That sort of diatribe doesn’t belong on a car site. Go to a political site if you want to express politics.

Let’s turn that around: do you believe in any level of corporate responsibility? At what point do companies need to show responsibility to their customers and the communities in which they do business, rather than sole responsibility to chasing short term profits and dividends for shareholders? We use very, very, very…

It’s cool how that isn’t even vaguely comparable.

1st Gear: I’ll never drive a car I have to pay a subscription fee to utilize. Full stop, won’t do it. If this catches on in the industry and that means I won’t drive a car manufactured after 2025, or I stick exclusively to budget niche cars going forward, fine. But I flatly refuse to pay an ongoing subscription on my…

1) Toyota is more snobbish and xenophobic that even Mercedes.
2) For them, really for most Japanese, relying on Chinese technical expertise is very galling and shameful. Much more so that it is to any American. See Sino-Japanese 20thC history as to why. 

ALL of these billionaires are becoming America’s entrenched aristocracy, or Gentry. Their wealth is multi-generational (and increasing). We are on the fast track to 18thC France. American democracy, as understood post WW2, is fading away, to an authoritarian plutocracy. There will still be political parties, there…

I would certainly not trade places. The main reason China “ works” is because the entire population is kept under an iron-like grip of the CCP which constantly monitors its citizens 24/7 and any and all forms of dissidence is immediately squashed. Freedom of the press is non-existent. Most ethnic minorities have…

Is it really that big a mystery why China is able to make things for 30+% less than other large nations? I’d imagine a huge portion of that is made up by labor costs (and the associated reductions in quality of life). There’s a reason the entire world’s manufacturing moved to China. Toyota isn’t comparing apples to…

I tried to find data on this but could not, and as someone whose job involves math, I cannot let this stand. If the average is $45K, that does not at all imply that half the vehicles sold cost more than that. If the MEDIAN were $45K, then yes. But it is extremely ease to construct a data set where 9 of 10 values is…

You’re saying we have to design new cars at some point?

But the idea that it’s passing on unsustainable costs to consumers seems invalidated by the presence of all-EV startups like Tesla or Nio.

You’re incapable of speaking without using histrionics, so yeah, thoughtful, reasoned responses are generally not required. I don’t really feel the need to respond to your constant hyperbole with moderation on my part.

Wow you are really misguided in your hate here. A Caravan is the right choice over an SUV, and with two special needs that need hospital visits she at best needs space for medical equipment and it may also be wheelchair accessible.

You must have missed the part where both kids are disabled and in wheel chairs....
You kinda need a large vehicle to carry 2 kids in wheel chairs plus all the related gear on a daily basis.

They’re also only focusing on the average price of regular. Another thing that’s happened over the past few years and is exacerbated right now is the price difference between the grades. It used to be 10c to jump from 87 to 89, and another 10c to jump to premium. Now it’s 40c per jump, so that $3.20/gal is now…

No. I have no faith in the general public to do anything remotely intelligent. Personally, I’m hopeful that gas prices stay high enough to push people into smarter choices.

First Gear:

Yes and no. For a vast majority of the country, we cant afford new vehicles, so old vehicles with poor MPG are what we fall into. I cant afford an EV or a new hybrid, but i can afford a 15 year old Toyota Sequoia

The gas tax should be higher...

Good lord do people have short term memories with gas prices...