30th Sep 2010, 08:27
I read the very first comment and original review again on this thread, and it summed up the Camry for me.
30th Sep 2010, 10:33
The car I drove was a 2009 Corvette Z06. It's supposed to be one of their upper end models. Again, I was a little more than dismayed at the handling, fit and finish, and overall lack of attention to details. Yes, you're right, life does not have to be mundane. But if making your life exciting means you have to go out and buy a car, then that's sort of depressing. Life is certainly more than just material stuff.
I just spent an hour last night putting a coat of wax on my 96' Tacoma. It still looks like a brand-new truck. I'm actually proud of the fact that despite being 14 years old it still runs, drives, and looks like new.
30th Sep 2010, 15:06
I did ride and drives too, and bought Corvettes after. The 40th was my first ride and drive. I didn't buy the z06 suspension and I prefer the Grand Sport. Great ride and suspension, and I also like the Convertible standard Vette. The Convertible cost 5k more. My cars are paid for as well.
Everyone I know with newer gen Vettes C5 and newer have had no major issues. There are nearly 200 in my club. I have a truck too and it's nice. If you didn't enjoy the ride and drive event, it's surprising. I can only see the cost as perhaps the negative. To some, buying a really nice car is like buying a pencil to others. That wasn't the case with me, but we worked hard and own 2 now, and an older classic I have wanted for years at last. Take the price out and go for an extremely reliable supercar for daily or weekend use..
30th Sep 2010, 16:20
"FYI, the Equinox is imported from Canada, and the Camry is American made."
This rather tired and totally irrelevant argument (if can even be called such) constantly shows up on this site. It would not matter if the Equinox was made on the MOON. It is still built by an AMERICAN company. People somehow ignore the fact that Japanese companies funnel all of their profits out of the country. They have also received massive tax breaks that make the meager loans to U.S. auto companies look like pocket change (and which are already being repaid with interest).
Ford and GM have saved thousands of U.S. jobs by outsourcing to make their products more comparable in price to Japanese companies that pay meager wages, employ only a handful of Americans, and offer few benefits to their workers.
Anti-U.S.-industry consumers threw a fit when the U.S. government made modest loans to Chrysler in the 80's. As a result of the loans, Chrysler thrived and repaid every penny of the taxpayers money with interest while saving thousands of U.S. jobs. GM is doing the same, and Ford has done so well it never took a dime in the first place.
30th Sep 2010, 21:41
We'll see how irrelevant this argument is when the number of foreign workers that build "American" cars is much higher than the actual U.S. workers. It is heading in that direction pretty quickly.
30th Sep 2010, 21:50
Last time I checked, over a million people was more than a handful of employees! And import companies pay their people what they should be making, and not over inflated salaries that drive their own businesses into the ground.
Why do you think our own government offered the Japanese car companies tax breaks? Hmmm, well I am sure it wasn't because they were taking jobs from Americans or sacking our economy with their products. We want them here and for good reason. They build better products, plain and simple!
Also stop making bogus claims that GM has paid off their government loans. Since they are 61% owned by the government, that doesn't even make sense! They have done absolutely nothing in the past 2 decades to instill any confidence that they can be a viable business. To blindly support their incompetence just because they are "American"... well I just don't get it! It is no wonder this country is on the brink of disaster, with so many who turn a blind eye to major business that has no idea how to be profitable honestly and respectably.
29th Sep 2010, 15:27
Gee, last I checked, GM was still owned 61% by the government. Does that mean they are paying themselves back? And please explain just how I, as a taxpayer, will ever see one cent of profit from GM supposedly doing so well. Do you mean the shareholders? I am not one of them, so I will see absolutely nothing from GM's profits. As far as taxpayers go, we will never see one red cent of any investment that the government makes with our money! Not sure what country you've been living in.
I am laughing out loud at the "well built and redesigned" Chevy Equinox comment. I bet the owner that I totally blew away the other day with my RAV 4 doesn't think his Equinox is so well built (and yes, it was a brand new one). We were at a light, and he took off trying to get around me to cut me off and turn right at the next light. Well he floored it and I mean it sounded like the engine was going to blow. It was rough and really crappy sounding, to the point I was shocked it was a brand new car. I gave it about a third of the throttle and easily lost him. It was actually funny, as I wasn't really trying to race, but it kinda turned into one. My wife was just shaking her head, glad that we didn't go the GM SUV route again. Talk about slow junk! Best part was the "lane change of shame" as I saw him swing in way behind me to make his turn. Better luck next time there buddy! Maybe you'll come up against another GM next time and have a chance!
Seriously though, my Toyota is silky smooth and super powerful and quiet all at the same time. It also gets about 25mpg mixed with almost 270 HP and AWD. We looked at a lot of different vehicles before deciding on it, and we actually liked the Ford Escape. The RAV 4 is much more car like though, and rides much better and forget the added acceleration... that was just a sweet bonus. 6.5 to 60 in anything SUV like is amazing!
Another thing about the "flying off the lot" comments. When we first looked at our Toyota, on a Tuesday night, we couldn't even get a test drive because they have to go with you and they had so many customers there no one could take us... they were all busy. I went to a Chevy dealer the other day, and we were literally the only ones there. I got to drive a Camaro SS because the guy was bored and wanted something to do... seriously. Ain't nothing flying off of that Chevy lot! The Ford lot we took the Mustang out from was a much busier lot, but they did still have some free salesmen.
"The revelation of poor quality, shoddy build practices and disdain for the consumer is finally catching up to the Japanese auto industry. And it's about time."
I just had to recopy this part. Hmmmm and the domestics have never produced shoddy cars? Again, what country have you been living in? I don't think the Japanese car makers have shown disdain for their loyal consumers really. They did relax their quality and it fell to lower standards. They took this cue from GM who was the largest car maker. Toyota had that goal in mind and dropped the ball. Funny how the worst things to happen to a Japanese car company have been learned from an American car company, and the best things to happen to an American car company has been learned from the imports. All of the strides in auto design and technology that you now see in domestic cars can be attributed to import auto makers.