Edmunds.com | Inside Line | Auto Observer Your Account | Help | Directory
You are here:
![[F]](http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/townhall/webxicons/site.gif){kind=small}
Forums
Sedans High End Luxury Cars
24700 messages, Last post on Dec 01, 2009 at 12:24 PM
You are in the Sedans Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
Let's try to define this forum as being limited to luxury performance vehicles where the mainstream version in a typical configuration has an MSRP of at least $60k.
A luxury vehicle with a base price of $59k qualifies because it would typically be bought with some additional equipment, bringing the MSRP over $60k.
Vehicles like the E, 5, A6, M, or GS, even if available in certain versions over $60k, don't qualify because they are cars from companies that have higher end cars in their lineups.
|
Toyota reported today that the company would raise worldwide output about 40%, by 2008!!! They also mentioned that they will increase production for the US market by 25%, thanks in no small part to the launch of the new Tundra(as ugly as it may be) and it's heavy-duty variants, a first for a US market Toyota pick-up. The projected rankings for worldwide domination will end as follows: The General: 13.9% Toyota: 12.3% Ford: 12.0% Yes folks, Toyota will beat Ford worldwide. They also said that that there will be a major shift towards Eastern Europe and China, areas that GM absolutely dominates. By 2010, if GM stays on it's steady pace and Toyota's output actually works, Toyota would become #1, reports suggests. |
|
|
|
|
Replying to: blkhemi (Sep 18, 2006 12:08 pm) Where do you get your info? To my knowledge, Toyota already surpassed GM since early 2006 (world market). The news that Toyota just surpassed Ford and reached No.2 was regarding US sales.
|
|
|
Replying to: blkhemi (Sep 18, 2006 12:08 pm) What is Toyota without reliability and quality? Obviously nothing more than a GM! I guess it's really tough being number one. The greatest competitive advantage for any auto company is not to have any dealings with the UAW. Fortunately Toyota is not drowned by humungous healthcare/pension legacy costs. |
|
|
Replying to: killerbunny (Sep 18, 2006 12:25 pm) Believe blkhemi's numbers are correct. |
|
|
Appears Dr. Z's message about MB engineering in Chryslers is just not working as planned. He is certainly no Iaccoca. Here is a little blurb from Wall Street Journal. Created by the Detroit office of Omnicom Group's BBDO, the "Dr. Z" campaign cost $100 million and has been running since July. It relies on Mr. Zetsche, with his distinctive, bushy mustache and German accent, for a light-hearted setting of a somewhat complicated message about how Chrysler cars share engineering and design features with higher-priced Mercedes sedans, or how Jeep SUVs are clean and fuel efficient. But the ads have become the butt of scorn from some ad critics, even though industry research shows the ads were memorable. Critics often pointed to studies showing that many people believed Dr. Z wasn't a real person. Detroit area resident Carrie Belcher, who has a Jeep Grand Cherokee and Volkswagen Passat in her family, said she assumed he was a fake character and was surprised to learn he was DaimlerChrysler's CEO. But she said the ads made her laugh. "I thought it was kind of fun that the CEO was that quirky and funny," she said. (Mr. Zetsche does have a doctorate in engineering.) The Chrysler Group vigorously defends the ads, saying the campaign did its job of informing consumers about what Chrysler stands for. The TV, radio and print portions of the Dr. Z campaign are currently suspended so the company can focus on its clearance sale and new model launches over the next two months SOURCE: WALL STREET JOURNAL SEPT 18 2006
|
|
|
Replying to: dewey (Sep 18, 2006 3:56 pm) The A.E. was on them from day one about those terrible ads. According to Pete, the ads have actually cost DCX more than $200m, without increasing showroom traffic one iota. |
|
|
Replying to: blkhemi (Sep 18, 2006 12:08 pm) Ford is in big, big trouble. They are slashing (another?) 30K jobs, and closing several more plants as part of "Way Forward 2.0, Mulally addition". They still depend much to heavily on the F-150 and their trucks. The market is going to drop out right under the Explorer. Expedition? Fuggetaboutit. Mercury is done for. Literally no new products until something like 2012.
|
|
|
With all this talk of Toyota becoming number one and turning into a GM or beating out Ford, let's not forget that in just the last two years alone, Toyota has had two major recalls totalling a whopping 1,750,000 vehicles worldwide. These recalls were not minor as both of these recalls were due to potential steering failure! But, interestingly, nobody thinks about it. They only remember the Ford Explorer's tires, which Ford didn't even manufacture! Toyota can do no wrong it would seem, even when a colossal 1.75 million cars worldwide could have lost their steering! Go figure. TagMan
|
|
|
Replying to: tagman (Sep 18, 2006 5:47 pm) Its not as if Ford had no clue that tire problems could happen. They didn't want to pay for safe tires. As for Toyota, read the Edmunds article, Perception is reality. People are willing to give Toyota the benefit of the doubt that they are serious about fixing the recent quality issues, because of their sterling Toyota = quality reputation. The domestics made junk for 20 years, so its a bit harder for them to say "you gotta listen to us, I know we've said this every year for the last 20 years, but the cars really are good now. |
|
|
Replying to: dewey (Sep 18, 2006 11:14 am) Before, of course. M |
|
New? Join Now!
Forum Tools
Search Forums
Browse by Vehicle
2011 Audi A8
2010 BMW 7 Series
2008 Jaguar XJ-Series
2010 Lexus LS 460
2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
2006 Volkswagen Phaeton
2009 Maserati Quattroporte
2010 Mercedes-Benz CL-Class
Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
