any news on stock hid's, bluetooth, and or any other good things?

 

I haven't seen HIDs in the future for GX. Maybe because americans are hypersensative to...everything, and headlights in a GX are at least 8 inches higher than in an RX. Australia has HID on LX and a refridgerator in the center armrest too!

 

I would KILL for a hybrid GX. I'm so tempted by that RX hybrid, but it doesn't meet the weight requirements and doesn't have enough room in the back. I know some may disagree, but I think there is a fortune to be made in large hybrid SUVs. If I could own my nice safe LUV without the expense, hassle, and guilt of poor gas mileage, I'd pay $5k extra.

I wish the government would really get on the auto manufacturers to push hybrid/hydrogen technologies.

 

Check the article in Motor Trend this month. It suggests that gas/elec hybrids are just the stepping stone to hydro fuel cell vehicles. They also said IF hydro cars were going to be coming out in 5 years, they'd bet the farm on Toyota. Their gas/elec is so much more advanced that anyone elses.

 

I don't know, BMW has been driving a hydrogen fuel cell powered 7 series around the world for quite a while now. They may have skipped the electric hybrid and been working on the hydrogen fuel cell technology all this time. I can't wait to see. I just wish the white house (no matter who's in office) would push the automakers to adopt the new technologies and start readying the infrastructure changes like hyrdrogen stations at the 7-11.

 

I agree and disagree. BMW has been fumbling around with hydro-fuel-cell for the better part of a decade. Their failure in being able to develop a production ready model is just another example of BMW trying too hard to push the envelope. Toyota has produced a less problematic, less expensive hydro-fuel-cell concept based on the Highlander. How? Because they already had the building block in gas/electric hybrids. Now that Toyota has "perfected" the gas-electric hybrid, they'll leapfrog BMW in the hydro-fuel-cell technology.

Automakers NEED to adopt these new technologies, but I don't think Government mandate is the way. I think simple supply and demand will do it. If consumers are going to the Japenese to buy hybrids, then the American and German automakers will go out of business as the hybrid market grows into the mainstream. You won't need government mandate because the only companies to survive will be the ones with modern hybrid tech, not modern PR and advertising.

 

*Disclaimer* (Not trying to start a political debate at all, I'm pretty socially liberal and financially conservative)

I agree and disagree as well. I would rather have market pressures drive the transition. However, I think a true paradigm shift towards renewable energy sources will take a major change in infrastructure in the US (or any other country) which would require at least some government cooperation. On my most cynical days, I'm afraid the big oil company lobby will try to block/impede those changes because it would drastically reduce the need for oil. I'm also afraid that Americans may be a little insensitive to the environmental impact and it may take many decades for the market pressures to drive this transition. And then you have the big US automakers perhaps dragging their feet because they don't want to spend the money on retooling the plants, developing the new engines, etc...

Now on my positive days, I look at it this way: Lexus/Toyota will produce hybrid cars with double the gas mileage of their gas counterparts with comparable power (key part). People everywhere will vote with their wallets and the demand for these hybrids will be incredible. Getting anything less than 30 miles to the gallon will make you a social outcast. The big US automakers will be forced to compete and within 10 years, virtually all new models will be some form of hybrid getting at least 40 miles to the gallon. Our dependence on oil will drop. The Middle Eastern countries will lose their ability to buy weapons because we won't be subsidizing them with oil money. We won't need to drill Alaska or any other wilderness for fuel. The smog over LA will fade. And we'll all live happily ever after.

I know for me personally this is true. If someone can deliver one of the current popular vehicles with comparable power in a hybrid/hydrogen/windmill/whatever version, I'll buy it in a heartbeat and run around the office harrassing anyone who doesn't. I'd pay an extra $100 every time I bought a car just to subsidize the dealers buying back the old gas guzzlers to get them off the street.

Just my thoughts.

 

Fair enough. However, most hybrid buyers aren't buying them for enviromental reasons. They're getting them for techno/keeping-up-with-the-Jones's reasons.

Good point on the oil industry.

 

Oh, I'm all about having the latest gadgets, but I guess I'd say for me it would be 80% environmental and 20% cool factor.

 

jacksonian... you nailed both sides. I thought I was hearing a delayed echo of a debate I had with a super-liberal that wanted the gov to have strict mandate regarding alternative vehicles (like Clinton tried to do, but the requirements and dates keep getting pushed back). Luckily, capitalism and a free society is a concept that works. Why do you think all the auto makers are rushing out hybrids lately? Even Ford has a hybrid Escape coming out. If the product is good, we'll buy it! Don't force us to buy substandard goods. Toyota made an excellent product and now others are rushing to catch up!

On that point, and in response to knolex2001, I agree that most people aren't buying them for the environmental benefits. However, I don't agree that it is just techno/keeping-up reasons (except for the media craving actors out there that think its cool to have "normal people" stuff instead of the *bling*... to them, looking middle class is a fashion statement! But I digress...) I know a few people with them and they all evaluated it like a normal vehicle when they were searching for a new ride. They all simply thought that it was one of the best vehicles in their price range and for their needs.

Like both of you said, build a quality product that competes on its own merits and the fact that it is a hybrid will simply become another line-item on the invoice like manual & auto transmission.

<<shoving soap-box back under desk...>>

 

Funny you bring up the Hollywood types. Leonardo shows up at the Oscars in his Prius, then you see him on tape driving around town in an H2. Now I don't begrudge anyone driving their H2, but don't pull up at the Oscarsin your hybrid acting like that's your daily driver!

 

Ford Escape hybrid is using Toyota technology, if in 10 years the hybrid cars are all over getting 40 miles to a gallon what the hell are people gonna do with 10mpg H2