Japanese Kaizen

Scion's Models of the Future???

2005-05-08T13:58:00.000-04:00

Contest Winner: Micro Car

Scion is a genious! Recently at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, Scion held a contest to see who could design the best Scion model and market it. This is a brilliant idea because Scion is having young people, its major target market, design a product that they would want to buy. The outcome: some really strange models, a few lookers, and some very bland ones as well. The winner, shown above, was a front heavy "Micro car" designed by Hyun Tae Kim. He decided to go with the Micro car concept because of the popularity of this type of car in Europe. Kim even went as far as designing a blueprint of the car and demonstrating its functionalities and where the passengers would fit. Personally, this car looks a little too crazy European to me and I'm not a big fan. When I was in France awhile back, I just laughed when I saw grown men driving around in these itty bitty cars. My favorite is the pimped out SUV (below). It has nice big rims and it looks like people could actually fit inside it. Although Scion doesn't currently have any big cars, let alone a SUV, I think this would still go along with Scion's unique personality and look.

My personal favorite Scion Concept

For more information about the contest and even more concept pictures: Visit the AutoWeek Article.

Car and Driver's Top 3 Winners for "Spoilsport Sedans": All Japanese of course!

2005-05-03T17:00:00.000-04:00

The Winner: Infiniti M45

Ok, so we all know now that Car and Driver Magazine appeals to the car enthusiast and not someone who just wants to save a buck. Well in the recent May 2005 issue, they testdrove 8 of "the latest generation of mid-size luxury sports sedans will spoil you as never before." The 8 models all had a price cap of $55,000 and were compared on whether the sedan demonstrated that it could balance sports car performance with a cultivated personality. Ok, well now for the important part, Car and Driver's overall rankings:

Infiniti M45 Sport

Acura RL

Lexus GS430

Mercedes-Benz E350

Audi A6 4.2 Quattro

BMW 530i

Cadillac STS V-8

Jaguar S-Type 4.2 VDP Edition

So, I guess that means that Japanese cars are in fact fun to drive AND reliable. The contest's winner, the M45, "aced everything in the lane-change and skidpad tests, helped no doubt by its 19-inch high-performance summer tires—real tires, someone called them—as well as by its wonderfully linear steering, crafty chassis geometries, and tightly constrained suspension. Then it spanked everything at the track. All this for just $51,860, Jack."

I have to admit that I really would like to buy the Infiniti G35 coupe if I had a little bit more money to spend. It seems like the M45 is this car's bigger sibling. I feel like the M is something Infiniti desperately needs to gain a bigger share of the mid-size luxury segment. From all the positive reviews, it looks like the M45 is going to be a real winner! What do you think?

M45 Inside Line Forum

Forget the TSX, I want an all new 2006 Lexus IS 250/350

2005-04-28T14:22:00.000-04:00

The Redesigned 2006 Lexus IS 250

Ok, so I really like the Acura TSX, but after reading reviews and seeing pictures of the newly redesigned Lexus IS, the TSX seems like a distant memory. Lexus' current IS 300 has a in-line 6/RWD engine with 215 hp. However, for 2006, the IS will have four different model types:

IS 350 RWD and IS 350 AWD: 3.5L V-6 Engine with around 300hp

IS 250 RWD and IS 250 AWD: 2.5L V-6 Engine with 204hp

Lexus also decided to axe the IS Sportcross wagon due to low sales and instead may introduce an IS hardtop convertible. The IS 250/35o was introduced at the Geneva Auto Show this year while the 350 model could be seen at the New York Auto Show. The new IS will be revamped with more luxurious features and pull away from the current cheap looking interior. Some highlights are an input port for your iPod, optional Mark Levinson audio, a better navigation system with a rear-view camera, and a total of ten air bags. I think the BMW 3-Series should be scared...VERY scared.

If anyone wants to donate $5000 to Sara wants an IS fund, let me know!

IS interior

The Future of Hybrid Cars

2005-04-24T23:13:00.000-04:00

The World's 1st Luxury Hybrid: RX 400h

Gas prices are still on the rise around the world, and consumers are seriously looking for autos with better gas mileage. People are beginning to consider trading in their Dodge Durango and Cadillac Escalade SUVs when a trip to the gas station now costs $60. Now that hybrids have become more mainstream due to the success of the Toyota Prius and Honda hybrid Accord, you'd think that they'd penetrate more than the current 0.5% of the US car market. The main problem is to overcome the technology hurdles, such as the size of the battery system, the performance the hybrid delivers, and the manufacturers' battery capacity. I think many people shy away from buying a hybrid because they're not sure if saving money on gas will make up for the premium price increase. If the car manufacturers can reduce the size of the battery, the price will decrease and the engine will be more powerful: a win-win solution for the driver. Currently, Honda estimates that 60% of the price premium is because of the battery technology. If the price increase decreased by half, the company thinks that the hybrid technology would be able to penetrate 2/3 of auto sales.

Still, many driving enthusiasts complain about the lack of performance and pleasure they feel when driving a hybrid. Well that's all about to change when Lexus releases the first luxury hybrid SUV, the RX400h this month. The 400h boasts the power of a V-8 engine and the gas mileage of a 4-cyl, making you forgot that you're even driving a hybrid. Many people must think that this car will be worth the $5000 price premium because there's already 13,000 people who have put down a deposit for the SUV as early as 1 year before it was even released!

It is obvious that hybrid cars are popular already. There are waiting lists of up to a year to even get your chance to buy one. Many celebrities like Cameron Diaz and Leonardo DiCaprio own a Toyota Prius when we all know they could easily afford a $100,000 car instead. In my opinion, it's just a matter of time for the engineers to fine-tune the technology until the hybrid market will really catch on to the general public. Until then, you're going to have to wait a long time to buy one and pay a significant price premium as well.

Honda looking into introducing a diesel engine in US

2005-04-18T21:25:00.000-04:00

Diesel Accord Released in Europe

AutoWeek recently released a story on how Honda executives would like to release a diesel engine Honda into the U.S. Market, but is unable to do so because of our strict emission regulations. Honda feels that there is a demand for diesel-based cars in the United States, but it currently does not have the technology available to reduce the emissions (Diesel engines release 8 times more Nitrogen oxide than their gasoline counterparts. However, a major advantage of diesel engines is the increased gas mileage, something very important right now to consumers while the prices are skyrocketing. Honda realizes that diesel technology has been its downfall because it has already investing heavily in hybrid and fuel-cell technology. Executives at Honda know one thing: the car industry needs a drastic change away from its dependence on gasoline engine cars or the environment and society in general will suffer. Right now, I think that a lot of people are shying away from diesel engines because of the fact that the cost of diesel fuel is higher than regular gasoline. I learned in my business and the environment class last semester about biodiesel fuel. Biodiesel fuel can be made out of waste vegetable oil and can drastically reduce the amount of carcinogens that normal diesel fuel emits into the environment. It is a win-win solution because it not only is cleaner, but also reduces disposal problems of the waste. Hopefully, biodiesel fuel will become more mainstream and affordable in the future.

Voice your opinions on a diesel forum!

Consumer Reports show Japanese auto domination

2005-04-11T22:05:00.000-04:00

2005 Honda Accord Hybrid

©www.cars.com

Throughout my blog's short life, I have continually mentioned how much more superior Japanese cars are to their American and German counterparts. Now there's more proof of my opinion after Consumer Reports released their yearly review of the best cars in the US. All but one of the vehicles in the magazine's list of "top picks" in 10 different categories for 2005 are Japanese. The only non-Japanese car was the Ford Focus, which won for best small sedan. However, Consumer Reports decided to remove the Focus from its list of recommended cars after side-impact crash results were released. Hmm..now that means that there were NO german or American winners at all, now that's a disgrace. Consumer Reports even noted that American auto were still more reliable than the European counterparts. I seem to recall that Mercedes Benz really took a lot of heat because almost none of its classes were recommended as used cars that people should consider. I have to admit that I chuckled a little bit after reading Consumer Reports at the Lexus dealership last week. Anyway, here are the following winners:

Best Family Sedan: Honda Accord Hybrid

Best Upscale Sedan: Acura TL

Best Luxury Car: Lexus LS430

Most Fun to Drive: Subaru Impreza WRX/STi

Best Small SUV: Subaru Forester

Best Mid-size SUV: Lexus RX330

Best 3rd Row SUV: Honda Pilot

Best Minivan: Honda Odyssey

Best Green Car: Toyota Prius

Best Small Sedan: No Pick after Removal of Ford Focus

Spreading the Word about Blogs...and eBay Motors

2005-04-05T14:26:00.000-04:00

So I guess blogs are kind of cool. Over Spring Break, I was actually excited to show my boss, Tom, at the Lexus dealership my Japanese car blog. He became so excited about it that he decided that he wanted to start up his own blog for the dealership. Tom said that he had always wanted to build his own website but didn't want to pick up an HTML book and learn how to code. Well there you go, blogs are perfect because they require minimal knowledge of HTML. I will keep you guys posted if a Lawrence Lexus blog ever enters the so-called blogosphere.

Also new this week is the addition of live eBay links to Japanese car auctions on the left hand column of my blog. I think I would actually consider buying a car on eBay only if the person selling it was in driving distance. I don't think I could fully trust buying a car without physically looking or driving it. Surprisingly though, we have people come to our dealership from around the country to pick up cars they bought on eBay from us. We even have an eBay salesperson! eBay Motors is also finding that buying a car online removes the traditional price haggling bargaining process that many people, especially women, do not like. With eBay Motors, the seller does not know the buyer's characteristics, which can be very advantageous for people with a lack of car knowledge. I'm definitely an eBay fan, but I might need to see a ridiculous deal before I buy my next car on eBay Motors. Let me know about your own thoughts or experiences.

My Scion Experience

2005-03-28T09:51:00.000-05:00

Scion Line-up

While working at Toyota Motor Sales in Cali this summer, all the interns were randomly assigned a leased car for the summer. I was crossing my fingers that I would not get stuck with the hideous Toyota Echo . The first car that pulled up for me was a fully loaded red Celica. I was thrilled, until I found out it was manual transmission. I was not about to experiment with driving stick shift in Southern California on the insane freeways. I wanted to cry, but I gave up the Celica to another intern and waited patiently for my next selection. Next, a white Prius with no CD player pulled up for me. I cringed, but was excited that the gas mileage would be great for the $2.50 gas prices in Cali. A few week into the internship, I was forced to trade-in my Prius and picked up this weird looking Scion Xa. I have to admit, I thought that this was the ugliest car that I've ever seen and I would actually rather be driving my crappy old Saturn. Other then its exterior looks, the trunk space couldn't even fit all of my grocery bags. However, my little Scion grew on me during the summer. I enjoyed its Pioneer 6 CD-in dash player and its lighting system that made the interior lights in the car change colors every few seconds. The one thing that I couldn't get used to was having the instrument panel of the car in the center of the car above the CD player.

Overall, I think Scion is a great brand extension for Toyota. It appeals to a different type of driving enthusiast and has done extremely well so far in the United States. Scion is becoming an extremely popular tuner car and there are hundreds of Scion fan websites on the Internet. The edgy appearance and different approach to selling cars has made Scion a very unique car company. The cars can very easily be customized to the driver's wants and the Toyota quality reputation behind Scion helps bring confidence to the brand. Despite the fact that I felt embarrassed a few times unlocking the door to my little Xa, it was a good car to have this summer. I would definitely buy a tC if I wanted a high-quality, relatively cheap coupe.

Which car should I buy?? Maxima or TSX

2005-03-15T15:03:00.000-05:00

2004 Nissan Maxima
© www.Nissan.com

So I've waited years for this day to come; the day where I can get rid of my hated Saturn and trade up to a lovely (hopefully luxury) four door sedan. I can finally feel safe driving my car and stop obsessing that my tires are going to fly off on the highway like you see in commercials. I have honestly brought my Saturn into the Lexus dealership many times convinced that I had flat tires or something was wrong with my car.

Anyway, since I'm graduating this May and will finally be making real money, I can afford to get a new car. My only dilemma is that there are so many to choose from! After pondering over this for way too long, I think I finally narrowed down my choice to a 2004 Nissan Maxima SL or a 2004 Acura TSX. I know most of you are probably thinking, duh, get the Acura. Believe me, I would probably choose the Acura if all things were equal. However, the man who own the Lexus dealership I work for also owns a Nissan dealership. Therefore, I could probably get a ridiculous deal on the Maxima or pay full price for the TSX.

Here are some comparisons of the two to help everyone get further aquainted with the Maxima and TSX. Here are some major differences:

The Maxima SL has 265 hp and a V-6 engine where the Acura boosts only 200 hp from its DOHC iVTEC inline 4 engine.

They both get pretty similiar gas mileage, but the TSX requires premium fuel

Acura offers a longer warranty (4 years / 50K miles) compared to Nissan (3 years / 36K miles).

Nissan's interior is a little tacky in my opinion

Acura has a better nameplate/reputation than Nissan

2004 TSX is a totally brand new car for Acura --> might have more recalls/problems

Insurance is usually cheaper on a 4-cyl than a V-6

My mom currently drives the exact same car, same year and everything. Who wants to drive the same car as their mother??

Ok, so now that you've seen these differences, help me out and comment like crazy so I can make a decision.

LF-S: The Future of Lexus Design

2005-03-08T20:43:00.000-05:00

You are looking at the future of the Lexus sedans, the LF-S. This is one of many concept cars in the LF series. LF, which stands for L-Finesse, is the new design direction for Lexus that is currently being displayed in its new 2006 GS model. The LF-S is consistent with Lexus' green image because it is a V8 hydrid 4WD vehicle. Recently unveiled to the US market in LA, the LF-S is designed to meet all the needs of the driver and be an exhilirating experience on and off the road. The designers behind the LF-S are attempting to simplify the shape of the vehicle, but make a bold statement as well. If you look at the back end of the LF-S, there are almost no rear corners or edges. Personally, I love the look that Lexus is striving toward and I think it will increase its image as being a luxury carmaker with bold designs and fun-to-drive cars. However, it will also maintain its image of high quality and luxurious amenities. Overall, I hope Lexus turns the LF-S concept car into a reality.

Yeah..I ditched the Germans Cars too

2005-03-02T20:01:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I'm almost 100% German in background, but I prefer Japanese cars. Don't get me wrong, I like the look of a BMW and wouldn't mind taking a Mercedes SL65 AMG for a drive around the block, but I think that these car companies believe that they should be treated like royalty by other auto manufacturers. Excuse me, but sorry to burst their bubbles, but it seems to me that Lexus is the #1 luxury car maker in the United States. Oh yeah, and Lexus entered the US market in 1989, decades later than both companies, and still managed to take this coveted spot within a few years. Furthermore, German cars consistently rank low in reliability ratings compared to their Japanese counterparts. What's even more embarrassing is that Toyota is ranked #1 in customer satisfaction in their own home turf of Germany!!

This is a story of a past loyal BMW fan who found out the hard way that she should have just bought a Japanese car to begin with. After graduation, her grandma got her a BMW 330ci coupe. Soon after, she realized this car couldn't be driven in the snow and traded in her coupe for the 4.4i X5 SUV. However, from the beginning, this car seemed to be in the shop more than on the road. I know I would be quite pissed off if I spent over $50,000 on a SUV that had electrical problems several times within the first six months of delivery. To make it even worse, the service she received at the BMW was very sub-par. For instance, I think the dealership even gave her a Ford Taurus one time when her car was in the shop. I'm sorry, but a Ford Taurus and a BMW X5 aren't even comparable. Well, after suffering through a year of this, she recently traded in her beamer for an Acura TL and is much happier. This just demonstrates how the issues of quality and reliability are significantly hurting the German car industry.

Why I ditched the American Car Companies

2005-02-23T18:45:00.000-05:00

My overall feeling about the American Auto Industry, not just Ford

So I grew up in the Midwest where everyone drives Ford F-150s, GMC Yukons,Chrysler Minivans, and Buick sedans. It was practically a sin to drive a foreign car, especially a Japanese one. The traditional view out there was that if you didn't buy American, then you were a communist or something along those lines. My extended family on my dad's side, who mostly live in South Dakota, all agreed with this philosophy. I was told that when I got my driver's license, I must buy an American car (unfortunately I was forced into a crappy Saturn!)

Well, after my dad passed away, my mom started working at a Lexus dealership and I joined her not too long after. That is what changed my entire opinion of my choice of car preference. I began to realize how much more reliable and high-quality the Japanese makes were compared to Americans. All the sudden, drivers in the Sievers' household were allowed to buy foreign cars. Of course, I was stuck with the red death trap Saturn. My mom went ahead and bought a Lexus, and then when it was my sister's turn to drive 3 years later, she was allowed to get a Nissan Pathfinder! However, everyone in the household was not happy with the garages filled with foreign cars. My older brother, who drives a F-250 and belongs back in South Dakota, was furious and to this day, he will not even sit in my mom's or sister's car. I remember when we all had to go to the airport; he wanted the 4 of us to squeeze into my two door Saturn because he wouldn't be seen in a foreign car. My mom had to call a limo, a Lincoln Town Car of course, to pick us up because my brother was that stubborn!

The Beginnings of my Car Obsession

2005-02-20T12:45:00.000-05:00

My dad's vette on a snowy day in Illinois

So I guess it all started back when my dad came home, to my mom's surprise, with a 1967 Stingray Corvette. I was probably only 10 years old and I remember thinking that it was so cool that my dad bought a Corvette like my Barbie had. The convertible was black with red leather interior and it even had an 8-trac! My dad cherished this thing and protected it like it was his fourth child. Immediately, he built a divider in the garage around the vette so no one could touch it. The Illinois license plate on the back read "NOT SUE 67". My dad thought this was hilarious because it meant not Sue's (my mom's name) car. Anyway, after my dad passed away in 1999, we were forced to sell the Corvette for college money. I was devastated because that was one thing that really reminded me of my dad. I don't think I realized it right away, but after that point, I started becoming more and more interested in cars because it was sort of a connection I had with my dad. In 2000, I finally got my driver's licence and also starting working at the local Lexus dealership as a receptionist. Five years down the road, I'm even more obsessed with cars and have had a lot of experience as a Product Specialist at the Lexus Dealership and an intern at Toyota Headquarters in Torrance, California. Throughout these years, I've written almost every assigned paper on Toyota or Lexus and have done many presentations on them as well. Whenever someone asked me what my dream job would be, I'd say to own a car dealership. Well, I hope this little bit of information will help you understand why I've chosen this topic and I hope you enjoy my blog.