GM Hangs on to #1 Sales Spot; Holds off Toyota

[CobaltSScrazy]

Well Cobalt SS did just win a fast and the frugal competition and the XFE version has class leading fuel economy. Redesign the interior/exterior and maybe the rear suspension and drop some pounds and this car will be nearly perfect!

CobaltSS

[PhishPhood]

Originally Posted by 1487

I just want the media to blast Toyot the same way they have been blasting GM and Ford for having the wrong product at the wrong time. Why are Toyota sales down if Toyota has focused on fuel efficient cars as opposed to SUVs? will anyone ever tackle this subject. I can guarantee you that the media will now say we are in a recession since Toyota sales were down. If its GM its simply a matter of bad product decisions but if Toyota declines than it must be recession. Trucks cant even explain Toyotas decline because they dont sell that many trucks compared to GM or Ford. Their cars are down except Yaris, camry and corolla. Every lexus except the LS is struggling and the Avalon is falling off the map.

The media is noting that all BOF vehicle makers have the wrong vehicles on the lots right now ... except Honda. All of them have been blindsided by the change in our buying preferences. Essentially any BOF vehicle maker should be closing lines and plants or converting them to auto plants.

But there won't be any 'blasting' of Toyota because it's not life-threatening the way it is with Chrysler and maybe Ford. Being caught unawares at Toyota results in a reduction in profit not being chopped up ( Chrysler ) or ending up in BK court ( Ford ). There's a significant difference.

[pinyon]

Originally Posted by ericmvest

I agree 100%. General Motors recent car efforts are excellent, second to none, and I do not think the General is going to let up. They have something to prove. On the other hand, Toyota, judging from their lame "totally new" Corolla, must be resting on the laurels.

If they can pull off the Cobalt replacement with 40+ mpg and execution like the Malibu then follow soon with the Volt maybe we'll see the perception turnaround get going.

[AMERICA 123]

Originally Posted by xyagentguy

At least msnbc.com wrote that GM SOUNDLY beat Toyota

That's part of the real story today so ignored .....

The most pessimistic estimate for Toyota was a -7.3% - I think in terms of adjusted ie dsr% - some even had them up for the month.

The most optimistic for GM was an adjusted number of about 19.0 -15.9% - published late by Edmunds - around the 25 - 26th.

Most however - a large majority made the previous month were in the -25.00% to -33% range on an adjusted basis (dsr%)

Toyota's actual performance was therefore more than 57% worse than the most pessimistic expectation at a - 11.5%..... ie -11.5%/ - 7.3%.

Real bottomline overall for GM - they just posted an adjusted sales rate that on average was at just under three times better than most expected ie 1/3 as negative as expected.

As far as GM versus Toyota goes for June 2008 in the USA, every single analyst had the relative positioning all wrong - Toyota never came close.


GM more than likely just locked up the year as well for the USA.

MAY2008 is probably on a YTD or monthly basis as close as they will come on that one and quite possibly a whole bunch more.

Believe it or not, under all these adversities we may have, or are at least are a bunch closer to turning an important corner on the road back.

[gardnet1]

Compared to Chrysler and Ford, GM looks rosey. I don't know what is worse for Chrysler...overall sales down 36% or cars in a $4 a gallon environment being down by 50%!

[mpsrent]

My business strategy has always been to be aware of my competitors, but not to focus all my attention on them. As such, I really don't care that Toyota did not hit GM's numbers. Not to rain on aynone's parade but the pressure is still not off GM. Sales were down despite strong incentives. While moving overstock is a good thing, you don't make money flogging product at a discount; all you get is cash flow.

I find it inronic that when GM has an okay month, a large group say we are moving up and when their is a bad month, they preach doom and gloom. You can't predict the future based on one month sales. What will be interesting will be to see where GM ends up in 6 months from now.

[Geotpf]

Originally Posted by gardnet1

Compared to Chrysler and Ford, GM looks rosey. I don't know what is worse for Chrysler...overall sales down 36% or cars in a $4 a gallon environment being down by 50%!

The 72 hour sales thingy helped a lot, and probably piled on to the problems everybody else had. Of course, if you raise incentives, you lower profit on each vehicle sold (possibly into negative numbers), so...

[goatgary]

Anyone notice Vue up 100%? We have an XR but not because of the fuel economy, which is marginal at best. Size utility, safety and features sold us. Daughter-In-Law has a new one also...jumped on the 0% 72 mo.

[xyagentguy]

Anyone notice Vue up 100%? We have an XR but not because of the fuel economy, which is marginal at best. Size utility, safety and features sold us. Daughter-In-Law has a new one also...jumped on the 0% 72 mo.

They aren't exactly hard on the eyes, either.

[tgagneguam]

Originally Posted by GMJoe

...Toyota is not unstopable or invincible!

Absolutely correct. There's nothing that mysterious about their success, though they have more consistently run a better operation than most automakers over the past several decades. Those who pretend otherwise are simply being dishonest. Sure, some in the press may be enamored with the Company, and that in turn leads to Toyota's getting a free pass, but to be clear, Toyota's success largely stems from the operation they run.

You don't have to like Wal-Mart to appreciate the tight ship it runs, you don't have to like Microsoft to appreciate the business they do, you don't have to adore ExxonMobil to realize they do oil better than anyone else in the business, and you don't have to buy a Toyota to appreciate how well they manufacture cars. Know you enemy, learn what they do well, and beat them at their own game!

[tgagneguam]

Originally Posted by joemac

GM has lots of competitive vehicles. Not everyone wants a 3 or Civic, there's more to the market than econoboxes.

Please note that the economy as a whole is in the toilet. The entire market is down. The percentage declines noted are not singularly representative that they have no relevant product.

Not everyone has suffered as much as Detroit has in this down market. Despite sales moving south, there are actually brands making sales and share gains; Honda, for one, has faired relatively well. People can explain it away as gains made from a biased media, a manipulated yen, or whatever excuse du jour makes it easier to handle Detroit's continued decline, but I take it as Honda has some nice, competitive product across most of its range. Detroit is capable of duplicating the effort, though it seems that it inconsistently achieves that effort, and its sales to retail consumers proves that point. Sure, there are gains in some months, but overall the picture suggests something quite different.

Stepping back and looking at share for the past several decades shows a mostly downward trend for all of Detroit's automakers. And that suggests mostly that Detroit continues to struggle to consistently deliver compelling product across its lineups. I still their capable of doing so, when their heart's in the game.

[eaton53]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

"GM sooooo stupeed. toyota still better then gM, rick and lutz don't have clue, why don't Gm have prius? prius so cool, everyone want oen. Insteed Gm make Volt, Volt so stupid, Volt is dream that never hapen. nobody want volt, lutz stupid fur theenkeng that volt will seeell. toyota so awesome."

Gotta make a couple of small corrections:

"GM sooooo stupeed. toyota still better then gM, rednek rick and lutz don't have clue, why don't Gm have prius? prius so cool, everyone want oen. Insteed Gm make Volt, Volt so stupid, Volt is dream that never hapen. nobody want volt, rednek lutz stupid fur theenkeng that volt will seeell. toyota so awesome."

[AMERICA 123]

This is a real tough time for OJT - 'over there'.

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by eaton53

Gotta make a couple of small corrections:

"GM sooooo stupeed. toyota still better then gM, rednek rick and lutz don't have clue, why don't Gm have prius? prius so cool, everyone want oen. Insteed Gm make Volt, Volt so stupid, Volt is dream that never hapen. nobody want volt, rednek lutz stupid fur theenkeng that volt will seeell. toyota so awesome."

Oh dear. How did I forget those?
It also seems that I forgot some GMi admin bashing as well. Silly me.

[ptmeyer84]

waiting patiently for VCDJ.....