The problems at Toyota are serious, to be sure. But is it time to panic?

There was a great article in the Los Angeles Times today, by Michael Fumento. Fumento is the director of the Independent Journalism Project. According to his website, he's "an investigative reporter, author, attorney and photographer specializing in science and health issues." He's also a very smart cookie, to judge from this article about Toyota.

Fumento recounts his experience in 1991 with his Toyota MR2. Though the vehicle wasn't recalled, it was a deeply flawed design that was subject to severe handling problems. Fumento drove his MR2 off a cliff with his wife in the passenger seat, and she still suffers physical ailments as a result of the accident. But Fumento doesn't condemn Toyota -- in fact, he bought another, and his wife owns one today. Fumento urges perspective on the current "sudden acceleration" issue, stating that:

... when compared with the vast number of cars Toyota sells, the current reaction is wholly out of proportion.

Sudden acceleration in Toyotas over the last decade has been linked with -- which doesn't mean "caused" -- 52 deaths, according to NHTSA. It was just 19 before the current publicity. A Los Angeles Times investigation brought it up to 56, including those culled from lawsuits. Whatever the count and cause, that's too many. But it's also out of 20 million Toyotas sold, and out of the 420,000 Americans NHTSA says died in motor vehicle accidents that decade.

And although Toyota had almost 17% of total U.S. car sales in 2008, it accounted for merely 8% of total claims for deaths and injuries in the first quarter of that year, according to NHTSA. Edmunds.com found that while Toyota was third in U.S. car sales from 2001 through 2010, it was 17th in NHTSA complaints. Thus, even if every sudden-acceleration complaint proved valid, Toyotas are among the safest cars made.

Moreover, some of those reports surely could have been driver fault. To err is human; to blame errors on external factors is even more so.

All I can do is echo Fumento's words, and to warn you -- just because you don't own a Toyota, don't get complacent. Don't be surprised to find that more recalls are on their way, and not just for Toyotas. Just an opinion. The best thing you can do as a driver is to know how to control your vehicle, pay attention when you drive, and be sure to keep in touch with your manufacturer. I've compiled a list of contact information for SUV manufacturers. Don't delay, get in touch today.

Photo © Jason Fogelson

Toyota panic originally appeared on About.com SUVs on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 18:06:49.

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The volatile standings in the automotive world have just been tousled again. With the sales numbers for the month of February 2010 all in, the Ford Motor Company has come out on top, leapfrogging over Toyota and General Motors.

According to Jerry Hirsch's article in today's Los Angeles Times, "Ford's sales rose 43%, bolstered by strong business with rental car companies as well as commercial and construction fleet customers. The Dearborn, Mich., company took over the top spot from GM by selling 142,006 vehicles last month, or about 300 more than GM, according to Autodata Corp." The article continues to state that "Ford last outsold GM -- then hurt by a strike -- in August 1998."

How did SUVs do for Ford? Here's a quote from a Ford press release:

Utility vehicles also posted strong sales increases. In February, Escape sales were up 50 percent versus a year ago, Edge sales were up 67 percent, Flex sales were up 19 percent, and Mercury Mariner sales were up 39 percent. Sales for traditional SUVs (Explorer, Expedition and Navigator) also were higher than a year ago.

So, is this a changing of the guard, or just a temporary glitch? It seems that just last year we were watching as Toyota and GM jockeyed for first place in worldwide sales, while Ford quietly slid into the background.

Have you driven a Ford lately?

Photo © Jason Fogelson

Ford is #1 for February 2010 originally appeared on About.com SUVs on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 14:22:58.

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The Toyota recalls haven't been bad for everyone. Take a look at Volkswagen.

According to a recent press release, VW sales for February 2010 were up 32.6 percent over February 2009. Volkswagen of America's COO Mark Barnes is quoted as saying that "February marks Volkswagen's eighth consecutive month of sales growth, which can be attributed to our brand's full range of 13 different models. Our newer models such as Tiguan, Routan, CC, and all-new GTI continue to gain awareness and consideration with consumers." Tiguan sales are up by 18.6 percent for February 2010 over January 2010, with 1,690 units sold.

What Barnes doesn't say is that Toyota RAV4 sales were down by 1,095 units from January 2010 to February 2010. How many potential RAV4 buyers decided to look a bit further, and wound up buying a Tiguan instead?

Photo © Jason Fogelson

VW Tiguan sales are peaking originally appeared on About.com SUVs on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 16:15:59.

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"Favorite" and "Best" are not synonyms. In some cases, they're not even related. For example, if someone asks me what my "favorite" movie of all time is, I might answer "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" or "Animal House," because, well, those are two of my favorites. But ask me what the "best" movie of all time is, and my answer will definitely be different. (For the record, my answer is "Raging Bull.")

Because of what I do, people often ask me to name my favorite SUV. I find it nearly impossible to answer this question directly. I have to answer the question with more questions -- "Favorite for what? Favorite for a long drive? Favorite for towing a trailer? Favorite for commuting in traffic? Favorite for taking my dogs to the beach?" By this time, my interrogator has moved on to easier prey, but I'm left to ponder the answer to the question.

I'm going to come down hard on an answer right now. My favorite SUV is... the one I'm driving this week. Whichever one that should happen to be. Reviewing an SUV is a series of brief love affairs. I have to throw myself into the ownership experience quickly and deeply from the moment that a vehicle arrives in my driveway. I have to put myself into the mindset of a person who has purchased a new SUV, and then examine the vehicle from top to bottom to figure out what motivated my purchase. I can almost always find a connection to the SUV, and it becomes my favorite for the duration of my test drive. As soon as it leaves my driveway, it is replaced by my new favorite, and the process begins again. This whirlwind of affection leaves me with the ability to see an SUVs strengths, to figure out how and why some people are able to overlook its weaknesses, and to separate "favorite" from "best" in my evaluation, without losing touch with either facet.

So, what's your favorite SUV? And why?

Photo © Jason Fogelson

A few of my favorite things... originally appeared on About.com SUVs on Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 00:05:30.

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This one hits like a ton of bricks. GM just announced that its deal with Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Company, Ltd. for the acquisition of HUMMER has fallen through. GM "will begin the orderly wind-down of the HUMMER operations."

I had high hopes for the Tengzhong deal, which has been in process for the better part of a year. The company seemed big enough to handle the HUMMER brand. As you'll recall, as part of its reorganization last year in bankruptcy, General Motors committed to divesting itself of Saturn, Saab, Pontiac and HUMMER, leaving just the core brands of Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac to carry the GM mantle. A deal was in the works for Saturn with Roger Penske, but that fell through and Saturn is dead. Pontiac was executed without a trial, with no hope of reprieve from a new owner. Saab seemed to have a deal with the Swedish company Koenigsegg, but that deal fell through as well. This week, GM announced that it had completed a deal with Dutch exotic car maker Spyker to buy Saab, so barring any further hitches, Saab will live to fight another day. HUMMER seemed to be on track from day one. James E. Taylor, HUMMER's President, hinted to me in an interview at the Detroit Auto Show in 2009, that he was well along in negotiations with a Chinese company, presumably Tengzhong. You have to wonder what kind of negotiations take a year to fall apart, when the ultimate result of that failure will be the death of a brand.

According to a GM press release, "GM will continue to honor HUMMER warranties, while providing service support and spare parts to current HUMMER owners around the world."

RIP, HUMMER.

Photo © Jason Fogelson

HUMMER deal falls through originally appeared on About.com SUVs on Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 at 18:39:30.

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As the Congressional hearings into the Toyota recalls continue, a spotlight shines on the figure of Akio Toyoda. Famous in Japan, he is little-known here in the United States. So, I thought I'd bring you a brief sketch of the man.

According to the official Toyota website, Akio Toyoda was born on May 3, 1956 in Nagoya, Japan. He is the grandson of the founder of Toyota, Kiichiro Toyota, and the the eldest son of Shoichiro Toyoda, who steered the company to prominence. Akio Toyoda got his MBA from the US's Babson College and joined Toyota in 1984. He has worked in every phase of the company's operations, both in Japan and internationally. In the US, he was the EVP at NUMMI, Toyota's joint operation with General Motors in California. After moving up the chain through various international and domestic positions at the company, Toyoda assumed the position of President of Toyota Motor Corporation in June of 2009.

Toyoda is the equivalent of Henry Ford III in the US -- a young man who works in the family business, carrying the legacy of generations by virtue of his name and position. Akio Toyoda is revered in Japan, as Toyota Motor Corporation is a major economic force in the country.

He can expect much less reverence before the US Congress this week.

Photo © Toyota Motor Corporation

Who is Akio Toyoda? originally appeared on About.com SUVs on Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 at 13:46:44.

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Have you seen the new Subaru Dogs commercials? Go right now.

I'll wait.

Back already? Aren't they great? And doesn't the blonde dog look just like my favorite SUV tester, Layla (pictured, right)?

Subaru doesn't just pay lip service to dogs, either. They have partnered with the ASPCA to offer a discount to ASPCA Guardian members -- and it's quite a significant discount, from $1,300 - $3,300 off of MSRP on the purchase or lease of a new Subaru. This is great incentive to join the ASPCA Guardian program, and to buy a new Subaru!

Photo © Jason Fogelson

The Subaru Dogs are a hit originally appeared on About.com SUVs on Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 at 18:53:12.

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Some of us have today off, in honor of the great US presidents. I like to think that the day is really in honor of the only US president to get his own car brand name: Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln is a division of the Ford Motor Company -- which was named after Henry Ford, not Gerald Ford, as some youngsters may have thought. The Franklin automobile (1902 -1934) was not named after Benjamin Franklin; it was named after its founder, Herbert H. Franklin. And Ben Franklin was never our president, anyway. I'm not aware of a Jefferson, Jackson, Polk, Coolidge or Hoover automobile -- I wonder why?

So, today we celebrate Lincoln, the President of SUVs. Check out my Lincoln SUV Overview for an idea of the current state of the brand.

Photo © Jason Fogelson

Happy Presidents' Day! originally appeared on About.com SUVs on Monday, February 15th, 2010 at 14:14:18.

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I love the Winter Olympics. Which is odd, because I hate winter, in general. Not a big fan of the cold, can't stand snow (especially shoveling it), don't even like ice in my drinks. But for some reason, I love the Winter Olympics.

And so does GM Canada. Based in Oshawa, Ontario, General Motors of Canada Limited is part of General Motors Worldwide. The company is Canada's largest automaker, producing over a quarter of the country's automotive output, and nearly a quarter of its sales. GM Canada has over 9,000 employees and 700 dealerships across Canada.

GM is using the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver as an opportunity to showcase the new hybrid electric Chevy Volt, but watch for SUVs to do the heavy lifting in the background. In particular, a small fleet of eight Chevrolet Equinox fuel cell vehicles will be ferrying media, athletes and government representatives between the Olympic venues for the duration of the Games.

Photo © Vancouver2010.com

GM Canada is the official vehicle of the Winter Olympics originally appeared on About.com SUVs on Friday, February 12th, 2010 at 16:28:14.

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A very interesting press release just crossed my desk, from the offices of AutoPacific.

AutoPacific is an automotive marketing research and product-consulting firm based in Tustin, California. They publish studies about the automotive industry, and also do proprietary research and consulting for automotive manufacturers. I'm on one of their email lists, and I'm always interested in their predictions about the future direction of the auto industry.

This latest email blast really caught my eye. AutoPacific surveyed consumers about the impact of fuel prices on their buying intentions. Despite the fact that fuel prices have increased over 80 cents per gallon in the past 12 months, interest in small cars and hybrid vehicles has fallen by 50% or more. During the same period of time, interest in SUVs has increased by 63%.

What do you think? Has the increase in fuel prices changed your intention? If fuel prices continue to increase, will you be forced to consider a small car or hybrid instead of an SUV?

Photo © Jason Fogelson

Are SUVs making a comeback? originally appeared on About.com SUVs on Thursday, February 11th, 2010 at 17:46:35.

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