Some general Questions for Toyota Owners, Helping a friend with a term paper Options

[barterj]

Here are some interview questions, please answer 1 or 2 of them, or all if you want. Copy and paste the question you are responding to so I know which question the response is for.

Have long have you had, or did you have, your Toyota, what made you buy it? What year, model?

Why do you like your Toyota, and what do you use it for (driving, racing, towing stuff)?

Do you know any myths, superstitions or conspiracies involving Toyotas? What about jokes, inside or about Toyotas (like the punch bug or dub, depending on the year, for VW)?

Is there any rivalry that you know of with other car companies?

Is there a special recognition factor you get from begin a Toyota owner (like the "Wrangler Wave" for jeep owners)?

If Toyota owners could fall into one or two "general" stereotypes what would it/they be (Like Subaru owners are known to be like outdoor hippies, and VW owners are generally awesome...)?

Their current Ad campaign "Moving forward", and their promises off reliability?

How do you feel about the Prius, and the people who drive them?

During the Cash for Clunkers thing, the Corolla, the Camry, and the Pruis were all in the top 10 sellers, ranking at 1, 3, and 7. Any thoughts, or comments regarding this info?

How do you feel about the current issues surrounding Toyota, such as the recalls, the guy with the "run away Prius guy" and the lawsuit, such as the recent $16 million one?

Why do you think the recall got so much media attention, and do you think the massive media coverage could have been part of a conspiracy trying to get people to buy American?

Are there any other noteworthy things that you've noticed about Toyota, or the people who drive them, or anything else you want to add?

[GriffGirl]

Have long have you had, or did you have, your Toyota, what made you buy it? What year, model?
I bought my first Toyota, an '89 Celica, in 1998. I bought it because I wanted a 6th gen Celica, but they were new still, and could not afford one. Had it for 2 years; sold it to buy an '89 Pathfinder, just wanted a bigger car.
Bought my second Toyota, a '92 4Runner, in 2003(?). I bought it because the Pathfinder was alright, but the 4Runner was WAY nicer and I got a killer deal on it. I sold it in 2008, only because the price of gas went up and my commute was long, and it just got too expensive to drive 200+ miles a week. I sold it with the express intention of buying my next car... (enter segway!)
My '94 Celica, purchased July 2008. I bought it because it is the car I've ALWAYS wanted, and I was finally able to get one.

All of the Toyotas I've bought, I bought for the same reason: reliability and style. The style and design of them appeals to me, and their reliability is paramount.

Why do you like your Toyota, and what do you use it for (driving, racing, towing stuff)?
I like my Celica because it looks great and suits my personality - rock solid, dependable and a little on the "racy" side without being too crazy. I use it as my daily driver, and commute 40+ miles a day in it.

Do you know any myths, superstitions or conspiracies involving Toyotas? What about jokes, inside or about Toyotas (like the punch bug or dub, depending on the year, for VW)?
There's lots of rumors floating around the internet about this whole Toyota recall thing being played up as part of a US gov't conspiracy to get US auto makers back on track. I'm not big into conspiracies, nor am I big into rumors, so personally, I couldn't care less one way or the other. It doesn't change my opinion about Toyota. As far as jokes or whatever about Toyota, the closest I can come to that is that an old boss of mine used to always say to me "You got it, Toyota" because he knew I was into Toyotas, and it's an old tag line from a Toyota ad campaign from the early 80s.

Is there any rivalry that you know of with other car companies?
Probably Honda is the closest to a rivalry, but that's more amongst the owners rather than from a corporate or manufacturing level I think.

Is there a special recognition factor you get from begin a Toyota owner (like the "Wrangler Wave" for jeep owners)?
I get "the nod" a lot when I see another 6th gen Celi driver on the road. I've gotten a few waves and once a peace sign out the window as they passed me in the HOV lane, but usually I just get "the nod" which of course I always return.

If Toyota owners could fall into one or two "general" stereotypes what would it/they be (Like Subaru owners are known to be like outdoor hippies, and VW owners are generally awesome...)?
In Oregon, Subaru owners are known to be lesbians (unless it's a WRX or STi of course) and VW owners are known to be WASP yuppies. I don't know what the stereotype is for Toyota owners. Probably would fall under white, middle class urban-dwelling folks between the ages of 25 and 50. But that's just here in the Pacific Northwest.

Their current Ad campaign "Moving forward", and their promises off reliability?
The slogan "Moving Forward" is just alright in my opinion. It doesn't exactly denote any characteristics of excitement or thrill, it's just kind of milk-toasty I think. Not cutting edge. As far as promises of reliability, well, they've got some making up to do in the public eye I think. I doubt that any serious Toyota fans will be dissuaded by the recent recall fiascoes, but any potential for "new recruits" has probably been lost - and lost to the Ford Fusion for that matter. I've been inside one, and honestly, on the surface, I can see why.

How do you feel about the Prius, and the people who drive them?
I see a TON of Prius' here in Portland. How do I feel about them? I wouldn't own one. For one thing, they're UGLY as sin and equally as slow. For another, with hybrid research and technology advancing every day, there's no reason to drive one. I'd rather wait and buy a "regular" car that happens to be a hybrid if I were to go that route. I'm all for hybrid technology - but for myself, not at the cost of taking the fun out of driving. As for the people who drive them? Again, I can only relate that to the Portland market, and in Portland, the vast majority of people who drive the Prius are sanctimonious, hypocritical, fake hippie, yuppie assholes who think they're doing the planet a huge favor by driving a Prius, eating only organic food and signing petitions when the reality is that it takes a LOT more than that to affect change on a global scale. They make me want to smoke cigarettes, eat fast food burgers, and litter. THAT's how I feel about them. And their dumb fcuking Save the Planet bumper stickers.

During the Cash for Clunkers thing, the Corolla, the Camry, and the Pruis were all in the top 10 sellers, ranking at 1, 3, and 7. Any thoughts, or comments regarding this info?
People know a good thing when they see it! Interesting that the Corolla beat out the Prius - another example that just goes to show that people would rather drive cars that look like cars AND get great gas mileage than drive those ugly ass things.

How do you feel about the current issues surrounding Toyota, such as the recalls, the guy with the "run away Prius guy" and the lawsuit, such as the recent $16 million one?
The recalls are scary and unfortunate for Toyota, especially in the economic climate we're in now, but I think it will quickly be overcome and forgotten. The run away Prius guy/lawsuit, etc... WHY CAN'T PEOPLE FIGURE OUT HOW TO PUT THEIR CAR IN NEUTRAL? Or better yet, slam the fcuker into reverse? SO WHAT IF IT'LL DROP THE TRANSMISSION. There's more than one way to stop a car, and it doesn't have to involve a brick wall or pedestrian. I'm a little dumbfounded by this whole thing, quite honestly. It's just another example of American society and it's deep denial of any accountability or personal responsibility. In this case, it's people panicking and losing their heads. I'm not at ALL implying that any acceleration problem is the fault of the driver. But I think there are some people coming out of the woodwork and being opportunistic here.

Are Toyotas having the same problems in Europe and other markets? Seems like we only hear about USDM spec Toyotas having these problems. I could be wrong though.

Why do you think the recall got so much media attention, and do you think the massive media coverage could have been part of a conspiracy trying to get people to buy American?
I think it got so much attention because Toyota is known for its reliability, so it's a big deal that Toyota put out all these vehicles that are unreliable. No, I don't think the massive media coverage in and of itself is a part of this alleged conspiracy. HOWEVER - and independent Senate investigation panel? THAT's more likely to be a part of any conspiracy. I think the massive media coverage is just the fallout. It's a pawn, and the government knows that the more they get involved, the more coverage there will be.

Are there any other noteworthy things that you've noticed about Toyota, or the people who drive them, or anything else you want to add?
Just that it seems very much that Toyota owners are still loyal to the brand, regardless of the recent debacle surrounding Toyota.

This post has been edited by GriffGirl: Apr 6, 2010 - 2:08 PM