1st Jun 2009, 18:11

I have NEVER, NOT ONE TIME, said that ALL of our vehicles were driven to 100,000 miles. First of all, our Japanese imports NEVER LASTED THAT LONG. Secondly, some of our favorite domestics were kept a VERY LONG TIME, such as 52 YEARS in one case. That one started out as my father's. It is a GM, and it is STILL in the family at 250,000+ miles. It is now relegated to shows and parades. It has had ONE ring job and has the ORIGINAL, UNTOUCHED automatic transmission.

Other family members have driven our vehicles as well. Our first new car as a married couple was a 1972 Plymouth. We also had at the same time, 3 other cars. The Plymouth was finally sold in 1987 with over 150,000 miles (and never ONE problem). We purchased 2 Fords in 1975/76. One of those was traded in 1993 with 325,000 miles. Also during that time we owned a VW as well (the engine blew up at 84,000 miles).

We have never traded a domestic vehicle due to ANY problems, regardless of age. Yes, my wife trades very often and at very low mileage. She has not put over 18,000 miles on ANY of her vehicles except her current Envoy since 1994. She just likes new cars and can afford them. I never said EVERY vehicle we EVER owned was driven 100,000 miles.

I realize import owners must grasp at any straw and try to twist any argument to justify destroying our economy by paying thousands more for products from foreign manufacturers. Go ahead and pay $5000 more for a Camry or $7000 more for an Accord. It's your money and your country you are destroying. I save enough on repairs and upkeep alone to take nice vacations in my trouble-free domestics, not to mention the tens of thousands we have saved over the years in purchase costs. I laugh loud and long at the "You'll be sorry. It will break down" rants. We waited 325,000 miles for our Ford to break down. It NEVER DID. We waited 277,000 miles for our Buick to "cost us a fortune". It never required ONE SINGLE REPAIR. We DID get a bit scared of having problems with our Dodge after 240,000 miles. After all, it HAD required 2 timing belts and one hose. We didn't take it on long trips after that, but the person who bought it is STILL driving it at over 300,000 miles.

Yes, the thought of expensive car repairs with our domestics just makes me SOOOO nervous. Why, we'll probably get scared and sell our Envoy at 500,000 miles.

1st Jun 2009, 18:20

THANK YOU!! I genuinely appreciate the support. Sadly, no import fan will EVER respond with anything beyond the "It's better because I SAY SO" and personal attacks that grab at straws.

I have yet to receive any answers to the Toyota engine failures and flimsy Tundra construction, nor do I expect to. What we've seen over the years in the way of explanations has caused fits of laughter. I'll never forget such import-fan gems as "Toyota didn't KNOW the bad cams were being installed" (implying that little engine-elves did it in the dark of night). Of course there is the classic "My Tacoma broke in half, but Toyota gave me another one". I've even asked for reports from people who bought a SECOND Tundra. Guess what?? NO ONE has responded to that one either!!

2nd Jun 2009, 10:34

"You are really stretching it with your assumptions."

Is guessing an assumption? I said "I think" before my "assumption" of the scientist claim.

As for being a delusional Toyota fan... that's total bologna. I no longer own one and wouldn't buy a new one because I think that buying from an American company is very important these days (I'd buy a Ford F250). Mine was a reasonably good truck, however, even if some have had the problems you mentioned. As far as the "tough issues". The Tundra HAD A BRAKE ISSUE. Mine had it too... as I mentioned. I didn't have a suspension issue and wasn't a part of the related recall... BUT OBVIOUSLY MANY WERE. Mine didn't bend or flex enough to bend anything even though I occasionally overloaded it during my home's construction. I had no engine failure. I would NOT buy another because it is too lightly constructed for the types of work I occasionally do. I didn't like how it bounced off the snubbers with a load of lumber in the back.

You missed the obvious here... I posted my experience. He put it down as not being very relevant because it wasn't his idea of high mileage thanks to his Domestics. I'm tired of that approach and simply posted all I could remember of his posts (and a few of yours accidentally) so as to point out that his and clearly your posts are nearly pure rhetoric and not based on any Tundra experience. This was no ad homonym argument. It was an attempt to point out that we've heard it all before and would LIKE to get down to the brass tacks of this vehicle's strengths and weaknesses without endless over-broad "domestic is better" potshots from non-owners.

I'm done with you and I'm done with this site. I've posted about my vehicles and kept a running log to inform others about what goes wrong and right. That is the only thing that is of any value here. I don't care if you are one, two or 25 people. You are wrong-headed about just about every point that you make. You never question your sources so long as they enforce your preconceptions. So in your mind "consumer affairs=good" "everyone else=bad". I have questions of all of the sources but haven't dismissed ANY as irrelevant. It's funny, though, to see a "scientist" choose a source that is strictly anecdote over every survey that attempts to put controls on their sample. I've got my own set of preconceptions but am not married to them--still, to change them requires evidence; a point that seems lost on you guys. So I'm done with the constant bickering. Enjoy your new argument thread. I won't be reading it. Maybe you can get some poor, hapless Toyota guy to use your "half-vast" arguments in reverse. I bet you could squeeze another 1000+ comments out of this thread... a masochist might be car shopping somewhere.

2nd Jun 2009, 20:36

I have had recent imports and rarely kept them beyond 36,000 miles, and have sold them, bought the same (Hondas) yet again as long as they were under 3 yrs-36,000 miles. My wife would get a break with her credit union and buy in September another new model. I also owned imports during the gas scare odd even gas line waits in the early 70's. The quality was good back then on imports.

As far as full size trucks, drive them and see if they work. I am still having great luck with my Silverado, have not posted for a while.

I just picked up a nice LS1 Corvette Convertible, an interesting change from driving my truck so much. The whole thing is driving should be a lot of fun, and even after driving for many years I still love it. My truck tows and is capable not a compromise as far as drivability, handling, strength, performance, comfort, ride and great warranty. Was a simple decision, but it involved driving not others without equivalent applications in mind.

If you never carry, tow you can perhaps make do with about anything if you like driving it.