enzl

I'm not sure how old you are, but I'll assume you're not old enough to recall the Domestic Auto industry and their indefensible stand on the following:-Lead (in gasoline) is a not a highly toxic poison (they fought for years against Unleaded Gasoline) -Seatbelts won't save lives (they were concerned about the appearance of a safety device) -Airbags (ditto) -Catalytic Converters-Been to LA lately? Imagine the LA Basin w/o emission controls -Repeated issues with design flaws (i.e. Pinto, Sidesaddle gas tanks in Pick-ups, Corvair handling) That's off the top of my head....the cold, hard truth is that when it comes to preserving profit margins, many business leaders WORLDWIDE have done awful things (and still are!) US co.'s are equally likely. Here's some examples: Enron Every US based Oil Company does business with dictatorsand/or oppressive regimes WorldCom (ask any of their former 30,000 employees) Haliburton (No bid contracts stealing taxpayer $) Gun Makers (Sure, the 2nd Amendment includes the right to buy automatic weapons that can use armor piercing bullets) Wal-Mart (j'ever see the inside of the Chinese factories that supply 'Everyday low prices'?) Don't defend others right to be racists. The Japanese might be as bad, but certainly no worse than the above examples.

100%. Can't imagine anyone not trying to stretch to a lucerne if they could. The problem for Buick is that the LaCrosse must last 2 more model years as is...the 'Super' notwithstanding, this car is a legacy of shortsighted beancounter-ism...perhaps the last (hopefully) of that type of vejhicle to be intro-ed into the GM line-up.

Small, RWD BMW for under $30k...Great. Car looks infinitely better in real life than photos (much like the 3 coupe), but it's still not a looker. The 'vert looks alot better.

That's the real question here, isn't it? I could see variations in an odometer calibration, but 4% seems really high for an instrument that's fairly simple at its core.Could it be an incorrect adjustment for wheel/tire combinations? Or a supplier issue? It would be interesting to see where these vehicles were made, or whether Toyota and Honda share a supplier. IF true, it's another black eye for Toyota, who seem to be stepping into the barrel for their eventual turn. The sludging matter is just an embarassment, one which has haunted our T dealership for years. The settlement goes against everything Toyota's corporate has been saying for years.

They cut down on fleeting the LaCrosse & took up the producion slack by cranking out Impalas, IIRC.The Monte sold 25k IIRC, within a few grand of the last few years.

CTS may not be to everyone's taste, but it does have the presence that so many products lack (in any segment.) Kudos to GM for pulling the trigger on a product that just looks 'right'.

I find it hard to believe they're replacing it with nothing. I figured an 08 build on the Caliber platform as an 09 was its future...they're selling 150k Worldwide. Why give up the sales?. If you're going to produce B class vehicles in China, you can afford to build a PT in the 1st World.

IIRC, around 9500 or so. (EDITED, as per automotive news)Interestingly, the Compass broke 5,000

I've heard it's a undetermined Zeta variation...either the last of this gen intro'ed (think '11 model year) or, a possible rebadge of an overseas variant, which would get here sooner. EpII LaCrosse replacement will be here sooner in the former plan, later in the latter.

Blah blah blah. Typical Toyota Hater BS from the peanut gallery. Let's see a comparison test or two...or how about real world impressions from real people before we damn this thing? Nah, that only applies to GM products when their buzz is negative. I almost forgot.... With a de-emphasis on Fleet sales, the big 2.5 may go below 50% of the US market next year. Underestimating your competition has already brought Ford and GM to their knees. Underestimating Toyota's resolve to get these types of product right could be the last mistake they make as solvent competitors. I hope GM & Ford are taking them more seriously than you guys are. (Historical Footnote: Everyone on this board savaged Honda for the Ridgeline...they sold their targeted 50k...can't believe that Toyota will miss projections by much...)

Ad campaigns in, at minimum, the major car rags in Europe....I scan or read CAR each month & I think they've been running at least a full page ad for the last 6 months, min.100/mo. is a joke. I'm sorry. The BLS is a complete flop, by every definition there is of that word. Without ads they would be running higher than 100/mo. IF word of mouth was decent.

How is the Kappa too small for a 3-series competitor? Wasn't there a concept sedan in Australia off Kappa platform? How large was that? Could the Sigma be trimmed to produce a proper 3-series competitor since the CTS is growing larger? I thought Zeta was to produce large cars. The Commodore is a D-segment car, right?The BLS starts at approximately € 27,000 (roughly US$35,000). That's a lot of money for Cadillac 9-3 I think VAT covers about 15% of that price...BTW Kappa cannot be stretched (economically)..see a past bitch & moan by myself and Evok regarding Kappa limitations... I would think a short Zeta (sharing Camaro wheelbase?) would be doable as a BLS replacement....sales in the US and a favorable dollar should enable sales in Europe at a profit. (Just to be clear, the current BLS was projected at 20k/yr., then 10k/yr....they're currently selling 100 of these a month....that's 6% of original projections. That's a sound rejection of a transparently mediocre product, Cadillac, Saab, Opel or Chevy, it ain't worth the money.)

Most will end up in Fleet units and price leaders....DCX has o expect at least 20% of production will go fleet.

It's interesting that all of the vehicles closely/distantly related to this Mitsu C platform (Caliber/Compass/Patriot, Sebring/Avenger, Outlander) all have that 'overtall' look to them. Almost like the proportions conspire to make them all look funny, IMO. It would be interesting to note the dimensional overlap...it's almost like an art project gone bad, as each of the above products has a presentation in one form or another that ALMOST looks good.

No doubt that's true. It remains to be seen if the recent uptick in capacity will have a corresponding negative effect on overall quality. Toyota's PR zen-masters have dealt with recent issues well...A lesson that, hopefully, isn't lost on Detroit. It's how you handle a problem, rather than the actual problem that generates good/bad vibes.

I'm just regurgitating previously published reports. Obviously, there's room for fudging the numbers, but if variations on platforms can be considered 'new' vehicles, it's theoretically possible to get there...I can certainly argue that the rate of change exceeds any manufacturer presently and, if past accomplishments mean anything, you can be sure they're working dilligently towards that goal.

On that note, Toyota is working towards 12 month development programs....that would mean constant turnover and an even more expanded product line.That's scary. (PS-100% accurate on Scion. Cap at 150k/yr. is written in stone at this point.)

Wrong. They're adding vehicles because they can, and the will continue to...the Corolla is fleeted, but at a rate that's a fraction of Big 3 fleet sales proportions. Creative thinking (NOT Wishful thinking) may save the Big 3 as we know them. Ostrich-like behavior is what got them to this desperate point in the first place!

Happy New Year to you, too!Get to at least 100 posts, then I'll pick on you too! BTW-The OP has forgiven me already, big fella. How about lightening up?

I would agree that the Big 2.5 have a problem....unfortunately, the 'luxury' class was lost years ago when Caddy, Lincoln & Chrysler became mostly rebadges. Now the americans are playing catch up, which is almost impossible with perceived quality-type consumer product. Unfortunately, her husband probably knew the product well enough when it was awful to influence this decision.The 2nd, bigger problem with your take on this is your assumption that she was 'forced' into a 3-series. Newsflash- She's rich, wants the best, and, if you're talking small sport sedans, you cannot top the 3 with ANY product, period. Stereotyping an older, wealthy woman is a fool's errand and somewhat surprising, given your personal experiences. Also, if I had to drive an Alero for years, I, too, would need something like a 3 to make up for lost time! She's not getting any younger!

Appreciated.And accepted.

Semantics aside (and, if you find racist stereotypes or pretend violence a good source of humor, that's your sad business), if you bothered to read the whole thread, I merely expressed an opinion, just like he was expressing himself.These boards are read by adults and kids, alike. I'm of the opinion that most people here are capable of mature behaivior. My kid doesn't need to read that crap and I wouldn't employ someone who I knew felt that way. Dropping anonymous posts in a racist manner is a cowardly act, IMHO. If that's being 'too serious' for you, I'm fine with that. BTW_I'm not trying to shine Toyota on. I find the Camry disappointing, and we own both a Chevrolet and Toyota store (& Ford, for that matter.)

I'm on the fence....no doubt a combination of polarizing design and bizarre, pricey option structure didn't help (especially since the Escalade it shared a showroom floor with was priced similarly to the V8 SRX...I think the crossover competition was more conservative in their design approach. Most people were either trading 'up' from a minivan or getting out of truck-based SUVs....that's a conservative, soccer mom crowd that clearly never responded to the design. I like the SRX as well. 1 or 2 yrs. old under the factory cert program is really the ticket with this vehicle. Gotta figure 30/40 % depreciation in 2 model years, no?

Thanks for the D, but this guy still thinks we haven't answered his question. He didn't even realize that he threatened to 'slap' Toyota owners in his own post.Don't people know that anecdotal stories aren't established fact? I noticed Toyotas being serviced in our repair department...doesn't that mean they all breakdown? Nice to hear from you again, evok.

Agreed.I'm afraid the BRX is going to be a gussied up Theta (not known for its stellar dynamics)---the SRX, like a few other GM products (Allante, some of the Last Olds lineup) will probably be perfect just about the time they kill it.