Toyota Takes Issue with Boston Globe Op/Ed
Coming on the heals of the November, 27 op/ed piece in the Boston Globe by Derrick Z. Jackson entitled “A Super-sized Toyota,
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Toyota Takes Issue with Boston Globe Op/Ed - Winding Road
[...] In the rising era of the corporate blog, has it become the responsibility of the automakers to refute the voices of the media? Take this question to heart in comments. [...]
Mena
I wouldn't have responded. The sales numbers speak for themselves otherwise car makers wouldn't be selling them anymore.
Phil Floraday
I really wish people would stop blaming the automakers for building vehicles that people want to buy. This is like suing McDonald's for selling you the happy meals that made you fat. There needs to be some kind of incentive for people to stop buying SUVs. Once people no longer want the SUVs, all the automakers will shift to producing whatever people want instead.
Dave
"In the rising era of the corporate blog, has it become the responsibility of the automakers to refute the voices of the media?"
Sure! Why not? For years "the media" could write what ever it wanted without much fear of being called on it... and it's even more true now with blogging (don’t even have to buy ink).
Toyota's position isn't unreasonable by any stretch.
detroit9000
You don't blame Toyota, you blame the federal government, who regulates a healthy portion of the gas tax.
A 100% increase in the gas tax would see people jumping ship off the USS Sequoia.
Then Toyota would just simply abandon the line and quit making some of their highest profit-margin products.
So they're probably not lobbying at all to maintain our status quo including our oil use levels.
Clint
1) People are already buying less SUVs, and smaller vehicles across the board. Car makers or the government have little to do with this. Current gas prices and perceived future gas prices are already influencing customer decision-making.
2) There is already a disincentive to buy an SUV - they generally cost more to purchase and fuel than a car that has similar passenger and cargo capacity. Unless you really need more than two rows of seats and cavernous cargo capacity, there are cars that can do just as much as compact and full-size SUVs for an equal or less amount of money.
3) There will always be people who buy what they don't need just because they want it. You can buy a Sequoia to drive your wife and one kid around in, just because it makes you feel safe. You can buy a Prius because you think it's better for the environment, even though a Scion xB will consume far less total energy over the lifecycle of the car. You can buy a V-8 Corvette because you've always wanted a Corvette, even though you just use it for your bumper-to-bumper commute to work every day. A customer's money talks, and ultimately the customer is the one who chooses and lives with the car, not the manufacturer.
4) Journalists get paid to write.
Darren
Sure a gas tax hike would be the best answer. But, as the Late Sam Kinnison said:
"Never gonna happen"
Taxes are the third rail of American politics, to use a very well worn phrase. No one is going to even consider such an idea.
So, given the realities, what do we do?
Is CAFE the best answer? No? Is it better than nothing? HELL YES!!
The Stig
They're just building what people want to buy. And why shouldn't Toyota respond? The writer is free to express his opinion; why shouldn't Toyota be as well?
Russ Bellinis
American families want roomy vehicles. For many years the station wagon filled that role, but then the government started meddling. Cafe in effect outlawed the traditional station wagon. A family of 5 or 6 still needs the capacity of a station wagon so they move to suv's that probably are less fuel efficient than a 9 passenger wagon would be. If a family is rich enough, they can afford the suv to drive when they need the extra seating capacity, and have a couple of econo-boxes for trips to the store where they don't need the space. In most instances, the typical family has 1 or 2 cars. One may be an economy model, but one needs to be big enough to haul the entire family.
Jonathan Fung [Gotakon]
Reason a 100% increase in the gas tax is NOT going to happen? Instant guarantee that you aren't getting re-elected.
And I totally think that automakers should stand behind their products and defend them from unfair criticisms.
Ducati Minor
That's why I'm a neo-fascist. I believe in having people forced to sacrifice as long as I don't have to.
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