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Toyota in decline in 2009?

3234 messages,  Last post on Nov 08, 2009 at 10:43 PM

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What is this discussion about? Toyota, Automotive News


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#2341 of 3234
Re: Breaking out the crystal ball... [nippononly] by boaz47
Dec 27, 2008 (12:51 pm)
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Replying to: nippononly (Dec 27, 2008 11:14 am)

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.
#2342 of 3234
Re: Breaking out the crystal ball... [nippononly] by grandtotal
Dec 27, 2008 (1:43 pm)
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Replying to: nippononly (Dec 27, 2008 11:14 am)

Well the RAV4 isn't produced here...
 
Sure it is link.
#2343 of 3234
Re: Breaking out the crystal ball... [grandtotal] by nippononly
Dec 27, 2008 (4:32 pm)
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Replying to: grandtotal (Dec 27, 2008 1:43 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.
#2344 of 3234
Re: Breaking out the crystal ball... [nippononly] by gagrice
Dec 27, 2008 (5:24 pm)
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Replying to: nippononly (Dec 27, 2008 4:32 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.
#2345 of 3234
Re: Breaking out the crystal ball... [nippononly] by grandtotal
Dec 27, 2008 (6:28 pm)
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Replying to: nippononly (Dec 27, 2008 4:32 pm)

Yes, in production since December 4. Your point is good, Lexus models (and larger Toyota models) are better able to withstand currency issues.
#2346 of 3234
Re: Help! [kdhspyder] by explorerx4
Dec 27, 2008 (8:01 pm)
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Replying to: kdhspyder (Dec 27, 2008 6:19 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.
#2348 of 3234
Re: Help! [explorerx4] by kdhspyder
Dec 27, 2008 (10:07 pm)
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Replying to: explorerx4 (Dec 27, 2008 8:01 pm)

30 mpg is possible due to conditions unrelated to the vehicle. That was the point of the poster. He believes that the vehicle was defective. In normal conditions it cannot get as low as 30 mpg for any normal trip of more than 10 min.
 
I'm from upstate NY originally so I understand about winter conditions and yes in slick, windy, bitter weather no vehicle will do well. But that has nothing to do with the vehicle. These conditions are covered by YMMV.
#2349 of 3234
by 04350
Dec 28, 2008 (11:31 am)
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My used 08 Corolla averaged about 36 MPG (80% highway driving) earlier
this summer and fall. Due to winter driving, it is around 34.5 MPG with the
same local-highway driving mix. I paid about $ 9,000 less for the Corolla
than I would have if I had bought a comparable used Prius.
 
A Prius would make financial sense if gas stays at over $ 4 a gallon
for a prolonged period, especially if the owner does a lot of in-town
driving or was switching from a large SUV.
#2350 of 3234
Re: [04350] by berri
Dec 28, 2008 (12:31 pm)
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Replying to: 04350 (Dec 28, 2008 11:31 am)

I think you have to do mostly heavy urban traffic driving for any hybrid to make sense economically.

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