US Yaris to be imported from France ?

[Yaris240]

I agree that Country of origin probably should not matter in biuld quality of a Yaris. But I have to admit, one of the main reasons I bought my 2010 Yaris was that it was one of the last Toyota econocars that were still made in Japan. My 2 previous Toyota's, a 1986 Corolla SR5 and a 1990 Celica ST in my signature that I still own were solid cars. I am probably old fashioned in that I favor made in Japan Toyotas.
If something were to happen to my Yaris, I would probably purchase something else as a replacement if the newer ones are no longer made in Japan. I could always get another used Japanese made Yaris or even a Lexus.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Billiam

This man speaks the truth.

Again, see my short post #62 related to your claim. You haven't answered my question.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Yaris240

I agree that Country of origin probably should not matter in biuld quality of a Yaris. But I have to admit, one of the main reasons I bought my 2010 Yaris was that it was one of the last Toyota econocars that were still made in Japan. My 2 previous Toyota's, a 1986 Corolla SR5 and a 1990 Celica ST in my signature that I still own were solid cars. I am probably old fashioned in that I favor made in Japan Toyotas.
If something were to happen to my Yaris, I would probably purchase something else as a replacement if the newer ones are no longer made in Japan. I could always get another used Japanese made Yaris or even a Lexus.

[tomato]

Originally Posted by DebbyM46227

I'd rather have a Japanese-made Yaris. Most Europeans don't have a good work ethic. They want 20 hour work weeks and time off in the middle of the day to drink wine.

got that right! wine is very important. After wine there is cigarettes, then a good roll in the hay, and another cigarette, then straighten the beret a little, and back to work for a bit.

Originally Posted by eTiMaGo

yeah those French are almost a lazy as Mexicans, sheesh ;)

:belly roll:

LOL, you guys are hilarious!!

[bentjazz]

mrpj,
I, too, have read about the Aygo and it's water leaking interior problems. I'd have a shit fit if I bought a car and water leaked into the interior when it rained. Oy.

[Billiam]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

Again, see my short post #62 related to your claim. You haven't answered my question.

I don't have an answer for that. I have no idea what quality standards Toyota has set for that car in that market. In the end, it was his opinion that the car wasn't up to par. The Japanese produced Yaris, though obviously well engineered, is not completely without fault. You will find the occasional issue with them...including an interior noise or two and cheap feeling components. If a guy from Nebraska posts up about is "cheap, junky Yaris" he'll be in the minority around here, right? One person's opinion do not torpedo the whole line, correct? Well, what about one guy posting up about his French built Yaris' cheapness?

[tk-421]

How about bad roads? I've heard much more expensive cars than ours get rattles because of potholes. Is lame German manufacturing to blame because of this?

[Billiam]

Originally Posted by tk-421

How about bad roads? I've heard much more expensive cars than ours get rattles because of potholes. Is lame German manufacturing to blame because of this?

Exactly...road conditions can play a huge part in how quiet a car is. So do mods...like stiffer springs, plus-size wheels/tires and even temperature. The guy who lives in a hot climate for most of the year will complain less about interior pops and creaks than the guy who lives in a cooler climate...or at least one that gets cold in the winter.

According to CR interior noises are the number one complaint for all makes and models across the board.

[why?]

country of origin matters. More importantly, how old the plant is that is making the cars matters. Frankly, everything matters.

And mrpj is more pissed about the crappy transmission in his car, it is basically on par with the smarts tranny, ie utter crap.

But I've never heard any bad about British Yaris'. My sisters mother in law has had one for about a decade and loves it. I am sure they all have issues, just like our cars do.

But don't bring Chrysler into this, somehow they still make their minivans quality products, but the entire rest of the company, from the dealer network on up, is a total joke. I don't know how they still exist, oh wait, yes I do, someone stole our money and gave it to them, repeatedly. How many times should a company be bailed out before it is realized they don't deserve to be in any business at all?

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Billiam

I don't have an answer for that. I have no idea what quality standards Toyota has set for that car in that market. In the end, it was his opinion that the car wasn't up to par. The Japanese produced Yaris, though obviously well engineered, is not completely without fault. You will find the occasional issue with them...including an interior noise or two and cheap feeling components. If a guy from Nebraska posts up about is "cheap, junky Yaris" he'll be in the minority around here, right? One person's opinion do not torpedo the whole line, correct? Well, what about one guy posting up about his French built Yaris' cheapness?

Hmm...A few of us stated that we had doubts that the quality of a French built Yaris would match that of a Yaris built in Japan for the U.S. market. You informed us that what mattered was the engineering plus other processes that Toyota has in place to the point that it wouldn't matter where the car was assembled, that the quality would be the same. Now you are saying that you have no idea what quality standards Toyota has set up for that market. I believe you when you state that you don't know what quality standards Toyota has set up for that market, but not knowing that invalidates your criticism of those of us who doubt the quality of the French built Yaris when compared to the U.S. spec built Yaris. This invalidates the particular reasoning for the particular argument you made because,for all either of us knows, the standards Toyota has in place in France might not meet those in place in Japan.

I think that if MRPJ only stated 'It just feels cheap' or 'it is cheap' that his post would lack validity. However, IMHO, he gives a fairly detailed explanation as to WHY he feels the way he does and I feel that adds validity. I think his explanation is detailed enough that it prompts more questions, including one begged by your last post (Are the materials the same for both markets? Are the quality standards the same for both markets Etc.)

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by tk-421

How about bad roads? I've heard much more expensive cars than ours get rattles because of potholes. Is lame German manufacturing to blame because of this?

I think this is definitely a plausible answer to my question. I've driven on a fair number of roads in England (as well as all over the U.S) and I'd have to say, in my experience, that on average the roads are better in England. However, that is just my experience and the particular roads that MRPJ drives on might be crap and be causing his Yaris to creek and rattle, although he doesn't mention this as an issue for him.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by why?

country of origin matters. More importantly, how old the plant is that is making the cars matters. Frankly, everything matters.

And mrpj is more pissed about the crappy transmission in his car, it is basically on par with the smarts tranny, ie utter crap.

But I've never heard any bad about British Yaris'. My sisters mother in law has had one for about a decade and loves it. I am sure they all have issues, just like our cars do.

But don't bring Chrysler into this, somehow they still make their minivans quality products, but the entire rest of the company, from the dealer network on up, is a total joke. I don't know how they still exist, oh wait, yes I do, someone stole our money and gave it to them, repeatedly. How many times should a company be bailed out before it is realized they don't deserve to be in any business at all?

[Billiam]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

Hmm...A few of us stated that we had doubts that the quality of a French built Yaris would match that of a Yaris built in Japan for the U.S. market. You informed us that what mattered was the engineering plus other processes that Toyota has in place to the point that it wouldn't matter where the car was assembled, that the quality would be the same. Now you are saying that you have no idea what quality standards Toyota has set up for that market. I believe you when you state that you don't know what quality standards Toyota has set up for that market, but not knowing that invalidates your criticism of those of us who doubt the quality of the French built Yaris when compared to the U.S. spec built Yaris. This invalidates the particular reasoning for the particular argument you made because,for all either of us knows, the standards Toyota has in place in France might not meet those in place in Japan.

I think that if MRPJ only stated 'It just feels cheap' or 'it is cheap' that his post would lack validity. However, IMHO, he gives a fairly detailed explanation as to WHY he feels the way he does and I feel that adds validity. I think his explanation is detailed enough that it prompts more questions, including one begged by your last post (Are the materials the same for both markets? Are the quality standards the same for both markets Etc.)

From a previous post.

Originally Posted by Billiam

.....That said...whatever quality/tolerance targets Toyota has set for the N.A. Yaris will be dublicated for the French produced N.A. bound version....rest assured.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Billiam

From a previous post.

I originally thought you were blatantly contradicting yourself with post #18 (which you referenced in post #85) and post #78. I then realized that although you are technically not contradicting yourself, the result of your statements isn't logical. In post # 18 you state 'rest assured' that the quality standards for the N.A. bound Yaris built in France will be the same as the current model (N.A. bound Yaris built in Japan). Then in post #78 you state that you have no idea what the quality standards are for that car for that market (that car and market being MRPJ's French built Yaris for the British market). Why would Toyota build a Yaris in a French plant for the British market with one set of quality standards and a Yaris in a French plant for the N.A. market with a different set of quality standards. It doesn't make any sense. It isn't logical. So, for all practical purposes you were contradicting yourself with posts #18 and #78. Also you state 'rest assured'-----can you provide any links that show that Toyota has stated this is the case?

Also, what is Toyota's history re such matters and how did customers feel and react . For example, did Toyota assure that the first U.S. built Camry would have the same production standards and quality as the previous Japan built model and what result ensued? How did the change effect the customer experience?

Although you admitted in a previous post that you didn't have an answer to my question from post #62, I think you actually posted a plausible answer to my question in a reply to someone else on this thread and I'll quote that post in the compliment on my next post.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by Billiam

Exactly...road conditions can play a huge part in how quiet a car is. So do mods...like stiffer springs, plus-size wheels/tires and even temperature. The guy who lives in a hot climate for most of the year will complain less about interior pops and creaks than the guy who lives in a cooler climate...or at least one that gets cold in the winter.

According to CR interior noises are the number one complaint for all makes and models across the board.

Your assertion about the climate makes quite a bit of sense to me re N.A.---re why I wouldn't have creak and rattle issues and those in a cold climate in the U.S. would. However, could this be the case for MRPJ? Does the climate really differ enough in parts of England to make that case? I don't think so, but I could easily be wrong on that particular point. If MRPJ has always lived in the same climate within England, climate might not be a point he'd be consciously aware of (the roads would be something he'd be aware of and I think would have mentioned had they contributed to his experience). In addition, if MRPJ's experience does not include any appreciable difference in climate, then he is comparing his Yaris experience to other cars within that climate---his 'apples to apples'. The climate differences between regions is an interesting point that you bring up and I'd be interested to know other points of view re climate making a difference re rattles and squeaks.

[jalancast]

I doubt Toyota would let a bad Yaris leave the plant - they've got plants all over the world and their reputation for quality is just as good in China as it is in Brazil as it is in the USA. Great engineering and great management are universal.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by why?

country of origin matters. More importantly, how old the plant is that is making the cars matters. Frankly, everything matters.

And mrpj is more pissed about the crappy transmission in his car, it is basically on par with the smarts tranny, ie utter crap.

But I've never heard any bad about British Yaris'. My sisters mother in law has had one for about a decade and loves it. I am sure they all have issues, just like our cars do.

But don't bring Chrysler into this, somehow they still make their minivans quality products, but the entire rest of the company, from the dealer network on up, is a total joke. I don't know how they still exist, oh wait, yes I do, someone stole our money and gave it to them, repeatedly. How many times should a company be bailed out before it is realized they don't deserve to be in any business at all?

Still as before. The answer to your last question is zero. However, the potential exists for it to happen again until either : 1. The U.S. Government gets to the point where it can't borrow the money to do it (in which case the world would already be a very different place) OR 2. The U.S. citizens who aren't facing reality/have their heads in the proverbial sand (like the French citizens who voted for Hollande---he who has now pledged 'no austerity' and to create 150,000 STATE-AIDED jobs) pull their heads out of the proverbial sand and vote accordingly. The needed economic healing process could START if #2 occurs in November, but an optimal result would still be at the end of a bumpy and uncertain road.

[Kioshi]

country of origin does matter, to me...and i could back it up with handheld products -> automobiles.

While I haven't owned more than 2 cars, i can use my Father as a primary example. He has owned a Mercury Topaz (loved that car, it could fit 6 people in the back easily), Ford Escort, Ford Taurus 98, Toyota Camry 86, Toyota Camry 97, Toyota 4Runner 96, and now Toyota Camry 90.

Made in Japan is quality build, whether you want to believe that or not. Sure, it sounds superficial, but compare a handheld product (if you can find one nowadays 'Made in Japan' to 'Made in Taiwan/China'.....

The power button sunken in on people's HTC smartphones, slide-out keyboard falling apart on a Motorola Droid 2, etc.
Friend in Japan is sporting a Sharp smartphone for more than 3 years and her has seem to hold up through several drops and one accidentally dropped in the swimming pool.

In the same sense, my Dad's old Toyota cars have been extremely good to him vs the money he had to put down to fix the Mercury Topaz car when first arriving to America and supporting just himself.
Sure, the Yaris has rattles, but thats due to the cheap plastic materials used in the car..AND yes, road and modding equipment plays a HUGE factor in interior noise and performance.

A lot of the older products i have lying around the house that have been been put to extreme use 4 years ago..ie: Panasonic Sv-SD 100 mp3 player STILL turns on after sitting in direct sunlight and with dust covered over it.

I stand by --> it DOES matter where the product is coming from (not hating towards German cars)