Toyota Trimming Auto-Development Time to 12 Months

[hector]

12 months! isn't that how much sick time uaw workers get every 2 years???

[Polish_Kris]

Oh my god, best post ever. :)

[post="16498"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

You hit the spot, this is ONE of the main reasons I dislike American cars, because of the people to design them and engineer them. They try to put the cheapest parts possible and make the most profit out of it, that's what North America is all about!

[sciguy_0504]

That's what business is all about, PK. Companies are in existance to solely make money. Some car companies know how to design cars cheaply but make them look like they're more expensive than what they really are and others don't. Some car companies realize that spending $50 more to manufacturer an automobile is, for the most part, worth it in the end and others don't.

[Polish_Kris]

That's what business is all about, PK.  Companies are in existance to solely make money.  Some car companies know how to design cars cheaply but make them look like they're more expensive than what they really are and others don't.  Some car companies realize that spending $50 more to manufacturer an automobile is, for the most part, worth it in the end and others don't.

[post="22812"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

B)

[balthazar]

...GM, Ford, whoever, must be spending like 5 bucks each on radios because of the complete POS these things are.  The handheld LED football game I played when i was a kid and i paid like 18 bucks for back in 1981 or whenever had MUCH BETTER display, much better faceplate, and higher quality buttons.
I CAN'T FRICKING BELIEVE IT WILL PUT GM INTO BANKRUPTCY TO MAKE A CAR STEREO AND CLIMATE CONTROL WITH EQUAL QUALITY TO EVEN THE MOST BASIC AFTERMARKET CAR STEREO.
How fricking pathetic is it to have to see garbage like the climate control and stereo in a Malibu or G6....

You are absolutely unequivocally out of your everlovin' mind.

[Guest swallowit]

ISNT THE AVALON A PIECE OF SHIT? go look at one, the interior is so badly put together; it drives badly, handles like crap and the BODY PANELS BARELY FIT READ AUTOEXTREMIST EVERYONE POSTS THE ARTICLES HERE - THE QUALITY IS DYSMAL FOR THE 70s - YES THE 70s IF TOYOTA SWITCHES TO A 12 MONTH CYCLE THEY WILL BE MAKING SHODDY DISPOSABLE CARS MORE THAN THEY DO NOW

[Guest gmrebirth]

ISNT THE AVALON A PIECE OF SHIT?

go look at one, the interior is so badly put together; it drives badly, handles like crap and the BODY PANELS BARELY FIT

READ AUTOEXTREMIST EVERYONE POSTS THE ARTICLES HERE - THE QUALITY IS DYSMAL FOR THE 70s - YES THE 70s
IF TOYOTA SWITCHES TO A 12 MONTH CYCLE THEY WILL BE MAKING SHODDY DISPOSABLE CARS MORE THAN THEY DO NOW

[post="23545"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Troll much?

[VenSeattle]

Ven, the Ion did not change in a substantive way.  SUBSTANTIVE way.  i.e. brand new dash, brand new door panels.  The new seats are cobalt seats.  That was a good move.  After year one they changed the grain on the dashboard top plastic.  It had no net effect because it still was cheap looking overall.  the IP was still in the center.  The center IP and cheap interior were the main criticisms about the Ion.  None of the running changes made a dent in rectifying those faults enough so folks would say, "I've changed my mind, now I like the Ion and will buy it."

Even for 2006, they reshaped the center stack so it wouldn't cut into your leg.  Nice of them to do that.  A useful thing.  But that alone doesn't go far enough to CHANGE PEOPLE's OPINIONS from 'yuck i don't like it' to 'yes, now i will buy it'.

So, you're wrong, it is indeed the PERFECT example of why they need to bite the bullet and fix their fuckups.

[post="15341"][/post]

Exterior:

2003 ION:



2005 ION:



Interior:

2003 ION:



2005 ION:



The dramatic exterior changes, upgraded interior materials, new seats, & new steering wheel all combine to a substantive effort by GM to help increase the ION's appeal. It's been decades since GM responded this quickly to help correct flaws in an all new vehicle. The instrumentation can not be moved without a COMPLETE interior redesign. That's far beyond anything substantive for a 2-year-old vehicle. Besides, as I said in the previous post, it's really a preference than a flaw of the ION. For those who do not want the ION's center instrumentation, they can shop the Cobalt. GM has already made it clear that the center instrumentation will not last more than one generation. That should make you happy enough that it didn't even take a full model life cycle for GM to figure that out.

Give credit where credit is due... GM in the 1990's would have never exhibited this much effort to correct a flawed vehicle.

[Teh Ricer Civic!]

GM's interiors could easially be adressed with simple things, like faux alumium or something to that stort. having faux alumium instead of cold hard plastic really livens things up, i mean... just spray the peices with a alumium-like color and itd look better!

[sciguy_0504]

The '03 Ion's streering wheel is the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. Who rides in a bumper car?

[Polish_Kris]

ISNT THE AVALON A PIECE OF SHIT?

go look at one, the interior is so badly put together; it drives badly, handles like crap and the BODY PANELS BARELY FIT

READ AUTOEXTREMIST EVERYONE POSTS THE ARTICLES HERE - THE QUALITY IS DYSMAL FOR THE 70s - YES THE 70s
IF TOYOTA SWITCHES TO A 12 MONTH CYCLE THEY WILL BE MAKING SHODDY DISPOSABLE CARS MORE THAN THEY DO NOW

[post="23545"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Did you actually drive one or even sit in one?

Oh I forgot, you're that kid who vandalizes people cars who buy imports, here's a tip, go enroll in the U.S. army and go fight in Iraq, after all, you will be supporting the U.S. economy that way!! Edited October 4, 2005 by Polish_Kris

[sciguy_0504]

I hope that wasn't a swipe at the military.

[Polish_Kris]

I hope that wasn't a swipe at the military.

[post="23870"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

No, No, don't worry, I'm just saying that if this Swallowit kid has the balls to vandalize cars, why wont he just join the military and go to the war