The head of the Automobile Protection Association still recommends buying Toyota vehicles despite the company's recent woes.
Now is actually a good time to head on down to the dealer to pick one up, George Iny said Wednesday.
More than 270,000 vehicles were recalled by Toyota Canada in January over concerns about sticky accelerator pedals on eight of its models.
"Toyota makes great cars," Iny, the APA president, said Wednesday.
"You have other choices but Toyota's pricing right now is excellent because they're trying to fight to maintain their market share. . .
"It's a product we recommended for many years."
While he recommended the Japanese auto maker's products, he said he still has a problem with the company's behaviour.
He said Toyota was slow to react to the problem.
"They are only now are beginning to come to grapple with the sudden acceleration issue," he said.
Iny said a significant number of complaints went through the APA's office in 2008 and last year.
He said the recall has also exposed weaknesses in the way Canada investigates defects.
Iny said Transport Canada needs more resources for its small defect-investigations department, including more engineers specializing in vehicle electronics.
The Automobile Protection Association called 2010 a transition year for the industry, as car makers race to introduce new models.
But in its annual review of the industry, the Montreal-based agency expressed dismay Wednesday over new vehicle advertising.
It said Chrysler was pushing 84- and 96-month loans that will leave consumers owing thousands if they try to sell the car to pay off the loan early.
The APA also said bi-weekly and even weekly payment ads were becoming more prevalent, and while they make deals look cheaper, they may not be.
Iny said Ford was in the best shape among the domestic car makers, with competitive models like the Fusion and Edge.
He also predicted Canadian sales would likely increase with the arrival of the sub-compact Fiesta this summer and a new Focus next year.
Iny noted that GM had appealing products like the Malibu sedan and Chevrolet Equinox SUV, but said quality issues linger on several models.
Chrysler remained in a holding pattern, said Iny, with lacklustre small cars and significant changes still a year or two away.
The APA called Canada an exception to the weak market for luxury vehicles in most western economies.
BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi have been breaking records thanks to high sales of entry-level sedans like the BMW 3-series and Audi A4.
The agency said Volkswagen was off its list of vehicles to avoid because VW reliability had improved to average or better for several models, and most VW products rated at the top of their class for performance, finish and safety.
