Look Out Toyota, Here Comes The Good Enough Chinese Car

[bronsin]

See the post "The Most Dangerous Car in America?"

Even with all those "safety" features you want you're driving the most dangerous car made.

Better to drive defensively if you want to be safe.

But by all means "go for it".

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

See the post "The Most Dangerous Car in America?"

Even with all those "safety" features you want you're driving the most dangerous car made.

Better to drive defensively if you want to be safe.

But by all means "go for it".

Re the specific items you listed (not the 'list is endless' part ), the only items that are directly related to safety are the ABS and the air bags. Some people might find the other things you mentioned nice or necessary, but they aren't directly related to safety. People have different things that they want to spend their money on, even while staying within the realm of their car or cars. I don't like paying more than I need to for something that I want or need, but I dislike even more having to buy some feature that I don't want that is 'glommed onto a bundled order' so to speak -- the 'high optioned' local new Toyota inventory you've mentioned in your posts would be an example of this.

[kimona]

For the time being, I would never consider any Chinese made car.

BTW, here's a 2012 Daihatsu Charade: Look familiar!

[junorico24]

Originally Posted by kimona

For the time being, I would never consider any Chinese made car.

BTW, here's a 2012 Daihatsu Charade: Look familiar!

That's hella funny bro.

All I have to do is get the badge off my Daihatsu Charade G200 and sticker on the back like so..


And stick it on My 2007 Toyota Yaris YRS.


Daihatsu has some revvy engine though.Pretty fun to drive around in

[tk1971]

I'm in complete agreement with bronsin here regarding all the extra "tacked" on stuff on cars that make them less and less reasonably priced.

The Echo, Yaris' predecessor, did not have air bags, abs, nor traction control. It was inexpensive and reliable, but common sense also revealed that such a small car would not be as safe as a bigger car if it were in a serious accident. People still bought them. Some who crashed in them were hurt, some even killed, but I see a lot of Echos still around, so +1 for defensive driving and safe driving habits.

On the other hand, there's nothing wrong with raising the bar on safety, but sometimes I think we've gone a little too far. For example (re: child booster seats):

California Law (Effective 01/01/2012):
Children under the age of 8 or under (who are shorter than 4' 9") must be secured in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat.

I remember clacking heads with my sister and brother in my dad's old Lincoln that didn't have any belts. Now I have to keep my 2 boys in their car seats until they are 8 or taller than 4' 9".

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by tk1971

I'm in complete agreement with bronsin here regarding all the extra "tacked" on stuff on cars that make them less and less reasonably priced.

The Echo, Yaris' predecessor, did not have air bags, abs, nor traction control. It was inexpensive and reliable, but common sense also revealed that such a small car would not be as safe as a bigger car if it were in a serious accident. People still bought them. Some who crashed in them were hurt, some even killed, but I see a lot of Echos still around, so +1 for defensive driving and safe driving habits.

On the other hand, there's nothing wrong with raising the bar on safety, but sometimes I think we've gone a little too far. For example (re: child booster seats):

California Law (Effective 01/01/2012):
Children under the age of 8 or under (who are shorter than 4' 9") must be secured in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat.

I remember clacking heads with my sister and brother in my dad's old Lincoln that didn't have any belts. Now I have to keep my 2 boys in their car seats until they are 8 or taller than 4' 9".

Agreed. And it is only SLIGHTLY less silly than the law it replaced. The major anchor of the law it replaced was weight. I had to make sure my little cousin used my car seat (also in California) far longer than she would have had to in other states because she didn't meet the weight requirement. She's very athletic. Her mother has held age group records in major triathlons. She could have escaped the old law earlier by gaining weight just for the sake of gaining weight. Her mother was NOT going to let that happen.

I too agree with Bronsin re unnecessary items driving up the cost of cars (as I've stated in other posts), but I don't think he should have included airbags and ABS on his list (as I've stated in other posts).

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by tk1971

The Echo, Yaris' predecessor, did not have air bags, abs, nor traction control. ".

ECHOs did have airbags. I think ABS WAS an option but you very seldom see ABS on an ECHO.

LOVE that car! Probably the BEST small car ever made all around.

I notice the ads for the new Toyota minicar the iQ stress it has, what, 11 airbags?

They also go out of their way to "luxurize" that car.

A shame! I might buy one if only it wasnt MORE than a Yaris!

I think airbags and ABS obscure the REAL way to safe driving and that is what they call DEFENSIVE DRIVING. Drive like you want (others) to live!

[tk1971]

As for chinese made cars...

From a society in which every major industry has government ties... and gets caught trying to import encapsulated ground up babies/fetus pills to Korea (even they have standards).

Then they miss the point of international scrutiny completely by stating the following to mitigate the bad PR: #1) It was an underground business that the gov't has nothing to do with (kinda like they're standard line with pirated / knock off goods); #2) That the babies/fetuses were already dead (from still-births and abortions) before they were dried on hot plates, then ground up and put into pill capsules (basically, they're still not getting why everyone is still cringing).

First off, as a matter of principle, I don't think I'd buy a Chinese car just because there are too many examples of "profit at all cost", reminiscent of the games the tobacco companies played back in the day.

Second, I have zero faith in the final product, and although I don't have proof, I think the majority of them were made with every corner cut. See above comment about the "cancer" smell of one of these cars.

And if by some miracle the car doesn't self destruct and kill everyone on board, try getting parts for it in a few years. Chinese companies have a tendency to disappear whenever something goes wrong, then magically spring up again under a new name. This limits their accountability, so that thousands/millions of customers can pound sand when things don't work out.

[junorico24]

I was dropping off my significant other to the station. On the Way I saw a Chery J3 parked along the road ( must be one of the first customers) So I decided to drive past the dealer and sadly there was no action in the sales yard. Well, it's only Wednesday.Great Wall is doing great with their workman pick ups and SUV.They are every where in Sydney.We will all be driving Chinese cars in the future.It's inevitable.

[Hershey]

Read some of the parts for the YARIS are made in China . Think it was related to the manual tranny . Waterpump also ? Toyota likes to pinch pennies too .

[bronsin]

Im TRYING to influence the Chinese (who read this stuff, you know) to make copies of GOOD cars (like the ECHO and Yaris)

God forbid they start thinking Hummers, Escalades, and Edsels are cool with the public here.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Im TRYING to influence the Chinese (who read this stuff, you know) to make copies of GOOD cars (like the ECHO and Yaris)

God forbid they start thinking Hummers, Escalades, and Edsels are cool with the public here.

I noticed you put both good and Echo (and only those two words) in all caps. However, you still refer to your Yaris as a good car! Good to know your feeling is 'still hanging in there' despite your extreme disappointment re the water pump.

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

I noticed you put both good and Echo (and only those two words) in all caps. However, you still refer to your Yaris as a good car! Good to know your feeling is 'still hanging in there' despite your extreme disappointment re the water pump.

Toyota spelled the car that came out in 2000 ECHO. Thats where I got the caps.

The Yaris is good insofaras it is built from an ECHO. The tiny car with a roomy interior, lots of places to put things, no hood to look over, massive headroom, WIDE doors (2 door version) with a seating position high off the ground making the car easy to enter and exit, lightweight for good fuel economy, a gem of a 1.5 liter engine (outstanding fuel economy with lively performance) the center mounted speedo, all carryovers from the ECHO.

Now for the bad.

As in all cars the insane, drooling stupid, lobotomized tendency to make the car bigger and heavier over the years. Remember the 1985 Civic? Now its bigger than the Accord was in its early years. Basically the ECHO and Yaris have the same engine and body size as the Corolla did years ago. This is driven by the public, of course.

Whats better about the Yaris?

Dual glove compartments, the dash controls for heat, distribution of airflow, and fan speed, and the hatchback option.

I cant BELIEVE Toyota hasnt fixed the water pump issue.

[tk1971]

Originally Posted by bronsin

...snip... Remember the 1985 Civic? Now its bigger than the Accord was in its early years... snip

Yep, everything's been supersized... even the people buying/driving the cars.

[Hershey]

Originally Posted by tk1971

Yep, everything's been supersized... even the people buying/driving the cars.

Which lowers gas mileage . Maybe the goverment should also apply being overweight / obese into the estimated fuel economy of vehicles .

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Toyota spelled the car that came out in 2000 ECHO. Thats where I got the caps.

The Yaris is good insofaras it is built from an ECHO. The tiny car with a roomy interior, lots of places to put things, no hood to look over, massive headroom, WIDE doors (2 door version) with a seating position high off the ground making the car easy to enter and exit, lightweight for good fuel economy, a gem of a 1.5 liter engine (outstanding fuel economy with lively performance) the center mounted speedo, all carryovers from the ECHO.

Now for the bad.

As in all cars the insane, drooling stupid, lobotomized tendency to make the car bigger and heavier over the years. Remember the 1985 Civic? Now its bigger than the Accord was in its early years. Basically the ECHO and Yaris have the same engine and body size as the Corolla did years ago. This is driven by the public, of course.

Whats better about the Yaris?

Dual glove compartments, the dash controls for heat, distribution of airflow, and fan speed, and the hatchback option.

I cant BELIEVE Toyota hasnt fixed the water pump issue.

Any idea why Toyota used the all caps ECHO ?

[Hershey]

Th Yaris sedan is as big as the '97 > '02 Chevy Prizm / Corolla .

[Hershey]

I'm about 25 lbs. over the weight range for my size . Dark chocolates and baked goods contribute to that . Brownies and half moons !