"The stylish new Highlander..."

[MinisterofDOOM]

Word of advice, Toyota:

When you have to TELL your buyers your product is stylish, it probably isn't. I don't hear Audi or BMW or Cadillac calling their cars "stylish" in their ads. Probably because they don't sell to midlife-crisis-stricken soccermoms and their whipped husbands. If your product is stylish, I will tell YOU. You don't tell me. That's not how it works.

The real irony comes from the fact that this is perhaps the most conservatively styled genericmobile on earth. Stylish is about as far off the mark as you can get.

Oh, and that woody Caprice being made fun of? Yeah, LT1 and RWD, d!ck.

THIS is stylish:


This is what we call "forgettable":



I didn't tell you you could take your Dunce hat off, Toyota. Get back in the corner and stare at the wall.

[Jesda]

BLAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[darens13]

a nice car wearing a whole lot of bland. needs to be champagne in color though. haha

[DudeZ]

you comparing a maserati to a toyota.. obviously it wont look stylish next to a maserati...

i think your forgetting that there are different classes of vehicles and different styles for each class. a maserati is stylish in its class, and the highland is stylish in its class (sort of).

[MinisterofDOOM]

you comparing a maserati to a toyota.. obviously it wont look stylish next to a maserati...

I'm comparing nothing. I gave examples of two things which are not the same thing.

i think your forgetting that there are different classes of vehicles and different styles for each class. a maserati is stylish in its class, and the highland is stylish in its class (sort of).

No. Styling is styling. Only crappy car magazines segment and compare based on MSRP. In the real world, a car is either good looking, or it isn't. Plenty of cheap cars look nice. Plenty of expensive cars look terrible.

You missed the point of the post completely. The point is that it's spectactularly douchy to advertise your OWN product as "Stylish" in the product's own ad.

[DudeZ]

you comparing a maserati to a toyota.. obviously it wont look stylish next to a maserati...

I'm comparing nothing. I gave examples of two things which are not the same thing.

i think your forgetting that there are different classes of vehicles and different styles for each class. a maserati is stylish in its class, and the highland is stylish in its class (sort of).

No. Styling is styling. Only crappy car magazines segment and compare based on MSRP. In the real world, a car is either good looking, or it isn't. Plenty of cheap cars look nice. Plenty of expensive cars look terrible.

You missed the point of the post completely. The point is that it's spectactularly douchy to advertise your OWN product as "Stylish" in the product's own ad.

in my mind, you are comparing the two by placing pictures of a maserati in your rant about what style and advertising. your providing a point of reference to assert your argument, which leads one to believe that you are comparing and contrasting the two, only to show faults in the Highlander. Whether you intended to do that or not, i don't know, but it's the way that it appears.

more importantly, appearance/styling is purely and completely subjective. just because you don't find the highlander stylish doesn't mean others will agree with you. so while you object profusely to Toyotas claim of style, others may hear that and agree. which brings up another point... why would you get so peeved over a sentence said in a commercial? are you an angry person?

[MinisterofDOOM]

Stop overthinking this. I meant what I meant, not what you inferred.

This is not a discussion about whether or not you or I or anyone thinks the Highlander is attractive, or nice, or stylish or anything else.

It's simply a sardonic attempt at pointing out that calling your OWN CREATION "Stylish" makes you sound like an a**.

And yes, I am an angry person.

[DudeZ]

Toyota is proud of their design and vehicles, as any other creator would be of their inventions, and as they rightly should be.

and don't you understand how marketing works? they introduce words and statements in the advertisements that they hope people will begin to associate with that produce. they are introducing a thought process.

do you get upset when a restaurant calls a dish on the menu "delicious" or "mouth-watering"? seems a bit childish...

[MinisterofDOOM]

[Jesda]

Toyota is proud of their design and vehicles, as any other creator would be of their inventions, and as they rightly should be.

and don't you understand how marketing works? they introduce words and statements in the advertisements that they hope people will begin to associate with that produce. they are introducing a thought process.

do you get upset when a restaurant calls a dish on the menu "delicious" or "mouth-watering"? seems a bit childish...

DERP
HOW ABOUT A MOUTH WATERING PILE OF OF HORSE FECES:

OM NOM DERP

Highlanders sell in spite of their looks. Calling it stylish does not make it so, brotato. The execution and the marketing claim are so far apart that it borders on being silly.

Honda has a sense of humor about the blandness of minivans, using psychedelic themes to sell the Odyssey. The association of two cultural opposites (60s drug addicts and modern day soccer moms) in a humorous context actually makes the outlandish pitch believable. Its self-deprecating humor that displays quiet confidence.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zIQKq_I47s[/youtube]
Honda isn't making literal statements with this ad. Its creating associations and images of lighthearted fun and escapism, things seldom associated with a compromise vehicle intended to drag smelly children around town. That's the difference between clever/effective marketing and outright stupidity.

[Bubba1]

.

I agree the new Highlander styling is bland and forgetful, but it's not revolting like a Pontiac Aztec. To a typical new Highlander buyer, styling is not as important as compared to the buyer of a $130,000 exotic Italian Grand Tourer. Those same guys you mock with dunce hats will be depositing bonus checks, as Toyota's likely gonna sell thousands of those Highlanders anyway.

I think you're on target that Toyota's advertising is terrible, but they are not the only manufacturer with misguided advertising agencies. Heck, even Nissan resurrected the old "4 door sports car" campaign for the CVT-only FWD Maxima. There should be outrage there too.

[scotty-2-forty]

I haven't liked a single Toyota since they dropped the Supra.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Heck, even Nissan resurrected the old "4 door sports car" campaign for the CVT-only FWD Maxima. There should be outrage there too.

There is. Lots. Search my posts for "CVT" and you'll find a lot of outrage.

A lot.

Its self-deprecating humor that displays quiet confidence.

Exactly. The way the car is presented says a lot about the car. It also says a lot about the people who are expected to be interested in the car. And Toyota's approach says very bad things about both.

[Jesda]

Heck, even Nissan resurrected the old "4 door sports car" campaign for the CVT-only FWD Maxima. There should be outrage there too.

There was. Remember when we got mad about it?

[marlin29311]

[HashiriyaS14]

OMG to 5-door Quattroporte (or Cincoporte?)

Maserati and Alfa make the best looking cars on planet earth right now.

Why does the Highlander have to be so "Blah"? Toyota used to make beautiful trucks:


FJ62 Landcruiser:




FJ 40:




RN10 Hilux:

[GrilledCheese33]

Toyota lost their touch a lonnnnng time ago, its really sad. Although the new highlander commercials are pretty entertaining imo.

[MinisterofDOOM]

OMG to 5-door Quattroporte (or Cincoporte?)

That's what I said.
It's called the Quattroporte Bellagio

Maser calls it a "Touring Fastback" which is inaccurate but fun to say.

[Kompresshun]

Personally, I wouldn't go near a Toyota these days, and it's not because of their recent problems either. I will admit that I like the Tacoma but I still would consider many other options first, if I were buying a truck. Toyota used to be awesome but now their vehicles are so bland and generic IMHO. My in-laws bought a new Sienna SE, spent $40k on it, and it didn't even come with bluetooth or back-up sensors and they had to pay extra for an auto dimming rear view mirror and a DVD player! It's a nice looking van but for $40k it should be A LOT nicer...

Calling your "new" Highlander stylish is just plain stupid. I honestly can't see any huge differences, aside from some changes to the front, and a new grill doesn't make your vehicle instantly "stylish". I never have really liked the Highlander anyways though.

[Otto.]

WHY DID I NOT KNOW OF THIS?

[simmode1]

I opened this thread hoping to find decapitations, electricity being badass and Queen music.

I am disappoint.

[Encryptshun]

EFFING WIN



As for the Highlander's styling, I break it down like this. If Toyota made pants, Jesda wouldn't wear them.

[Jesda]

I'd wear assless chaps before taking ownership of a Blandlander.

[sx moneypit]

I'd wear assless chaps before taking ownership of a Blandlander.

[MinisterofDOOM]

[s0m3th1ngAZ]

*snore*
...eh, what?
About the only thing stylish about a new toyota is the amount of sleep I'd get driving one. That's probably not too safe...