember the show. The workers would sing about Toyota before their day started. Toyotas back then at Century Toyota in Wallingford were selling OVER LIST PRICE AND GETTING IT!!!

Toyota needs to get a grip. We need not lose a trusted friend. I turned every close friend and relative I know over to Toyota-THEY HAVE NOT BEEN DISAPPOINTED!!

I did like Chevrolet. The CRAPPO VAN was a disaster but the Chevy TAHOE is probably one of the best vehicles made. But too big for my likes. I actually had an accident with my Corolla several years ago. A Tahoe hit the side of my car-ONLY A FEW SCRATCHES.

A Dodge CRAPANGO hit my 1991 Camry a few years ago on 495 near Marlboro Mass. We sent that piece of shit skidding across three lanes into a ditch. The damage-some of the moulding fell off of the left side of the car-NO DENTS.

Incidentally, the driver was drunk.

About 10 years ago, my spouse was turning into the Hamden Post office on Dixwell Avenue  driving MY 1989  Toyota Corolla when he was broadsided (on the drivers side) by a Ford Econoline van. My spouse walked away from the accident!!

This is what made Toyota what it is today. I hope they remember where they came from and who brought them there.

TOP TEN POPULAR CARS FOR 2010.

When you read the list you will know why the US Automakers are AFTER TOYOTA. They did this same thing (try to discredit) Honda several years ago. WHY?? BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE TOOK PRIDE IN THEIR WORK!! THE US AUTOMAKERS MADE YOU BELIEVE FOR YEARS A CAR COULD NOT LAST 100,0oo MILES IF IT WERE FOUR CYLINDER OR  A SMALL CAR WAS “CHEAP AND JUNKY” Toyota proved them wrong. Now this is their revenge.

NOW FOR THE:

TOP TEN GAS GUZZLERS FOR 2010.

My question: WHY AREN’T THESE CARS “CLUNKERS” AND HAVING THEIR ENGINES DESTROYED?? READ THE LIST AND YOU WIL SEE WHY!!!

Least Fuel Efficient 2010 Car Models
As for the worst:

1. Lamborghini Murcielago (manual) 8/13
2. Bugatti Veyron 8/14
3. Lamborghini Murcielago (automatic) 9/14
4. Bentley Azure Bentley Brooklands 9/15
5. Ferrari 612 Scaglietti (automatic) 10/17
6. Ferrari 612 Scaglietti (manual) 10/16
7. Maybach 57 10/15
8. Bentley Continental Flying Spur Bentley Continental GTC 10/17
9. Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano 11/15
10. Too many to name

That’s right, coming in 10th are a slew of cars, each that get 11 miles per gallon in the city and 17 on the highway–your BMWs, Aston Martins, Porches and so on. Needless to say, these gas guzzlers are the least green on the road–but they’re also some of the most expensive. According to the LA Times, it costs “$392,400 and burns 34.3 barrels of oil a year,” compared to the 6.9 barrels and $770 a Prius would burn. Good thing–we’ll probably see far more people driving home Priuses and Ford Fusions than such exhaust barons.

DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT INCOME LEVEL FOLKS!!