*gently moving the pot-stirrer aside*

Kluken, I'm sorry you had a bad experience with your TCH. Back in the '90's, I bought a car that I became disappointed with - it's a drag to put your money down on an investment, and not be happy with it.

That said - I've had my TCH for two months, and I've been waiting with trepidation for the rattles and squeaks to start. It's not happening. I wonder if perhaps there was a "bad batch" put out, or perhaps they fixed some things so that later shipments didn't have so many problems. I didn't get my car until early November - I know many folks got their TCH's earlier in the year.

 

Toyota is not one to sit on a big problem like rattles. If you ever get a chance to tour TMMK you'll see the sound proof tunnel they run through post production. I'm sure it was quite an investment but it appear to have got a handle on the problem. It makes me glad my TCH is US made.

 

I agree 100% no Green Cards!!!!

 

No tunnels in Japan?

 

I don't know about Japan produced but I have seen what Georgetown is doing. One would think it would be the same though.

 

I got mine in May and haven't had 1 rattle or squeak. Maybe I got lucky, or kluken got unlucky. Who knows. But everyone is not experiencing problems.

 

I have had my 2007 TCH for about four days now, and it is by far the best car I've ever owned --- and we've had VW's, a Ferrari, several M-B's, etc. It is amazingly quiet and tight, and handles, steers, and brakes really well, and the seats are really comfortable and supportive. To add to all of that it is getting a solid 36 mpg, which will perhaps even improve with time. It seems like a super bargain for $ 30k !

 

Okay. Here's the point (or it should be): When you buy a HYBRID, you got to know that the ENVIRONMENT is part of the reason you are buying the HYBRID. You can buy any other car, and get what you want otherwise. You want luxury? Then buy a car that provides it. You want bare bones? Then by a car that is just that. You want a car that has great mileage? Then get a TDi, and then if you want to do something extra, convert that to biodiseal. However.

If you want to do something that is for the environment, and is not as extreme as biodiesel, then you get a Hybrid. And one should go into it thinking, planet first, wallet second, personal comfort level third.

We have spent centuries screwing the planet. We have spent a considerable time thinking of me first, everyone else second. I don't have kids; won't. But even I want to leave the planet a bit better then I found it.

I am not perfect. But I am doing what I can to reduce my environmental footprint.

You don't buy a HyCam, a Prius, a HiHy, without knowing you are buying a Hybrid, which means you are doing something for the environment. Which is a Good Thing™. But to dump the car, less then a year into it, because you don't like the features that you might have bought on a luxury car...what were you thinking in the first place? Sounds to me the environment was second to the OP's comfort level.

Which means, in the long run, another selfish individual is once again thinking of them selves, and everyone else second.

Which is just plain greedy, In My Not So Subtle Opinion, and I don't care what others think.

I'm not some liberal leaning tree hugging hippie, but I do think we as a world need to start thinking long term, and not so short term.

 

Oh, and if stirring the pot gets your dander up, well, sorry. But it's past time to just sit idly by, watching the planet slip away.

We need more people stirring the pot, and less just sitting there, compliant.

Normaly, I'm a pretty quiet person. But this planet is the only one we have, and unless we find Earth Two just sitting around, waiting for us, we should do what we can to save this one.

And this site, it's called, GREEN Hybrid, right? So act like you want to save the world.

 

TJandHybrids you don't sound like much of a car enthusiast. You can look at this from another angle. A lot of people drive cars not for basic transportation but because they love them. They appreciate the technology, the style, the comfort or performance (usually mutually exclusive). I would never have bought a Prius or a TDi or any car branded "Green" for that reason primarily. I like cars (in an obsessive way) and the TCH had the right mix of luxury, performance and technology to interest me. The economy was a plus but the technology of the car is what sold me. I didn't buy "Green". In fact the first thing i did was remove the hideous hybrid badges from the fender that so break up the lines of the car.

My point is Toyota has made a car that appeals to more than "Green" people. If someone does not like the car and trades it , take comfort that it is going to another and the car will for it's life help the environment by displacing a less e-friendly car. This is the US and its obvious we will not be able to shame people into buying Green. I feel we are fortunate manufacturers are starting to make appealing eco friendy cars. Regardless of the selfish reasons for which we buy them they will help our environment and in the end that is really all that matters.