The Power of Marketing

[Mr.Krinkle]

I dont think this is here but please remove if it is.

The institute tightened its rules this year, requiring electronic stability control as a standard or optional feature for vehicles to be a ``top safety pick.'' Thirteen models got that rating, led by three each from Honda Motor Co., including its Acura division, and Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.'s Subaru.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi...hi-business-hed

Toyota Motor Corp., whose vehicles earn top marks for buyer satisfaction, has more models than any other automaker ranked at the bottom of a crash-protection study.

I didnt put this here to bash or criticize. Without stability control you can not even be considered as a top pick--guess who does not have stability control yet. These results are based on that, among other criteria.

But mainly this stuck out to me for this reason

``The Insurance Institute is looking for a certain type of headrest design and that's not what we have. But we think ours work just fine,'' Wade Hoyt, a Toyota spokesman, said in an interview. ``We're confident in the safety of our design.''

sound like it could be familiar?

Theres a certain type of arrogance there, like with the child safety latches not too long ago. Here theyre being told somethings no good and yet they say it works just fine so why should we have to change. Let it be tested again but the IIHS isnt going to change their standards.

``The lower-rated cars may turn off some buyers,'' said Rebecca Lindland, an analyst with Global Insight Inc. in Lexington, Massachusetts. Poor safety ratings are more likely than high rankings to sway buyers because ``people tend to think their cars are safe, unless they hear otherwise,'' she said.

From the great marketing, I would never have thought otherwise. Im not being sarcastic, Toyota keeps telling us to think smart and all their commercials incorporate safety (and gas mileage) into the message.

A reminder that if told something enough times you can start to believe it.

Vehicles earn the institute's top safety ranking based on tests of front-, rear- and side-collision protection. Electronic stability control was added as a requirement ``to encourage more vehicle safety improvements,'' said Adrian Lund, president of the Arlington, Virginia-based institute.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has called for automakers to make electronic stability control standard by 2012. The equipment monitors vehicle movement and steering and may help prevent rollover accidents.

I guess this should be in Industry News but since the most marks for good and bad went to Asia its here.

Edited November 23, 2006 by Mr.Krinkle

[Flybrian]

People need to remember that the IIHS is a lobbying concern for the automobile insurance industry. They have their own agenda by making cause celebre out of a certain feature now and then. Take the bumper bash for example. Why do I care how much it costs to fix? The insurance company is going to pick it up anyway. They're quick to draw the argument that 'better cars result in lower rates.' Have you seen your rates go down in the past ten years by a substantial figure? They should since the IIHS themselves say cars are safer now than they were a decade ago, naturally thanks in part to their efforts.

[Camino LS6]

People need to remember that the IIHS is a lobbying concern for the automobile insurance industry. They have their own agenda by making cause celebre out of a certain feature now and then. Take the bumper bash for example. Why do I care how much it costs to fix? The insurance company is going to pick it up anyway. They're quick to draw the argument that 'better cars result in lower rates.' Have you seen your rates go down in the past ten years by a substantial figure? They should since the IIHS themselves say cars are safer now than they were a decade ago, naturally thanks in part to their efforts.

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Pure truth,Fly.

[avant1963]

The Auto Extremist also talked about the lobbying firm that is the IIHS this week.

But just like good corporate media should, looking to get any old story out without having to do any homework or, god-forbid, JOURNALISM, this story (with most of the headlines that I read touting that AMERICAN cars were shut out of this BS study) was given a free pass and the good little consumers now believe that the only safe cars are those from Honda.

I once again have to salute the assholes! Fffffaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrttttttt!