No matter how many times we look elsewhere, we always end up back in Toyotas. Hoping their EV R&D shows promise soon.
We got a 2017 highlander and apart from the god awful infotainment system it has been amazing. Sort of like computers these days, I find myself wondering when I’d need or even want to upgrade.
It hasn’t really needed service yet after 80,000km. Everything is running well. My mechanic says I must be taking excellent care of it, but I’m not doing anything I haven’t before. This thing just seems to be better designed than any VW or Ford I’ve had.
Our previous Toyota was OLD but similarly rock solid. I’ve come to like their cars a lot. A friend has a 4 runner as well that has been going strong for around 15 years.
I think what’s remarkable isn’t necessarily having something incredible to say about their cars. It’s more so that I just have nothing to complain about.
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnWKz7Cthkk [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTPnIpjodA8 [3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFnVZXQD5_k
Toyota Recalls 1993 Camry Due To Fact That Owners Really Should Have Bought Something New By Now
https://www.theonion.com/toyota-recalls-1993-camry-due-to-fa...
I shopped Toyota for a trucks several times and was appalled by the MPG ratings. When a Tacoma is getting far worse MPG than a F-150 it's time for an update.
Why isn't the Dodge and lineup regarded as reliable?
Ford E-series is how old?
Most of Nissan's sedans are pretty long in the tooth now that I think about it.
A large part of why Toyota stuff is so reliable is that they're expensive up front both new and "newish" used. They also won't finance just anyone with a pulse like the "unreliable" brands will. So the people who get their hands on them can afford to maintain them on schedule and can afford to treat them well. You'll never see a newish Sienna owner stacking one floor to ceiling with bags of concrete to avoid paying for the Home Depot truck rental. You'll never see a newish 4Runner bouncing down the road with an out of round tire. You'll never see a newish Camry dragging ass hauling a family of 5 and all their luggage (the person with that use case in the Toyota tax bracket can justify/afford a Highlander) Can't say that about a Pacifica, Patriot or Altima.
Refinement certainly helps but Toyotas are reliable because any car would be reliable in the hands of Toyota owners. Any car would routinely make it to high mileage if they got babied for their first 100k (or so)
This has not been my experience. Toyotas are just better built coming out of the factory. In the past I've had newish Chevy, Ford, and Nissan cars, and after about 30-50k miles each of them started having various small noises/rattles that built over time until something failed. The Toyota is just smoother overall out of the factory, and parts wear out more slowly.
0. Scotty Kilmer - internet famous mechanic in Houston TX - https://www.youtube.com/user/scottykilmer
Well, they did come up with the Prius, so I think they might have a shot at EVs.
If you don't hit all the tropes and get people to share your content and get all the resulting clicks the algo will bury you.
Having said that, I recently took my Acura (Honda) to a local service station because the timing belt was quoted at near $2k and I got it done for ~$900 at a local service station. New water pump and another belt were included (as they would have been at the dealer).
What really frustrated me was the messages I was getting from the dealer. When should the timing belt be replaced? First it was 90k miles, then it was 60k miles, and because I was below both it was after 7 years (it's been 10). The other thing, for my model, some sources said "if it breaks, your engine will be damaged" but the dealer wouldn't tell me either way. I even contact Acura USA and they wouldn't contradict the dealer. Whole thing left me wanting a Toyota/Lexis.
Toyota has good vehicles as far as I can tell, but their ignoring of me has put me off of them.
For my next vehicle, I chose a different brand, and the vehicle had some issues, but that manufacturer made things right with no hassle.
I don't know which is better: a vehicle that will most likely be good with a company that doesn't care, or a vehicle that has some issues but with a company that does care and fixes it.
https://blogs.findlaw.com/law_and_life/2016/02/5-times-you-c...
https://mechanics.stackexchange.com/questions/21528/what-rep...
If you have a specific problem that they refuse to fix, then there's Lemon law.
This is like saying you refuse to play any game in the Call of Duty franchise because GameStop charges $70 instead of $60 for it.
If you're going to the dealer for anything other than warranty or free repairs, then you have too much money and need to be relieved of it.
- My late grandfather who was a master mechanic retired from a dealership who once sold horses and buggies in the SF Bay Area.
my current 4runner warranty/service plan covers all scheduled maintenance, filters, lubricants, etc. for the first 100k miles. However, I do have to bring it in yearly, even if the next oil change isn't due based on milage alone.
its certainly a money play, but also keeping their vehicles in good working order helps with a lot of metrics like resell value, longevity, etc that car buyers look at. i think toyota is the largest buyer of used toyotas.