Akio Toyoda making special announcement: confirmed to build ES350 in Kentucky, USA
10-12-14, 05:49 PM
#76
Lexus Fanatic
Wow you really think so? I totally disagree. BTW you don't know what I know. I think that you have very little knowledge on the matter. I have been an auto fanatic for at least the last 20 years and have been with Toyota vehicles for at least 25 years. Like I said, I see what goes on here in the US every day.
Like I said, get the data to prove your position and post it. Reliability data is easy to come by, it should be very clear if there was a drop in quality when production shifted out of Japan. With nothing to back up what you're saying you're just wasting bandwidth.
10-12-14, 06:13 PM
#77
Lexus Fanatic
Originally Posted by Akachan LS
I have been an auto fanatic for at least the last 20 years and have been with Toyota vehicles for at least 25 years.
I grew up during the 1980s when "Made in Japan" or "Japan Incorporated" meant an obsession with quality and perfectionism, thus Lexus' motto for the "Relentless Persuit of Perfection".
I, too, am a long-time auto owner and reviewer (dating back to the 1960s). And I can tell you that, while the Japanese-designed vehicles of the 1980s were generally head and shoulders in quality above their poorly-built American counterparts, they were not defect-free by any means. Some of them had significant problems. Honda Accords had rust-out front fenders, with big holes in them, that led to a massive replace/repaint campaign by the manufacturer.....many Accords had brand-new, freshly-painted front fenders on them while the rest of the car deteriorated. Early Subarus, like Hondas, could often be identified by rust holes and corrosion. Mazda RX-7 rotary engines flooded out and smoked up a storm on cold starts, used both gas and oil like it was going out of style, and wore out prematurely from weak apex-tip seals. The Honda CVCC engine, which was the first engine to meet advanced American emissions standards without a catalyst and unleaded fuel, was so cantankerous that you had to let it idle for long periods on a cold start and almost completely warm up before you could let out the clutch or put it in gear without stalling. Almost all of the Japanese-designed carburetors of the period, on piston engines, ran so lean that they surged and lacked response even when fully-warm. Synchronizers on manual transmissions were another often-weak point on Japanese-designed cars of the time, resulting in premature wear and gear-grinding/crunching if you didn't heel/toe shift or double-clutch. The Japanese suspensions of the period, even with very tall-profile tires by today's standards, typically tossed you up and down over bumps like a yo-yo. Sound insulation was so lacking that some vehicles buzzed/echoed with noise inside like a drum. Toyota pick-up beds constantly rusted out along the exact same attachment-line just above the rear tires......but that was more a result of them being shipped from the Japanese factories with just the cab/chassis and the beds then welded on aftermarket here at the West Coast docking-point.....that was done to legally get around the 25% tariff on imported whole trucks. The crappy welding, which allowed early bed-rust, was actually more of an American problem than the Japanese.
Anyhow, without taking all day, my point is that simply having a "Made in Japan" label, even during the 1980s when many Americans (myself being one of them) turned to Japanese cars in an effort to escape Detroit's notorious junk, was no guarantee of defect-free ownership....and factory warranties back then were only 1/12 on the average.
Last edited by mmarshall; 10-12-14 at 06:21 PM.
10-12-14, 07:00 PM
#79
Maybe he's a traditionalist. He wants his Japanese car made in Japan. A lot of bimmer guys prefer their cars manufactured in Germany and would scoff if their cars were built elsewhere. Even perceived build quality from Japan would make some buyers more comfortable about their purchase.
10-12-14, 07:09 PM
#80
Lexus Fanatic
Maybe he's a traditionalist. He wants his Japanese car made in Japan. A lot of bimmer guys prefer their cars manufactured in Germany and would scoff if their cars were built elsewhere. Even perceived build quality from Japan would make some buyers more comfortable about their purchase.
Last edited by mmarshall; 10-12-14 at 07:14 PM.
10-12-14, 07:18 PM
#81
10-12-14, 07:28 PM
#82
Lexus Fanatic
Actually, the last post I made (my bad) was not totally correct. I forgot that the 2Gen Z4 production (including the Z4's M coupe) was transferred to Germany. The Greer/Spartanburg site now produces a number of the SUVs.
10-12-14, 07:50 PM
#83
Maybe he's a traditionalist. He wants his Japanese car made in Japan. A lot of bimmer guys prefer their cars manufactured in Germany and would scoff if their cars were built elsewhere. Even perceived build quality from Japan would make some buyers more comfortable about their purchase.
Steve
10-12-14, 08:02 PM
#84
But since we're talking about an ES350, are people really going notice? It's not like many ES owners will ask their salesman whether their cars were built in America or Japan. Most will buy it based on reputation and then move along with their purchase. The Lexus RX continues to sell like crazy whether it's made in Japan or Canada. That right there should be an indication.
10-12-14, 08:23 PM
#85
Perception is a powerful tool. If given a choice, as a buyer, would you prefer your Lexus be built in Japan or America? Would you prefer your suits be tailored in Italy, your shoes in England, your watches in Switzerland or all manufactured in America?
10-12-14, 08:31 PM
#86
Lexus Fanatic
I honestly wouldn't care. A mass produced car is not the same as a hand tailored suit or a hand made watch.
10-12-14, 08:42 PM
#89
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
but i did love that car... 