• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Toyota Thread

This thread is really making me miss my 2012 Camry XLE, which I sold last year (because the pickup trucks are getting too damned big and aggressive and I was starting to feel like a sitting (or rolling) duck, so moved up to a RAV4 that gives me a bit better protection). That Camry went 12 years without one single problem. I got regular services done and put gasoline in it and that was it. I think I had 110K miles on it and it was just a tad 'softer' the day I sold it than the day I picked it up. The RAV is OK but I miss being closer to the road.
 
sanford12 said:
Auto start stop has now got to the point it's almost seamless. As to wearing out the starter, it isn't a thing. I haven't read of one instance where the started died. It has to have happened but is so rare it doesn't come up. Lane departure with all the distracted driving is a very worthwhile feature. Direct injection is great for gas milage but is it worth it for the carbon build up on the back off the valves. Probably not. Combining it with port injection is a nice compromise, you get the best of both.
Click to expand...

Not buying any of that except for the need for port injection with DI. Start stop is bad for bearings and motor mounts. Lane departure cameras are in some cars so deeply embedded in the electronics that failure of the system will brick the whole car. I will keep my old car on the road which means one less new car needs to be made. That is a reduction in my carbon footprint.
 
Chip Polk said:
This thread is really making me miss my 2012 Camry XLE, which I sold last year (because the pickup trucks are getting too damned big and aggressive and I was starting to feel like a sitting (or rolling) duck, so moved up to a RAV4 that gives me a bit better protection). That Camry went 12 years without one single problem. I got regular services done and put gasoline in it and that was it. I think I had 110K miles on it and it was just a tad 'softer' the day I sold it than the day I picked it up. The RAV is OK but I miss being closer to the road.
Click to expand...
It wasn't a Camry but I also miss the "little" Toyota trucks that I sold, they simply can't be replaced.
But then again - I sold them because they were just sitting and rotting away, I wasn't driving them enough.
 
SoCal Sam said:
Not buying any of that except for the need for port injection with DI. Start stop is bad for bearings and motor mounts. Lane departure cameras are in some cars so deeply embedded in the electronics that failure of the system will brick the whole car. I will keep my old car on the road which means one less new car needs to be made. That is a reduction in my carbon footprint.
Click to expand...

If the reason for bearings is because of lubrication that's BS and motor mounts is another thing you never hear attributed to start stop. Trying to stop all the BS people talk about new tech is like playing whack a mole. Get shot down on one, just pull out another. I drove a lot of the cars from the sixties, seventies and eighties. They weren't that great compared to what you get now and some were inherently dangerous. Evasive maneuvers in a deuce and a quarter or any large barge. Even muscle car handling sucked and a lot of 4 bangers out there now will kick their ass in the 1/4.
 
Turbos on an engine is God's way of telling you it ain't got enough cylinders ~ The American
Click to expand...

Turbo and Super charged motors are great for making power from relatively small displacement motors, but those motors will never hold up as well as their normally aspirated counterparts. Forced induction is fun, but it's not meant for the long run. The only turbocharged Toyota motors that hold up to the added pressure of forced induction are their Diesel motors that were dropped from the American market long ago. The Supra inline six turbo held up really well, but it was also dropped from the lineup.

As for the start stop feature, no thank you... I would disable that feature ASAP.
 
There will probably never be another generation of automobiles, of any sort, as low-cost in terms of the time and money required for maintenance, as Japanese cars made from the mid 1980s to the early 2000s. Especially almost all Toyotas, and many Nissans and Mazdas. They may have sometimes been the "car as appliance" thing- but at least, they pretty much always worked, regardless.

That's one pretty incontrovertible reason for keeping those, as long as they'll last, as opposed to trading for newer models...

Regards,
Gordon.
 
Toyota is still making plenty of reliable vehicles. My 2007 Camry is the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned by a long mile. 17 years with no issues except replacing hybrid batteries after 10 years but that was covered with gas savings and just replaced the original 17 year old Panasonic AGM 12v battery today. Not a single problem with oxygen sensor or anything else otherwise including original struts and shocks.

Other Toyotas I have owned.... Several Landcruisers including 3 FJ62, 1 FJ60, and a FJ80, 87 Tercel 4wd wagon, Corrola and currently a 2008 Sienna.

I have to call out Toyota for their current sales practices of dealer markups and not having any base models on the lot. I need to replace either the Camry or Sienna soon just because I would like one car less than 15 years old.

I really would like another Sienna but people are waiting 2 months to a year for one. The one I want is a base model with no options and they are not making them that way the last few years. I just do not buy the excuses I have heard as to why they are not building more of them. In the Siennas heyday they sold 120k a year on avg from 2011 to 2017. Compare that to last 2 years when they sold 75k and 66K with long waiting lists. I think they are purposely limiting production (especially for base model Siennas) so they can sell higher priced models and more profitable SUVs but I am not going to play that game. Been doing searches on 5 to 7 year old Toyota hybrids for my plan B, I know a independent shop that will replace hybrid batteries for half the price Toyota charges.
 
Last edited:
GordonW said:
There will probably never be another generation of automobiles, of any sort, as low-cost in terms of the time and money required for maintenance, as Japanese cars made from the mid 1980s to the early 2000s. Especially almost all Toyotas, and many Nissans and Mazdas. They may have sometimes been the "car as appliance" thing- but at least, they pretty much always worked, regardless.

That's one pretty incontrovertible reason for keeping those, as long as they'll last, as opposed to trading for newer models...

Regards,
Gordon.
Click to expand...

Keeping an older car on the road works for me on many levels.
 
SoCal Sam said:
Keeping an older car on the road works for me on many levels.
Click to expand...

Yep, the complexity is getting to insane levels - remember when an alternator was
an alternator.
Modern alternators will not charge without a PWM signal (or even a CAN bus)
from the PCM -

dte.com.pl

We test the ECU-controlled alternator

The function of the alternator is to produce electricity in an internal combustion powered car. It is the main source […]
dte.com.pl dte.com.pl
 
quadtech said:
Yep, the complexity is getting to insane levels - remember when an alternator was
an alternator.
Modern alternators will not charge without a PWM signal (or even a CAN bus)
from the PCM -

dte.com.pl

We test the ECU-controlled alternator

The function of the alternator is to produce electricity in an internal combustion powered car. It is the main source […]
dte.com.pl dte.com.pl
Click to expand...

I could change the alternator in my Crown Vic in 15 minutes. My 4Runner does not need an alternator but I looked at an installation video and it is easy. Compare with my POS Mercedes which took a full day to replace the alternator.
 
DesertRatt said:
In my area, this is a really summer-time bummer. Shuts down the AC in 115F heat.
Click to expand...
The new systems only shut down climate control systems depending on the conditions in the car. If the system is on "Auto", you have your temp set at 72, and it's 115 degrees outside, it will only shut down till your interior temp climbs above your setting. Then it will turn back on.
 
Last edited:
iramegdal said:
I am an old fashion (and old) sedan guy. I have liked Toyota, in part, because of the brand's strong record of reliability. I have owned a Cressida, Avalon and two Camry hybrids. I have recently made a deposit on a 2025 Camry. I am a bit concerned that Consumer Reports now rates the Camry's reliability as only average. Apparently it has slipped in recent years.
Click to expand...
I got notice that my car is arriving in February. I wanted white with a light gray leather interior. The car coming in has black leather interior. I live in NJ. How sorry will I be with black leather in the summer?
 
iramegdal said:
I got notice that my car is arriving in February. I wanted white with a light gray leather interior. The car coming in has black leather interior. I live in NJ. How sorry will I be with black leather in the summer?
Click to expand...
I bet once you have it won't matter all that much. Gonna be nice.
 
Black interiors are a deal breaker for me. I have passed on really good deals in the past due to them having black interiors. The sun is awfully intense at these altitudes and will make a nun curse when getting into a car with a black interior here. I wouldnt even want one in Alaska, dont like black interiors at night.
 
petes'picks said:
Black interiors are a deal breaker for me. I have passed on really good deals in the past due to them having black interiors. The sun is awfully intense at these altitudes and will make a nun curse when getting into a car with a black interior here. I wouldnt even want one in Alaska, dont like black interiors at night.
Click to expand...
I would prefer gray. I'd prefer high quality cloth though some leather interiors are quite nice.
 
jayvis said:
The new systems only shut down climate control systems depending on the conditions in the car. If the system is on "Auto", you have your temp set at 72, and it's 115 degrees outside, it will only shut down till your interior temp climbs above your setting. Then it will turn back on.
Click to expand...
Umm. In my wife's 2020 Volvo XC40, she can defeat it pretty much permanently—which we did early on. I suppose they have had to jiggle the features on that as many people complain about it. I think it is a BS feature. I drive my sister's Subaru, which is not able to be disabled. What a PITA!! It drives me nuts.

My car is a '19, and that's about where I draw the line for features. It has plenty. Enough is enough. I only have 39K on it, so I suppose it's my "burial car." I can't imagine needing another car. I think I've had 50 cars. That's enough for one lifetime.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom