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Here is how someone once explained it to me. It is quite interesting and I would like to share it.Think about it on a Credit system. Toyota sees America's market and wants to sell some cars here. So America says "Toyota, we will give you 60 Credits this year." So Toyota asks to Import their Camary. America says "hmm that's much better than our Ford Contour/Taurus/Crown Victoria/etc, much better than our Chevy Caprice/Cavalier/etc, much better than our Dodge etc... so that will cost you 15 Credits."So now Toyota has 45 Credits left. Then Toyota says, ok I want to import our Tercel. America says "ok that cars a little POS I want to poop on it so that will be 2 Credits."So now Toyota has 43 Credits left. Then Toyota says, ok I would like to import our AE111 Levin with a 20 valve 1.6L 4AGE 180 Horsepower non-VTEC--old valve technology that makes more power and torque throughout the entire power band than Honda's much larger 2.2 L VTEC engines and we would like to import our Twin Turbo Supra. Then America says "hmm that 4 Cylinder engine is better than any other 4 cylinder that we American auto makers choose to develop, and that Supra is about as fast as our C5 Z06 Corvette, faster than our Camaro, Mustang POS I want to poop on it, Firebird, etc. and America says, ok that will be 50 Credits."So Toyota does not have that many credits left, so they can not sell those cars here unless they hurt their lineup somewhere else.So what does Toyota and Honda and Nissan do? They "create" sister, or daughter companies, Toyota > Lexus, Honda > Acura, Nissan > Infinity. Now They all get a fresh clean sheet of Credits at their disposal!So that is how I have been informed the system works. It sounds reasonable and believable, but I have never actually researched this myself, but it is very interesting non the less!Regards,BigMike
I think its mostly importing taxes, like how alot of the 4x4 pickups were imported with out a bed to keep taxes down. Plus then they have to change so much smog stuff on cars and safty glass and everything, which is why nissan said f-it with the sky lines for so long.
Aside from import tax issues, it also has a lot to do with meeting our safety and emission standards. Not that they wouldn't meet the emission standards as they are, probably just lots more hoops to go through and not worth it for the manufacturers.
If you had a little more time, you could develop an argument that describes the stringent Japanese "Shaken" policy/system (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaken ) , which rarely allows Japanese consumers a chance at keeping their new Toyotas for more than a few years because ultimately the vehicles will fail required vehicle inspections, and the consumers will have to fork out a ton of Yen for repairs and inspection fees to keep their beloved used cars on the road. Because the Shaken policy basically forces consumers to replace their vehicles every three years or so with brand new cars, the Japanese manufacturers do not have to worry about losing future sales because they over-engineered or built their cars too well; furthermore, because Toyota, like other Japanese car makers, fanatically wanted to lift its world wide reputation above and beyond all other manufacturers, Toyota knew that the exportation of used Japanese vehicles, which would be discarded by the original Japanese owners due to Shaken laws, meant their vehicles had to continue to kick ass overseas to build Toyota’s reputation and to allow it to carve out a bigger world wide market share. Truly, the side benefit of Shaken is that Japanese consumers continue to export all of their good used vehicles to other countries (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_used_vehicle_exporting) for probably pretty good resale prices, while at the same time the auto manufacturers continue to reap the benefit of a government policy that forces Japanese consumers to buy new vehicles whether they need to or not, which in turn may drive real and quicker-paced design innovation to capture the higher expectations and technologically savvy tastes of Japanese new car buyers.Compare this Shaken/Used-Car-Exportation system with what exists in the United States. Over here, many people drive their junk for a lot longer than Japanese consumers do (because they can). Also, many people over here buy new cars whenever their warranties expire because they fear high repair costs and inconvenience. This trend to buy a car for a new warranty illustrates the low expectations of U.S. new car buyers, and the reason I’d rather own a 1980 Toyota Hi-lux. I certainly didn’t purchase mine last year for the warranty.When you think about it, hardly anyone in the United States buys a new car because he expects to drive it for 30 years, well intending to exceed the terms of the warranty. Then we come to the idea of “planned obsolescence.” In the U.S., manufacturers will never benefit in terms of future and continuous new car sales by building vehicles that are designed to last for 50 years. They know that consumers would keep and cherish these types of vehicles for a lifetime or at least until TRUE innovations in technology persuade them to buy something new or better. By incorporating planned obsolescence, manufacturers can build junk that conks out right on cue with consumers’ low expectations that they have to buy new cars with warranties. I’d even say that Toyota knew that without any planned obsolescence for its U.S. motor designs they might last too long and hurt new car sales as well; you can see this change in its R Series engine design when it converted from the double row timing chain to a single row design in the 1980s. Why was this change made? Did it save money? Probably, yes. Will it wear out quicker and require enough future maintenance costs to drive someone to just buy another vehicle? Maybe and maybe not. Toyota never sold the 22R in Japan, and its reputation for reliability had already been solidified by that time, which hints at its move to not “overbuild” its newer 22Rs.This is just my opinion, which I thought might be interesting to put forth for the essay writer or general discussion. I am certainly not advocating for the U.S. to enact a Shaken-like system that would take my Toy babies off the road and thwart aftermarket Toy innovators. No way, but we owe some gratitude to the Japanese consumer who has to buy all of the new stuff so we can benefit through this side-effect. I remember when some of my buddies from Japan expressed their shock at seeing all of the old junk cars still on the road when they visited me in the U.S., which is something you don't see in Japan.
The big 3 never really stepped up to their potential to stay competitive because they've been protected by the feds.
As for you mentioning the Aussies getting the straight axle while we got the IFS versions. Since most of the US drivers spend 90% of their driving on paved roads and 10% offroad, they felt that the IFS handled better for us. And the other 2nd/3rd world nations have more gravel roads vs paved, they needed something that was stronger to handle the rougher terrain.
....or a diesel solid axle pickup becuase "most" americans want a good quiet runnning comfertable driving car/truck....
....Then there's the big one and the reason straight axle fronts disapeared here while other markets continued to get them, compared to most countries we really don't use 4x4 for what it was intended for. A trip up to the ski resort doesn't need the stoutness of a straight axle and the harsh ride one produces for most of the softies that roll around in a 4x4 here so while others were still getting straight axles we had to suffer with IFS thanks to our excellent paved roads to almost anywhere we want to go.
Id agree wtih fade about why you can still get a jeep with a live axle...Id say Jeeps were marketed as 4x4s and off road machines where the Toyota was marketed as a truck to drive and use as a truck and less as a wheeling vehicle.
Its mostly because they don't think us "average" americans will have a use for sr20det powered 240, or a diesel solid axle pickup becuase "most" americans want a good quiet runnning comfertable driving car/truck not something loud or striped down race car.
we have quite a few of these on base. i have personally driven them on several occassions....
If you haven't noticed Mike slowly but surely the straight axled Jeeps have been disapering. The only one left is the TJ everything else is IFS and there are plans for an IFS and IRS TJ. I think the main reason it isn't IFS is it wouldn't sell at even the small numbers they currently sell, thus killing the icon. It would be like putting a V6 in a Vette.
My school uses those instead of golf carts...way better IMO
Was searching for something and came across this old jew. BUMP to a classic thread
diesel is meant for your work truck, heavy equipment or heavy hauler rig..
too bad the Canadian government is trying to put an end to importing vehicles into the country.. we have a 15 year import rule
i believe one, mabey two provinces have now banned any new rhd vehicles from entering their provinces..
where its mostly coming from is the north american auto manufacturers that are trying to put a stop to importing.. mostly the domestic manufacturers.. they are crying and saying that importing is taking away from profits that they potentially could be making..
the toyota dealers here sometimes will have a rhd vehicle or two on the use vehicle lot
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