- #2338 of 2702
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Re: unthinkable? [lemko]
by kdhspyder
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Dec 27, 2008 (7:25 am)
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Replying to: lemko (Dec 26, 2008 11:20 am)
They have been all over Canada, MN, SD, ND, CO and AK since they came out. There is nothing unusual one way or the other. Use snow tires in snow. That's about the only 'precaution'.
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- #2339 of 2702
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Re: Help! [kdhspyder]
by lemko
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Dec 27, 2008 (12:06 pm)
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Dec 27, 2008 7:19 am)
30 MPG is pretty bad for a hybrid. My 1988 Buick Park Avenue gets 29 MPG.
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- #2340 of 2702
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Re: Breaking out the crystal ball... [kdhspyder]
by nippononly
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Dec 27, 2008 (12:14 pm)
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Dec 25, 2008 9:08 am)
The JY/USD rate of 90:1, until a new rate is agreed upon, will put a temporary halt to 4Runner, Land Cruiser ( tiny ), GX470, LX570, LS and most other Lexus shipments from Japan. Yaris, Scion and Prius sales will also be affected. Corolla, Camry, Sienna, Avalon, IS, RAV, Matrix, Tacoma, Tundra, Sequoia and soon Highlander sales will not be affected at all since nearly all of them are produced here.
Well the RAV4 isn't produced here, and if they are going to keep on shipping those over I think they would do the same with all the Lexus models and the Land Cruiser, which sell at much bigger profits than the RAV4 does.
OTOH, I would think they could stop shipping the Prius immediately, thereby avoiding the exchange rate losses they may be incurring and giving the bloated inventory already on U.S. shores a chance to sell out gradually until the new model is ready in 6 months' time. This is an old model now, and it's less competitive than it was without even considering that gas at $1.70/gallon gives people a lot less incentive to seek them out.
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- #2341 of 2702
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Re: Breaking out the crystal ball... [nippononly]
by boaz47
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Dec 27, 2008 (1:51 pm)
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Replying to: nippononly (Dec 27, 2008 12:14 pm)
There have only been a few cars in all the years I have followed the industry that I never warmed up to. Sometimes it has been because they didn't deliver on their advertised promise but every once in a while it was because they were designed in such a way that they offended my eyes much like alum offends peoples taste buds., the Aztec, the early Tribeca, the xB and the Prius. The Aztec is gone, the Tribeca had to be redesigned early so it wouldn’t scare children the xB may be even uglier now than it was and the Prius was designed simply to be ugly so people would know what the owner was driving. I am not dancing in the street to see Prius sales flat or falling but if everyone one rusted to the ground to be replaced with a less offensive vehicle even by Toyota I wouldn’t shed a tear. My wife is by no means a car nut nor does she pay much attention to what a car looks like. But from the very beginning when I pointed out the Prius hybrid to her she asked a question I have heard hundreds of times from different non car people, “is there a law that says to get good mileage a car has to be ugly?” The answer is no, but from the Prius you would never guess. They truth is the car was designed to allow a particular segment of our society a chance to pat themselves on the back and get even with all of those who took their lunch money in school.
I don’t think they can cut off shipment that quickly. Industry, even Toyota, is a bit more like a ship or a train once it starts moving. The rise in gas prices was slow and steady and they ramped up production based on an idea that people would flock to cars like the Prius as long as both gas prices and the economy held together. The fall was so quick and drastic they almost couldn’t stop in time to have an effect of production. I would say if a person wanted a Prius it would be best to hold off for six months and let the overflow lots stack up with the current model. If things work out anything like the retail industry has this Christmas those old Prii should sell at a huge discount pretty soon. Maybe if we wait long enough Big Lots will buy the excess stock and we can get a Prius at Kia prices?
Even I would consider a Prius at 10K but at 25K there are plenty of other cars to look at that won’t make me put a paper bag on my head to drive to a place where people know me. Not at $1.65 a gallon.
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- #2342 of 2702
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Re: Breaking out the crystal ball... [nippononly]
by grandtotal
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Dec 27, 2008 (2:43 pm)
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Replying to: nippononly (Dec 27, 2008 12:14 pm)
Well the RAV4 isn't produced here...
Sure it is link.
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- #2343 of 2702
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Re: Breaking out the crystal ball... [grandtotal]
by nippononly
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Dec 27, 2008 (5:32 pm)
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Replying to: grandtotal (Dec 27, 2008 2:43 pm)
Well you got me there! Is that plant already in production for North American RAV4s? Regardless, I would think my original point stands: the Land Cruiser and the Lexus models have so much built-in profit, they are pretty much immune to swings in the yen-dollar exchange rate.
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- #2344 of 2702
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Re: Breaking out the crystal ball... [nippononly]
by gagrice
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Dec 27, 2008 (6:24 pm)
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Replying to: nippononly (Dec 27, 2008 5:32 pm)
I just looked at the stats. The LX570 is the Only Lexus that has not had a losing year. The Land Cruiser and Sequoia have also done well this year. Three of the bright stars in a drab year.
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- #2345 of 2702
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Re: Breaking out the crystal ball... [nippononly]
by grandtotal
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Dec 27, 2008 (7:28 pm)
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Replying to: nippononly (Dec 27, 2008 5:32 pm)
Yes, in production since December 4. Your point is good, Lexus models (and larger Toyota models) are better able to withstand currency issues.
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- #2346 of 2702
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Re: Help! [kdhspyder]
by explorerx4
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Dec 27, 2008 (9:01 pm)
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Dec 27, 2008 7:19 am)
kd. you live in NC. up north it is different.
i remember when my sister first got her prius. when she came back to ct for a visit, it was cold. the computer read 35 mpg avg, including highway miles.
driving up my street, the readout was 8 mpg, until my bil shut it off.
overall, she averages 40+ mpg, but 30 is very possible.
our winter gas usually costs 10-15% of normal gas mileage.
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