Toyota halts planned U.S. based manufacturing of Prius

[Squisher]

I have a problem with Consumer Reports reliability ratings as an end all because it relies on people responding to a survey. What this does is magnify results be it either good or bad. People are more likely to respond if they have an ax to grind or are significantly impressed with a car. What this does is under-report those cars around the middle of the curve. But, it can be used to compare similar vehicles.

Consumer Reports has shown some bias in the past with their car reviews. There have been instances where they projected reliability being different of two clone vehicles with both being identical except for one being badged with a foreign nameplate and another being badged with a domestic nameplate. These cars were made on the same assembly line using the same parts.

 

[GroundedSailor]

Originally posted by: 5150Joker
Hey strk,

What about the god awful exterior and interior designs of American cars? The cheap ass plastic interior that's common in GM/Ford cars and the FUGLY designs..it's an eye sore looking at American cars. I don't care what JD powers or Consumer reports has to say. My family has owned domestics and Japanese cars and there is no comparison in quality, American cars are garbage.

That is your opinion and you are entitled to it. But remember that is a subjective opinion. What you find fugly others find good looking. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.

And if American cars were so bad, why would they outsell Japanese makes in the US?

Here are 2006 sales figures by manufacturers
From NADA website

Chrysler 2,142,500
Ford 3,629,959
GM 4,681,782
Toyota 1,733,818
Honda 1,200,118

Also from the US Dept of Transportation website:

Sales in 2006

Retail New Passenger Car Sales
Domestics 5,436 (in thousands)
Imports 2,345

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: 5150Joker
Hey strk,

What about the god awful exterior and interior designs of American cars? The cheap ass plastic interior that's common in GM/Ford cars and the FUGLY designs..it's an eye sore looking at American cars. I don't care what JD powers or Consumer reports has to say. My family has owned domestics and Japanese cars and there is no comparison in quality, American cars are garbage.

I have always thought the domestics actually were always better looking from the outside generally than foreign cars. Not having been in many foreign cars I can't vouch for the look of their interiors, but your opinion, well maybe a little less vehemently, seems to be shared by many. Having bought my first foreign car, I really don't see what all the fuss is about.