The Japanese 'model' also stipulates:
vehicles must all look alike;
be astonishingly boring to drive;
get V8 fuel economy while giving V6 performance;
ergonomics geared to people 5' 4" with tiny fingers;
have zero collector appeal;
conduct marketing campaigns that suggest that if you don't drive one of their cars, your kids will die.
My '98 Tacoma does look like all the other fifteen year old Tacoma's on the road. But with only 119K on her, I will have to live with the bland look for a long time. I have always viewed trucks as a way to get to work. If it will do that without much input from me, I can live with it.
When Margie went from a 2000 Oldsmobile Alero to the '05 Prius it was a huge increase in head and leg room. {but the Alero was still a great car, and I drove it for five years. Other than some computer problems, I had no trouble for the years I drove it} When we got the Prius, it was about the first one around here. People would stop us in parking lots asking to look at it. Of course there are millions of them around now, so they do look common. But when they first started making them, it was a pretty unique design. I have never felt it was under powered either. When you gas it, the motor and engine both contribute power.
I'm only 5' 11", but even with the seat on my '13 Camry raised all the way, I still have plenty of head room. And with the 6 speed transmission, it gets 33 mpg. {that is even with my bad late for work problem} I'm not nimble fingered, but work all the controls on the steering wheel without any trouble. Once you learn them, you will never want to go back to having to look away from the road to change the AC or stereo settings.
I can't comment on ad campaigns. I click through all car ads, no matter the country of origin of the company. I'm not in a position to collect cars, other than the camo Corsica and the Dodge van under my shed. And if I got the right offer on them, my collection would be smaller.
I've driven German, Japanese and American cars. The three Toyota's we have now, a VW Rabbit and about twelve American cars and trucks. With each one, I always bought what I could afford, and what I thought was the best deal at the time. If I ever buy another, it will be for the same reasons. If I'm still alive in thirty years when the Chinese cars will be worth driving, I would consider one of them too.
Larro
