It seems every dealership of every make that I drive by are completely out of new cars.
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This is great news! Thanks for sharing!
Recently, I read an article that stated that Toyota is more cautious than other manufacturers when adding on new features and, therefore, use fewer computer chips than others do. While this does not explain Toyotaâs ability to overcome the current chip shortage, it helps to understand why Toyota reliability ratings are high = good product which is cautious to integrate new tech into their vehicles. (Let others deal with working out the kinks in new tech offerings.)
We owned a number of Toyotas/Lexus cars in the past three decades. The controls of their cars are designed in such a way that when you get out of your Corolla and jump into the driverâs seat of your Tundra, you feel âat homeâ and donât have to scramble around to find the handle or knob that turns on windshield wipers or headlights. This was absolutely not the case with our domestic car makers who decided that every new model they made needed to have a completely redesigned dashboard and whatnot.
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That comfort, familiarity, and reliability that we like from Toyota/Lexus gets absolutely blasted on some other forums as â1990s tech in a 2021 vehicleâ. That said, I really wish they would have put CarPlay in our 2019 Toyota (got added in the 2020 model). That is a nice tech feature, but also very familiar since we already know it from the phones.
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Yes, not having a familiar Mac system in my 2018 Prius prime is my major gripe with the car. Since I only drive on Oahu, not a big issue. If I drove in an area I was unfamiliar with, it would be a MUCH bigger issue.
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2019 Prius Prime for us and Iâm jealous that you get to drive on Oahu. 
Weâve used the built-in navigation to get up to UCLA and it worked fine, although it was more of a pain to enter the address and the traffic data wasnât nearly as good. It also doesnât know of 2 main connectors at either end of the freeway near our house which is weird since theyâre not new.
I agree! My first car was a Toyota Celica ('78?) and weâve had Toyotas throughout the years. They always are somewhat familiar. Canât argue with that. Iâm trying to get a RAV4 Hybrid, so the article you shared gives me some hope.
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My S has used the nav system. I just preview any unfamiliar routes on my phone and ignore car nav system. We donât often drive to unfamiliar places.
Just saw a Jeep Rubicon with Xtreme Recon package (35 inch tires, 1.5 inch suspension lift, 4.56:1 axle gearings). Very attractive & solid appearance. Cannot find any pictures on the internet which resemble the vehicle that I saw today.
This led me to research the Ford Bronco Badlands & First Edition models (as the 3 other lower Bronco models only offer a three (3) cylinder engine. My research led to this article:
Interesting article with lots of advice & statistics:
How do the chip manufacturing countries respond to new outbreaks? American manufacturing isnât likely to slow. With the winter approaching, this isnât a good time for a new strain.
It could slow the global economy.
That would dampen demand for oil and gas.
Supply chain seemed to be improving a bit. This will hurt. Overnight, âBrent crude slid 5.3% to under $77 a barrel, putting the global energy benchmark on track for its biggest one-day loss since July, as traders fretted that limits on movement could reduce demand for transportation fuels.â 10 year t-bill dropped 0.1%. Weâll see what holds.
Yesterday, I drove through small towns in east Texas. Car lots had a few cars that were double spaced on the lots.
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Also, an article in the Detroit newspaper (behind a paywall) is titled:
âCar prices could go up again as auto industry eyes shortage of magnesium.â
Checked our new 2022 vehicle against CarMax & Carvana used models dated 2021 & 2020. The low mileage (9,000 miles to as low as 3,100 miles) vehicles were listed at selling prices quite a bit above what we paid for a new one.
Anyone else notice that Honda dealerships have an ample supply of new vehicles on the lot for sale ?
This site offers links and current stories for 38 different auto manufacturers:
Automakersâ price increases from October, 2020 to October, 2021:
Subaru +9.2%
Industry average +12.9%
Toyota +14.7%
Mazda +15.3%
Honda +15.6%
Stallantis +16.3%
Kia Hyundai +16.9%
Mitsubishi +19.6%
GM +21,4%
Above statistics are as reported by Torque News.
âunless you have toâ
Or you think shortages and inflation might last longer than you think. Iâve bought a few things that cost more than I would normally payâŠbut not sure theyâll be available in the future and if they are what they might cost.
My 9 year old truck was just showing a few spots of rust. Usually another year or two until the rust causes big issues. We live in PA where cars are eaten with rust or destroyed by potholes. I hated to get rid of it. Low miles and no issues but was thinking 2 years out so I bought a new truck. Time will tell if it was a good choice.
Also, itâs not just new/used vehicles. Itâs replacement parts. Iâve stocked up on simple things like bulbs, oil filters, brake pads, etc.
SIL just bought a new SUV. Accepted it without the retractable running boards. Itâs a downgrade but they didnât have the chips and werenât sure how long it would be. My BIL is in same boat. Needs a new truck for work but canât get several features because no chips. Heâll wait.
MotorTrend Car/SUV/Truck Ultimate Car Rankings October 2021: (19 categoriesâranks top 5 in each category except âCompact Hybrid SUVâ which ranks just the top 3):
Compact Sedan: 2022 Honda Civic
Midsize Sedan: 2021 Honda Accord
Midsize Hybrid Sedan: 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid
Electric Car: 2021 Tesla Model 3
Luxury Compact Sedan: 2021 Tesla Model 3
Luxury Midsize Sedan: 2022 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Luxury Full-Size Sedan: 2022 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Subcompact SUV: 2021 Subaru Crosstek
Compact SUV: Honda CR-V
Compact Hybrid SUV: 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
Midsize SUV: 2022 Subaru Outback
3-Row SUV: 2022 Subaru Ascent (beat out 2022 Kia Telluride !)
Full-Size 3-Row SUV: 2021 Chevrolet Suburban
Luxury Compact SUV: 2021 Volvo XC60
Luxury Midsize SUV: 2021 Porsche Cayenne
Luxury 3-Row SUV: 2021 Lincoln Aviator
Luxury Full-Size 3-Row SUV: 2021 Lincoln Navigator
Midsize Truck: 2021 Honda Ridgeline
Full-Size Truck: 2021 Ram 1500 (beat out perennial top selling Ford F-150)
Honda was top rated in 5 categories, while Subaru was top-ranked in 3 categories.