The new Big Three!

[Big Boost]

Toyota just supplanted Diamler-Chrysler as the third largest auto manufacturer in the US. Wow. I wonder if Ford and GM are sweatin' right now.

[UnderPSI]

There is a local shop around here that is going to have to change their name to "Big 2 and the Other One". :goof

[juicedimpss]

There is a local shop around here that is going to have to change their name to "Big 2 and the Other One". :goof

:rolf
nice

[Al]

Motor trend expects toyota to become #1 by 2010.

[Flicktitty]

Motor trend expects toyota to become #1 by 2010.

i wouldn't doubt it. they make very good cars/trucks/Suv's the last three SUV's my mom has bought have all been Yota's my dad is thinking of trading his 05 F150 for a New Tundra!

[Prince Valiant]

GM expects toyota to become #1 too...and they aren't going to try to stop it intitially at least. They hope that from the #2 posistion, they can reorganize enough to reclaim #1

What would be interesting is the growth of GM in china...if sales take off there, they may be able to retain #1.

[hrsp]

toyota makes dependable vehicles..nuff said...

[2SLOW]

toyota may buy out ford anyone hear anything about this?

[Karps TA]

It's all perception and past failures of the Big 3. Had they not made piles of junk in the 80's and 90's people wouldn't have given the Japanese brands a chance. But American car makers let the bean counters run the company, and in turn they made terrible products.

Sadly they are all making some nice stuff now, but the general public isn't noticing or giving them a chance.

It also doesn't help that the Jap mfgs keep building plants here and creating jobs while all you hear from GM and Ford is plant closings. When an American Icon such as the Ford Mustang has only 65% of it's parts made in the US or Canada, and the Toyota Sienna minivan has 90%, something's wrong.

[penji04]

Toyota's customer service is going a little down hill but they still do make a great vehicle. I have a tacoma right now but when it comes time to pick up a new truck im pretty sure it wont be a yota. Their overpriced, small and under powered. That v8 is worse than the 305 in my camaro IMO. I know they have some new stuff coming out soon with their truck line, so i guess i'll have to wait and see.

[GTSLOW]

Its all them dam scions drivin around I tell ya.

I saw a black one with blue flames in south milwaukee the other day. :sgay

[fireguyrick]

Its all them dam scions drivin around I tell ya.

I saw a black one with blue flames in south milwaukee the other day. :sgay

I know that Mr. Big Shot is in SM area, and has a Scion Tc with flames painted on it, but I am not sure what colors the car and flames are.

Rick

[88Nightmare]

toyota makes very good cars, but I still have yet to be wowed by their trucks.

[PureSound15]

There is a local shop around here that is going to have to change their name to "Big 2 and the Other One". :goof

:rolf Damnit! I don't know anything about Toyota motors!

I cant stand those box scions, I know they're roomy, but they're ugly as sin!

[GRM-REPR]

Good topic, a bit over the top, but still worthy of posting on. Frankly, i wish everyone would quit using the phrase "The big three". It hasn't been the big 3 since Chysler was bought out, and that is quoted straight from the top of Diamler. It's the big 2, now, more like the big 1.5.

Karps has a great point, American automakers do make good vehicles, according to Consumer Reports "Domestic auto makers are just behind Asain auto makers in quality and reliability." No offense to owerns of Euro cars, but they are ranked the worst, yet no one ever speaks of this.?

Toyota can have the number one spot. Then they can see the scrutiny they should be receiving right now like Ford and G.M do. It was only a few months back when Toyota "in their own country", were found to be covering up "countless" recalls. What does our government do? Oh, thats ok, we don't want to strain our trade relations, so we won't really do anything.

So I say let them be number 1. When you have a workforce designed like Toyota's is, i.e. cheap f'n labor, massive workforce, every single American trusting the product, you're going to go buy that vehicle. I admit Ford and G.M made junk pretty much from the early 60's, (I'm not ripping on sports or muscle cars), cuz they could have made econo boxes as well, but didn't.

My 2cents, not out to offend anyone.

[juicedimpss]

I cant stand those box scions, I know they're roomy, but they're ugly as sin!

agreed :thumbsup

[Cjburn]

"Foreign" manufacturers are the ONLY people to be building new automotive manufacturing plants in the USA. I drive a brand new Scion tC, I bought it because it gets decent gas mileage and it was new for 16.5K. I am going to have to have the dash replaced since it has a TON of imperfections across the entire piece. I've seen magazines rip the Cobalt for having a cheap interior, and I can attest to it being no different in build quality than my Toyota. There are a lot of problems with how the automotive press writes about a domestic manufacturer. GM cannot do anything right, Toyota can do no wrong. It's unfair to GM, it really is. Nobody makes a better looking SUV than GM, in my opinion. Hardly any of their cars look good, they're oddly proportioned, and have a ton of shiny aluminum pieces that will oxidize and look like crap in 5 years. I buy Toyotas, Nissans, and Hondas because of my preference for their styling and their style of interiors. I do believe that "Foreign" manufacturers spend more money on quality products that go in their cars. Toyota's drag V8's use factory blocks to 2,000 hp (according to Kenny Duttweiller (sp?) who heads their campaigns), forged cranks are pretty much standard affair, as sometimes are main girdles. We'll see if Ford/GM get the idea if you spend more money on building a car, people will pay more for them. No more deep discounting just to sell cars, they'll keep their profit margins, and return to profitability.