A Free Pass for Sequoias

[Proetus]

KEVIN A. WILSON
Published Date: 5/2/05

It came to me at the gas pump. The beneficiary of expense-report largesse was a Toyota Tundra, extended cab, iForce V8, 4x4 and—on this particular tankful—a 14-mpg gas-sucker. So the thought that came to me was, “Why does Toyota get a free pass on this stuff?”

On the passenger-side front seat was a copy of Wired magazine with a digitally enhanced hot-rod Prius on the cover, proclaiming a story by an author who evidently not only sipped the Toyota Kool-Aid but gulped gallons. Did you know that Toyota—almost singlehandedly if you buy into this account—will save us all from global warming and put hydrogen fuel cell cars in your garage within the decade? Some of us thought that—hybrids aside—Toyota was busily selling mega-SUVs like the aptly named giant Sequoia and aptly nicknamed Land Crusher, not to mention designing ever-more bloated Lexi for fat cats. Fine cars, but not saviors of the earth—at least not until Toyota makes good on its pledge to hybridize everything it makes.

For now, asked to nominate a “green” car company, most would point at Honda, where commitment runs across the entire range. Honda has just collected its third straight annual award as the “greenest automaker” from the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Meanwhile, Toyota builds a factory in Texas to make a much bigger, badder pickup than this Tundra. Yet in the general press, genuflection toward its sombrero badge has become the norm. Even radical publications that routinely rant about the evils of globalization and corporate giantism are slavering over Toyota. This is so, even though Toyota is poised to become the biggest car company on the planet bar none, supplanting the firm these same publications routinely lash as evil incarnate: General Motors.

What makes Toyota benign in their eyes is, of course, the monumental success of the Prius. As one who hailed the breakthrough and clever design of the first-generation model, I’ve certainly been on the Prius bandwagon. Bandwagons tend to get overloaded and race out of control in the media, though, and the victims of the rah-rah are nuance and perspective. Toyota is a big and growing global concern. It got that way by catering to consumer desires. Whether that desire is for fuel-efficient boxes or overpowered, oversized crates, it’s all money in the bank. They’re good at it, but why the unquestioning, near-religious fervor?

This works the other way, too. Pack journalists smell blood, so they’re nipping at GM’s heels. Sales got off to a slow start, and suddenly business reporters who can’t tell a hybrid from a hyphen are comparing GM’s woes to Toyota’s success and calling for heads to roll. I called it the “piling-on effect” in a recent radio interview.

Dan Neil, Pulitzer-winning L.A. Times car writer (an ex-AW writer whom I’d never lump in among car-ignorant heathens), irritated GM enough that the company pulled its ads out of the Times. We’ve had similar things happen here—with Toyota, and others. This attempt to bring pressure to bear alienates the press, generating more piling-on; it’s not quite as clever as hiring private d.icks to tail Ralph Nader, but close.

Not that the ink—either in the press or the red stuff on the balance sheets—is unearned. It’s just that the GM story is no more “red” than matters Toyota are “green.” Real life isn’t that black-and-white.

The automotive beat is fun because the story is in constant flux. One day they’re hanging Bob Lutz in effigy, the next they notice he hasn’t been at GM long enough to develop new product from the ground up. A dose of Solstice might be solace; add some Sky and people might see light in the darkness. Similarly, one day we’re all applauding a Prius, then Toyota rolls out a big-as-Texas truck on a day gasoline hits $3 a gallon.
Perspective requires one to look farther down the road than the bottom line on the latest quarterly sales report. I’m not holding my breath.

http://www.autoweek.com/article.cms?articleId=102240

[AdmiralViscen]

Thank you!

[tgagneguam]

I sense a bit of defensive posturing on behalf of auto journalists in the aftermath of the L.A. Times article. I'm not buying it one bit.

If you're gonna bash GM incessantly, at least have the balls to be consistent about it. I'm losing what little respect I had for a few of these journalists.

[460ford]

I agree completely with the article and definently see a double standard in the press for American vehicles and Foreign cars.

[86fleet]

bravo

[cyboexpo2002]

Iiiii...uhhhh....maa....tehh... Cybo passes out from shock.

[tama z71]

its about **************** time these jag-offs start actin like professionals

[SVT2888]

I was gonna post this when I got my autoweek but it wasn't up on the website yet. Very good editorial which speaks the truth.

[Buick61]

Remember when Lutz said GM should have used some money from the advertising budget to develop a hybrid vehicle because it's more of a PR move than a automotive product?

Toyota got a license to build gas-guzzlers because all the greenies were busying bowing down to the Prius. PR coup, indeed.

[paul8488]

Well the heck shouldn't Toyota be 'allowed' to build a big truck? GM, Ford and Chrysler sell millions combined a year. Media can piss and moan all the want in whatever direction they want... the point is it's a big business, and if Toyota is smart enough to toss up a Prius smoke-screen to distract from a pig of a Tundra, what's the problem? Does GM not tout fuel efficiency where they can? You could say their hybrid trucks are just a trick to make people feel all green, when they're still driving a gas hog. The info is there... if someone wants to look up fuel economy on Toyota vehicles it's easy... I don't blame Toyota for not advertising their Prius beside a Tundra.

[Hotspur]

The market hasn't given Toyota a "free pass". Sequoia sales are way down....

[gacSTclass]

They’re good at it, but why the unquestioning, near-religious fervor?

Politics. 9 times out of 10 when I've run into a follower of the religion of Toyota, they are America / American Corporation bashing, Ben & Jerry's buying, Soy Latte Half Caf drinking, elitist, Left-leaning, "One-Worlder", Import-loving (if it isn't imported it isn't good enough) types, with a touch of environmentalism thrown in for good measure.

[Perian]

It just doesn't stop...

Just got the new issue of U.S. News & World Report...guess what product from Toyota IS ON THE COVER...

I think GM should hire the public relations firm that works for Toyota. These people are doing an amazing job for them.

[88montess]

Thank You he must have read my ranting about how domestics are always pegged with bad feul economy.

You mean Toyota makes big ass gas guzzling trucks too. I wonder if anybody will picket the plant in Texas, And write in blood on the walls, and burn their trucks as they roll off the line.

[Havasavana]

Originally Posted by gacSTclass

Politics. 9 times out of 10 when I've run into a follower of the religion of Toyota, they are America / American Corporation bashing, Ben & Jerry's buying, Soy Latte Half Caf drinking, elitist, Left-leaning, "One-Worlder", Import-loving (if it isn't imported it isn't good enough) types, with a touch of environmentalism thrown in for good measure.

What about the other 1 out of 10? Also, you left out "liberal", "pinko", "vegan", and "union-loving". Otherwise, right on the money.