I've held off on writing this email for some time, but after the past couple of days, I just cannot help it.

Has anyone else noticed that Toyota drivers in general really just don't know how to drive? And what I mean by this is:

They drive much slower than most other cars on the road

Their reaction time to traffic light changes are 4x longer than other drivers

They portray themselves as "smart" "safe" drivers, but in reality their over-cautious behavior is actually a hazard when compared with other drivers

They often do the "pullout" only to proceed down the road at a snails pace. by pullout I mean you're almost on them and they turn right in front of you.

Now, again, this doesn't apply to ALL Toyota drivers, in fact I've not encountered this at all with Lexus drivers, just Toyota.

Anyone else care to chime in on this?

 

That's interesting.
You just described my feelings on the VOLVO drivers up here.
Around here, the Toyota people aren't that bad.

 

I mostly see older people driving Toyotas, so whether they're driving Toyotas or not, they'll drive in the manner you described.

 

I totally get you!! At last, someone who understands!! They're always pulling out in front of me, and then driving like they have all the time in the world. And they're not always old, half the time they younger people in minivans!!

 

+1 for Toyota, Volvo, VW beetle (especially the ones with the flower in the vase), Saturn, and Mercuy Grand Marquis drivers.

It's like they don't have any place where they need to be--so they move like snails. They won't yield to faster moving traffic and they're never sure where their next turn is. Therefore every green light and every cross street requires braking for them, if they aren't already riding the brake pedal.

 

None of that describes me and I drive an '03 Tacoma

 

You forgot to add that the under-40 crowd are all yapping on their cell phones too. In particular I love the Mass Pikers who insist on frequent lane changes in rush-hour traffic, while they discuss milk bread and eggs on the cell phone. Get an earbud, people!

 

+1 i drive a "rolla" to work everyday

 

Prius driver's are the worst.

 

can you really generalize people like that?

what if i were to say all mustang drivers are reckless and are always speeding?

i think it just depends on the person.

 

chill. we're just having fun.

 

+1 here. It seems that every several years a brand or single name plate becomes the "Official Traffic Control Device". During the early 80's it was the Chevy Chevette, mid 80's to early 90's it was the Ford Tempo, now we have any manner of Toyota. These cars attract slow reacing drivers like the plague, maybe they are all reading CR while they drive!!

Oh and BTW, Volvos demonstrate why they are the safest cars in the world-they have to protect their idiot drivers!!!

 

I find that the people in Honda civic's drive more idiotic then anyother but there is a huge population of Toyota drivers around me that could be considered traffic control. This is generalizing but I just notice a trend. I also see a trend with Mustang Drivers, if the car is clean and tastefully done mod wise I find they are very polite and competent drivers. Though that does not apply to all.

 

Toyota's suck. They are the most boring, underpowered, lifeless vehicles. I've had to drive them before and they nearly put me to sleep. I say it's the car as much as it is the driver. They need to bring back the Supra.

 

DUDE you're my hero!!

For those on Facebook, I started a group a while back "Why do all Corolla drivers suck at driving?". That pretty much sums up how I feel.

I find it's mostly localized to Toyota CAR drivers...trucks and suvs like Tacomas and 4Runners etc are mostly exempt from this.

It's just this really weird phenomenon I have noticed since I started driving almost 10 years ago:

Driving slow in the left lane
The last minute pullout at 1/2 the speed limit
Slowing down for no reason
No shoulder checks...just drifting
Never turning into their own lane, ever
Signal? My car has a turn signal?
Slow to start, especially at advanced left green lights
Staying BEHIND the white line when they are first in line at a left turn lane (meaning only 1 car, them, gets through when the light goes yellow, thanks dude)

Generally I just avoid them, ESPECIALLY in parking lots. My take is that people who drive Toyota cars bought them purly as an appliance because they believe the hype out there that they are "the most reliable, most economical, best value" automobiles. These people just want to get from a to b with the least amount of fuss. They don't care about driving, they may not even like it, but do it because they have to.

Those, my friends, are people I try to avoid in my travels.

 

Nice one Kristina, joined

 

Underpowered?

 

Probably because "most" of the Toyota drivers you're describing are bored behind the wheel and maybe they're half-asleep. I notice most people who drive without awareness of traffic around them do drive like that, regardless of a vehicle's make or model. In Hawaii, most of the idiotic drivers are known to drive ""fast" and furious" Acuras/Hondas or else recently "graduated" to a AWD/RWD import after FINALLY catching on to the difference vs. FWD. Next up is the "blinged-out" big truck/SUV crowd who use their size to bully their way through traffic or simply disregard all smaller vehicles because they can't see them while yakking away on their cell phones talking to their homies or some other wannabe "gangsta isht" when the only 50cent they hang with is the loose change in their pockets...

 

That is soooo true!! It's always some college aged kid in a beat-up old toyota slowing down the left lane!!

 

I can't agree with blaming Toyota drivers as a group. Drivers of almost all makes do the same thing. Violet Bluehair usually drives a mid size domestic sedan and she does all things you've discussed above.

Maintain situational awareness, drive defensively, and don't get frustrated by the stupidity of other drivers. The two places where I'm especially alert are intersections and big parking lots. Coming out of a grocery store a few years ago I watched in disbelief as a woman in an SUV t-boned another SUV and knocked her over on the vehicle's side right into the landscaping. Yep, there was a cell phone involved.

It can happen anywhere. Hang up, buckle up, and drive. Keep your eyes open and stay safe, all of you.