25 years working for a domestic manufacturer. A big difference is company culture. At my company everyone was in training to become CEO. If you stayed in the same job for more than 2 years you were a loser. In contrast, at Toyota an engineer might do the same job for their entire career, but they were damn good at it. They knew every past issue with their part and every model has the same part or a slightly modified version of that same design. At my company every model had a fresh part design even for a mundane part, with the associated learning curve (warranty costs). At Toyota the program manager is the same from one generation to the next. At my company a program manager might do pick up trucks one cycle and move to a sports car the next. So, consistency of vision was constantly shifting. In short, company culture plays a big part.
Japan's secret to quality is the fact that the government forces them to make good cars so they remain competitive in exports. A makret not entirely free, but nowhere near socialism either.
79 y/o female here. Bought a friends 2004 Toyota Camry in 2019 when she passed. It had 75,000 miles and cost me $2500.00. Put on new tires, had oil and transmission fluid changed and only major done was water pump which is weak part of car. I absolutely love it. I also have a young local mechanic who had no problem when I brought dealer part for replacement. Dealer parts said new water pump had been completely redesigned and will probably outlive me. I drive short stop and go and have my oil changed every 6 months. Dealer emails me about every 4 months to get me to sell my car to them so they can resell for 2 to 3 times what they paid. I pray that when I go that someone will total my car when I'm in it so I don't have to go out and pay what they want for used cars now and which I can't afford! lol
Ford owners, GM owners, Kia owners, BMW owners, Mercedes owners Hyundai owners also have similar experiences. Don’t understand where the myth of Toyota being so reliable come from.
@@tomdurkins My mother had 3 Camrys. My sister had two Camrys. My other sister had 1 Camry. None of those cars gave any of them any problems! My nephew has a Camry he doesn't take care of. It looks like crap but still keeps going. The youngest of those cars is a 2017 so maybe things have changed with Toyota since then.
@@tomdurkinsDon't understand where? Consumer Reports RepairPal CarMD J.D. Power TrueDelta Statista Edmunds For years, these sources (among others) have compiled studies and statistics which consistently rate Lexus and Toyota the most reliable cars. Hope this clears things up for you.
@@peteroleary9447 Look up the consumer reports parking lot. They all drive Toyotas and Hondas. You think they give honest reviews? You’re naive if you do. Toyotas are some of the cheapest most unreliable cars made today.
I worked for a large US company. We were designing a product with a Japanese supplier. When the drawings were mostly done the Japanese company wanted to change some of the drawings to make the parts easier to produce and inspect. Basically they wanted to optimize the drawings for manufacturing. They were going to do the changes on their dime so we said to go ahead. Later after the drawings were optimized our US company managers and bean counters were upset because the extra drawing changes looked bad on their charts and metrics. It was more important for the bosses to look good than to be good.
@@dosmastrify because the metric may state that "less than 1% re-work for each project". so, since you have to re-do all the drawings, that is 100% re-work and you are done for the upper management, even though your customer is happy about your work.
My favorite are the people that buy a Toyota or Lexus, put less than 80,000 miles on it, then decide they want the latest and greatest, or are worried about the reliability of their "high mileage" car that is out of warrenty, and sell it to me cheap. To them I say, thank you for breaking in the engine and taking the 2/3rds depreciation hit for me. 😆
the type of person who thinks 80k is high mileage for a toyota or lexus is also probably the type of person who takes such shit care of their car that 80k actually IS high mileage on THEIR toyota or lexus
When we first immigrate here, my brother and his friends bought American’s made cars like pontiac 6000, pontiac bonnervillre, Sunbird , Eagle primere , ford tempo, Tempest etc. They realy love their cars because it’s their fitst time ownig a car. They always maintain and took care their car like a baby to them. But they had a lot of machanical problems and keep going back to the shop so they bought Japanies made cars and never looked back.
@@stachowithere's proper break in period but I do believe you that you did everything right and you just got a lemon. Hopefully they honor the power train warranty
In the 90s I worked for a circuit board manufacturer. We made parts for all the major auto makers. Same factory. Same manufacturing lines. Same raw materials. The difference? Tolerances were tighter on the brands we all know for reliability. So circuits were less prone to shorts or stack up tolerance defects. Also the tooling used for stamping had to be maintained in shorter intervals. Say a tool for a Japanese brand had to be sharpened every 10000 hits where the American brand went to 100000 hits.
Laugh of the day. I did business with a distiller. Marketed 3 different flavored vodkas. The ingredients cost the same. Put the vodkas under different brand names and had price differentials. People bought the higher priced versions because they were out to impress people. People see fancy ads for bourbons with greenery, old timey people. The reality is that the distillers on the Ohio River take in the water, process it, and dump the garbage back in the river. Compacted and purportedly processed human waste the size of barges from municipal sewerage system float down that river. Image counts with most buyers of cars with people thinking of retirement savings usually don't want to pay for the flash image.
This is true. I spoke to a quality engineer who works at a company in Taiwan that supplies bolts to various automotive brands. He shared with me that Toyota has the lowest tolerance level for errors in the products they supply to Toyota. That's why he told me that if he were to buy a car, it would be a Toyota.
*The Toyota Way* "Base your management decisions on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals." *Kaizen* - The principle of continuous improvement. *Hansei* - Continuous reflection. *Jidoka* - Quality takes precedence.
The Toyota Production System originated from Dr. W Edward's Deming teachings. Hense the term Kaizen originated from his 14th point philosophy. He was from my home state Iowa that travel to Japan in the 1950s to train the Japanese on quality control. Toyota was the first Japanese manufacturer awarded the Deming Prize.
@@upforanadventure3039 Yep. The Tacoma is a good example. All automakers are facing serious business challenges currently, Toyota/Lexus is not immune. Specifically, they're struggling to remain profitable and competitive within the regulatory framework of respective governments. Toyota has had to make changes faster than they would want. They're at a point where the US and EU are effectively running (ruining lol) their business.
@@upforanadventure3039 I liked the V6 too, but what is "junk" about the new motor? It's more powerful and (slightly) more fuel efficient. As much as you don't want it to be, it will likely be reliable too. It is possible to engineer a 4 cyl. turbo properly. So it has a turbo, get over it!
@@upforanadventure3039Toyota is not what it used to be. My 2017 Highlander has had issues since new, including steering issues that have not been corrected to day. The car drifts from side to side on the highway; while the dealer tells me it is within the manufacturer’s spec. It is also rated for a 5000 lb towing capacity but struggles with my 2000 lb boat. Can’t imagine its performance with a 5000 lb load. Navigation issue to months to correct. The Toyota of 2024 is not the Toyota of years past that resulted their excellent reputation that appears to be no longer credible. Gave up on dealer after they told me I needed new front brake rotors with only 30k miles on the odometer.
@@ytj22people who hate on the new Tacoma powertrain are either prior Tacoma owners unable to cope with a newer Tacoma on the road or old school loyalists that hate all modern technology. Give it 5 years before any of the noise around Toyota’s 4cyl turbos holds weight.
Cars are such an emotional thing and an extension of one's personality. It always amazes me how some folks who are barely getting by will drive an expensive flashy car and some wealthy folks will drive a boring conservative car.
I could pay cash for a brand new Tundra trd if i wanted to i just refuse to spend 90k for a pickup truck on general principle. I would rather drop that cash into another rental property. I drive a 93 landcruiser
@@colechapman6976that’s just such a pointless oversimplification/cliche that’s doesn’t really mean anything useful. “It” literally starts with what you earn, followed by what you save, what you spend, and what/how you invest. All are relevant and just saying one is the only one that matters is just pointless. If someone makes $100 a month and saves all of it, they have $1200 a year, vs $100,000 a month and spends $50,000 of it, they still have $50,000. I even feel stupider having to type this out.
I live in Canada & was talking to a guy that works at a local oil change place. I was telling him about you & he said he has seen you on RUclips. You are becoming really popular. Thanks for all the videos.
When I think of companies like GM, Ford and Chrysler/Ram/Jeep, my general opinion is that they are only concerned with this sales quarter, doing whatever they can to maximize profit now. They mostly only put their vehicles together in factories, they don’t actually make most of the parts. So they squeeze their parts suppliers to make the parts less expensive (again to maximize their profit) and that’s one reason why they break, fall apart, wear out sooner etc. It doesn’t matter if they can’t make a vehicle as reliable as a Toyota, or if they just choose not to. They don’t, and that’s why their vehicles are often nailed to the showroom floor.
And I told the service rep at the dealership, "What do you mean, I need new lug nuts?! Lug nuts don't wear out!" I was at a Ford dealership. If you know, you know.
Are you sure about that? I have a 2015 F150 2.7l ecoboost I drive it hard on and off road. It's has 153,000 miles. Nothing is breaking or falling apart a side from normal maintenance items due to the beating it gets off road. The interior still looks brand new. It has zero rattle or squeaks. The same with my wife's focus ( a side from the dps6 transmission). It had issues with the TCM, but luckily, we got it replaced under the extended warranty and hasn't given issues since.
@@aceburns8673That was exactly what happened to me with Ford. I watched my partner get a new Ford (Escape) in 2010 or 2011, and within a few years it was falling apart. Then in 2014 I gave them a chance and leased a Fiesta for 3 years, and it fell apart too pretty soon. And I literally mean falling apart: the exhaust FELL off , only like 2.5 years in! And that was gentle, light, daily driving, nothing even hard or heavy or crazy. I gave Ford a chance, and they were shit, just like everybody always said. And yet I’ve never had an issue with a Honda nor Toyota
I appreciate your ability to have a nuanced discussion on this issue. Most people say there is one way that is “the best” and everything else is junk. Highlighting the pros and cons of each approach is appreciated.
He did a good job in highlighting the +/- for each category. Still, the best cars (as a weighted average of the most important characteristics of a car: reliability, TCO, longevity, performance, design, features) are Japanese. They are the cars with which you get the best bang for your buck (the best quality/price ratio), because they dominate the rankings in reliability, low TCO, longevity, resale value etc. The truth is unique, even though there are many opinions on it.
Economist here. Another unintended consequence of the high-end fun advance category, is accelerated depreciation from leasing. Consumers prefer to lease and buy only the best and first part of the car. This floods the used car market with those models.
As a tech, I think a huge factor for reliability is user friendliness re: repairs. Whether at a shop or the customer wants to do their own repairs, the harder it is to do basic maintenance on a vehicle the longer it may go undone, resulting in failure to the point where all repairs outweigh the value. Looking at you, Nissan...
Many “owners” don’t care about the vehicle. They’re not making payments on it, just waiting for the repo man to show up and haul it away. Just look at the number of cars on the road with front or side impact damage. These people drive like clowns, blowing through stop signs.
Lol...but I thought nissan was just cheap... I didnt think they were complicated... Except maybe that new variable compression. I thought the complicated stuff was usually the european brands
Agree with Nissan (since owned by the French Renault), but things are not as simple as you wrote. There is not a coincidence that Lexus, Toyota, Mazda, Subaru, Honda, Acura are the champions of reliability and low TCO (the most important indicators for the financial freedom seekers). On the contrary, some people pay less attention to maintenance (betting on the famous reliability of the Japanese brands), still the rankings have at the top the Japanese cars.
I think that how meticulous you are in preventative maintenance is a primary factory in how reliable your car is. I have always bought cars below what I can afford and kept the $$ difference as a rainy day fund for unforseen repairs & then try to be fanatical about routine maintenance, including wrenching on then myself for simple things that are within my capability, and informing myself on service intervals and such. So far, I've been lucky and this approach has worked for me - domestic, foreign & exotic cars.
Glad to hear you're doing good with these vehicles and I fully agree with your ending statement. That being said, I've been a mechanic over 40 yrs and have never told anyone to buy a Toyota or Honda. I've owned many vehicles and worked on just about everything but exotics(at least what I consider exotic). Long lasting depends on maintenance and driver. I've seen just as many Toyotas and Hondas with issues or not running with very low mileage as other manufacturers. When people ask me what I suggest they buy, I just tell them to buy what they want. I tell them I have no idea what type of person they are, what type of maintenance they do, how they drive and take care of their vehicles, and what usage they plan on. Most vehicles with just maintenance and a wash do well. I do tell them don't buy a car if you plan to pull a trailer or haul stuff. Also, don't buy an ev.
Once again, hits the nail right in the head. Everything I choose to prioritize in my vehicle ownership is exactly as described. (10yr used vehicle mechanic)
What kind of car do you drive? Both myself and my mechanic drive a 1st gen Toyota Highlander. Which means I only see him every 5k miles for an oil change haha!
I am a retired Engineer and I grew up in a family that worked in the automotive repair industry. My father and I worked together in our small autobody repair shop which is how I paid for my university education. I also worked in a few dealerships. My father, and many of the people of that time, were brand loyalists. My father virtually always drove GM cars, and if he got a bad one he considered it just to be bad luck, and bought another one. We lived in the country, and over the years he also owned a total of 13 VW beetles which he used mainly for his daily commutes. I initially bought a few GM and Ford cars, which were OK, then in 1978 I purchased a Honda Civic. I really enjoyed driving that little car, and my sister bought one as well. In 1979, I purchased a Datsun 280 ZX . It was nice and a lot of fun to drive. In 1981, I bought a new Buick which was absolute garbage. It had a long list of issues, none of which were covered under GM warranty. It was he worst car that I had ever owned. I used to have to tow it several times per month and finally after seven months of ownership, I took my financial beating like a man (whimpering a little bit ) and traded it in for another Datsun. In 1991 I purchased a Nissan Hardbody pickup which I drove for 20 years. I have driven mostly Japanese vehicles ever since. I recently sold my 2009 Honda CR-V which only had 60,000 miles on it and its new owner arrived two hours after I put it up for sale. A few months ago I purchased a new 2024 Honda Pilot. I hope that it lasts as long as the CR-V which was an excellent vehicle.
I highly doubt any Hondas that are now being built in the USA (like your Pilot) are going to last anywhere near as long as the super simple 100%-made-in-Japan stuff from back in the day. Same goes for Toyota and any other Japanese automaker.
I know about cars, but always go for category 1. This is because I want reliability, I don't want to be repairing it all the time, and as I choose carefully at purchase, it's right for my needs, and I expect to keep it for a long time. My bike is 2003 (and has been trouble free- any work done on it since 2006 has been done by me- main dealer service costs were high), my wife's car is 1991 (all work has been done by me since she bought it 12 yrs ago- again service costs at a dealer are high), my car is a 2020 corolla hybrid and has done 130000 trouble free and Toyota servicing has been cheap as its had no problems (trying to find a way to justify buying a good diagnostic tool so I can work on it myself- but it has been too cheap and reliable so far to justify that expense).
I have an 05 Toyota Matrix. It hit 300,000 kms in February of 2016. Due to some glitch with these, they stop counting. I'm still commuting with this car, 100 kms per day, and have been SINCE Feb 2016 (less during the pandemic). I don't know how many kms it actually has but I assume well over 500,000 by now. Just keeps on going.
Drove a couple of Matrixes many miles and with care those 2003+ era VVTI 16-valve 1.8 engines in them really hold together, rev well & run beautifully for their purpose with really decent mpg for a simple non-hybrid choice of the era. Basic steady maintenance keeps them setting longevity records
Sister has an 04 bought new now at 350K km. Runs great doesn’t burn oil with 1.8 motor and manual. Odometer locked at 300 so she writes down at every gas fill. Quite happy with my cx5 but a young one at 82K
@@marcpikas2859 Nice. I should have been writing down the kms using the trip, but honestly it might have been at 300k for 50k lol. I hadn't looked at it. Or it was 300k the day I saw. Regardless, I didnt even know it was a problem until months later when I noticed it hadn't changed haha. Oh well. Yeah, that 1.8 is an AMAZING motor.
@@larryroyovitz7829this is fact.. in Canada the matrix odometer stops at 400,000kms I wonder how many other toyotas do that and their logic? They figured ppl would be tired of them by then
I always say that there is a difference between quality/fit and finish and reliability. You can have an extremely well-made car that is not reliable, and you can also have a cheap feeling car that is very reliable - and everything in between. So we must know the difference, and as you say, different car companies focus on different areas and "mixes" of quality/fit and finish and reliability. It's all about priorities. If we need to have the latest technology, then reliability will be sacrificed because it has not been tested for years in real scenarios. If our customer's do not need the latest technology but want reliability, then we can de-prioritize tech and use older, tried and true methods. There is no perfect car, and as you say at the end there, it's all about finding a vehicle that fits your needs, budget and requirements.
That is why BMW/Mercedes/Audi drivers are so gullible, making a judgment on the quality of the cars built base on the interior, while the drive train is made of flimsy/thin materials.
@@Yggdrasill8 You are generalizing here, there are plenty of BMW/Mercedes/Audi drivers who are very well aware of potential reliability concerns, but they have made their peace with it and are fine paying more for service and repairs. Again, it's all about priorities, at the end of the day, there are people who simply do not want to drive a boring Toyota Camry. And vice versa, there are people who would rather have peace of mind and drive a very reliable vehicle.
Poor fit, finish and features but supreme reliability, repairability and hackability - this is a category of (usually but not always commercial) vehicles found in Russia and successors of former warsaw pact, former yugoslavia and to some extent rural China (not usually exported). this is an unglamorous but very important category of vehicles.
Porsche is one of those unique brands which produced very high quality, very high performing, and very reliable cars. But of course you're going to pay a small fortune for one.
Category 1 is for economically conservative people who tend to pay cars off and then keep them. Categories 2,3,and 4 are for those who always have car payments and accept them as a fact of life.
Lol accurate. I am currently in category 1, but I struggle with the desire to own a category 2 car. I just figure I’ll have the money if I spend enough time in category 1. Currently drive a 17 year old Corolla with 180,000 miles that I paid cash for almost 4 years ago. Pretty deep into category 1 right now.
What is a car payment? In 49 years of buying vehicles Ive never had even one. Bu then, Ive been in the automotive repair business since I was in high school and can rebuild any vehicle that I deem worthwhile from the ground up. Im NOT enamored by failure prone electronic gadgetry, the purpose of a vehicle is TRANSPORTATION, not having a bunch of foo foo car toys. My daily driver is a 47 year old Ford. I see NO Toyotas or Hondas from that era still running or even in existence. There is someone driving an early 70s Volvo 164 around my neighborhood though. As far as fun to drive, I have another 45 year old Ford in which resides a 429 ci engine of 500 hp, which i built myself.
Agreed. I keep my corolla 2005. It still has the original belt. Can you believe it? Everything original from day one expect the starter that broke few days ago
When every brand is making the same changes (smaller turbo motors) it’s obvious the changes are being driven by regulations rather than what’s in our best interest in reliability. We need the brands to push back for the consumer, cars are by FAR more efficient than ever and we’re being forced to pick up another penny while passing up dollars so to speak.
Agreed. I don't know a single soul ASKING for a turbo. Especially in this global depression, people want reliable, affordable, repairable. Turbos are...none of these.
The brands won't push back because they align their vision with government regulation. Change government and by nature, the manufactures will change to suit the people.
Its not just cars. My heating engineer was saying the exact thing. All the parts in modern systems are dainty and fragile because they need to meet efficiency targets at the expense of durability.
Computers too. NASA deliberately use a 55nm process node for space probe and satellite CPU’s that was cutting edge in 2007, because they think that is the sweet spot for reliability and efficiency. TSMC is on a 3nm process node now, the transistors in that are so tiny, will be much more susceptible to being falsely triggered by radiation and high energy particles in space.
What’s interesting is that corporate ideologies can change over time. MB used to make extremely reliable vehicles. Their diesel engines were legendary. The buttons , knobs, and switches were all very robust.
My father was gifted a 1977 450SL from his brother in law. She had been sitting cold for 15 years before my father received her and she started up first turn. She needed a lot of maintenance updates but she did start first turn.
There was a cultural shift in European manufacturing in the 90's - before that, companies were run by locally educated people, a lot of them engineers, in the 90's though, senior positions in companies were taken by US-educated people with finance background, who "imported" the same attitudes that were crippling the US industry, to Europe. This never happened in Japan, hence Mercedes and WV are unreliable now, while Toyota and Honda are reliable (all is relative, gap between them now is smaller than 10 or 15 year ago, when it was astronomical). BTW same thing also killed Nokia - Finns just were slower, but when ex-Microsoft people found their way in, it was over :D
How's Mazda reliability? All I ever own was a 86 Nissan Sentra, 95 Toyota Tacoma, 12 Honda Fit, 20 Honda CRV. In 10 years, I'm thinking of Mazda or Subaru.
I'm currently waiting for my order to arrive, mazda 3 gt...I often think I should just stick with my old car that still runs great and forget about getting a new one just for the sake of having a new car with a excellent sound system....what do you think I should do mr mazda?...will the new 3 be good to me or cause many unwanted headaches
@@randylahey1232 The closest I have to a new 3 would be my wife's 2018 Mazda 6 we bought new that year. Just over 120K miles without any issues. Just basic maintenance. It has developed some oil seepage at the front cover and we did suffer a coil pack failure around 110K miles last Oct. Since that incident there's been more vibration when it goes into cylinder deactivation than I remember. Changed all the motor and transmission mounts to no avail. I did a chemical decarbon but I think it's going to need a mechanical one. It's a DI engine.
@ScottJ175 thank you for taking the time to answer I appreciate it...the two things I don't like about the 3 are the fact it's DI only id rather have just port injection and that cylinder deactivation nonsense
I used to own a Ford 1 Ton Diesel because I hauled my rock crawler all over the southwest USA, and then later when I retired I hauled a 5th-wheel RV. Now that I am settled down and gave up all of my expensive toy's I own a Toyota Tacoma. I plan to drive the wheels off of the Tacoma.
got a 1999 gmc seirra, probably the perfect year for the ls engine and not everything being electronic. its got 423k miles on it right now, and still runs like a champ
That’s cool. My 2007 Silverado only has 150,000 and drives great. No oil consumption or leaks. It’s on its second set of tires. I’m picky picky about maintenance. I tell my (trustworthy) mechanic to “find something wrong” and fix it. No major issues. It will probably blow up tomorrow just because I bragged on her.
gm use to make very good and long lasting trucks I had a 99 S-10 for over 20 years and it was very reliable. It did have body hardware like door handles and glove box handles that broke but the drivetrain was solid. I now have a 22 Ford Maverick which has been good but you can see the cost cutting on the interior and some body components. Toyota has gone down in quality on its trucks with the new redesigned Tundra and Tacoma having more issues especially the turbo V-6s and turbo I-4s they are also not selling as well.
Outstanding analysis and spot on. I can speak as a 75 year old with experience. Always owned domestic products with exception of 1 Toyota 20 years ago. It was the best car I have ever owned. Long story short, went back to domestic and it was a mistake. In 2022 bought 2 new Toyotas, one for my wife and myself. All I can say we no longer have any long road trip anxiety.
Challenging to buy made in America ... My 2002 Chevrolet Impala was assembled in Canada, my 2008 Toyota Avalon was assembled in Kentucky. The Chevy was purchased new and a mechanical mess after 36k, the Toyota was purchased used and one of the nicest cars we ever owned. I downsized cars in 2017 and purchased a new VW Jetta SEL 1.8 L with trepidation (and all that nice safety tech) because I usually regret it when I deviate from buying Japanese, but to date its been trouble free. My wife's 2012 Kia Sportage purchased new continues to be a very good car too. We spend a little extra and always have our cars serviced by their Dealership. Really enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work.
You call that safety tech "nice?" LOL. I call it a "curse." Too bad I can't go back in time and get one of those super reliable yet nice and fun to drive cars...with NONE of this tech crap to cost a mint to repair later when it fails. Rear seat reminders (seriously?), steering wheels that turn by themselves, etc. Lord knows, if I cannot turn the wheel or look in the back seat to see if anything is there, I do NOT need to be driving .
While deployed overseas, we had a fleet of Toyotas, Mitsubishi and Nissan SUVs. We drove them from 4-5,000 miles a month on some of the worst roads in that region. I returned to the US with a much greater respect and my view on these "rice burners" After my long research on reliability, maintenance and resale value, I chose Toyota and Hondas. I can only hope Toyota and Honda do not forget their roots and their fan base. I'm reading too many negative comments on these newer Toyotas and Honda (i.e. turbocharged engines) Excellent post as always AMD.
As a car guy who's also got the environment on my conscience, I feel like the Toyota way is what's best for the earth from a sustainability perspective. I.e. you buy a car that will last for many years (vs. getting a new car every few years that took alot of resources and emissions to build). Although my LS430 doesn't get the best MPG, there's something great about daily driving a 19 year old car that still functions perfectly and continuing to use it long past the time that other cars would end up in a junkyard. Ultimately, car companies are for-profit though, not for for sustainability and reducing consumer waste.
good take, and also part of why I prefer Toyotas. The true environmental cost is not factored into car purchases. Everyone is lying. But the only true metric of how wasteful something is, is how long it lasts.
@@VictorMaxol Yeah, that is a bit hard to believe. I once had a set of Michelin tires last 85,000 miles. We're the emissions from producing that one set of tires comparable to burning 2900 gallons of gas?
I was surprised that the constantly increased US CAFE standards did not get mentioned. This one single piece of paper has done more to reduce the dependability of all automobiles. CVT transmissions are a case in point.
More regulations regarding these almost unreachable levels that the CAFE dictates, actually drives innovation and creativity and pushes for a more diverse array of alternative options. That is the American ingenuity and yearning to be better. Don't fall for the big oil opposition to change. They're trying to convince you that change is bad. We must change. We have to not only keep up, but exceed expectations. Our vehicles, especially the dodge brand, is disgustingly bad and unreliable. Japanese and German cars have outgunned us for years. We are playing catch up and we don't like it.
Addressing your comment about the design engineers- I'm an engineer, and the first thing you do (when I'm the design phase) is look at the requirements. Those 4 different types of companies... Have different requirements. When a good engineer switches companies, they'll look at the new set of requirements, and design accordingly. It's not just that a design won't get approved... It's that it'll be designed from the start with different measures for quality.
I was a red seal mechanic for 10 years. I bought a new Toyota because I didn’t wanna spend my days off fixing an inferior vehicle. If I’m making a car payment… I want it to be reliable and that’s it
Well, the Tundra 3.4L V-6 has been recalled for catastrophic engine failure, and the 2,0L Toyota engine for turbo failure. Gee, as a mechanic I wpuld think you would have known that, as well as Carolla and Camry recalls. Ooh, what a feeling!
@@crankychris2 yes... bring up maybe the 1 recent specific rare mistake Toyota has made.. compared to the hundreds of others with different brands! LOL It ain't perfect but it'll do more then others my friend.
My wife has a 97 Toyota Corolla that she paid $500 for has done really minor maintenance it has 570,000 km and no engine light and is not on its last leg drives just fine starts in the crazy cold Canadian winters Yes it's a rust bucket but it's a tool to get to and from work That's it thank you Toyota. ❤️
I have a 2005. Owned a lot of great cars but nothing compares. People thought I was crazy when I sold my newer car and bought it. Found one meticulously maintained. Better than most new cars on the road. I do a lot of road trips and it’s the ultimate cruiser…
Thanks for talking this topic on manufacturer vision and motive. It’s a complicated subject. The worst car I owned was the flashiest one. So what you say rings true.
Dear Mr TCCN, I love your content and delivery. This episode tops the charts. Thank you for being honest and forthright in your analysis. It is greatly appreciated.
Two Toyota's in the family. I went to the mechanic to get help with something I could not figure out. He said people only ever sell these Toyota's because they want a new car not because there is anything wrong with it. That's a vote of confidence, I am okay to drive an old car for now.
All Toyotas here, I ran into my mechanic at the grocery store a couple of months ago. As we were talking I mentioned that I don't see him near as much since I dumped Dodge Chrysler ram stellantis, he said you got Toyotas, their the best
I have never cared about "exciting" or "high tech". Reliability and price are the NUMBER 1 factors for me. What good is an exciting, flashy car that starts giving me problems before I've finished paying it off?
I always appreciate how clear and to the point you are I your videos! At the start of this video I could tell you where talking about toyota and honda!
I keep em till the wheels fall off.Gave up on a 27 year old gmc Sonoma,2 years ago.Bought a 2012 Rav 4,V6,by far,the best vehicle I"ve ever owned.My only new car was a 1981,5 spd Civic.Lasted 12 years,240,000 miles.I think vehicles are a waste of money,so longevity is my focus.Loved your comments,the last 3 or 4 minutes of this vid!
As one who has 4 Toyota/Lexus vehicles, one as old as 35 years and one as new as 2003 and two inbetween, I will not buy another brand (except Subaru). I use these vehicles in all types of terrain, hard off-roading, long distance off-roading, local city daily, and one for long comfortable trips, I'm in one of the hottest parts of the nation. Toyota/Lexus continues to out perform my expectations!
I’ve has so many problems with Toyotas. And have a major issue with how cheaply made the interiors are. Never will I buy a Toyota or Lexus again. Toyota is taking advantage of people that are fooled into the quality myth.
I haven’t bought an American auto in 30 years. I understand the American CEO mentality : make them as cheap as possible, maximize profits. We don’t care what happens after the warranty period.
This was well put. I gravitate toward 1 and 2 for different reasons. Used to only buy category 2, but it’s so nice daily driving a tacoma and having a fun car as well.
My 2012 Toyota RAV4 with the V6 engine is the most reliable car I have ever owned in the 59 years I've been driving. My experiences owning Ford, Chevy, Subaru, Dodge, and Honda have not exactly been great. I just hope Toyota maintains their quality if I ever need to buy another car.
They are banking on hybrids, thankfully, it's very reliable. The rest concerns me more, my Corolla is loaded with electronics, sensors, ect ... And sometimes, these systems like to get in the way, which can be disconcerting. Modern cars, hey.
Stellantis is notably more conservative than GM Ford. They still use v6 and v8 naturally aspirated engines in many large cars. This is even more conservative than Toyota. Unfortunately, Stellantis's saved budget didn't go to quality.
I’m with you on the assessment of the various makes, but not so much the buyers. People have so many individual motivations that I don’t think your generalizations about the buyers ring true. Speaking for myself I’ve owned 17 cars over 4+ decades, am a car fanatic, but every new and used vehicle purchase I’ve made has been motivated by different factors with every decision to purchase. Sometimes the vehicles have compelled me, sometimes my needs at the time were the driving force. When domestic manufacturers started producing most of a car overseas (and vice versa) brand loyalty vanished and I began looking at every vehicle solely on its own merits. Love your content - keep up the great work!
In my high school chemistry class in 1977, our teacher had a son working as a design engineer for one of the big three in Detroit. She called him one day and ask what he was working on. He said “Mom, I’m designing wheel bearings to last 50,000 miles. That’s hard! Designing them to last 100,000 miles is easy”. Which is why Toyota and Honda ate their lunch.
It's the same with motorbikes I have owned just about every make out there but you just cannot beat Japanese bikes for build quality and reliability. Currently I have 3 Yamaha's in my garage and have had 19 Yamaha's and they have been by far the most reliable make I have ever owned. BMW Range Rover are horrendous for reliability when they get older. I wouldn't own aBMW bike or car if it were given
I disagree. I bought a BMW R-100GS new in 1992 and other than maintenance items like oil change, spark plugs and lubrication, I have not needed to do any repairs. I'm a mechanic with my own shop and I like how simple my bike is... However it's old school design. The new ones with all the electronics, cats and fuel injection are not the same. Those are B.M.W. bikes= bring my wallet!! LOL not simple and reliable.
My 2 cents. My BMW bikes have stranded me too many times. I’ll take a jap bike over anything made by HD or BMW. Rotax is fine but everything else sucks.
Lately Peugeot (and some Renault models) are trying too hard to get into category 2 hence why their prices are becoming outrageous for hyper weak reliability (looking at you, puretech scum)
@@lot931 Small cars from Nissan and Mitsubishi are almost the same as Renault, big ones as Pajero or Outlander - I don't know, probably more in category 1?
Nice vid, thanks! My Uncle once said to me "the more things you have on a car, the more things there are to go wrong". Matt from High Peak Autos (have a look on RUclips, he's an honest car trader) said something like "if you buy a used car & it was expensive when new don't expect to run it on a shoestring budget". All the best.....
Regarding Mercedes, a Master Tech at a major MB dealership said : " Too much engineering, too much money, too many failures...." Thank you for a great video 👍
Category 1 is for people who know how to make their money work for them and not for the manufacturer. I'm definitely category 1 because I'll drive my cars until the wheels fall off. Then I'll put the wheels back on and drive them another 20 years. At the end of the day, I'll have money for other nice things, not having to be a slave to a car or brand. It's just a tool to get you where you need to be, and Toyota's does it very well, with more than enough fun and style. Ps: I'm 60, and I have only had 3 cars since I was 17. Thank you Toyota 😊😁🙏🏻🙏🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I wasn't aware that replacement parts for Toyotas were considered to be expensive. I have not really needed to make any major repairs on my old Camry, but my opinion has been that Toyotas tend to have fairly affordable replacement parts because people keep their cars for a long time, so there is a robust market for OEM and third party parts for many years, as opposed to manufacturers where it is more difficult to find parts for their older vehicles
That has been my experience with my Hondas too, especially my 1997 Civic. As far as Honda parts availability is concerned, my 1990 Legend is the worst I've seen and even that is pretty good for a car that came out 39 years ago and was never that common to begin with.
Japanese car parts are 3X more expensive than American car parts, on average, but you're typically getting a much higher quality part that will last longer.
@@Buasop exactly matter of facts i read that car company profit from every car is around 500-2000$ not that much considering the price tag of the average car cost but when they sell you spare parts for thousands of dollar now the money start rolling
Honda and Toyota owner here. Honda seems to have slid on the quality and reliability in recent times it seems. Our older Hondas and Toyota are awesome. The new one we got.....not so much.
@@blissfuljoy6049 The build quality of the newer Honda is just cheap and crap compared to the past ones we have owned. Ours is still low mileage, and I’m hopeful it will remain trouble free, but seeing all the issues a lot of other people are having with the 4th gen pilot gives me cause for concern. Already have rattles, steering noise, and a distorted windshield from factory
Great video! There's another option too, and that's to buy a used car from any of the categories as long as you do your research ahead of time and do most of your own maintenance. Buy a used car from the second or third category that has tons of maintenance history and known solvable problems; maintain it really well yourself and reap the benefits without the same costs (or car payments). Research is super important, of course. Some cars are true "endless money pits", but there are some out there that can work out with the right preventative maintenance.
Imagine, paying $30-$50k or more for a product that doesn’t last very long. Imagine if houses only lasted 10-20 years before degrading into garbage? How does it make sense?
It might make sense if you factor in the elephant on the car floor - sex. Judging by my experiences I'm middle of the road on attractiveness. I'm not one of those guys who women drool over, probably more in the "acceptable" category. But when I drove an Audi was when I was most successful with women. I happened to buy the car cheap from a friend because I basically have the same attitude as you about cars. But there was no denying that the car boosted my social profile. And for that people will pay big.
Houses stay in one place and are able to be fixed in pieces, even if you let the roof leak and it collapses someone can still fix it. Cars are much different, and with ever tightening emissions regulations the car companies are incentivised to not make indestructible vehicles. If 1950's cars were still all over the road it would not be a good thing. Especially when it comes to occupant safety. I do agree on the price though, I'm not paying 50k for a car, or 65k for a decent truck.
A perfect example was my 2005 Camry LE (bought new). I drove it for 15 years (218,000 miles). That car was amazing. I only had to replace the front disc pads twice, rear brake shoes once, and the rear speakers. THAT WAS ALL!!! Can you believe it? Of course I took excellent care of it. The AC never had to be serviced!! I sold the car to get a new 2020 Camry LE with all the new safety tech. I'm hoping my 2020 will be as good, if not better.
AMD, You are being very generous in your remarks about 'other' brands. Although I would never buy one, I am glad these second rate brands are around to provide price competition for high quality cars. 😉
Something I've been thinking about lately is that they may not be totally wrong in not making super reliable vehicles. Many Americans don't want to keep the same car for more than a few years. So for them it actually makes sense in a way. I don't feel this way but some do🤷♀️.
@@rightlanehog3151 I wouldn't think it's a good idea but they keep doing it. Actually, Chevy seems to have gone up in reliability lately. Their new styling is much better as well. So I guess we'll see where that goes. I'm really concerned about all companies lately, really, because cars have become so complex. Toyota has had some bad press lately.
@@blissfuljoy6049 I am old enough to remember when the phrase 'made In Japan' was the punchline to a joke. I evaluate cars and car companies over decades. Having their cars built by Daewoo doe snot sound like a sound GM strategy to me. Having said all that, I do own a GM car. It is a Pontiac Vibe which came off a Corolla assembly line. I would be very surprised if 10% of the GM built cars on the dealer's lot the day I picked my car were still on the road.
@@rightlanehog3151 I wouldn't doubt there aren't many left but it would be good if the new ones are getting better. And hopefully Toyota isn't slipping.
After owing 3 Audi's over 7 years and never ending problems I just bought a Lexus and I'm delighted with it. Audi have turned to absolute garbage in the last 10-15 years. They are still trading on a 1990's reputation for reliability. People are slowly waking up.
My 2018 Audi S5 Sportback has been trouble free since I bought it new. Has 54k miles on it now. I'm glad I was not fearful because it's been such a joy to drive 😊
@@sunnohh My 944 is in pieces ageing with grace in its stall in my shop. been there since 2006, not a spec of rust on it anywhere. I wanted to swap it but cant make myself commit such automotive barbarisms.
Honda makes very little changes to their drive trains they perfect the mechanics of a vehicle and just keep improving it which is extremely smart. People will complain that their interiors look outdated, etc. but you'll still be driving that car long after other vehicles that have the latest tech. People buy luxury vehicles like Mercedes and BMW people typically because they're trying to impress other people, has little to do with reliability. You can definitely tell a lot about a person by the type of car they buy.
@@erikahuxley Driving ability has nothing to do with the type of car you drive there's bad drivers that drive Corollas and just as many bad drivers that drive Ferraris. But I can promise you if you look at people that drive luxury automobiles it's a certain type of person and 99% of the time they could care less if it's a dependable ride, they drive it as a status symbol..
My brand new Honda with 1600 miles just crapped out on me while I was driving it, never happened to me before… shocking and sad Honda isn’t what it used to be.
A buddy has an AMG Mercedes and you would not BELIEVE how many times that thing has been in and out of the shop, for things both in warranty and out of warranty. Some rattling noise from the front of the car ended up costing him like $5k out of pocket. He even admitted to missing his Acura, and seemed kind of put off when I recently bought my used Acura. I will NEVER buy a Mercedes based on his experience. Having said that, and to your point, my buddy is definitely more into status than I am.
@@stachowi That's rare, but there's gonna be some cars with issues that slip by with any brand. Honda usually is really good about warranty repairs. I've owned 3 Hondas with hardly any trouble part of my gage cluster went out on my 2023, but they fixed it no questions.
I couldn't agree more about reliable companies not rushing to adopt the newest trends. Then some car reviewers will criticize them for being boring. I've seen some reviewers shit on the hilux because its not as exciting as a new Ranger Raptor.
Honda is not what it used to be. Their cars in 90s are solid. Now they have many issues too. just google Honda auto transmission problem, Engine problem.
Yeah, their 1.5L "earth dreams" is killing their reputation for reliability. Look at the number of class action lawsuits over that engine alone. I've had two 7th gen Accords, the K24 engine was bulletproof. Now, the oil dilution issues are going to end up blowing up in their faces.
I do a lot of salvage yard crawling. Many cars use parts sourced from companies like Denso and Aisin - same as Honda and Toyota. I like Toyotas conservative agenda, but it's difficult to sell slow cars anymore so that Toyota pushes the tech more than a generation ago. I buy used cars so the reliability will be known, but many car owners skip oil changes
When you have engineers taking order from accountants, car will fail! When the accountants are told by the engineers, this is how its going to be done, you little office boys figure out how to pay for it, then we will have good cars. The engineers put man on the moon and the accountants were told ...you figure out how to pay for it!
@@timothykeith1367 Some of the recent reliability issues with Ford, resulting in large recalls, been exactly due suppliers with quality control issues. Having an over engineered powertrain, similar with some German Automakers do, will make it more prone to failure over time.
I have a 2016 Chevy Colorado diesel that I bought new that’s not given me any problems at all. I do all the maintenance myself at the specified schedule (usually a little early). I think some manufacturers have models where some of the cars coming off the line are good where another on the same line is not as good. I happened to get a good one.
An excellent summation of the world of cars. You get what you pay for. But you are best if you pay for solid reliability. Then again, if you need prestige, then be prepared to sell your cars often and if you need "special cars". Be prepared to pay. Mike in Oz
I drive a truck. I had an older Volvo with a detroit diesel engine while the other drivers got newer freightliners and Internationals. I Had minimal repairs in mine. One driver wore out a clutch and also the following new clutch he had installed. Another driver kept hitting stuff. A lot has to do of not respecting and not abusing equipment. Oh and the driver that kept hitting stuff had a leaking tire on his personal car in which he was used to filling with air weekly.
@@موسى_7 Not so much better, but more focused on different ways of making the product. VW focus on tech over anything. while there engines and drive trains are much better than they were in the past, they still have their quirks. I remember when the atlas launched , one of the selling points was it had full led lights front and rear. Now to me that means more expense down the road when they go out, but they looks nice and bright. As he mentioned the koreans focus on being "down the middle" of tech, engineering and styling. Now they are also pushing ev's out the door like theres no tomorrow so they are slowing falling into that 2nd category and it shows due to the issues they have had recently. So i feel they have about the same amount of reliability in most ways, but have different issues and problems in others
German cars are just above British cars in the reliabillity category. There is also some reliable American cars, like the corvette and mustang, those engines are built like tanks.
My dad's older Mercedes E-class exemplifies this. $5000 antenna repair and sunroof issues to spendy to fix. I still really like my 2013 Avalon which I plan on keeping for at least 5 more years. I am OK with not being exciting/fun. I have a Harley for that need in my life.
I will give you an input. 1. the Japanese language does not have an alphabet. It had only Chinese characters in writing. It meant endless hours of memorizing to become other than a subsistence farmer. So, the focus when you memorize is not the same to be able to think outside the box. You end up with group think. In a Japanese company, you focus on improvements to what you have. Now I describe the decision making and assume that there layers of management in the Japanese company. People at the lowest level sense an improvement can be made and they discuss it. Once there is agreement, a recommendation is passed to the next level. There the idea is circulated and reviewed. And so forth. The top layer of management is not spouting "all new for 2025", "a revolutionary new design", "quality is goal one" and similar nonsence like Ford/GM/Chrsyler. Yes, the hiragana, katakana, and romaji writing systems were developed in the 20th century, but no one is writing in romaji which uses an alphabet. 2. Now you know why the Chinese have to engage in internet espionage. They also try to reserve engineer. The PRC bought 12 Russian SU35 jet fighters in 2018. Only 3 work and they reverse engineered the SU35 to come out with their own version. In 2019, there were 300,000 Chinese nationals, most of whom already had college degrees attending US junior colleges, universities to work on English language skills so that they would go back to the PRC with a language with an alphabet. 3. Personal note. I had a Ford automobile product that had a transmission defect. After more than one time when repairs failed, I wrote the head of transmissions at Ford and said that Ford had had 100 years to figure out how to build a transmission and I would never buy another Ford product. My family has had 4 of the same model of Toyota Avalon. 3 attained more than 250,000 miles. Mine is still going after 20 years.
Korea has switched from chinese characters to an alphabet, but they still group think they didn't become an individualistic society. Correlation does not mean causation.
My first car was a 1978 Chevy that needed constant repairs and parts. I was a poor college student. I swore I would never buy another American car. And I haven't. Some years ago my car made a list of Top 10 worst designed cars!
@@noseboop4354I was going to make the same comment. For centuries Korea has used a phonetic alphabet with roughly the same number of letters as English. Not the thousands you need to learn to be fluent in writing Chinese or Japanese.
@@noseboop4354 1. I know about the change. 2. Long after WW2, there were Japanese interests (kangi) still controlling the country's economy. Certainly correlation does not mean causation. When you review the literacy rates in Europe after the invention of the printing press, it took a long time, even in the merchant class, for literacy to catch up. At least some group in the PRC figured out that it was cheaper to pay tuition in American colleges than to build new universities. All of the sponsored kids are required to join the on campus CCP supported and monitored student club.
Hiragana and katakana date to the late eighth or early ninth century, not the twentieth, so I'm not sure where you're coming from here. They're syllabaries, which do serve the same function as alphabets, albeit with a slightly different approach. (Some would argue that this approach is, in fact, superior; I wouldn't, but the arguments are not without merit.) They do not function like logographic writing systems, such as Chinese characters (hanzi/hanja/kanji.)
Thet are trying to become like other manufacturers with unnecessary technologies and unreliability. They want top dollars tho😂 like I will buy Ford now since u want to be shitty like them anyways, no reason to pay 10k extra for same bs
I've driven nothing but BMWs since college. My current BMW will be my last. My previous ones were well made and I drove 800,000 miles on the first 2 (425,000 + 375,000) with rarely a problem. My current 2017 3-series is full of plastic parts in key systems and it has already left me stranded in farmland due to a cheap plastic coolant pipe connector that broke. BMW is relying on their outdated reputation as a manufacturer that USED TO make good cars. Now they just look good.
THIS IS KEY. No manufacturer today builds there cars to last like they used to. Even newer toyotas are showing that they are not built on the same level of quality as the ones from the 80's,90's and 2000. I remember the 5 series from the early 2000's being called the most reliable bmw ever and it shows. You still see quite a few on the road today. They were solidly made, well engineered and, had a durable and well made powertrain that has lasted a long time for them. out side of a few models people buy to tune, I rarely see any modern bmw in good condition unless it has been beaten in hell and back and being sold on a used car lot or was babyed and barely driven.
I have been an automotive service writer going on 26 years and this is spot on. This is exactly what I preach to my customers when they ask me which vehicle should I get next and for all that he mentioned Toyota is number one Honda used to be number 1 in my mind but not any more Honda is number 2
Japanese industrial leaders took to heart the teachings of American quality guru W. Edwards Deming in the 1950s. There is a story of how a Japanese supplier of a part to an American company was contractually committed to 99% of the parts being within tolerances. The Japanese supplier asked the American company if they wanted the 1% of out of tolerance parts boxed separately.
I've spent two decades in design, development and research for a European manufacturer and seen cars from a sketch to production. I'm afraid it's not quite as simple as outsiders like the Car Care Nut make it out to be. That's ok- he's seeing things from the outside and making some logical assumptions. However, the reality is there are factors beyond anything he's considered: 1) You're dealing with thousands of parts suppliers and depending on your size, volume and engineering requirements you may find it a monumental challenge to get things consistent and to spec unless you're a giant like Toyota/Honda. The unexpected happens constantly and parts sometimes don't meet agreed upon specs, but it's too late to correct. Are you going to halt production for weeks and costs the company hundreds of millions of euros due to brake pad, sunroof guide, or windshield issues? Nope. Sort it at the retailer. If Lemforder or Bosch have a factory fire or equipment failure and they won't be able to meet your original order- now what? 2) The bigger you are the more leverage you have over suppliers. Period. People can't fathom how impossible it is to get good quality and reasonable costs if your volume is less than a million units a year. 3) GM and Ford have tremendous Union/Pension/Labor costs built into the products which means they can't build to the same quality/durability level in terms of parts and fit/finish because the math doesn't work for them. Losing even $2,000 per vehicle in labor costs has a massive impact on what you can deliver as a final product. 4) The owner lifecycle and requirements are going to determine your focus on long-term durability. For example, the BMW 3 series had a lease penetration of 80+% pre-pandemic with the majority on a 24-36 month cycle. Financed vehicles were typically paid off in 48 months- even if people took out 60-72 month loans. My point- if your TRUE customer is buying a new car every 36-48 months (because that's what many european luxury buyers do) you don't invest an additional 500 million to 1 billion euros in platform durability enhancements. 5) Toyota/Lexus cut corners in terms of panel gaps, interior material quality, equipment generation, fit/finish, etc to help offset the investment in durability of components. However, that approach does not work for everyone. 6) Lastly, there's no magic formula these days. There are former Audi/BMW/Mercedes engineers at Toyota and there are Honda/Mazda/Toyota engineers at Mercedes/VW/Land Rover. We all know the deal and how to make cars like Toyota if we all have the same resources/laws/geography/labor costs/volumes/supplier leverage/government support/etc etc. It's not 1987 and we aren't all mystified by how Toyota does what it does.
I am an ex man. eng. I don't necessarily agree. That might be the standpoint in the us. Japanese culture plays a lot. Their individual jobs that they are doing, defines who and they are in the community. Things like company Villages, their kids go to the same company schools, they get married within the company ect... their honour is defined by the job that they do! I've seen things like a Japanese toolmaker, come overseas to make the imprint of the dash into the tool, this is so that they are consistent with each other! At one company, you were not able to go home of an evening until your immediate boss went home first! I could go on all day! European cars try to reinvent the wheel every model change. And because you pay x4 the price, you don't necessarily get a developed and refined product. Up until the early 90s, companies like merc did it the best. This was the time that engineers designed the cars, not the accountants as they do now!
@@petecotter6790 Which of my points do you not agree with specifically? I do this for a living so I'm happy to hear a counterpoint if you think I'm overlooking something. Your comments on Japanese culture were once quite valid, but as I mentioned in my points above- are dated. The 1980's and 1990's are over. When is the last time you spent the day with some Japanese engineers in their 20's and 30's? They don't behave like this anymore and culture has shifted.The Koreans are a different story and culture had driven their rise to the top lately though. Lastly, if you're a retired auto engineer your last paragraph sure doesn't sound like it. Those are the kinds of assertions I hear the general public and auto journalists make- not people with knowledge of the inner working of the industry.
@@MikeKayK Well then you and AMD don't understand levels of fit and finish, tolerance and texture quality. These are not the same as durability or function. How something LOOKS and how something PERFORMS are two different things.
@@afellowinnewengland6142 Yes, I understand that. But show me where Toyota/Lexus (especially the ones still built in Japan) have wide or inconsistent panel gaps, poor paint quality, and poor interior material durability compared to European counterparts? This brand skips the high tech and flashy looks, not the build quality.
25 years working for a domestic manufacturer. A big difference is company culture. At my company everyone was in training to become CEO. If you stayed in the same job for more than 2 years you were a loser. In contrast, at Toyota an engineer might do the same job for their entire career, but they were damn good at it. They knew every past issue with their part and every model has the same part or a slightly modified version of that same design. At my company every model had a fresh part design even for a mundane part, with the associated learning curve (warranty costs).
At Toyota the program manager is the same from one generation to the next. At my company a program manager might do pick up trucks one cycle and move to a sports car the next. So, consistency of vision was constantly shifting. In short, company culture plays a big part.
Spot on
Well said
Proficiency is more important than self promotion.
What was your company?
Did you even watch the video?
As the GM chairman once said, we are not in the business of making cars, we are in the business of making money. That works in the short term…
Nailed it.
Japan's secret to quality is the fact that the government forces them to make good cars so they remain competitive in exports. A makret not entirely free, but nowhere near socialism either.
Works in the long term too when the government keeps bailing you out.
@@undisputedn00b yeah, they have a life support hotline 😂
Apparently toyota is heading that way, just a humble opinion
79 y/o female here. Bought a friends 2004 Toyota Camry in 2019 when she passed. It had 75,000 miles and cost me $2500.00. Put on new tires, had oil and transmission fluid changed and only major done was water pump which is weak part of car. I absolutely love it. I also have a young local mechanic who had no problem when I brought dealer part for replacement. Dealer parts said new water pump had been completely redesigned and will probably outlive me. I drive short stop and go and have my oil changed every 6 months. Dealer emails me about every 4 months to get me to sell my car to them so they can resell for 2 to 3 times what they paid. I pray that when I go that someone will total my car when I'm in it so I don't have to go out and pay what they want for used cars now and which I can't afford! lol
When my mother passed away last year we sold her 2006 Camry. All it needed was front tires. They were 10 years old and dry rotting.
Ford owners, GM owners, Kia owners, BMW owners, Mercedes owners Hyundai owners also have similar experiences. Don’t understand where the myth of Toyota being so reliable come from.
@@tomdurkins My mother had 3 Camrys. My sister had two Camrys. My other sister had 1 Camry. None of those cars gave any of them any problems! My nephew has a Camry he doesn't take care of. It looks like crap but still keeps going. The youngest of those cars is a 2017 so maybe things have changed with Toyota since then.
@@tomdurkinsDon't understand where?
Consumer Reports
RepairPal
CarMD
J.D. Power
TrueDelta
Statista
Edmunds
For years, these sources (among others) have compiled studies and statistics which consistently rate Lexus and Toyota the most reliable cars.
Hope this clears things up for you.
@@peteroleary9447 Look up the consumer reports parking lot. They all drive Toyotas and Hondas. You think they give honest reviews? You’re naive if you do. Toyotas are some of the cheapest most unreliable cars made today.
I worked for a large US company. We were designing a product with a Japanese supplier. When the drawings were mostly done the Japanese company wanted to change some of the drawings to make the parts easier to produce and inspect. Basically they wanted to optimize the drawings for manufacturing. They were going to do the changes on their dime so we said to go ahead. Later after the drawings were optimized our US company managers and bean counters were upset because the extra drawing changes looked bad on their charts and metrics. It was more important for the bosses to look good than to be good.
You are right there, brother!
Isn't that last line the American way?
yep...all about the metric.
How would optimized manufacturing hurt metrics?
@@dosmastrify because the metric may state that "less than 1% re-work for each project". so, since you have to re-do all the drawings, that is 100% re-work and you are done for the upper management, even though your customer is happy about your work.
My favorite are the people that buy a Toyota or Lexus, put less than 80,000 miles on it, then decide they want the latest and greatest, or are worried about the reliability of their "high mileage" car that is out of warrenty, and sell it to me cheap. To them I say, thank you for breaking in the engine and taking the 2/3rds depreciation hit for me. 😆
I'm in the wrong business. LOL!
You mean warranty
Same i love them. 2014 Tundra 1794 trim. Like brand new. 54k miles when I bought it. Just 74k miles now. I work close to home. 😅😅😅
Those cars aren’t “cheap” anymore since Covid lmao
the type of person who thinks 80k is high mileage for a toyota or lexus is also probably the type of person who takes such shit care of their car that 80k actually IS high mileage on THEIR toyota or lexus
When we first immigrate here, my brother and his friends bought American’s made cars like pontiac 6000, pontiac bonnervillre, Sunbird , Eagle primere , ford tempo, Tempest etc. They realy love their cars because it’s their fitst time ownig a car. They always maintain and took care their car like a baby to them. But they had a lot of machanical problems and keep going back to the shop so they bought Japanies made cars and never looked back.
My brand new Honda with 1600 miles on it just left me stranded on the road… even the Japanese now aren’t making good cars. Sad
@@stachowi - Cars are getting too complex and even Honda, Toyota, Subaru, etc. are having some reliability issues
@@stachowi nonsense
@@stachowithere's proper break in period but I do believe you that you did everything right and you just got a lemon. Hopefully they honor the power train warranty
A lot of native born Americans had a similar experience. My parents switched to Hondas in the 1980s and that was the end of that
In the 90s I worked for a circuit board manufacturer. We made parts for all the major auto makers. Same factory. Same manufacturing lines. Same raw materials. The difference? Tolerances were tighter on the brands we all know for reliability. So circuits were less prone to shorts or stack up tolerance defects. Also the tooling used for stamping had to be maintained in shorter intervals. Say a tool for a Japanese brand had to be sharpened every 10000 hits where the American brand went to 100000 hits.
Laugh of the day. I did business with a distiller. Marketed 3 different flavored vodkas. The ingredients cost the same. Put the vodkas under different brand names and had price differentials. People bought the higher priced versions because they were out to impress people. People see fancy ads for bourbons with greenery, old timey people. The reality is that the distillers on the Ohio River take in the water, process it, and dump the garbage back in the river. Compacted and purportedly processed human waste the size of barges from municipal sewerage system float down that river. Image counts with most buyers of cars with people thinking of retirement savings usually don't want to pay for the flash image.
Very interesting and ypu make sense.
@bdcochran0😅1
This is true. I spoke to a quality engineer who works at a company in Taiwan that supplies bolts to various automotive brands. He shared with me that Toyota has the lowest tolerance level for errors in the products they supply to Toyota. That's why he told me that if he were to buy a car, it would be a Toyota.
@@bdcochran01People used to drink booze precisely because of all the shit in the drinking water.
*The Toyota Way*
"Base your management decisions on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term financial goals."
*Kaizen* - The principle of continuous improvement.
*Hansei* - Continuous reflection.
*Jidoka* - Quality takes precedence.
The Toyota Production System originated from Dr. W Edward's Deming teachings. Hense the term Kaizen originated from his 14th point philosophy. He was from my home state Iowa that travel to Japan in the 1950s to train the Japanese on quality control. Toyota was the first Japanese manufacturer awarded the Deming Prize.
@@upforanadventure3039 Yep. The Tacoma is a good example. All automakers are facing serious business challenges currently, Toyota/Lexus is not immune. Specifically, they're struggling to remain profitable and competitive within the regulatory framework of respective governments. Toyota has had to make changes faster than they would want. They're at a point where the US and EU are effectively running (ruining lol) their business.
@@upforanadventure3039 I liked the V6 too, but what is "junk" about the new motor? It's more powerful and (slightly) more fuel efficient. As much as you don't want it to be, it will likely be reliable too. It is possible to engineer a 4 cyl. turbo properly. So it has a turbo, get over it!
@@upforanadventure3039Toyota is not what it used to be. My 2017 Highlander has had issues since new, including steering issues that have not been corrected to day. The car drifts from side to side on the highway; while the dealer tells me it is within the manufacturer’s spec. It is also rated for a 5000 lb towing capacity but struggles with my 2000 lb boat. Can’t imagine its performance with a 5000 lb load. Navigation issue to months to correct. The Toyota of 2024 is not the Toyota of years past that resulted their excellent reputation that appears to be no longer credible. Gave up on dealer after they told me I needed new front brake rotors with only 30k miles on the odometer.
@@ytj22people who hate on the new Tacoma powertrain are either prior Tacoma owners unable to cope with a newer Tacoma on the road or old school loyalists that hate all modern technology. Give it 5 years before any of the noise around Toyota’s 4cyl turbos holds weight.
Cars are such an emotional thing and an extension of one's personality. It always amazes me how some folks who are barely getting by will drive an expensive flashy car and some wealthy folks will drive a boring conservative car.
All about money management. And emotional control..
I could pay cash for a brand new Tundra trd if i wanted to i just refuse to spend 90k for a pickup truck on general principle. I would rather drop that cash into another rental property. I drive a 93 landcruiser
I drive a 2006 Highlander and we can afford to drop $20k on a European vacation that we'll remember for the rest of our lives.
It's not about what you earn, it's about what you save
@@colechapman6976that’s just such a pointless oversimplification/cliche that’s doesn’t really mean anything useful. “It” literally starts with what you earn, followed by what you save, what you spend, and what/how you invest. All are relevant and just saying one is the only one that matters is just pointless. If someone makes $100 a month and saves all of it, they have $1200 a year, vs $100,000 a month and spends $50,000 of it, they still have $50,000. I even feel stupider having to type this out.
I live in Canada & was talking to a guy that works at a local oil change place. I was telling him about you & he said he has seen you on RUclips. You are becoming really popular. Thanks for all the videos.
When I think of companies like GM, Ford and Chrysler/Ram/Jeep, my general opinion is that they are only concerned with this sales quarter, doing whatever they can to maximize profit now. They mostly only put their vehicles together in factories, they don’t actually make most of the parts. So they squeeze their parts suppliers to make the parts less expensive (again to maximize their profit) and that’s one reason why they break, fall apart, wear out sooner etc. It doesn’t matter if they can’t make a vehicle as reliable as a Toyota, or if they just choose not to. They don’t, and that’s why their vehicles are often nailed to the showroom floor.
I bought a Chevy ONCE and never again, I’m embarrassed to tell you what a POS this “car” was.
Who are you all the big car makers working together Toyota, works GM ,and Nissan works Ford another SUVs makers
And I told the service rep at the dealership, "What do you mean, I need new lug nuts?! Lug nuts don't wear out!"
I was at a Ford dealership. If you know, you know.
Are you sure about that? I have a 2015 F150 2.7l ecoboost I drive it hard on and off road. It's has 153,000 miles. Nothing is breaking or falling apart a side from normal maintenance items due to the beating it gets off road. The interior still looks brand new. It has zero rattle or squeaks. The same with my wife's focus ( a side from the dps6 transmission). It had issues with the TCM, but luckily, we got it replaced under the extended warranty and hasn't given issues since.
@@aceburns8673That was exactly what happened to me with Ford. I watched my partner get a new Ford (Escape) in 2010 or 2011, and within a few years it was falling apart. Then in 2014 I gave them a chance and leased a Fiesta for 3 years, and it fell apart too pretty soon. And I literally mean falling apart: the exhaust FELL off , only like 2.5 years in! And that was gentle, light, daily driving, nothing even hard or heavy or crazy.
I gave Ford a chance, and they were shit, just like everybody always said.
And yet I’ve never had an issue with a Honda nor Toyota
I appreciate your ability to have a nuanced discussion on this issue. Most people say there is one way that is “the best” and everything else is junk. Highlighting the pros and cons of each approach is appreciated.
He did a good job in highlighting the +/- for each category.
Still, the best cars (as a weighted average of the most important characteristics of a car: reliability, TCO, longevity, performance, design, features) are Japanese.
They are the cars with which you get the best bang for your buck (the best quality/price ratio), because they dominate the rankings in reliability, low TCO, longevity, resale value etc.
The truth is unique, even though there are many opinions on it.
Pros and cons to literally everything in life. Same as for buying vs. leasing, owning vs. renting, etc.
You are so good at explaining things in plain English for dummies like me!
He should write a "Cars for Dummies" book!
Economist here. Another unintended consequence of the high-end fun advance category, is accelerated depreciation from leasing. Consumers prefer to lease and buy only the best and first part of the car. This floods the used car market with those models.
"Economist here" - stopped reading after that.
@@anonnon2278What was wrong about that statement?
Best video ever! You have summed up the whole car industry in a 15 minute video
Cars are like humans, some are honest and some are greedy crooks.
Some are high maintenance a girl that is pretty to look at
@@Yggdrasill8 Best analogy really. And some are just very good friends that won't leave your side and will be honest, useful, practical. etc
Agreed..But 4got Evil...
@@hariranormal5584but are boring😂
Back to the binary. Oh well, human nature prevails.
As a tech, I think a huge factor for reliability is user friendliness re: repairs. Whether at a shop or the customer wants to do their own repairs, the harder it is to do basic maintenance on a vehicle the longer it may go undone, resulting in failure to the point where all repairs outweigh the value. Looking at you, Nissan...
Many “owners” don’t care about the vehicle. They’re not making payments on it, just waiting for the repo man to show up and haul it away. Just look at the number of cars on the road with front or side impact damage. These people drive like clowns, blowing through stop signs.
That's why I love my Hyundai Accent, most jobs take 30 minutes to do and it doesn't make me want to throw my tools.
Lol...but I thought nissan was just cheap... I didnt think they were complicated... Except maybe that new variable compression. I thought the complicated stuff was usually the european brands
Agree with Nissan (since owned by the French Renault), but things are not as simple as you wrote.
There is not a coincidence that Lexus, Toyota, Mazda, Subaru, Honda, Acura are the champions of reliability and low TCO (the most important indicators for the financial freedom seekers).
On the contrary, some people pay less attention to maintenance (betting on the famous reliability of the Japanese brands), still the rankings have at the top the Japanese cars.
Do I smell a burning CVT?
I think that how meticulous you are in preventative maintenance is a primary factory in how reliable your car is. I have always bought cars below what I can afford and kept the $$ difference as a rainy day fund for unforseen repairs & then try to be fanatical about routine maintenance, including wrenching on then myself for simple things that are within my capability, and informing myself on service intervals and such. So far, I've been lucky and this approach has worked for me - domestic, foreign & exotic cars.
I drive two old bimmers. Maintenance is key to reliability.
Glad to hear you're doing good with these vehicles and I fully agree with your ending statement. That being said, I've been a mechanic over 40 yrs and have never told anyone to buy a Toyota or Honda. I've owned many vehicles and worked on just about everything but exotics(at least what I consider exotic). Long lasting depends on maintenance and driver. I've seen just as many Toyotas and Hondas with issues or not running with very low mileage as other manufacturers.
When people ask me what I suggest they buy, I just tell them to buy what they want. I tell them I have no idea what type of person they are, what type of maintenance they do, how they drive and take care of their vehicles, and what usage they plan on. Most vehicles with just maintenance and a wash do well. I do tell them don't buy a car if you plan to pull a trailer or haul stuff. Also, don't buy an ev.
Great video. It is not only the brand, it is also the factory where they are built.
Once again, hits the nail right in the head. Everything I choose to prioritize in my vehicle ownership is exactly as described. (10yr used vehicle mechanic)
What kind of car do you drive? Both myself and my mechanic drive a 1st gen Toyota Highlander. Which means I only see him every 5k miles for an oil change haha!
I am a retired Engineer and I grew up in a family that worked in the automotive repair industry. My father and I worked together in our small autobody repair shop which is how I paid for my university education. I also worked in a few dealerships. My father, and many of the people of that time, were brand loyalists. My father virtually always drove GM cars, and if he got a bad one he considered it just to be bad luck, and bought another one. We lived in the country, and over the years he also owned a total of 13 VW beetles which he used mainly for his daily commutes. I initially bought a few GM and Ford cars, which were OK, then in 1978 I purchased a Honda Civic. I really enjoyed driving that little car, and my sister bought one as well. In 1979, I purchased a Datsun 280 ZX . It was nice and a lot of fun to drive. In 1981, I bought a new Buick which was absolute garbage. It had a long list of issues, none of which were covered under GM warranty. It was he worst car that I had ever owned. I used to have to tow it several times per month and finally after seven months of ownership, I took my financial beating like a man (whimpering a little bit ) and traded it in for another Datsun. In 1991 I purchased a Nissan Hardbody pickup which I drove for 20 years. I have driven mostly Japanese vehicles ever since. I recently sold my 2009 Honda CR-V which only had 60,000 miles on it and its new owner arrived two hours after I put it up for sale. A few months ago I purchased a new 2024 Honda Pilot. I hope that it lasts as long as the CR-V which was an excellent vehicle.
Your father sure went through those VW Beetles. I owned a 1960 for 6 years. 13 should last a lifetime.
The Pilot is a very wise buy, you did well, when you look around at similar SUV's its hard to beat the common sense Pilot / Passport.
I highly doubt any Hondas that are now being built in the USA (like your Pilot) are going to last anywhere near as long as the super simple 100%-made-in-Japan stuff from back in the day. Same goes for Toyota and any other Japanese automaker.
@@MikeKayK You SURE said it correctly, just as I have told others!
I know about cars, but always go for category 1. This is because I want reliability, I don't want to be repairing it all the time, and as I choose carefully at purchase, it's right for my needs, and I expect to keep it for a long time. My bike is 2003 (and has been trouble free- any work done on it since 2006 has been done by me- main dealer service costs were high), my wife's car is 1991 (all work has been done by me since she bought it 12 yrs ago- again service costs at a dealer are high), my car is a 2020 corolla hybrid and has done 130000 trouble free and Toyota servicing has been cheap as its had no problems (trying to find a way to justify buying a good diagnostic tool so I can work on it myself- but it has been too cheap and reliable so far to justify that expense).
Lol 130k is nothing for a toyota
I have an 05 Toyota Matrix. It hit 300,000 kms in February of 2016. Due to some glitch with these, they stop counting. I'm still commuting with this car, 100 kms per day, and have been SINCE Feb 2016 (less during the pandemic). I don't know how many kms it actually has but I assume well over 500,000 by now. Just keeps on going.
Drove a couple of Matrixes many miles and with care those 2003+ era VVTI 16-valve 1.8 engines in them really hold together, rev well & run beautifully for their purpose with really decent mpg for a simple non-hybrid choice of the era. Basic steady maintenance keeps them setting longevity records
@@Orbi.Lee23 Yep. keep looking out for a good used one, but they're so expensive used. For good reason I suppose.
Sister has an 04 bought new now at 350K km. Runs great doesn’t burn oil with 1.8 motor and manual. Odometer locked at 300 so she writes down at every gas fill. Quite happy with my cx5 but a young one at 82K
@@marcpikas2859 Nice. I should have been writing down the kms using the trip, but honestly it might have been at 300k for 50k lol. I hadn't looked at it. Or it was 300k the day I saw. Regardless, I didnt even know it was a problem until months later when I noticed it hadn't changed haha. Oh well. Yeah, that 1.8 is an AMAZING motor.
@@larryroyovitz7829this is fact.. in Canada the matrix odometer stops at 400,000kms I wonder how many other toyotas do that and their logic? They figured ppl would be tired of them by then
I always say that there is a difference between quality/fit and finish and reliability. You can have an extremely well-made car that is not reliable, and you can also have a cheap feeling car that is very reliable - and everything in between. So we must know the difference, and as you say, different car companies focus on different areas and "mixes" of quality/fit and finish and reliability. It's all about priorities. If we need to have the latest technology, then reliability will be sacrificed because it has not been tested for years in real scenarios. If our customer's do not need the latest technology but want reliability, then we can de-prioritize tech and use older, tried and true methods. There is no perfect car, and as you say at the end there, it's all about finding a vehicle that fits your needs, budget and requirements.
That is why BMW/Mercedes/Audi drivers are so gullible, making a judgment on the quality of the cars built base on the interior, while the drive train is made of flimsy/thin materials.
@@Yggdrasill8 You are generalizing here, there are plenty of BMW/Mercedes/Audi drivers who are very well aware of potential reliability concerns, but they have made their peace with it and are fine paying more for service and repairs. Again, it's all about priorities, at the end of the day, there are people who simply do not want to drive a boring Toyota Camry. And vice versa, there are people who would rather have peace of mind and drive a very reliable vehicle.
Poor fit, finish and features but supreme reliability, repairability and hackability - this is a category of (usually but not always commercial) vehicles found in Russia and successors of former warsaw pact, former yugoslavia and to some extent rural China (not usually exported). this is an unglamorous but very important category of vehicles.
Porsche is one of those unique brands which produced very high quality, very high performing, and very reliable cars. But of course you're going to pay a small fortune for one.
@@tobias_dahlbergand then you can do both and drive a Toyota GR86
Category 1 is for economically conservative people who tend to pay cars off and then keep them. Categories 2,3,and 4 are for those who always have car payments and accept them as a fact of life.
Lol accurate. I am currently in category 1, but I struggle with the desire to own a category 2 car. I just figure I’ll have the money if I spend enough time in category 1. Currently drive a 17 year old Corolla with 180,000 miles that I paid cash for almost 4 years ago. Pretty deep into category 1 right now.
What is a car payment? In 49 years of buying vehicles Ive never had even one.
Bu then, Ive been in the automotive repair business since I was in high school and can rebuild any vehicle that I deem worthwhile from the ground up.
Im NOT enamored by failure prone electronic gadgetry, the purpose of a vehicle is TRANSPORTATION, not having a bunch of foo foo car toys.
My daily driver is a 47 year old Ford. I see NO Toyotas or Hondas from that era still running or even in existence.
There is someone driving an early 70s Volvo 164 around my neighborhood though.
As far as fun to drive, I have another 45 year old Ford in which resides a 429 ci engine of 500 hp, which i built myself.
@@donreinke5863 Well… BULLY FOR YOU!! 🥳
Agreed. I keep my corolla 2005. It still has the original belt. Can you believe it? Everything original from day one expect the starter that broke few days ago
Category 1 owner here too. '18 Honda CRV with 32k. Rather pamper this sled that buy new junk.
When every brand is making the same changes (smaller turbo motors) it’s obvious the changes are being driven by regulations rather than what’s in our best interest in reliability. We need the brands to push back for the consumer, cars are by FAR more efficient than ever and we’re being forced to pick up another penny while passing up dollars so to speak.
Agreed. I don't know a single soul ASKING for a turbo. Especially in this global depression, people want reliable, affordable, repairable. Turbos are...none of these.
@@OutsideTheTargetDemographic You said it right!
The brands won't push back because they align their vision with government regulation. Change government and by nature, the manufactures will change to suit the people.
Its not just cars. My heating engineer was saying the exact thing. All the parts in modern systems are dainty and fragile because they need to meet efficiency targets at the expense of durability.
Computers too. NASA deliberately use a 55nm process node for space probe and satellite CPU’s that was cutting edge in 2007, because they think that is the sweet spot for reliability and efficiency. TSMC is on a 3nm process node now, the transistors in that are so tiny, will be much more susceptible to being falsely triggered by radiation and high energy particles in space.
This guy is incredible and speaks the truth. Just bought a Toyota and missing some stuff but feel i can drive this for 10 years
What’s interesting is that corporate ideologies can change over time. MB used to make extremely reliable vehicles. Their diesel engines were legendary. The buttons , knobs, and switches were all very robust.
My father was gifted a 1977 450SL from his brother in law. She had been sitting cold for 15 years before my father received her and she started up first turn. She needed a lot of maintenance updates but she did start first turn.
There was a cultural shift in European manufacturing in the 90's - before that, companies were run by locally educated people, a lot of them engineers, in the 90's though, senior positions in companies were taken by US-educated people with finance background, who "imported" the same attitudes that were crippling the US industry, to Europe. This never happened in Japan, hence Mercedes and WV are unreliable now, while Toyota and Honda are reliable (all is relative, gap between them now is smaller than 10 or 15 year ago, when it was astronomical). BTW same thing also killed Nokia - Finns just were slower, but when ex-Microsoft people found their way in, it was over :D
Totally spot on. I didn't set out to be a Mazda guy but now I have 4 of them.
How's Mazda reliability? All I ever own was a 86 Nissan Sentra, 95 Toyota Tacoma, 12 Honda Fit, 20 Honda CRV. In 10 years, I'm thinking of Mazda or Subaru.
I'm currently waiting for my order to arrive, mazda 3 gt...I often think I should just stick with my old car that still runs great and forget about getting a new one just for the sake of having a new car with a excellent sound system....what do you think I should do mr mazda?...will the new 3 be good to me or cause many unwanted headaches
Why 4 you need 5, 4 is unlucky number
@@randylahey1232 The closest I have to a new 3 would be my wife's 2018 Mazda 6 we bought new that year. Just over 120K miles without any issues. Just basic maintenance. It has developed some oil seepage at the front cover and we did suffer a coil pack failure around 110K miles last Oct. Since that incident there's been more vibration when it goes into cylinder deactivation than I remember. Changed all the motor and transmission mounts to no avail. I did a chemical decarbon but I think it's going to need a mechanical one. It's a DI engine.
@ScottJ175 thank you for taking the time to answer I appreciate it...the two things I don't like about the 3 are the fact it's DI only id rather have just port injection and that cylinder deactivation nonsense
I used to own a Ford 1 Ton Diesel because I hauled my rock crawler all over the southwest USA, and then later when I retired I hauled a 5th-wheel RV. Now that I am settled down and gave up all of my expensive toy's I own a Toyota Tacoma. I plan to drive the wheels off of the Tacoma.
got a 1999 gmc seirra, probably the perfect year for the ls engine and not everything being electronic. its got 423k miles on it right now, and still runs like a champ
That’s cool. My 2007 Silverado only has 150,000 and drives great. No oil consumption or leaks. It’s on its second set of tires. I’m picky picky about maintenance. I tell my (trustworthy) mechanic to “find something wrong” and fix it. No major issues. It will probably blow up tomorrow just because I bragged on her.
@@otis4349🤞
@@otis4349 think my down fall will be just be the frame rusting out. 150k you are just breaking in the engine lol
gm use to make very good and long lasting trucks I had a 99 S-10 for over 20 years and it was very reliable. It did have body hardware like door handles and glove box handles that broke but the drivetrain was solid. I now have a 22 Ford Maverick which has been good but you can see the cost cutting on the interior and some body components. Toyota has gone down in quality on its trucks with the new redesigned Tundra and Tacoma having more issues especially the turbo V-6s and turbo I-4s they are also not selling as well.
Outstanding analysis and spot on. I can speak as a 75 year old with experience. Always owned domestic products with exception of 1 Toyota 20 years ago. It was the best car I have ever owned. Long story short, went back to domestic and it was a mistake. In 2022 bought 2 new Toyotas, one for my wife and myself. All I can say we no longer have any long road trip anxiety.
Challenging to buy made in America ... My 2002 Chevrolet Impala was assembled in Canada, my 2008 Toyota Avalon was assembled in Kentucky. The Chevy was purchased new and a mechanical mess after 36k, the Toyota was purchased used and one of the nicest cars we ever owned. I downsized cars in 2017 and purchased a new VW Jetta SEL 1.8 L with trepidation (and all that nice safety tech) because I usually regret it when I deviate from buying Japanese, but to date its been trouble free. My wife's 2012 Kia Sportage purchased new continues to be a very good car too. We spend a little extra and always have our cars serviced by their Dealership. Really enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work.
You call that safety tech "nice?" LOL. I call it a "curse." Too bad I can't go back in time and get one of those super reliable yet nice and fun to drive cars...with NONE of this tech crap to cost a mint to repair later when it fails. Rear seat reminders (seriously?), steering wheels that turn by themselves, etc. Lord knows, if I cannot turn the wheel or look in the back seat to see if anything is there, I do NOT need to be driving .
Canada is practically the United States.
A lot of domestic cars, especially GM is partially owned by China and they have Chinese parts in them. That’s why they’re more unreliable.
While deployed overseas, we had a fleet of Toyotas, Mitsubishi and Nissan SUVs. We drove them from 4-5,000 miles a month on some of the worst roads in that region. I returned to the US with a much greater respect and my view on these "rice burners" After my long research on reliability, maintenance and resale value, I chose Toyota and Hondas. I can only hope Toyota and Honda do not forget their roots and their fan base. I'm reading too many negative comments on these newer Toyotas and Honda (i.e. turbocharged engines) Excellent post as always AMD.
I'll never buy a vehicle with a turbo. I've seen engines that were destroyed by turbos blowing up.
As a car guy who's also got the environment on my conscience, I feel like the Toyota way is what's best for the earth from a sustainability perspective. I.e. you buy a car that will last for many years (vs. getting a new car every few years that took alot of resources and emissions to build). Although my LS430 doesn't get the best MPG, there's something great about daily driving a 19 year old car that still functions perfectly and continuing to use it long past the time that other cars would end up in a junkyard. Ultimately, car companies are for-profit though, not for for sustainability and reducing consumer waste.
good take, and also part of why I prefer Toyotas. The true environmental cost is not factored into car purchases. Everyone is lying. But the only true metric of how wasteful something is, is how long it lasts.
Tire wear is actually proven to be a large part of any old or brand new vehicle's emissions but nobody believes me.
I see things exactly like you, reliability longevity and resources.
@@VictorMaxol Yeah, that is a bit hard to believe. I once had a set of Michelin tires last 85,000 miles. We're the emissions from producing that one set of tires comparable to burning 2900 gallons of gas?
I was surprised that the constantly increased US CAFE standards did not get mentioned. This one single piece of paper has done more to reduce the dependability of all automobiles. CVT transmissions are a case in point.
More regulations regarding these almost unreachable levels that the CAFE dictates, actually drives innovation and creativity and pushes for a more diverse array of alternative options. That is the American ingenuity and yearning to be better. Don't fall for the big oil opposition to change. They're trying to convince you that change is bad. We must change. We have to not only keep up, but exceed expectations. Our vehicles, especially the dodge brand, is disgustingly bad and unreliable. Japanese and German cars have outgunned us for years. We are playing catch up and we don't like it.
Not all CVTs. The one in my Prius made it 275,000 miles before we got rid of it.
Addressing your comment about the design engineers-
I'm an engineer, and the first thing you do (when I'm the design phase) is look at the requirements. Those 4 different types of companies... Have different requirements. When a good engineer switches companies, they'll look at the new set of requirements, and design accordingly. It's not just that a design won't get approved... It's that it'll be designed from the start with different measures for quality.
I was a red seal mechanic for 10 years. I bought a new Toyota because I didn’t wanna spend my days off fixing an inferior vehicle. If I’m making a car payment… I want it to be reliable and that’s it
Well, the Tundra 3.4L V-6 has been recalled for catastrophic engine failure, and the 2,0L Toyota engine for turbo failure. Gee, as a mechanic I wpuld think you would have known that, as well as Carolla and Camry recalls.
Ooh, what a feeling!
@@crankychris2ya true Toyota isn’t perfect either but a lot less compare to other car manufacturers like Hyundai/kia Americans/german brands and etc.
@@crankychris2 yes... bring up maybe the 1 recent specific rare mistake Toyota has made.. compared to the hundreds of others with different brands! LOL
It ain't perfect but it'll do more then others my friend.
My wife has a 97 Toyota Corolla that she paid $500 for has done really minor maintenance it has 570,000 km and no engine light and is not on its last leg drives just fine starts in the crazy cold Canadian winters Yes it's a rust bucket but it's a tool to get to and from work That's it thank you Toyota. ❤️
That facelift LS430 in the background has so much class and presence compared to the Camry next to it. Such a timeless design.
I have a 2005. Owned a lot of great cars but nothing compares. People thought I was crazy when I sold my newer car and bought it. Found one meticulously maintained. Better than most new cars on the road. I do a lot of road trips and it’s the ultimate cruiser…
Camry looks better to me. Lexus looks very 1990s luxury.
@@BeefNEggs057 it’s understated elegance
@@joer1678 Yup, the LS430 was the last of the understated, 'practical' luxury cars. Everything after became more ostentatious and complicated.
Thanks for talking this topic on manufacturer vision and motive. It’s a complicated subject. The worst car I owned was the flashiest one. So what you say rings true.
Dear Mr TCCN,
I love your content and delivery. This episode tops the charts. Thank you for being honest and forthright in your analysis. It is greatly appreciated.
Two Toyota's in the family. I went to the mechanic to get help with something I could not figure out. He said people only ever sell these Toyota's because they want a new car not because there is anything wrong with it. That's a vote of confidence, I am okay to drive an old car for now.
Excellent choice! Onw a 1984 oldtimer and daily 2012 Yaris. These cars are so well built!
All Toyotas here, I ran into my mechanic at the grocery store a couple of months ago. As we were talking I mentioned that I don't see him near as much since I dumped Dodge Chrysler ram stellantis, he said you got Toyotas, their the best
This was a good commentary, from someone who has obviously been working "at the coal face" for many years. Thank you.
I have never cared about "exciting" or "high tech". Reliability and price are the NUMBER 1 factors for me. What good is an exciting, flashy car that starts giving me problems before I've finished paying it off?
I agree, and I could NOT have said it any better!
Well some people enjoy driving, others only do it to move around. Different use cases.
I always appreciate how clear and to the point you are I your videos! At the start of this video I could tell you where talking about toyota and honda!
I work in tooling and QC for automotive companies. I support this message ❤
I keep em till the wheels fall off.Gave up on a 27 year old gmc Sonoma,2 years ago.Bought a 2012 Rav 4,V6,by far,the best vehicle I"ve ever owned.My only new car was a 1981,5 spd Civic.Lasted 12 years,240,000 miles.I think vehicles are a waste of money,so longevity is my focus.Loved your comments,the last 3 or 4 minutes of this vid!
As one who has 4 Toyota/Lexus vehicles, one as old as 35 years and one as new as 2003 and two inbetween, I will not buy another brand (except Subaru). I use these vehicles in all types of terrain, hard off-roading, long distance off-roading, local city daily, and one for long comfortable trips, I'm in one of the hottest parts of the nation. Toyota/Lexus continues to out perform my expectations!
I love my 2018 GX!
I’ve has so many problems with Toyotas. And have a major issue with how cheaply made the interiors are. Never will I buy a Toyota or Lexus again. Toyota is taking advantage of people that are fooled into the quality myth.
I agree. I have 1 08 Toyota and 1 2012 Lexus. Both are EXCELLENT
2006 Highlander Limited here, it's a tank.
@@coalknob What's your average MPG? That's really one of the only downsides to the GX and LX/LC.
I haven’t bought an American auto in 30 years. I understand the American CEO mentality : make them as cheap as possible, maximize profits. We don’t care what happens after the warranty period.
sounds like you drank the JDM koolaid.
every major auto manufacturing nation has made good cars, and bad cars.
This was well put. I gravitate toward 1 and 2 for different reasons. Used to only buy category 2, but it’s so nice daily driving a tacoma and having a fun car as well.
Excellent description of the difference between car companies. Thanks for sharing.
My 2012 Toyota RAV4 with the V6 engine is the most reliable car I have ever owned in the 59 years I've been driving. My experiences owning Ford, Chevy, Subaru, Dodge, and Honda have not exactly been great. I just hope Toyota maintains their quality if I ever need to buy another car.
They are banking on hybrids, thankfully, it's very reliable. The rest concerns me more, my Corolla is loaded with electronics, sensors, ect ... And sometimes, these systems like to get in the way, which can be disconcerting. Modern cars, hey.
Stellantis is notably more conservative than GM Ford. They still use v6 and v8 naturally aspirated engines in many large cars. This is even more conservative than Toyota. Unfortunately, Stellantis's saved budget didn't go to quality.
I’m with you on the assessment of the various makes, but not so much the buyers. People have so many individual motivations that I don’t think your generalizations about the buyers ring true. Speaking for myself I’ve owned 17 cars over 4+ decades, am a car fanatic, but every new and used vehicle purchase I’ve made has been motivated by different factors with every decision to purchase. Sometimes the vehicles have compelled me, sometimes my needs at the time were the driving force. When domestic manufacturers started producing most of a car overseas (and vice versa) brand loyalty vanished and I began looking at every vehicle solely on its own merits. Love your content - keep up the great work!
This is why I love your channel. You are very informative and I usually learn something every video. Good job.
In my high school chemistry class in 1977, our teacher had a son working as a design engineer for one of the big three in Detroit. She called him one day and ask what he was working on. He said “Mom, I’m designing wheel bearings to last 50,000 miles. That’s hard! Designing them to last 100,000 miles is easy”. Which is why Toyota and Honda ate their lunch.
So basically making quality go down on purpose?
@@sambeezy007 Exactly. Planned obsolescence. "Damn, the wheel bearings failed. Maybe I should buy a new car?"
It's the same with motorbikes I have owned just about every make out there but you just cannot beat Japanese bikes for build quality and reliability. Currently I have 3 Yamaha's in my garage and have had 19 Yamaha's and they have been by far the most reliable make I have ever owned. BMW Range Rover are horrendous for reliability when they get older. I wouldn't own aBMW bike or car if it were given
I disagree. I bought a BMW R-100GS new in 1992 and other than maintenance items like oil change, spark plugs and lubrication, I have not needed to do any repairs. I'm a mechanic with my own shop and I like how simple my bike is... However it's old school design. The new ones with all the electronics, cats and fuel injection are not the same. Those are B.M.W. bikes= bring my wallet!! LOL not simple and reliable.
My 2 cents. My BMW bikes have stranded me too many times. I’ll take a jap bike over anything made by HD or BMW. Rotax is fine but everything else sucks.
I would take a free BMW. I would sell it the next day and buy a Lexus
In Europe category 4 are: Fiat, Dacia, Renault, Peugeot, Opel, Citroen. Category 1-3 are the same as in the US.
Lately Peugeot (and some Renault models) are trying too hard to get into category 2 hence why their prices are becoming outrageous for hyper weak reliability (looking at you, puretech scum)
Were do you place Nissan and all their junk?
@@lot931 Small cars from Nissan and Mitsubishi are almost the same as Renault, big ones as Pajero or Outlander - I don't know, probably more in category 1?
Nice vid, thanks! My Uncle once said to me "the more things you have on a car, the more things there are to go wrong". Matt from High Peak Autos (have a look on RUclips, he's an honest car trader) said something like "if you buy a used car & it was expensive when new don't expect to run it on a shoestring budget". All the best.....
Regarding Mercedes, a Master Tech at a major MB dealership said : " Too much engineering, too much money, too many failures...."
Thank you for a great video 👍
2001 Toyota Avalon is my Baby!
She has just over 100K on the clock and loves her Daddy! 😄
Category 1 is for people who know how to make their money work for them and not for the manufacturer. I'm definitely category 1 because I'll drive my cars until the wheels fall off. Then I'll put the wheels back on and drive them another 20 years. At the end of the day, I'll have money for other nice things, not having to be a slave to a car or brand.
It's just a tool to get you where you need to be, and Toyota's does it very well, with more than enough fun and style.
Ps: I'm 60, and I have only had 3 cars since I was 17.
Thank you Toyota 😊😁🙏🏻🙏🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Brilliant. I cant see me driving anything but a Toyota for the rest of my life, 2nd choice older Honda's.
@@rbnhd1144 EXACTLY! Me, too.
I wasn't aware that replacement parts for Toyotas were considered to be expensive. I have not really needed to make any major repairs on my old Camry, but my opinion has been that Toyotas tend to have fairly affordable replacement parts because people keep their cars for a long time, so there is a robust market for OEM and third party parts for many years, as opposed to manufacturers where it is more difficult to find parts for their older vehicles
That has been my experience with my Hondas too, especially my 1997 Civic. As far as Honda parts availability is concerned, my 1990 Legend is the worst I've seen and even that is pretty good for a car that came out 39 years ago and was never that common to begin with.
Not expensive but very hard to find as shop dont stock them because of very poor sales unless the car accident.
Japanese car parts are 3X more expensive than American car parts, on average, but you're typically getting a much higher quality part that will last longer.
I am a Toyota person. Thanks for this presentation, Taddeo from Durham, NC
Really useful information, thank you. This reminds me of one of my favorite Thomas Sowell quotes: "There are no solutions; there are only trade-offs."
After market repairs and spare parts has huge revenue so some companies make their car less reliable
Like selling a 60 dollar printer with 40 dollar ink cartridges
@@Buasop exactly matter of facts i read that car company profit from every car is around 500-2000$ not that much considering the price tag of the average car cost but when they sell you spare parts for thousands of dollar now the money start rolling
Very impressed with my 2019 MAZDA CX-9!
I Have two Mazdas can't complain so far they have been very reliable.
100% people tend to forget about Mazda. Bought a used 2018 3 what a great car it has been for us.
Mazda Zoom-Zoom Crap
@@Sam-gd4xp Nice
Honda and Toyota owner here. Honda seems to have slid on the quality and reliability in recent times it seems. Our older Hondas and Toyota are awesome. The new one we got.....not so much.
What's wrong if you don't mind me asking?
@@blissfuljoy6049 The build quality of the newer Honda is just cheap and crap compared to the past ones we have owned. Ours is still low mileage, and I’m hopeful it will remain trouble free, but seeing all the issues a lot of other people are having with the 4th gen pilot gives me cause for concern. Already have rattles, steering noise, and a distorted windshield from factory
That was a masterclass in automotive segments. Thank you!
Great video! There's another option too, and that's to buy a used car from any of the categories as long as you do your research ahead of time and do most of your own maintenance. Buy a used car from the second or third category that has tons of maintenance history and known solvable problems; maintain it really well yourself and reap the benefits without the same costs (or car payments). Research is super important, of course. Some cars are true "endless money pits", but there are some out there that can work out with the right preventative maintenance.
Imagine, paying $30-$50k or more for a product that doesn’t last very long. Imagine if houses only lasted 10-20 years before degrading into garbage? How does it make sense?
It might make sense if you factor in the elephant on the car floor - sex. Judging by my experiences I'm middle of the road on attractiveness. I'm not one of those guys who women drool over, probably more in the "acceptable" category. But when I drove an Audi was when I was most successful with women. I happened to buy the car cheap from a friend because I basically have the same attitude as you about cars. But there was no denying that the car boosted my social profile. And for that people will pay big.
Houses stay in one place and are able to be fixed in pieces, even if you let the roof leak and it collapses someone can still fix it.
Cars are much different, and with ever tightening emissions regulations the car companies are incentivised to not make indestructible vehicles.
If 1950's cars were still all over the road it would not be a good thing. Especially when it comes to occupant safety.
I do agree on the price though, I'm not paying 50k for a car, or 65k for a decent truck.
A lot of houses will degrade into garbage in 20 years of use. Change your oil and maintain your building.
@@Will_Moffett Absolutely. Men are motivated by sex and women are motivated by money.
@@Will_MoffettKind of like the girl getting a boob job to get more attention from men. Losers meet losers.
I want your assessment regarding Toyota Crown and the New 2025 Camry
I pay no attention what people think on what I drive. I just buy cars that make sense to me and no one else
The first few minutes into your conversation, Tundra and 4Runner came to the mind 😊
A perfect example was my 2005 Camry LE (bought new). I drove it for 15 years (218,000 miles). That car was amazing. I only had to replace the front disc pads twice, rear brake shoes once, and the rear speakers. THAT WAS ALL!!! Can you believe it? Of course I took excellent care of it. The AC never had to be serviced!! I sold the car to get a new 2020 Camry LE with all the new safety tech. I'm hoping my 2020 will be as good, if not better.
AMD, You are being very generous in your remarks about 'other' brands. Although I would never buy one, I am glad these second rate brands are around to provide price competition for high quality cars. 😉
Something I've been thinking about lately is that they may not be totally wrong in not making super reliable vehicles. Many Americans don't want to keep the same car for more than a few years. So for them it actually makes sense in a way. I don't feel this way but some do🤷♀️.
@@blissfuljoy6049 Building 3rd rate cars has often proven to be a very poor, long term business strategy.
@@rightlanehog3151 I wouldn't think it's a good idea but they keep doing it. Actually, Chevy seems to have gone up in reliability lately. Their new styling is much better as well. So I guess we'll see where that goes. I'm really concerned about all companies lately, really, because cars have become so complex. Toyota has had some bad press lately.
@@blissfuljoy6049 I am old enough to remember when the phrase 'made In Japan' was the punchline to a joke. I evaluate cars and car companies over decades. Having their cars built by Daewoo doe snot sound like a sound GM strategy to me. Having said all that, I do own a GM car. It is a Pontiac Vibe which came off a Corolla assembly line. I would be very surprised if 10% of the GM built cars on the dealer's lot the day I picked my car were still on the road.
@@rightlanehog3151 I wouldn't doubt there aren't many left but it would be good if the new ones are getting better. And hopefully Toyota isn't slipping.
After owing 3 Audi's over 7 years and never ending problems I just bought a Lexus and I'm delighted with it. Audi have turned to absolute garbage in the last 10-15 years. They are still trading on a 1990's reputation for reliability. People are slowly waking up.
My 2018 Audi S5 Sportback has been trouble free since I bought it new. Has 54k miles on it now. I'm glad I was not fearful because it's been such a joy to drive 😊
Audi has made one good car in 40 years, they called it a quattro.
Hear! A very wise decision!
My Porsche (mostly Audi crap) is far more reliable than my 2016 Honda ever was
@@sunnohh My 944 is in pieces ageing with grace in its stall in my shop. been there since 2006, not a spec of rust on it anywhere. I wanted to swap it but cant make myself commit such automotive barbarisms.
Honda makes very little changes to their drive trains they perfect the mechanics of a vehicle and just keep improving it which is extremely smart. People will complain that their interiors look outdated, etc. but you'll still be driving that car long after other vehicles that have the latest tech. People buy luxury vehicles like Mercedes and BMW people typically because they're trying to impress other people, has little to do with reliability. You can definitely tell a lot about a person by the type of car they buy.
With the last sentence I don't fully agree with, but I can modify it to my version:
You can tell a lot about a person by how they drive.
@@erikahuxley Driving ability has nothing to do with the type of car you drive there's bad drivers that drive Corollas and just as many bad drivers that drive Ferraris. But I can promise you if you look at people that drive luxury automobiles it's a certain type of person and 99% of the time they could care less if it's a dependable ride, they drive it as a status symbol..
My brand new Honda with 1600 miles just crapped out on me while I was driving it, never happened to me before… shocking and sad Honda isn’t what it used to be.
A buddy has an AMG Mercedes and you would not BELIEVE how many times that thing has been in and out of the shop, for things both in warranty and out of warranty. Some rattling noise from the front of the car ended up costing him like $5k out of pocket.
He even admitted to missing his Acura, and seemed kind of put off when I recently bought my used Acura. I will NEVER buy a Mercedes based on his experience. Having said that, and to your point, my buddy is definitely more into status than I am.
@@stachowi That's rare, but there's gonna be some cars with issues that slip by with any brand. Honda usually is really good about warranty repairs. I've owned 3 Hondas with hardly any trouble part of my gage cluster went out on my 2023, but they fixed it no questions.
Excellent. Thought provoking car phycology - I didn't even realise - but you've fortunately changed my future buying choices!
Maybe the most concise and accurate presentation about the ethos of the car industry.
I'm Honda by the way.
I couldn't agree more about reliable companies not rushing to adopt the newest trends. Then some car reviewers will criticize them for being boring. I've seen some reviewers shit on the hilux because its not as exciting as a new Ranger Raptor.
Raptor total junk. Will NOT last.
Trends have nothing to do with how fun a car is. If the steering is awful, engine sounds medicore, and has a soulless cheap interior, it's boring.
Those people are groupies of new unreliable tech sway by the excitement of new crap coming in cars.
Being stuck on the side of the road is boring to, and can be expensive if on a long trip, so I’ll take reliability over the flashy rides anytime.
Honda is not what it used to be. Their cars in 90s are solid. Now they have many issues too. just google Honda auto transmission problem, Engine problem.
More complexity, more issues. All cars are becoming more complex.
What nowadays IS ‘what it used to be?’
Toyota
Yeah, their 1.5L "earth dreams" is killing their reputation for reliability. Look at the number of class action lawsuits over that engine alone. I've had two 7th gen Accords, the K24 engine was bulletproof. Now, the oil dilution issues are going to end up blowing up in their faces.
@@disarchitected Hope so! Getting new Taco Hybrid next month. 🤞🏻
The answer is simple...some cars built by the Accountants and over engineered to fail.
Exactly...so you have to buy another one.
I do a lot of salvage yard crawling. Many cars use parts sourced from companies like Denso and Aisin - same as Honda and Toyota. I like Toyotas conservative agenda, but it's difficult to sell slow cars anymore so that Toyota pushes the tech more than a generation ago. I buy used cars so the reliability will be known, but many car owners skip oil changes
When you have engineers taking order from accountants, car will fail! When the accountants are told by the engineers, this is how its going to be done, you little office boys figure out how to pay for it, then we will have good cars. The engineers put man on the moon and the accountants were told ...you figure out how to pay for it!
@@timothykeith1367 Some of the recent reliability issues with Ford, resulting in large recalls, been exactly due suppliers with quality control issues. Having an over engineered powertrain, similar with some German Automakers do, will make it more prone to failure over time.
Hey why don’t you make a video then?
I have a 2016 Chevy Colorado diesel that I bought new that’s not given me any problems at all. I do all the maintenance myself at the specified schedule (usually a little early). I think some manufacturers have models where some of the cars coming off the line are good where another on the same line is not as good. I happened to get a good one.
An excellent summation of the world of cars. You get what you pay for. But you are best if you pay for solid reliability. Then again, if you need prestige, then be prepared to sell your cars often and if you need "special cars". Be prepared to pay. Mike in Oz
The operator has a lot to do too on how long any vehicle lasts.
Yep: there’s always the person who buys a good car and never changes the oil.
I’ve seen two engines blow up in my life. Both were Toyotas and it was because they never changed the oil.
I drive a truck. I had an older Volvo with a detroit diesel engine while the other drivers got newer freightliners and Internationals. I Had minimal repairs in mine. One driver wore out a clutch and also the following new clutch he had installed. Another driver kept hitting stuff. A lot has to do of not respecting and not abusing equipment. Oh and the driver that kept hitting stuff had a leaking tire on his personal car in which he was used to filling with air weekly.
So, in simple:
Category 1 Japanese Cars
Category 2 German Cars
Category 3 Korean Cars
Category 4 American Cars
You stole my comment lol 😅
German is better than Korean?
@@موسى_7 Not so much better, but more focused on different ways of making the product. VW focus on tech over anything. while there engines and drive trains are much better than they were in the past, they still have their quirks. I remember when the atlas launched , one of the selling points was it had full led lights front and rear. Now to me that means more expense down the road when they go out, but they looks nice and bright. As he mentioned the koreans focus on being "down the middle" of tech, engineering and styling. Now they are also pushing ev's out the door like theres no tomorrow so they are slowing falling into that 2nd category and it shows due to the issues they have had recently. So i feel they have about the same amount of reliability in most ways, but have different issues and problems in others
@@موسى_7 no. german cars are rubbish
German cars are just above British cars in the reliabillity category. There is also some reliable American cars, like the corvette and mustang, those engines are built like tanks.
Amd, I love your videos, you are the most amazing mechanic out there!
My dad's older Mercedes E-class exemplifies this. $5000 antenna repair and sunroof issues to spendy to fix. I still really like my 2013 Avalon which I plan on keeping for at least 5 more years. I am OK with not being exciting/fun. I have a Harley for that need in my life.
Yep, my first car in High School was a 3-year old Mustang 2 (just a rebadged Pinto with a 4-cylinder) She broke down on the drive home!!
I will give you an input.
1. the Japanese language does not have an alphabet. It had only Chinese characters in writing. It meant endless hours of memorizing to become other than a subsistence farmer. So, the focus when you memorize is not the same to be able to think outside the box. You end up with group think. In a Japanese company, you focus on improvements to what you have. Now I describe the decision making and assume that there layers of management in the Japanese company. People at the lowest level sense an improvement can be made and they discuss it. Once there is agreement, a recommendation is passed to the next level. There the idea is circulated and reviewed. And so forth.
The top layer of management is not spouting "all new for 2025", "a revolutionary new design", "quality is goal one" and similar nonsence like Ford/GM/Chrsyler.
Yes, the hiragana, katakana, and romaji writing systems were developed in the 20th century, but no one is writing in romaji which uses an alphabet.
2. Now you know why the Chinese have to engage in internet espionage. They also try to reserve engineer. The PRC bought 12 Russian SU35 jet fighters in 2018. Only 3 work and they reverse engineered the SU35 to come out with their own version.
In 2019, there were 300,000 Chinese nationals, most of whom already had college degrees attending US junior colleges, universities to work on English language skills so that they would go back to the PRC with a language with an alphabet.
3. Personal note. I had a Ford automobile product that had a transmission defect. After more than one time when repairs failed, I wrote the head of transmissions at Ford and said that Ford had had 100 years to figure out how to build a transmission and I would never buy another Ford product. My family has had 4 of the same model of Toyota Avalon. 3 attained more than 250,000 miles. Mine is still going after 20 years.
Korea has switched from chinese characters to an alphabet, but they still group think they didn't become an individualistic society. Correlation does not mean causation.
My first car was a 1978 Chevy that needed constant repairs and parts. I was a poor college student. I swore I would never buy another American car. And I haven't. Some years ago my car made a list of Top 10 worst designed cars!
@@noseboop4354I was going to make the same comment. For centuries Korea has used a phonetic alphabet with roughly the same number of letters as English. Not the thousands you need to learn to be fluent in writing Chinese or Japanese.
@@noseboop4354 1. I know about the change. 2. Long after WW2, there were Japanese interests (kangi) still controlling the country's economy. Certainly correlation does not mean causation. When you review the literacy rates in Europe after the invention of the printing press, it took a long time, even in the merchant class, for literacy to catch up. At least some group in the PRC figured out that it was cheaper to pay tuition in American colleges than to build new universities. All of the sponsored kids are required to join the on campus CCP supported and monitored student club.
Hiragana and katakana date to the late eighth or early ninth century, not the twentieth, so I'm not sure where you're coming from here. They're syllabaries, which do serve the same function as alphabets, albeit with a slightly different approach. (Some would argue that this approach is, in fact, superior; I wouldn't, but the arguments are not without merit.) They do not function like logographic writing systems, such as Chinese characters (hanzi/hanja/kanji.)
Worried at some point Toyota will cash out on their name.
Its actually already starting, in middle east the 3.5 turbo engines are dropping like fly 💔👎🏼
They already are.. especially with the 2024 models
Thet are trying to become like other manufacturers with unnecessary technologies and unreliability. They want top dollars tho😂 like I will buy Ford now since u want to be shitty like them anyways, no reason to pay 10k extra for same bs
They won’t as long as it remains a Japanese Company.
@@mohnnadmercedes8246 Yeah I am watching to see if its a trend
I've driven nothing but BMWs since college. My current BMW will be my last. My previous ones were well made and I drove 800,000 miles on the first 2 (425,000 + 375,000) with rarely a problem. My current 2017 3-series is full of plastic parts in key systems and it has already left me stranded in farmland due to a cheap plastic coolant pipe connector that broke. BMW is relying on their outdated reputation as a manufacturer that USED TO make good cars. Now they just look good.
You did not get 800k miles on a BMW Lmao 😂
@@Knight_Raider_ he didnt say it wasnt 8 different cars
THIS IS KEY. No manufacturer today builds there cars to last like they used to. Even newer toyotas are showing that they are not built on the same level of quality as the ones from the 80's,90's and 2000. I remember the 5 series from the early 2000's being called the most reliable bmw ever and it shows. You still see quite a few on the road today. They were solidly made, well engineered and, had a durable and well made powertrain that has lasted a long time for them. out side of a few models people buy to tune, I rarely see any modern bmw in good condition unless it has been beaten in hell and back and being sold on a used car lot or was babyed and barely driven.
BM trouble you have not made a good engine in the last twenty years.
@@midnitestateits where they were built... 90s japan, 10s us, now mexico...
Loved our 2012 MKZ , upgraded to the 2020 last year model.
I have been an automotive service writer going on 26 years and this is spot on. This is exactly what I preach to my customers when they ask me which vehicle should I get next and for all that he mentioned Toyota is number one Honda used to be number 1 in my mind but not any more Honda is number 2
Japanese industrial leaders took to heart the teachings of American quality guru W. Edwards Deming in the 1950s.
There is a story of how a Japanese supplier of a part to an American company was contractually committed to 99% of the parts being within tolerances. The Japanese supplier asked the American company if they wanted the 1% of out of tolerance parts boxed separately.
I've spent two decades in design, development and research for a European manufacturer and seen cars from a sketch to production. I'm afraid it's not quite as simple as outsiders like the Car Care Nut make it out to be. That's ok- he's seeing things from the outside and making some logical assumptions. However, the reality is there are factors beyond anything he's considered:
1) You're dealing with thousands of parts suppliers and depending on your size, volume and engineering requirements you may find it a monumental challenge to get things consistent and to spec unless you're a giant like Toyota/Honda. The unexpected happens constantly and parts sometimes don't meet agreed upon specs, but it's too late to correct. Are you going to halt production for weeks and costs the company hundreds of millions of euros due to brake pad, sunroof guide, or windshield issues? Nope. Sort it at the retailer. If Lemforder or Bosch have a factory fire or equipment failure and they won't be able to meet your original order- now what?
2) The bigger you are the more leverage you have over suppliers. Period. People can't fathom how impossible it is to get good quality and reasonable costs if your volume is less than a million units a year.
3) GM and Ford have tremendous Union/Pension/Labor costs built into the products which means they can't build to the same quality/durability level in terms of parts and fit/finish because the math doesn't work for them. Losing even $2,000 per vehicle in labor costs has a massive impact on what you can deliver as a final product.
4) The owner lifecycle and requirements are going to determine your focus on long-term durability. For example, the BMW 3 series had a lease penetration of 80+% pre-pandemic with the majority on a 24-36 month cycle. Financed vehicles were typically paid off in 48 months- even if people took out 60-72 month loans. My point- if your TRUE customer is buying a new car every 36-48 months (because that's what many european luxury buyers do) you don't invest an additional 500 million to 1 billion euros in platform durability enhancements.
5) Toyota/Lexus cut corners in terms of panel gaps, interior material quality, equipment generation, fit/finish, etc to help offset the investment in durability of components. However, that approach does not work for everyone.
6) Lastly, there's no magic formula these days. There are former Audi/BMW/Mercedes engineers at Toyota and there are Honda/Mazda/Toyota engineers at Mercedes/VW/Land Rover. We all know the deal and how to make cars like Toyota if we all have the same resources/laws/geography/labor costs/volumes/supplier leverage/government support/etc etc. It's not 1987 and we aren't all mystified by how Toyota does what it does.
I am an ex man. eng.
I don't necessarily agree. That might be the standpoint in the us.
Japanese culture plays a lot. Their individual jobs that they are doing, defines who and they are in the community.
Things like company Villages, their kids go to the same company schools, they get married within the company ect... their honour is defined by the job that they do!
I've seen things like a Japanese toolmaker, come overseas to make the imprint of the dash into the tool, this is so that they are consistent with each other!
At one company, you were not able to go home of an evening until your immediate boss went home first!
I could go on all day!
European cars try to reinvent the wheel every model change. And because you pay x4 the price, you don't necessarily get a developed and refined product. Up until the early 90s, companies like merc did it the best. This was the time that engineers designed the cars, not the accountants as they do now!
@@petecotter6790 Which of my points do you not agree with specifically? I do this for a living so I'm happy to hear a counterpoint if you think I'm overlooking something.
Your comments on Japanese culture were once quite valid, but as I mentioned in my points above- are dated. The 1980's and 1990's are over. When is the last time you spent the day with some Japanese engineers in their 20's and 30's? They don't behave like this anymore and culture has shifted.The Koreans are a different story and culture had driven their rise to the top lately though.
Lastly, if you're a retired auto engineer your last paragraph sure doesn't sound like it. Those are the kinds of assertions I hear the general public and auto journalists make- not people with knowledge of the inner working of the industry.
I, and I'm sure AMD as well, would strongly disagree with you that Toyota/Lexus cut corners in panel gaps and interior material quality.
@@MikeKayK Well then you and AMD don't understand levels of fit and finish, tolerance and texture quality. These are not the same as durability or function. How something LOOKS and how something PERFORMS are two different things.
@@afellowinnewengland6142 Yes, I understand that. But show me where Toyota/Lexus (especially the ones still built in Japan) have wide or inconsistent panel gaps, poor paint quality, and poor interior material durability compared to European counterparts? This brand skips the high tech and flashy looks, not the build quality.