RicardoHead: “Toyota … should be thanked, because as a result GM is figuring out that they need to put some form of fun in their cars to move them, so now if I need a fun, highly reliable, cheap-to-operate whip I actually have a choice. In the unlikely event that Ford would catch a clue, then I could have more of a choice.”

straight truth

CTS: fires on both sides of Temecula, and S.D. refugees running around like decapitated chickens.

autonut: Corollas and Vibes are made at NUMMI, a joint venture, not a Toyota plant

GMCsyclone: I did not like being a gaijin, but …

sharpie: the chinese refere to the Japanese as “Brown Dwarfs.” lots of animosity between those nations

Cyclone: most of your 22 Oct 11:54p post is on point, but there are some kids there that love Suburbans and the last-generation caprice classic

trioleonefive: “It doesn’t matter if they are just as big they are on top or not because their product is more reliable than the American products.” What? Your reasoning is more f—d than your grammar.

“Engine sludge and your little BS arguments and CR (when you choose to believe them) are not affecting Toyota’s resale reliablity or sales.”
Engine sludge doesn’t affect reliability? You’re that damn dumb? Your one valid point is that the Corolla is getting its ass kicked.

Whether GM is bigger isn’t relevant bc Toyota was not as big as GM. Making a reliable product is what helped the Japanese grow. GM is and has been lagging behind the Japanese for about 20 years now. I just wont trust GM overnight like ignorant American who want GM to succeed do.

Once again your engine sludge articles are bs proper maintenance can take care of things like that. You are reaching to find any dirt on Toyota or Honda. You dwell on one( this) years recalls when GM have been recalling the hell out of their cars up to 2006.

Toyota and Honda on their worst day (or year) is better that GM on its best at this point. GM is trying to import cars from Europe and Australia but are Holden’s and Opel’s really that reliable >?

The need better R & D, better money management (so you don’t whine about the yen) and they need their own NEW designs. When GM and the other domestics get with it then they can be mentioned in the same sentence with Japanese cars.

And the Astra and Corsa are both very respected cars there. They at least have style, so your “bought by people who have no interest in cars” like belong to the Japanese.

Engine sludge is just one of MANY arguments, you are the one who picks and chooses. In addition, you complete IGNORE all my sources because they don’t support your claim. What is up with that? For your info, Toyota’s resales are down (more fleet sales – I’ll prove that if you’d like), Toyota’s reliability is down as CR and CNN said as well as Toyota themselves ADMITTING that they were having problems and also their sales are down (tilt your head up and read the name of the article on which you are commenting on). You seem to be living in your own little world and completely ignoring everything. Sure, Asia is killing the small car market. I’ll give you that. GM has yet to challenge them in that segment (well the Astra is a great start) but I am confident that they will make better and better small cars in the future now that they understand how important that segment is.

Lastly, I wasn’t talking about you trying to pass off GM as small. I was referring to you saying something along the lines of “GM is bigger than Toyota so why is this news ? Toyota earns more money than GM though Sounds about right
GM still sucks”. The point is that Toyota is the one who is bigger than GM and I the link above proves that to you. Here it is again:
http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/sep2007/gb20070928_752031.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_businessweek+exclusives

It doesn’t matter if they are just as big they are on top or not because their product is more reliable than the American products. You can quote Business Week, Robb Report, Us Weekly or Martha Stewart living. It doesn’t make a difference
Engine sludge and your little BS arguments and CR (when you choose to believe them) are not affecting Toyota’s resale reliablity or sales They outsell and make more money apparently. Cant wait to hear your yen exchange excuse
The only thing I will say is that they best release that Corolla bc Honda and even Hyundai are killing the small car market now. The American car companies dont even matter at this point

Of course there are many other reasons, like Japan’s reluctance to let their favorable balance of trade (exporting so much more than they import) be ruined, which you can’t really blame them for unless you’re American and on the wrong end of that balance of trade. Also Japan has been in an economic slow and gradual economic depression for several decades now, so of course they are going to want to support their own economy in hopes of boosting it.

So yeah, Japanese have plenty of reasons not to buy American cars, and just about all of them are good from their perspective.

1115 – Look at this article: http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/sep2007/gb20070928_752031.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_businessweek+exclusives
Unless you are completely brain dead, that should show you that Toyota is NOT a smaller company than GM. You are STILL passing Toyota off as a little guy, get out of the 70s!! And those are FACTS my friend, it shows that Toyota is the biggest automaker by revenue, profits, market capitalization, and is almost #1 in sales.

cardesigner – how are Corsas bought up by grannies? First Buicks and Cadillacs are bought by Florida retirees and now the polar opposite of large American sedans — small Euro hatchbacks — are supposedly for grannies? Just pick one and go with it. How you ever even been to Europe? Hatchbacks are bought by everyone from teens to adults to single moms to parents and even small families.

SwerveEarly – you are an idiot. Its not funny to be sarcastic about that fire. People have died in it — if it was just the houses that burned I wouldn’t be offended but people perished in that fire so keep the lame jokes out of that one.

As for the point of this article, as the Aussies would say: “Good on ya!” GM!

There is no such thing as Japanese mentality of Korean for sure.

Also, there is China next door, a market with much more potential and much more level playfield between European, American and Japanese automakers. Japanese is not always the perennial favorite because history has its way to influence consumer behavior, especially in China regarding the Japanese occupation.

Luca, very good points. If Japan opened their car market to ‘imports’ it would help to even things up. What’s up with Japan’s xenophobic attitude?

well done GM.CONGRATS

I didn’t even argue as you claim – just said it was gonna be a photo-finish for 2007, and it will be. I also said in that thread that I don’t doubt Toyota will take the #1 spot – just maybe not in 2007.

The world needs boring transport appliances and that is what Toyota provides. In fact, they should be thanked, because as a result GM is figuring out that they need to put some form of fun in their cars to move them, so now if I need a fun, highly reliable, cheap-to-operate whip I actually have a choice. In the unlikely event that Ford would catch a clue, then I could have more of a choice, but I won’t hold my breath unless Deanster comes near (in which case it’s a matter of survival).

Live & prosper and don’t cry about being beaten up, like a little girl. Calling others names even when loosing an argument isn’t becoming either.

SwerveEarly, your interest in political correctness is almost humorous, considering the usual insults that sometimes fly in these posts. Although I am not Japanese, I think “Jap” is considered more derogatory.

1115: Well actually up until this point Toyota had been the largest automaker in the world for a little under a year I believe, but this changes things back.