By Robert Farago
July 3, 2008 - 1 views
As Autoblog (AB) didn't see fit to pick-up the gauntlet thrown down by TTAC on the Top Gear drink driving story, we'll blog one of theirs. And hey, wouldn't you know it? AB finally finds their inner snark and wastes it on an entirely sensible post on Toyota's Open Road blog. ToMoCo offers the above advise, including get on your bike (mate) and skip the drive-thru (unless you have a Toyota hybrid, of course). To which AB scribe Chris Shunk replies: "Automakers understand that the buying public is struggling with high gas prices, and the entire industry is working on new technologies to ease our financial burden. Unfortunately, new fuel efficient products are going to take a while to develop on a large scale, so for now we're just going to have to grin and bear it. That is unless you want to follow the wisdom of Toyota, which has dug deep into its core of corporate genius to give the car-driving public this little tidbit of advice: drive less. Wow, the solution was right under our noses the whole time, and we just didn't figure it out." Silly you.
Subscribe to New Content Alerts14 Responses to “ Autoblog Disses ToMoCo for Suggesting Driving Less ”
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July 3rd, 2008 at 1:26 pm
no need for the backhanded compliments. Chris Shunk in particular is one of the bright spots over there. He’s pretty much the only reason I listen to their podcasts.
And as for the statement itself, if people drive less, they put less wear and tear on their vehicles, which reduces the frequency of replacement. Doesn’t seem like a smart move.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:48 pm
If you were going to call AB on anything, the Traverse vs. Highlander
GM Infomercialposting from yesterday might have been a better choice.They’re right that Toyota’s “Drive Less” really is kind of asinine.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:51 pm
psarhjinian : If you were going to call AB on anything, the Traverse vs. Highlander GM Infomercial posting from yesterday might have been a better choice.
Speaking of which, I wonder if it occurred to AB that comparing the Traverse to a vehicle that GM provided raises the possibility that GM may have hobbled the competition. This is, after all, the same company that stuck a fake hybrid engine cover over a standard ICE powerplant for a media drive.
They’re right that Toyota’s “Drive Less” really is kind of asinine.
But it is the right answer. Hence the fact that tens of millions of Americans are already doing it. I mean, not doing it.
July 3rd, 2008 at 2:16 pm
I agree a good idea, but it’s kind of a) obvious and b) sanctimonious for Toyota to say it.
It’s like suggesting people drive the limit. That goes over really, really well. I’m getting slapped silly in the Double-Nickel thread for suggesting it.
Did they really do that? Wow…
July 3rd, 2008 at 2:24 pm
The simplest answer to reducing fuel consumption and pollution is indeed to simply drive less. It isn’t an earth shattering insight, but is still true.
Alcoholic beverage makers have been telling us to drink responsibly for a long time now. What is wrong with Toyota doing the same?
July 3rd, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Realistically the best thing people can do to lower their fuel bills and our nation’s oil consumption isn’t buying sparkling new cars, it’s driving as little as possible.
Even before the current fuel surge I’ve always driven directly to where I need to go and back and refrained from going anywhere if I didn’t have to.
July 3rd, 2008 at 2:37 pm
John,
Maybe it’s just me, but I really do resent being marketed at. Toyota’s saying something useful, but it’s just so gosh-darn obvious that I can’t help but think “Yes, this really is a press release dressed up to look noble and self-effacing”.
I’m perhaps coming across a bit more strongly than I’d like, but a for-profit company pushing product by creating a kind of corporate karma (versus selling on product merit) just bugs me. It’s like the nauseating use of patriotism (”American Revolution”, etc) on the part of the domestics, or the “German Engineered” campaigns out of VW and MB.
July 3rd, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Toyota’s PR machine has been a huge part of its success… call it hype and manipulation, it’s also been remarkably canny.
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Driving less works for me.
I am an old, ugly, short, and retired guy that women don’t want therefore I have no place I have to go so driving less is easy for me. Just me and reading TTAC.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Last night, the Remaining Child said, “Dad, I think I’d like to get a mo-ped.”
“Why?”
“To save gas.”
“There are other ways to do that.”
“How?”
“Drive less.”
And I got this look… like… “Just how out of touch IS the old geezer?”
Toyota’s advice is timely, useful, helpful, appropriate and will be derided and ignored.
July 3rd, 2008 at 7:41 pm
“And as for the statement itself, if people drive less, they put less wear and tear on their vehicles, which reduces the frequency of replacement. Doesn’t seem like a smart move.”
Those smart guys over at Tyota got it figured out!!
They’ll make them wear out faster!!
Find me a Prius wth 150,000!
July 4th, 2008 at 1:00 am
KixStart :
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Last night, the Remaining Child said…………
………And I got this look… like… “Just how out of touch IS the old geezer?”
Daily occurrence around my home.
July 4th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Toyota will make money making 100K cars or 80K cars b/c they are flexible enough. Meanwhile they get the good press.
We don’t have to wait a few years for more efficient cars to get here. They are here but alot of folks don’t want to be seen driving a Prius. Yes, we will have to wait a while before GM gets us some really efficent vehicles. I mean they’ve got them in other markets (still not the best in those markets either I hear) but we’ll have to wait for another big SUV hybrid I guess.
July 5th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Autoblog takes every opportunity to drag ToMoCo (and the rest of the Japanese, but ToMoCo in particular) through the mud. Par for the course.