Tells it like it is.
Kevin Rudd and his green car vision are lemons
Kevin Rudd and his green car vision are lemons
BACK in 2007, when he would have been better off looking for some faction-proof Kevlar body armour, Kevin Rudd went shopping for a new car. It was actually a car for his wife, but you know how men are. We're the car experts.
Women just take care of the little domestic matters, such as - in the case of Therese Rein - running a multi-million dollar international employment agency.
Anyway, Kev got to work checking out the automotive market. You can imagine how persnickety he would have been. Remember that we're talking about someone here who, according to The Australian's Helen Trinca, personally took control of the rescue operation last August when a plane carrying nine Australians went missing in Papua New Guinea.
How did Rudd imagine he had the expertise to oversee such a complicated mission? Why, it's obvious.
He'd previously walked the Kokoda Track. So when it comes to cars, Rudd - who grew up in one, as legend has it - is obviously your go-to guy.
But there was a problem. The type of car Therese wanted simply wasn't available.
"My wife was looking for an Australian-made hybrid car," Rudd told John Laws in March 2007, "and I'm sure some of your listeners would have found this out - you can't find one.
"So, that started me thinking about why don't we have one in this country."
There are certain people from whom the phrase "that started me thinking" serves as a 150-decibel alarm. We weren't to know it at the time, but Kevin Rudd turned out to be one such bloke.
Instead of settling on a nice second-hand Prius, Rudd's simple quest to find some wheels for the missus quickly led, once he was elected, to the $500 million Green Car Fund.
Why couldn't Ms Rein have been interested in something less expensive, like knitting?
No, scratch that.
Once her husband "started thinking", we'd have been stuck with a $2 billion National Crochet Initiative.
continues..... The Daily Telegraph
Nil Bastardo Carborundum
I think one of the problems with this scheme is that the money was wasted on developing a hybrid version of the bloody Camry. If the development had been put into something that Australians wanted to buy, and it didn't mean another $6,000 per car on top of the basic purchase price, it might have sold, but nearly $40k for a hybrid bowls-mobile doesn't cut it.
Tells it like it is.
I had a normal version of a camry as a hire car when mine was getting the hail damage fixed. I have never experienced anything so uninspired or incipid in my life!Originally Posted by Calaber
Reaper
Ecotec just kicked in yo
When I was looking to get my Astra, my parents came very close to steering me towards a Camry, just....no. If I am going to drive a bigger car its got to be either a Commodore or Falcon! IMHO the Camry is basically just a bigger Corolla - its the car you buy if you don't have any interest in cars whatsoever.
Shizzle
Before getting my VR , i had a 1994 Camry 4 cyl .
While the commodore has its advantages , you have to give some kudos to toyota, that car ran like a dream for close to 5 years with no extra cost bar a yearly service and tune .
It stuck to the corners like it was going out of fashion , had a fair bit of boogie in the bottom end , and most importantly cops didnt pay me a second notice on the roads :P
Ive had my vr for two weeks ....two
Ive been pulled over 3 times and
Paid 300 dollars on the transmission .
I needed a change in cars , and i was after a bit more power and sedan size , but dont count the camry's out as a nanny car
Banned
Dad used to have a 97 Camry wagon V6 when he was working. Great cars, never a collectors item, but reliable and pretty handy.
Nil Bastardo Carborundum
There is no doubt that the Camry is utterly reliable. It is a typical Toyota in that regard. It is also as boring as bat shit. It is the ultimate "old-farts and lady-bowlers' car". Bought by people who are not interested in driving whatsoever, just want reliable transport, and that's what they get. But if you have a soul, and derive pleasure from driving, you don't buy a Camry.
Banned
Yeah... but then I'd rather one of a mcrooted VN anyday.
Nil Bastardo Carborundum
Did you mean this?
If that's what you meant, I reckon I would still prefer the Commie. At least I could fix it cheaply.
Banned
Yeah I did. I don't know what happened there.
You wouldn't have to fix the Camry? haha
Nil Bastardo Carborundum
They must look after them better down your way. There are some real shitbox Camry's around here.
Banned
You're in NSW.
Says about everything. (Lived there for six years)
I think NSW is about as close as you can get to soviet russia in australia.
Nil Bastardo Carborundum
If I was going to buy a toyota I would get an Aurion Sportivo Zr6, pretty quick sporty looking cars but having said that i would prefer an Xr6 or SV6.
Stupid thing is that whilst the car is good gor the environment when its running around on the road the manufacturing process and the batteries used makes the car less environmentally friendly than a hummer.
Nil Bastardo Carborundum
The Camry has about as much styling finesse as a Hummer, too......
that i will agree with, very ugly cars. We have a 4 cylinder model at work, looks like crap, interior is as boring as a cardboard museum and it couldnt pull the skin of a custard. Total rubbish, how they can take a large family car and put a 4cyl engine in it I dont know. Its not economical cause with a family's plethora of crappiled into it it has to work twice as hard to get anywhere so uses more fuel than a falcon or commodore doing it easier.
Infidel Bear
Mini Putt 2 Champion!
I think Camrys only stay afloat because Indians seem to be sponsored by them...well in Vic anyway.
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
- Theodor Seuss Geisel
nope, its the same in NSW. Camry's seem to be the car of choice for the Indian members in society and honda civics seem to be the asian car of choice.
Nil Bastardo Carborundum
Totally agree, although old boilers in bowls outfits seem to love Camry's, too.
Shizzle
<Has Bowling Hat - Can Travel :P
That dent guy
We have had a couple hybrid camrys through work. Apart from people walking out infront of them as we move around the workshop (they are silent for the 5 seconds they run on battery alone), they make annoying shudders and kicks as they switch between petrol/electric. Useless versions of a boring car if you ask me
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PM me or email philthy@shoppingsecure.com.au for all your stereo needs
Blanned
Old Toyota's are good (considering their age) but the new ones are just shit. Interiors are heinously ugly, underpowered golf carts... or should I say bowls carts???? Mums ol' 1983 Toyota Tercel would not die, even after 400,000 kms and me learning to drive in it. Only reason she ditched it is due to cracking the diff and replacement being literally Seven times what the car is worth.....
Shame as they used to produce some decent cars, small buzz boxes granted but still good cars for their niche.
Can't speak from personal experience but I have heard a few people say that the Korean car manufacturers are the "underdogs" that the japs where back in the day, I.E reasonable priced but decent construction and reliable....
Nil Bastardo Carborundum
Once again, I'll show my age when admitting to learning to drive on a brand new 1967 Corolla. That was probably the car that established Toyota in this country and it was a truly brilliant car within its price and market sectors - streets ahead of anything else around at the price. And the corolla has always had an outstanding reputation, but the Camry will always be seen as deadly dull.
Banned
Yeah, the old Corolla's are actually a pretty cool little car.
Ahh this article is flawed!!
I've been in multiple C63 AMG taxis, complete with a cultural item of the drivers choice on the dash and an uncanny mixed smell of body odour, alcohol and vomit.Price doesn't seem a particular barrier. The problem with the hybrid Labormobile is value. By comparison, Mercedes-Benz isn't having any trouble at all shifting its high-performance $150,000 C63 AMG, with more than 300 sold since the start of the year (it's unlikely, by the way, that any are getting around in government fleets or as taxis).
Clearly the author needs to conduct better research.
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