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From: ignatz@ihuxx.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: Toyota vs. Mazda?
Message-ID: <447@ihuxx.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 17-Jun-83 15:50:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxx.447
Posted: Fri Jun 17 15:50:45 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 21-Jun-83 00:39:39 EDT
Lines: 44

Ok, now for a plus vote.  I bought my first Toyota from a defunct dealership
in Chicago in 1978 (Downtown Toyota). It was a case of agressively shopping
for a Toyota Celica Liftback, since I knew a friend who had one and I was
favorably impressed with it on a trip to Phoenix via Denver.  If anyone had
the right to be upset with me, it was that dealer--I called another dealer I'd
been talking to from this guy's office, and bargained over his phone!  But
nevertheless, I got an outstanding deal and a friendly salesman.  He even drove
me to Waukegan in his own car to pick up the Credit Union check. (New job
Monday, needed car on Friday...)  That Toy ran up 100,000 miles from Oct. '78
through Feb. '82, and was a pleasure to drive.  I'm a decent auto mechanic
(not hubris--it was a student necessity)  and was almost depressed at how
easy the Japanese made that car to maintain and service;  Toyota maintenance
supplies (brake pads, filters, etc.) are superbly crafted, well designed,
and competetively priced with the cheapie no-names in auto parts stores.

I was so impressed that, on a whim, I stopped in at the Hanley-Dawson dealer
in Chicago in Feb. of last year (it was some promotional--remember, times
were bad and interest rates high) and effectively said, "I've got a '78 Toy
with 100,000 on it.  What can we do?"  Ignore the haggling, which started
out as 'just curiosity...' and ended up with '..I borrow your pen?'.  I ended
up with a good trade-in, a superb price on a new Celica Liftback S package 
(despite Chicago's 1% tax), and drove out with the car *that afternoon*.
And so far, I'm as impressed and satisfied with this one as I was with the
first; it's a pleasure to drive.

Things may be different now that times are better; and different dealerships
matter.  I might recommend Quality Toyota, on Roosevelt Rd. in Glen Ellyn;
I do my own work, but go there for parts, and they've always been friendly
and knowledgable.  The salesmen I met are willing to talk, even though I'm
obviously not an immediate prospect.

Now, all isn't a bed of roses; Toyota parts, while always easy to obtain, can
get quite expensive once you get out of the filter-and-wiper range; and body
work is *hideously* expensive (but, then, it probably is on all imports.)
And I can't comment on the quality--good or bad--of Mazda; I've never owned
one.  But for what *I've* gotten out of Toyota, I have to give this
'unsolicited testimonial'.  I just wish Detroit would offer something like
this!

					What more can I say?

					Dave Ihnat
					ihuxx!ignatz
					IX 1C-421 x0946