Detroit's gung-ho for hybrids

I notice that Toyota is also offering a "clean" turbodiesel. :

http://de.toyota.ch/media/chde/pdf/D_CAT_291x438_d.pdf

Notice it has a chain drive camshaft, no more timing belts to worry about snapping and ruining the motor.

 

It was said, "domestic cars are reliable if cared for."

(Obviously some real car guys here. I'm not.)

My story:

After tiring of my first car ('68 VW bought used) after nine years, I read Consumer Reports, got hooked on reliability, and bought an '80 Toyota Tercel. Seldom opened the hood (was frightening compared to the VW I tuned myself), got all recommended scheduled maintenance, never had any unscheduled maintenance. Car lasted until some speeder totalled it with my wife driving in '92.

Got rid of my wife's VW and bought an '86 Corolla ("Japanese Nova"). Seldom opened the hood, got all recommended scheduled maintenance, never had any unscheduled maintenance. Gave the car to a brother in '97 with around 70,000 miles on it; he's still driving it (can't speak to his maintenance history).

When the Tercel got totalled I bought a '92 Saturn. I don't like to haggle, and CR said "remarkable first year reliability." Got all recommended scheduled maintenance, had two incidences of call-AAA-unscheduled maintenance: dead fuel pump, blown coolant hose. Then at about 35,000 miles it went on an oil binge: got up to eating a quart every couple of hundred miles. Dealer didn't believe it 'til I let them keep the car overnight so one of their guys with a 50 mile commute could drive it home. I don't believe in extended warrantees so didn't have one. First they made me buy a valve job. Did no good. Then--to their credit--they gave me a new engine for a $100 "participation fee." No major problems after that; gave the car to a niece last fall.

Since Saturn had been so "nice," I bought another in '97. Got all the recommended scheduled maintenance. Recall one incidence of unschedule maintence: failed alternator. Then, when in for its 45,000 mile service, it ended up needing $3200 worth of work for blown seals, collapsed engine mounts, yadda, yadda. My nickle. Still have it, up to 68,000 miles, no subsequent major problems.

Replaced the first Saturn with my '05 Prius, on which I'm under 7000 miles. Get all recommended scheduled maintenance. At about 5000 miles my wife got a check engine light and the car died (not freeway). Dealer "checked for codes and found P0A0F & P3191. Performed engine ECU reprogram as per TSB EG047-04." Did not give me a warm fuzzy, but for now I'm willing to chalk it up to new, advanced technology.

I expect that it will be a long time before I experiment with domestic cars again.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius\";p=\"107828)</div>

I'd sooner drive a Corsa than a Cavalier!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius\";p=\"107828)</div>

Sure I have. That's why I have no sympathy for The Big Three who constantly whine they can't make a "good" small car. Sure they can, they do it all the time in Europe.

Want a real belly laugh? Two words: Dodge Neon.

However the Big Three in North America do understand Hemi-this and V8-that. Tire smoking acceleration and high maximum speeds. Which is ironic in that the highest posted speed limit is 75 MPH.

Today gas in and around Winnipeg went from 92 cents a litre to 97 cents a litre. Around $3.67 a U.S. gallon in Cdn funds, or $3 a U.S. gallon in U.S. funds. More increases expected, so my Prius is looking better and better.

I wonder if I'll see even more Chrysler 300C, Dodge Ram Quad Cab Hemi, Pontiac GTO, etc, on the lots?

 

just went by the Ford dealer this afternoon in Burnaby and they must have 50 pickup trucks on the lot. What's with carrying that kind of inventory? The last time the manufactures made the dealers take that many of any vehicle Chysler was on the verge of going bankrupt and held out their hand to the feds. There were at least 3 Ford dealers here on the lower mainland that went bust. Manufactures dumped lots of product on the dealers then charged them interest on the stock they dumped on them, till the beaners said hey were broke.

 

Frank:

I just got back from a lazy Sunday drive and happened to go by some of the larger Auto Malls, the one at the end of Portage and the one on McGillvary.

Geez, the inventory was shocking. I mean *loaded* with SUV's and pickups. Yeah I think we'll see a few empty car dealer buildings soon.

Wonder what happened to our young poster "19tokeMaster?" I hope we didn't keep him up too late and get him into trouble with his parents. Maybe he's Grounded?

Jay

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(\"jayman\";p=\"108010\")</div>

your starting to develope the knack of drawing them out of the woodwork Jay.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Frank Hudon\";p=\"108019)</div>

Frank:

Geez I've noticed that ... it's getting creepy too.

Jay

 

No, I am not grounded. I'm not the one typeing out 4 pages responses. Those are some buzz killers.

I have been on some motorcycle forums. I am going to get a Yamaha R1. That will get 50 mpg and go 0-60 in under 3 seconds!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(19tokeMaster\";p=\"108332)</div>

Good you're back. I was getting worried ...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(19tokeMaster\";p=\"108332)</div>

How are they in the rain? Or snow??

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(19tokeMaster\";p=\"108332)</div>

Oh, I guess I forgot to mention that I type *very* fast. When I was your age, Son, I could type 140 WPM sustained. A handy skill given my career.

That was on "quaint" technology like IBM electric typewriters, IBM 3270 emmulator terminals, Commodore PET and CBM, and the good 'ole Commodore C-64 running PaperClip.

Sad to say, Carpal Tunnel is starting to catch up with me. Make sure you use a "natural" curvature keyboard to minimize that problem. Plus, I'm not in such a rush anymore, so usually 70-100 WPM does it for me.

Ask Prius04, I think I've surprised him with how quickly I can crank out detailed replies.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(19tokeMaster\";p=\"108332)</div>

I've heard 0-Death in 10 seconds, fast!


I would recommend a good helmet (although here in TX, adults don't need one--that's smart huh?)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jayman\";p=\"108413)</div>

Indeed, you are a wealth of information. And I haven't given up on bringing you back from the dark side. (That's a joke)

Clearly 19 feels that your detailed responses are an indication that you lack perspective and common sense. That your taking time and numerous keystrokes suggests that you take PriusChat too seriously. Now lets look at this a bit.

19 is suggesting that the fact that you take interpersonal communication seriously, and actually care about having a real conversation with another human being is a sign of not "being grounded".

Now isn't that a sad commentary on the state of the world in 2005. Now don't get me wrong, I do think the internet can take over a person's life to the detriment of that person. I just don't think there is any evidence that Jayman is such a person.

And it's impossible to take the Prius, and by that PriusChat, too seriously.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(prius04\";p=\"108520)</div>

Hisss .... hisss Prius04 .... I'm your faaaather .... hisss.

:lol:

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(prius04\";p=\"108520)</div>

No more than 60 minutes a day, usually in sessions of 10-15 minutes. Like you said, most of us DO have a life!

 

Jayman is too much of a Geezer to have a life! His fingers are merely gnarled stubs from so much typing!

You go Toke! I have driven tens of thousands of miles on motorcycles, seen the whole country many times, and they were some of the best times of my life. I can hardly remember back to age 19 but I think it was really fun. Musta had a toke or two too many.

 

John:

:lol:

You're a blast!

Jay

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(kingofgix\";p=\"10734)</div>

I wish Ford and GM well. I wish they were leading the pack in technology and innovation like 100 years ago.

But they're not. They screwed up. They're still screwing up. A TV commercial airing now - I can't remember the details - has one strong message: POWER. What angers me is how that message is reinforcing a value that flies in the face of our future. We just can't keep up using 1/3 of the worlds energy. We must face that reality and do something besides buying the latest and greatest monster SUV.

I just read an article about someone who's designed a new monster car for commuting: huge with big comfy seats and flat panel TVs. It's over, folks. Get real.

 

Micky:

I very much doubt most folks will "get real" even if unleaded hits the same price as in Germany or France. They'll just use their plastic more, that's all.

Maybe at $10/gal they might slowly see the light.

Jay

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jayman\";p=\"107540)</div>

Argh. Clearly you remember quite incorrectly. IBM had a good computer on it's hands. Other companies reverse engineered the BIOS just enough to run MSDOS at first. IBM never turned the industry over to anyone... they just weren't really interested in playing in the home market. When they did try, with the PCjr, they had a solid gold turd on their hands which they quickly washed away.

If technical merit and not marketing won the day, we'd all be using Amigas.