pagemaster

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classi...,1453026.story

For a company known for its reliability, Toyota's suspension of sales of eight of its most popular models — for accelerator pedals that could stick in an open position — is more like a chest wound than a black eye.

The recall covers the 2009-10 RAV4, 2009-10 Corolla, 2009-10 Matrix, 2005-10 Avalon, 2007-10 Camry, 2010 Highlander, 2007-10 Tundra and the 2008-10 Sequoia.

If you have one of these vehicles and find the throttle sticking open, Toyota advises stepping on the brake and shifting the transmission to neutral. If you can't shift into neutral, turn the key to the "ACC" position to shut off the engine. Do not remove the key. If your car has a push-button starter, hold it down for at least 3 seconds.

If you were considering buying one of these vehicles and the recall has given you cause for concern, there are alternatives:

Corolla/Matrix: There are plenty of good choices among compact cars, but these stand out: the Mazda3, available as a sedan or hatchback, and the Honda Civic, available as a coupe or a sedan. Both are more fun to drive and offer similar reliability. For those drivers looking for a more Corolla-like feel, try the Hyundai Elantra.

Camry: Camry fans should consider the midsize Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, both of which deliver balanced ride and handling, include advanced safety features and are offered as hybrids.

Another choice is the Hyundai Sonata, which is comfortable, reliable and boasts conservative looks.

Other choices include the Nissan Altima, Chevrolet Malibu, Volkswagen CC, Honda Accord and Subaru Legacy.

Avalon: Those who like living large in a vehicle with grace, pace and space should consider the Nissan Maxima. The redesigned Ford Taurus is a state-of-the-art sedan, while the slightly more expensive Hyundai Genesis is a good substitute.

RAV4: The rival Honda CR-V is a good place to start, though the new Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain offer superior fuel economy and good build quality.

Highlander: The Honda Pilot boasts similar accommodations at a similar price. Some may be put off by the Ford Flex's looks, but its balance of ride and handling, not to mention its size, make it worthy. The sporty Nissan Murano is also a compelling choice.

Tundra: Full-size pickup buyers will want to consider a domestic from Ford, Chevrolet or Dodge. All three offer similar performance, comfort and reliability. However, only Chevrolet offers a hybrid.

Sequoia: There aren't many full-size SUVs on the market, but the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon have good build quality, towing ability and ride, plus gas/electric models.

jadu

iTrader: (42)

what a pointless article they printed

pagemaster

yeah it seemed like a cheapshot...

I wonder if there are any Toyota ads in the paper

mmarshall

The FWD Hyundai Azera is actually a closer competitior to the Avalon than the RWD Genesis. In fact, the Azera and the Avalon are very much alike in size, layout, trim, and execution, differing only in warranty coverage and the Azera's slightly higher road noise.

jadu

iTrader: (42)

definite low blow

any one can clearly see the direct competitors for each toyota vehicle

mmarshall

This I agree on...the Elantra is perhaps the only other car in the Corolla's class that can equal its smooth ride and low nise level.

werewolf

On a good note, you should be able to get a good price on what Toyota can currently sell

LexusChris

iTrader: (1)

I feel like the article is leaning towards American cars for some reason. bleh. A GMC Yukon or Chevrolet Tahoe, over a Sequoia? Have they been inside those two, it is so small and cramped for a full-size SUV imo. An alternative is an Armada imo.

bruce van

What a crappy article. Did anyone notice how the writer gives alternatives, but is obviously biased towards domestics?

pagemaster

This is just an easy cheapshot and attack on Toyota...I really wonder if the Chicago Tribune has any Toyota sales ads....Can some from Chicago verify?

mmarshall

It may be somewhat of a cheap shot (hard to tell), but the writer recommends non-American nameplates as well as domestics......I already commented on two of the Hyundais.

Ford and GM, of course, are also playing this for all it's worth by offering incentives for Toyota trade-ins.

LexFather

Then why post it? Why give it attention?

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

what many, particularly those 30 and under in this country, fail to realize, is there are tens of millions of people in this country who hate the decline in u.s. manufacturing, and don't consider toyota, honda, and other plants in the u.s. the same. it's all absurd and the so called 'domestic' auto makers only have THEMSELVES to blame, but nevertheless, the feelings are out there. and guess what, the editors/writers at the dying newspapers in this country are very likely of the same mindset, particularly in 'rust belt' and great lake states like illinois.

what these blowhards forget is how the govt, GM and the UAW STOLE $50 billion in (future) tax revenue from the american public, which will likely NEVER be paid back. they should be more outraged at that than an extremely weak story on toyota's problems that just keeps getting blown out of proportion.

having said all that, toyota is handling this about as badly as a corporation can. they're not used to having bad press. having said that, they've run into problems at the worst possible time given the economy, a socialist administration supporting the rising union power, and millions out of work.

toyota has not yet faced reality to get on top of the story. events are still leading them and toyota seems to think by just treating customers nice and fixing problems that things will be ok. well they won't.

cnn ran a big piece this morning on how "it all started" with the state trooper and 3 others in the lexus going off the road and dying in a horrible fiery death. they gave background info on the people, interviewed their relatives, showed the exact spot where it happened, etc. this is AWFUL for toyota. cnn DID mention it was due to the wrong winter floor mat being in the loaner lexus ES but then interviewed someone who believed there's "more to it" than that.

yeah like how about the fact that the driver didn't know how to put the car in neutral?

toyota needs to RESPOND publicly, compassionately, but STRONGLY, to this kind of stuff. you've got non-car viewers watching stories like this, who have had camry or corolla one after another for years, who are now thinking, hmm, maybe not next time. that's a disaster.

getting back to this article, which is (as title says) a pathetic cheap shot at toyota. it could be written about any brand, but when you're the big dog, you take the big hits.

toyota DOES have themselves to blame in one sense, their vehicles are NOT head and shoulders (and in some cases even competitive) with others out there now. they're boring, bland, with cheap designs, and more problems than before (but still very reliable). that is the real crime. it didn't have to be that way, but the bean counters and execs gunning for "#1" got out of control. gee, where have we been here before? GM. toyota isn't AS bad, but they're in a real crisis and aren't handling it well.

mmarshall

State troopers, of course, are taught how to handle driving emergencies (it's part of their job), but, sometimes, when something totally unexpected happens, and your family and loved ones are on board, sometimes that can cause even more stress, and the brain to momentarily short-circuit.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

true, and it's very sad that this happened, but it appears to have NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with any toyota/lexus manufacturing 'problem'. but cnn ran a HUGE amount of air time on it this morning. very bad for toyota.