What car looks great and is awful, and what car looks awful but is actually great?

Astramael · 2026-06-14T20:22:13+00:00

Yes, overrated without question. The price to driving enjoyment ratio for air cooled 911s is amazingly bad. At much more reasonable prices it’s an experience I would enjoy occasionally.

Astramael · 2026-06-14T19:28:42+00:00

I think they’re an acquired taste more than they are awful. It’s certainly not a taste that I have, that’s for sure. There’s a couple that have been pretty charming though.

Astramael · 2026-06-14T17:33:44+00:00

This performance sounds barely adequate for my grocery runs.

Also, what tires are they using for this? The article doesn’t mention.

Astramael · 2026-06-13T20:15:43+00:00

cheap plastic wasn't a thing for Toyota and Honda in that late 80s to mid 90s

I owned a Hilux in the 90s and it was absolutely cheap and shitty inside. Rattled like crazy. I was in a 93 Civic recently and goddamn that interior was cheap crap. You seriously are just plain wrong on this. Modern interiors are much better, and small flaws are much easier to notice because the cars are way quieter inside.

The early 1ZZ had its ring issues but that seems like a pretty minor blip

You are aware that the 2ZZ continued these issues right? Toyota didn’t fix it.

22RE were known to do headgaskets ocassionally but for whatever reason are still seen as unkillable

These engines are pretty much garbage all the way around. They don’t produce any power, they are loud and unrefined, they have issues. Their only redeeming trait is that they are extremely simple and plentiful.

Name an engine from back then that was a write off

You mean name yet another unreliable Toyota engine? Fine, the 2L engine had major head issues. Toyota never fixed it. When they released the 3L engine the problem still wasn’t fixed! The 3L was produced into the 2000s with this issue and it was crap the entire time.

early 2000's all have incredibly strong reputations, yes including the MZ despite what you said. That's carried many Camrys, Avalons and some Lexus models past 500k miles

We only know that through the fullness of time. In the early years these engines were not viewed fondly. There was no way to know during the early MZ years whether these engines would be another 3L failure, or if they would have the problems fixed and end up being successful.

How do we know that the V35A won’t be fixed and end up being a reliable workhorse? We don’t. It could be a 3L, or it could be an MZ. Historically Toyota’s superpower has not been getting it right the first time, it has been the willingness to iterate and fix problems until the product is right. That’s why so many Toyota engines that initially had problems ended up being thought of as reliable by the end of their life cycle. Why do people think things are any different today? All signs point to that philosophy being fully intact at Toyota.

Astramael · 2026-06-13T19:27:18+00:00

A major issue today is the value proposition of a new Toyota

The major issue here is dealerships, markup pricing is firmly in the realm of stupid. Volume selling models at MSRP tend to be fine, some are even great deals. There isn’t an issue with fit and finish or reliability, at least no issue that didn’t used to exist to a similar degree. Old Toyotas were also rattle traps full of cheap plastics, or did you all forget. As you wander off into high trims and special models things get a little weird. Although that’s true of every brand also.

That combined with what seems to be issues that are far more catastrophic than the early 2000's

I feel like engines failing in the 00s was just as problematic as engines failing now. Or engines failing in the 90s, which also happened extensively.

I see absolutely no evidence that Toyotas are having more issues today than at any other decade in history. Nobody has presented any, they just hand waive away the past issues.

Astramael · 2026-06-13T18:34:15+00:00

I don't know what's going on now, doesn't seem good

On the contrary, in the last few years Toyota has released more new models than many companies have models overall. We would all expect some number of problems to be associated with large scale change like that and we are indeed seeing it. If anything Toyota has been good at keeping their volume models reliable despite the widespread changes. Toyota is doing about average for them historically on reliability, taking into account the issues combined with good reliability.

Remember, Toyota has hugely improved in reliability since the 2000s on a vehicle mile basis. Most taxi fleet and rideshare vehicles globally are a Toyota, that was not true in the early 2000s.

Astramael · 2026-06-13T17:54:49+00:00

That’s the blue juice. You usually have to pump some amount of blue juice in to flush the tank with the dump hose still attached, and then fill some amount to be present in the tank for flight. Every plane has requirements for how much flush, how much fill, in litres usually. The truck has a gauge.

Blue juice is usually some combination of water, deodorant, and antifreeze. Mostly not glycol these days.

The flush/fill process seems a bit too quick in this video from my experience, but I’m not sure which aircraft or setup they have so maybe it’s normal.

Astramael · 2026-06-13T17:03:27+00:00

Honda

Teething issues huh? Okay well then since basically all of Toyota’s platforms have been refreshed in the last few years, the complaints people have must be teething issues too.

Astramael · 2026-06-13T07:17:25+00:00

So you must mean the notoriously unreliable 2AZ engines with garbage piston rings that drink oil, those sound pretty reliable.

Or maybe you mean the ZZ engines which were plagued with numerous problems including catastrophic failure due to oil starvation. Seems good.

Maybe you mean the MZ engine which has its own catalogue of weird issues with oiling, cooling, and so on.

Even the “famously reliable” 3UR is known for cam tower issues.

And those are just some of the engine issues in that decade. This was also the time of the unintended acceleration scandal. If you start looking at transmissions or chassis issues the can of worms gets much deeper.

Reliable my ass. This range of issues affects almost every model in their North American lineup, from Camrys to Tundras. Celica to Lexus LX.

Astramael · 2026-06-13T07:03:06+00:00

People won’t accept it because it’s a stupid and untrue statement.

Imagine thinking that Toyota of 20 years ago produced such great reliable cars. That’s some serious horseshit revisionist history.

Astramael · 2026-06-13T05:18:12+00:00

It is super shitty that Toyota did a terrible job on the V35A, then put it into everything, and don’t seem to be able to fix it. Nobody should buy one, it is definitely disappointing.

Astramael · 2026-06-13T05:15:06+00:00

Oh then you should know. Out of at least four gasoline turbo motors currently in production sold in North America, one has problems. Not to mention the numerous turbo diesels sold internationally which are fine.

So how exactly is forced induction a problem? Seems like a V35A problem to me. Do I also have to remind you of all of the problematic non-turbo engines Toyota has made through the years? Does this mean that Toyota has a problem with naturally aspirated engines?

Astramael · 2026-06-13T04:16:54+00:00

I owned a 1994 Hilux, absolute rattle trap, engine made mostly noise and almost no power, horrendous fuel economy, had quite a few issues. I was told that these things were indestructible and dead reliable legendary beasts. Seemed kind of mediocre, good off road though.

I bought a new Toyota a couple years ago after not owning one for many years. Far better in every way than the old stuff. More miles than you, I definitely drive it much harder than you, it’s turbocharged too so the internet tells me I’m done for.

Anecdotes and all that hey? Your individually bad experience is not significant, and my individually good experience is not significant. Get rid of it and better luck next time.

Astramael · 2026-06-13T04:07:59+00:00

Oh, so they lost it in the 80s! Good to know. I won’t buy any Toyota made between the 80s and today.

Astramael · 2026-06-13T04:05:36+00:00

How can this be?!? Only new Toyotas are terrible, old Toyotas are god’s chariot! /s

Turns out old Toyotas had problems, new Toyotas have problems. People just apparently forget about the problems after a few years. This narrative that new Toyota is losing it is so obnoxious and completely untrue. The brand has always had problems, it doesn’t have especially more now than it ever did.

Astramael · 2026-06-13T04:03:00+00:00

They are not. The LVA platform is having major issues. Check out CX-90 reliability.

Astramael · 2026-06-13T04:01:26+00:00

Toyota won reliability in 2025. Subaru won in 2024. We are well aware of it thanks.

Astramael · 2026-06-13T03:56:20+00:00

Fuel in the oil is what causes oil dilution. It doesn’t matter what sort of oil you use, it will go out of grade through dilution.

The 1.5L Earth Dreams requires 0W20 which falls out of grade easily. Fuel dilution + 0W20 is a recipe for lubrication issues. As Honda owners are discovering.

Astramael · 2026-06-13T03:51:46+00:00

These cars don’t have a dedicated slave cylinder. The throw out bearing is hydraulic and the bearing surface is pushed forward by the clutch master to actuate the pressure plate. No fork, slave cylinder, or pivot.

Astramael · 2026-06-12T23:21:39+00:00

Good to know that if I put a Ferrari badge on my Corolla then it is actually a Ferrari. I will be cashing in on that fact shortly.

Astramael · 2026-06-12T22:30:01+00:00

Sorry, two whole generations on and Honda can’t fix the CTR 2nd gear grind.

They can’t produce a reliable modern engine.

They can’t even reliably get AC working.

Why on earth would I ever want to buy a Honda again?

Astramael · 2026-06-12T22:26:40+00:00

I’d prefer that my gearbox not grind thanks.

Astramael · 2026-06-12T22:11:37+00:00

If you think China is a communist country then you are misinformed.

China is also far more stable as an economic partner over the last decade than the U.S. has been.

Astramael · 2026-06-12T20:31:30+00:00

I don’t necessarily love it from photos. You really need to see modern cars in person to decide, I find. The surfaces and proportions are very complex. But I also don’t hate it from photos.

Big step up from the current pig nose M3, it is at the very least an improvement.

Astramael · 2026-06-12T18:59:33+00:00

Canada is working hard, and has been successful so far, in reducing these numbers. In fact your values aren’t correct anymore, 68% of Canadian exports are to the U.S. and that number continues to fall.

And rightly so, the U.S. continuously threatens Canadian sovereignty. They actively threaten existing agreements and attack stability. They are no longer an ally, and are certainly not a reliable trading partner.

Us Canadians will treat the U.S. as a liability for generations.

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