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Results from Survey of High Mileage Toyota Owners Listed on Internet High Mileage Rosters and Galleries
by James B. Bleeker
Methodology of Survey
The e-mail addresses of all owners of Toyotas that were listed as having nearly 200,000 miles or more, either on Toyota Motor Corporation's galleries or Mark Naylor's Toyota 200,000 Mile Club roster, were entered into the address book of Outlook Express. An e-mail message enquiring of each such owner whether he/she would be willing to participate in a survey of high mileage Toyota owners was sent. A total of 117 such messages were sent in May 2001. Of these, 35 were returned for address failure. 24 replies were received. 6 of these replies indicated that the listed vehicle had been sold, passed on to the next generation or otherwise transferred. 2 of the replies indicated a foreign language barrier that precluded the Questionnaire distribution. 16 of the replies were affirmative. From these 16, 11 questionnaires were returned with answers to some or all of the queries before June 15, 2001.
The Questionnaire
To go to the web page with the questionnaire, click here.
Results
Residency:
All respondents were residents of the U.S.
Years of Vehicles:
Academic Background:
7 of the respondents reported post-baccalaureate education. 2 reported a bachelors degree - one with a high SAT score and one with a regional manager's position in a large corporation. 1 graduated from high school. 1 disclosed nothing of his/her academic background.
Vehicle Models:
There were 4 4Runners, 2 Toyota Pickups, 2 Supras, 1 MR2, 1 Corolla SR5 and 1 Tercel.
Mileage:
The reported vehicle mileage ranged from 199,959 miles to 364,000 miles. The median mileage was 233,000 miles.
Original Engine, Transmission and Air Conditioner:
Seven of the 11 respondents reported that their vehicle had the original engine, transmission and air conditioner. An air conditioner with the compressor replaced was counted as not original.
Reasons for Owning a High Mileage Toyota:
The more common reasons for owning a high mileage Toyota are given below. The number preceding the reason is the frequency of selection.
| 9 | The vehicle has a lightness and unbulkiness that imparts a sense of freedom, unclutteredness, nimbleness and/or closeness to the environment that cannot be found in new vehicles. | ||
| 8 | I enjoy tinkering with it. | ||
| 8 | The vehicle is a thing of beauty. | ||
| 8 | There is a bond between me and the vehicle that has been fostered by many years of ownership. | ||
| 7 | The vehicle is the embodiment of engineering excellence, which I passionately enjoy. | ||
| 6 | The vehicle has timeless lines. | ||
| 6 | The vehicle is the embodiment of engineering excellence, which I appreciate. | ||
| 5 | I have no reason for a new or different used car. | ||
| 5 | I think that owning this year and model of vehicle that is well maintained is a symbol of good common sense. |
Feelings for the High mileage Vehicle:
The feelings that these owners of high mileage Toyotas expressed are given below. The number preceding the feeling for their vehicle is the frequency of selection.
| 9 | I have a fondness for it because of its faithful performance. | ||
| 6 | I have an attachment based upon an esthetic and engineering value that is several or many times its current market value. | ||
| 5 | It's like an old hound that just won't let go. | ||
| 5 | I love it for its beauty. | ||
| 5 | I have an attachment based upon a utilitarian value that is several or many times its current market value. | ||
| 4 | I respect it for its rather flawless performance. |
How the Engine Presently Runs:
The responses were distributed thusly.
| 3 | It runs now as well as it did when it was new. | ||
| 5 | It runs now nearly as well as it did when it was new. | ||
| 1 | It runs some worse now than when it was new. | ||
| 1 | It runs quite noticeably worse now than when it was new. | ||
| 0 | It runs much worse now than when it was new. | ||
| 0 | It barely runs at all. |
One person reported that he was in the process of replacing the engine.
How the Mechanical Parts, Other Than the Engine, Presently Run:
The responses were distributed thusly.
| 3 | They run now as well as they did when they were new. | ||
| 5 | They run now nearly as well as they did when they were new. | ||
| 3 | They run some worse now than when they were new. | ||
| 0 | One or more run quite noticeably worse now than when they were new. | ||
| 0 | One or more run much worse now than when they were new. | ||
| 0 | One or more barely run at all. |
How the Electrical Parts Presently Operate:
The responses were distributed thusly.
| 4 | They operate now as well as they did when they were new. | ||
| 5 | They operate now nearly as well as they did when they were new. | ||
| 2 | They operate some worse now than when they were new. | ||
| 0 | One or more operate quite noticeably worse now than when they were new. | ||
| 0 | One or more operate much worse now than when they were new. | ||
| 0 | One or more barely operate at all. |
Toyota Performance:
The responses to the query, "Please use all of what you have seen, read and heard to estimate as to when your Toyota vehicle operated or will operate as a typical Big Three vehicle at 3,000 miles," from those who felt that they had a basis for estimating were distributed thusly:
The responses to the query, "Please use all of what you have seen, read and heard to estimate as to when your Toyota vehicle operated or will operate as a typical Big Three vehicle at 6,000 miles," from those who felt that they had a basis for estimating were distributed thusly:
The responses to the query, "Please use all of what you have seen, read and heard to estimate as to when your Toyota vehicle operated or will operate as a typical Big Three vehicle at 22,000 miles," from those who felt that they had a basis for estimating were distributed thusly:
Toyota Interior Durability:
The responses to the query, "Please use all of what you have seen, read and heard to estimate as to when the interior of your Toyota vehicle aged or will age to that of a typical Big Three vehicle at 25,000 miles," from those who felt that they had a basis for estimating were distributed thusly:
The responses to the query, "Please use all of what you have seen, read and heard to estimate as to when the interior of your Toyota vehicle aged or will age to that of a typical Big Three vehicle at 40,000 miles," from those who felt that they had a basis for estimating were distributed thusly:
Big Three Catch-up:
The responses to the query, "Please use all of what you have seen, read and heard to estimate as to when one of the Big Three manufacturers will have engineered a vehicle as reliable, durable, dependable, comfortable, smooth in operation and quiet as your Toyota motor vehicle is," from those who felt that they had a basis for estimating were distributed thusly:
What It May Take to Get a High Mileage Toyota Owner to Take a New Big Three Vehicle:
The responses to the query, "To replace your present Toyota with a new Big Three vehicle, you would require," were as shown below. The preceding number is the frequency of selection.
| 0 | A 5% reduction in the selling price of the Big Three vehicle | ||
| 1 | A 20% reduction in the selling price of the Big Three vehicle | ||
| 2 | A 50% reduction in the selling price of the Big Three vehicle | ||
| 3 | Gift of the Big Three vehicle | ||
| 1 | Gift of the Big Three vehicle plus $20,000 compensation for the first year, more subsequently | ||
| 0 | Gift of the Big Three vehicle plus $200,000 compensation for the first year, more subsequently | ||
| 4 | Unwilling to make such a replacement |
Valued Features:
The query read, "Please rank the following motor vehicle features that are important, with 1 being the most important. Do not number those that are not important." After each feature listed below is the median rank and the number of responses ranking it.
Feature Median Rank Number of Responses Reliability 1 10 Dependability in taking you from point a to point b 2 6 Useful life of 5+ years and 100,000+ miles 2 1 Useful life of 20+ years and 400,000+ miles 2.5 2 Useful life of 10+ years and 200,000+ miles 3 8 Lines and forms of timeless beauty 3.5 4 Excellence of engineering and design 4 6 Quietness of engine and absence of under-the-hood clicks, knocks, roars, growls and grinding sounds 5 7 High fuel mileage (high miles/gallon or kilometers/liter) 6 6 Absence of axle grunts and screeches 6 5 Rollover resistance 6 4 Smoothness of ride 6 3 Absence of fading, bleeding, sweating, warping and cracking plastics 7 5 Crash resistance 7 5 Cruise control 13 1 Antilock brakes 14 1 Cup holders 15 1
How Respondents Ranked 6 Nations on the Quality and Value of Their Consumer Products Sold in the U.S.:
The following composite rankings were determined by medians; means broke ties.
First is the composite ranking for the query, "With respect to motor vehicles sold in the country of your residence, please rank the following countries of manufacture by the quality that they denote to you, with 1 denoting the highest quality and 6 denoting the lowest quality."
| Made in China............ | 6 | |
| Made in Germany....... | 2 | |
| Made in Japan............ | 1 | |
| Made in Korea........... | 5 | |
| Made in Sweden........ | 4 | |
| Made in U.S.A........... | 3 |
Second is the composite ranking for the query, "With respect to motor vehicles sold in the country of your residence, please rank the following countries of manufacture by the value (quality/price) that they denote to you, with 1 denoting the highest value and 6 denoting the lowest value."
| Made in China............ | 6 | |
| Made in Germany....... | 2 | |
| Made in Japan............ | 1 | |
| Made in Korea........... | 5 | |
| Made in Sweden........ | 4 | |
| Made in U.S.A........... | 3 |
Third is the composite ranking for the query, "With respect to consumer electronics (computers, peripherals, computer components, motion detectors, security equipment, compact and DVD disc players, CRTs, breadmakers, microwaves, etc.) sold in the country of your residence, please rank the following countries of manufacture by the quality that they denote to you, with 1 denoting the highest quality and 6 denoting the lowest quality."
| Made in China............ | 6 | |
| Made in Germany....... | 5 | |
| Made in Japan............ | 1 | |
| Made in Korea........... | 3 | |
| Made in Sweden........ | 4 | |
| Made in U.S.A........... | 2 |
Fourth is the composite ranking for the query, "With respect to consumer electronics (computers, peripherals, computer components, motion detectors, security equipment, audio and DVD disc players, CRTs, breadmakers, microwaves, etc.) sold in the country of your residence, please rank the following countries of manufacture by the value (quality/price) that they denote to you, with 1 denoting the highest value and 6 denoting the lowest value."
| Made in China............ | 3 | |
| Made in Germany....... | 5 | |
| Made in Japan............ | 1 | |
| Made in Korea........... | 2 | |
| Made in Sweden........ | 6 | |
| Made in U.S.A........... | 4 |
Fifth is the composite ranking for the query, "With respect to consumer products that are generally available in the country of your residence, please rank the following countries of manufacture by the quality that they denote to you, with 1 denoting the highest quality and 6 denoting the lowest quality."
| Made in China............ | 6 | |
| Made in Germany....... | 2 | |
| Made in Japan............ | 1 | |
| Made in Korea........... | 5 | |
| Made in Sweden........ | 4 | |
| Made in U.S.A........... | 3 |
Sixth is the composite ranking for the query, "With respect to consumer products that are generally available in the country of your residence, please rank the following countries of manufacture by the value (quality/price) that they denote to you, with 1 denoting the highest value and 6 denoting the lowest value."
| Made in China............ | 5 | |
| Made in Germany....... | 2 | |
| Made in Japan............ | 1 | |
| Made in Korea........... | 4 | |
| Made in Sweden........ | 6 | |
| Made in U.S.A........... | 3 |
Observation: The U.S. does very well in these rankings - far better than I could account for from business data, business news reports, or personal tests. This suggests a strong patriotic bent - one that would only very reluctantly admit of foreign excellence. Also, China does much worse than I would have anticipated by business data. Maybe, "made in China" was equated with "designed in China", even though few products exported from China are designed in China. And maybe if the last two queries had read, "With respect to mass marketed consumer products that are generally available in your country of residence...," the rankings may have been different. In any event, if the ranking for the U.S.A. and that for China were interchanged for the the third, fifth, and sixth queries and those for China and Korea were interchanged for the fourth query, there would seem to be substantial conformity with business data.
The Unimportance of Manufacturing Site:
When asked to state the importance that a product be made in a
particular country on the following scale:
|
-10 |
|
|
|
|
-5 |
|
|
|
0 |
|
|
|
|
+5 |
|
|
|
|
+10 |
the median of the replies for the respective nation was as follows:
| Made in China............ | 0 | |
| Made in Germany....... | 0 | |
| Made in Japan............ | 0 | |
| Made in Korea........... | 0 | |
| Made in Sweden........ | 0 | |
| Made in U.S.A........... | 1. |
Who Drives What:
When asked to fill in the blank in this query, "Of all of the people whom you know to drive a motor vehicle, that person whose judgment you trust least drives a motor vehicle manufactured by: _________________," General Motors took first place, with a vote of four. No other manufacturer was selected more than once.
When asked to fill in the blank in this query, "Of all of the people whom you know to drive a motor vehicle, that person whose judgment you trust most drives a motor vehicle manufactured by: _________________," Toyota took first place, with a vote of five. No other manufacturer was selected more than once.
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