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Toyota Sienna score in Consumer Reports "plunges", no longer top-rated

Old 08-04-10, 06:21 AM
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MPLexus301
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Originally Posted by J.P.
Here 80% is a B- and only a fraction away from a C+
That's the way it has always been AFAIK!
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Old 08-04-10, 07:15 AM
  #17  
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I can see the fit and finish issue. Toyota's have gotten more dodgy in that department in the last few years and it's even more noticeable now since other makes are really stepping up their interior game.
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Old 08-04-10, 08:32 AM
  #18  
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Originally Posted by TRDFantasy
I guess, but if you look at it from the point of view of letter grades, an 80 would be an A- while a 94 would be an A+, so not a big difference between the two .

Yes this is in a way a good alarm for Toyota, but I don't think they need any more alarms after what's happened to them over the past year or so. The alarm bells started sounding at Toyota years ago. Toyota of course is a huge company, so change takes time. Appointing Akio Toyoda as president was the first big step in revamping the company.
i actually don't mind if media / public are a bit more critical against toyota. that's what drive you to improve, not a bad thing
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Old 08-04-10, 08:36 AM
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Toyota is starting to sound like GM!!!
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Old 08-04-10, 08:38 AM
  #20  
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They might do a drive by on CR

 
Old 08-04-10, 08:44 AM
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I haven't closely examined or reviewed the latest Sienna myself, but it does not surprise me that the Odyssey surpassed it in CR reviews. Except for Toyota's traditionally excellent paint jobs (which still seem to be there), Honda, today, seems to assemble a car better and tighter than Toyota does, and use better materials. Honda's main problem today (and many CL members seem to agree) is ugly styling.
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Old 08-04-10, 08:48 AM
  #22  
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Originally Posted by jason60050
Toyota is starting to sound like GM!!!
Not really. There are some GM products today that I would actually buy before their Toyota equivalants....among them, the Chevy Malibu/Saturn Aura (while Auras are still available), Chevy Tahoe, and Chevy Silverado.

To be fair, though, Toyota still has excellent build quality in some of their smaller products.....notably the Corolla and Yaris and some Scions.
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Old 08-04-10, 10:08 AM
  #23  
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If the fit and finish are really that bad compared to the previous gen, then it is saying something because my 2004 sienna doesnt have that great materials either. I give them a good fit, but certainly not finish. Plus the car creaks like its flexing when going over bumps or making turns.
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Old 08-04-10, 10:59 AM
  #24  
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I didn't get a chance to do an intro on my new swagger wagon yet, but this stupid article is just plain pathetic.

First off, alot of people b % t ch about the hard plastic ala venza as compared to the soft padding. It's not great, but not as bad as the domestics.

Fit and finish is fine, not "poor". After reading how the whole dash/glove is not lined up, the only area I can find that is off is the left radio trim where it's off maybe 1/16"-I'll take a picture.

I did check out a Limited and it's the same. Hey, I will give kudos to toyota, at least they're consistent with their flaw.

I have a 1 week old SE (yes, 19" with 235/50/19 tires...so the lesser the sidewall the harsher it is blah blah blah), it is much quieter than my 06 sienna LE. The BS about it being louder inside-WTF are they saying.

So technically if the lowly CE and LE come with the 17", you have more sidewalls. It should've even be quieter.

Unless they can show it with dB meter (did they?), then there's no argument there.

Originally Posted by TRDFantasy
I guess, but if you look at it from the point of view of letter grades, an 80 would be an A- while a 94 would be an A+, so not a big difference between the two .

Yes this is in a way a good alarm for Toyota, but I don't think they need any more alarms after what's happened to them over the past year or so. The alarm bells started sounding at Toyota years ago. Toyota of course is a huge company, so change takes time. Appointing Akio Toyoda as president was the first big step in revamping the company.
Yep, I said it before. The toyota A is slipping into A-/B+ territory, but it's miles better than the B and C grade car out there.

I agree that the current toyota's quality isn't as good as before, but it's waaay better than most product out there.

I am toyota loyalist (so far), not a fanboy


Originally Posted by 1SICKLEX
They might do a drive by on CR

My swagger family would gladly do a convoy with them for a drive-by to CR HQ
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Old 08-04-10, 11:08 AM
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Originally Posted by GS3Tek
the only area I can find that is off is the left radio trim where it's off maybe 1/16"-I'll take a picture.

I think the problem is that Toyota has set the standard so high that when something is slightly off, the press goes bananas over it. 1/16" off in a Toyota/Lexus is considered poor, but 1/16" in a domestic is an improvement
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Old 08-04-10, 11:11 AM
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Originally Posted by GSteg
I think the problem is that Toyota has set the standard so high that when something is slightly off, the press goes bananas over it. 1/16" off in a Toyota/Lexus is considered poor, but 1/16" in a domestic is an improvement
Not really. I have noticed the quality slipping myself. And as I said above other makers have really improved their interiors to either match or surpass some of their Toyota counterparts. It's a combination of Toyota's slippage and their competitors improvement.
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Old 08-04-10, 11:24 AM
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Everybody knows Toyota has been slipping. Many other manufacturers do too, but they don't get the same press as Toyota. I've witnessed Toyota's decline in quality myself (father owns a bulletproof 93 Toyota Camry), and I've also witnessed the same thing in Hondas, but Honda doesn't get hammered as much as Toyota.
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Old 08-04-10, 11:45 AM
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Originally Posted by GSteg
Everybody knows Toyota has been slipping. Many other manufacturers do too, but they don't get the same press as Toyota. I've witnessed Toyota's decline in quality myself (father owns a bulletproof 93 Toyota Camry), and I've also witnessed the same thing in Hondas, but Honda doesn't get hammered as much as Toyota.
like you said, toyota set the bar so high before so now they are getting more "earful". but then at the same time, i don't think it's a "bad" thing coz' it helps them to be very alert and aware.
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Old 08-04-10, 12:13 PM
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Originally Posted by GSteg
Everybody knows Toyota has been slipping. Many other manufacturers do too, but they don't get the same press as Toyota. I've witnessed Toyota's decline in quality myself (father owns a bulletproof 93 Toyota Camry), and I've also witnessed the same thing in Hondas, but Honda doesn't get hammered as much as Toyota.
Exactly. Also virtually nobody on the internet talks about how in some ways even Hyundai, yes Hyundai quality is gradually decreasing in some ways with their new models compared to previous generation models.

Toyota will continue to be a target for a while.
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Old 08-04-10, 01:03 PM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by mmarshall
To be fair, though, Toyota still has excellent build quality in some of their smaller products.....notably the Corolla and Yaris and some Scions.
The fit and finish in these three vehicles is well below-par. I find nothing "excellent" about the hard, cheap feeling plastics in these vehicles, especially when compared to vehicles like the new Ford Fiesta. I am sure the fundamentals of the vehicle has traditional Toyota quality (removed from the media circus), but the Corolla is still the poster child for near borderline deplorable build quality everywhere one touches and looks.
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