2002 Toyota Tundra SR5 from North America - Off Topic Comments

15:50 makes the most sense. Sounds like an extremely satisfied GM owner.

15;50 Exactly right. I am a Toyota owner, this is a Toyota site, and I read here because I have an interest in Toyota trucks.

If you want to drive a piece of crap GM or Ford, so be it. I don't care. If you want to discuss crappy Ford and GM trucks, go do it on a Ford/GM site, where somebody might care about that junk.

I drive Toyota's because I know they're the best vehicles on the market alongside Honda's. I don't care about how many miles are on a junk F-150 or that somebody thinks it's a better truck than a Toyota. It isn't, I know that, but if you like them, drive them. Your loss, not mine.

The GM 3.8 V6 is one of the greatest engines. I have had them in Pontiacs and even my first 21 foot Starcraft boat. Extremely thrifty and bulletproof.

My 6000LE and 90 Bonneville (still owned by a friend) are still doing long commutes to work. I think the Pontiac 6000 was built too good with its great drivetrain.

As far as transmissions, GM's 6 speed manual cruises with high mpg for hours on trips. Even mated with a large V8 the engineers know how to bring the RPM down to barely lope on the interstate. And much more fun to drive.

To 14:30: You requested one article proving domestics are reliable. This article has been referred to DOZENS of times (and always ignored by import owners), but the October 2007 issue if Consumer Reports features cars (and trucks) that have gone over 200,000 miles with no problems.

True to its obvious bias, Consumer Reports chose to show a Honda Civic on the cover, which actually had the SHORTEST life of any of the featured cars. The "star" of the article inside the magazine (where casual browsers in a book store would never see it) was none other than a FORD RANGER with 488,000 trouble-free miles. It had the LONGEST life of any vehicle featured. Then, true to its obvious bias, Consumer Reports OMITTED the Ford from its list of "cars likely to go 200,000 miles". This is typical of ALL car magazines, which HAVE to acknowledge that domestics are more reliable, but REFUSE to do it in an honest an open way.

This issue of Consumer Reports is a typical example of the kind of designed-in bias in reporting that fuels the myth that imports are somehow better. Magazine reviews and owners surveys are NOT objective or reliable. When a biased magazine like Consumer Reports lists the Ford Fusion as the most reliable car, that is a miracle and on a par with the parting of the Red Sea, and HAS to be taken as true. When they show a Honda Civic on the cover of a magazine touting 200,000 mile vehicles when it had the SHORTEST life of any featured in the actual article, THAT is business as usual.

I'm still waiting for those non-existent frequency of repair reports that import companies will never DARE release. Don't give me biased opinions, give me real data that was NOT on some form filled out by a Toyota owner who has replaced 3 transmissions and two engines in the first 20,000 miles but thinks the car is just Heavenly.

I'd much rather take a long trip in a new Ford F-150 Harley Davidson Edition Pickup than some light bouncy bare bones Tacoma.

Another interesting bit of news: Consumer leasing rates the resale value of the Tundra LOWER than the Silverado, and the sales of the Ford Focus last quarter went up by a greater percentage than Corolla and Civic COMBINED. I guess fewer people are being taken in by ad hype.

17:02...please go to consumeraffairs. com and look at Toyota/Honda issues. I know you refuse to look. What's with the head in the sand import attitude? The only way it sinks home is when it hits hard personally.

I see the reliability below average and parts and labor high. I no longer see the import cachet or whatever you wish to call it as a reason to remain today.

13:14 Well, I asked a domestic owner for a review from a credible magazine that states that domestics are more reliable than imports, and what you gave me is yet another article that PROVES ME RIGHT. A Honda Civic on the cover, and more articles that explain the obvious fact that imports are more likely to go over 200,000 than domestics. I already know this fact, and the article you presented me just backs that up!

Well, that is the way it is. Honda's, Toyota's, Nissan's, etc. ARE more likely, and almost always DO get more mileage than domestics. Unbelievable; the article you presented us all with SAYS THIS.

I suppose I'll ask AGAIN: show me an article in a major publication that states that domestics are of higher quality or reliability than imports. ONCE AGAIN, you can't, because it isn't true.

A while ago, I explained in detail how a few of us drove 4 cars to camp, and both Fords broke down.

As I started typing this, I got a phone call, the end result being that my girlfriend and I have to go pick up her parents, two hours from here because the SAME Ford Explorer that overheated last time is now sitting on the highway on top of a puddle of burnt transmission fluid and is not going anywhere unless it's being towed. They're not even towing anything. I guess they don't call them ExploDers for nothing. Under 100,000 miles, and maintained. So, a Ford is still ruining half of my day yet again, even though I don't own it.

We will be leaving in her 14 year old Civic, with 170,000 miles on it, to go pick up where the Ford left off. This kind of thing is why I laugh my head off when someone claims that Fords or Chevy's are anywhere close to as reliable as an import.

Now, most likely, her Dad will have to pay to have it towed 100 miles back home, and then pay to have the tranny rebuilt or replaced, another 1000 to 3000 dollars, depending. The rest of the family has switched to Toyota's and Honda's, and have had a grand total of zero dollars in repairs. You can bet her Dad will be selling that piece of junk, and he'll be switching to a Toyota truck.

13:14.

Thanks for pointing out the Consumer Reports Article. They are so unscientific, agenda driven and biased against American manufacturers, I do not even consider them to be a serious publication. But, even they are starting to reluctantly publish articles such as the one documenting the quality of Ranger, to save what little credibility they have left after being naively recommending Toyotas for so long, which contrary to their "ratings" are now self destructing before their owners eyes all over the place.

I am not surprised the their top vehicle was a Ranger either. My brother's Ranger has 403,000 trouble free miles on the original engine and transmission, runs great and burns no oil.

The tired Domestic vs Import - which is sort of vague anyway since I assume we're talking more specifically about Toyota and Honda versus GM and Ford, is not going to have much relevance soon anyway. As anyone can see, GM's stock is worth 1/3rd of what it was last year. Both GM and Chrysler are stopping their leasing programs, which is a very bad sign in of itself. Ford just reported their worst quarter. Ever.

To give you an idea of just how bad GM is doing, their stock is now worth less than half of what Toll Bros stock is. So an automaker is under-performing a homebuilder, which as we all know are getting royally pounded to bits due to the housing crash.

To be fair, all automakers from BMW, Toyota, Ford, GM, and Honda are seeing lower sales in the US. But these companies are at least still earning income. They also have an attractive portfolio. GM and Ford have neither. GM and Ford both lack competitive small and mid-sized cars. They also both lack small or mid-sized trucks, which is almost fatal in a truck market these days.

Additionally, both are very late to the game with a real hybrid vehicle. GM has also been bragging about this new Chevy Volt plugin hybrid. But at the same time, Toyota has a redesign of the Prius coming out at the same time, and they're being totally silent about it. If history serves as a reminder, Toyota will likely have a superior hybrid with little fanfare. It'll simply work, and work well, and GM will be left behind again.

Hmm, I saw someone talking about Corvette and that imports don't have any fast cars.. how they are all slow... well let's see, the Corvette does a 0-60 in 4.2 seconds and the 2009 Skyline does it in 3.5 seconds... hmmm... and he was saying the Cobalt does 0-60 little under 6 seconds... Come on! A Camry can do that!!

Look at the Evolution X! Oh my... and you guys say imports are slow... look at the WRX... and again you guys say they are slow...

Domestics do not have any thought put in their engines. They just put a big V8 and make it fast and suck gas. Now imports spend years developing their engines to get maximum power out of a 4 cylinder...

Consumer Reports biased? If you say Consumers Reports is biased against American cars, they must have a reason for it. They report on quality, reliability and owner satisfaction. It must be that owners of American made cars are not completely satisfied with their cars.

BTW, I have owned around 12 cars in total, 10 GM's and 2 Ford's. I have been satisfied with these cars but the newer models just don't have the reliability as Honda's and Toyota's!

The proof is in the slumping sales of American cars.

For example take a look at Oldsmobile, OUT OF BUSINESS.

Look at Buick, they had to rename ALL of their cars to try to convince the public they have better quality now, you know what? Still the same issues of quality.

The same with Pontiac. All the classic nameplates have been replaced with G5, G6, G8.

GM, Ford, Chrysler have all had transmission, engine issues that they don't want to admit have engineering faults.

My 99 Bonneville SLE has the 3.8 litre Series ll engine that has been produced for years with a plastic intake gasket that melts, causing antifreeze to leak into the engine causing it to seize. GM has never compensated any of the owners for this. Transmissions are now a replacement item! GM's 3.1 engine is notorious for intake failures. SO DON'T TELL ME GM, FORD AND CHRYSLER are quality made.

The poster claiming American cars are superior to imports should consult the statistics and every Automobile magazine.

Also, stop blaming Japanese and German car makers for taking away American jobs because if GM, Ford and Chrysler started building quality and reliable cars, they would be producing more and thus more people would still have jobs at those plants!

Wish my Honda could have gone to 100,000 miles without 3 transmission replacements. What year is the new Ford Explorer that has 100,000 miles?

Well, again we run into typical "import logic". An article reporting on a Ford that goes 488,000 miles somehow shows that it is not as reliable as a Honda that goes only 200,000??