Got a tight engine!

[UberSilver]

I'm not new to Toyota, as I bought my 85 4x4 PU new in 86, put near 500,000. miles on it, and Drove it to the junk yard(three years ago). That truck never once let me down! I did the rubicon trail countless times, rolled the truck countless times. Once I got it back on all fours, I'd turn the key, and it would just start, as to say, is that all you've got?

I like the electric PS!

Originally Posted by JustPassinThru

Absolutely.

I'm older than most of you guys; I got my license in 1975. Bought my first car in 1976.

Right now, my winter-beater car is a 1996 Tercel. Eighteen years old now, with 240,000 miles on it. About half its life it was in South Carolina, so it got a delayed start on rust; but even so - it's remarkably tight and reliable.

Back THEN...say, 1976. An eighteen-year-old car would be a 1958. Now, sure, there were the pistonheads running Tri-Five rat-rods; and there were some early 60s Chevys running around (fewer Fords; a five-year-old Ford was an old Ford; Fords rusted faster than the time-payment book went down)- but those were the exception. Old in those days was six years old. Ten years old was junker territory - and smoke and stalling were the order of the day.

The Japanese engineers, led by Toyota, changed all that.

Back when I was a kid, we looked at either styling or perceived engineering advantages. Of the sort that MoPars (which rusted fast, TOO) offered. Hemis versus Mustang flash. TODAY...I'm a loyal Toyota customer. I may like their styling or even the total package; or I may like it less. I may not like how the electric-power-steering drives (I don't like it). But I KNOW I'm getting VALUE!

I will never buy another brand until/unless things drastically shift.