Toyota US May Sales Up 14%, Prius, Tundra Shine; Overtakes Ford

[Geotpf]

Originally Posted by telo

That being said, when is the Corolla being redesigned? Isn't it soon?

2009. The 2008 brouchures and whatnot show no changes from the 2007. In theory, the redesign was due for MY 2007, so they are really pushing it. But, sales are so high they must have figured to take thier time and do it right.

[Geotpf]

Originally Posted by Bvonscott

How about a fun comparo of GM sales VS Toyota per competing model for MAY 2007:

(some models don't compete right so I just joked around with those ones)

GM / TOYOTA

Aveo 5,436 / Yaris 10,949

Cobalt 22,409 / Corolla 45,238
(Cobalt:G5:ION) 32,342 / Corolla 45,238

Impala 35,665 / Camry 50,126 (by price range)
(Malibu,Aura,G6) 28,424 / Camry 50,126 (by size)

Lucerne 6788 / Avalon 6435

Volt 0 / Prius 24,009

Beat,Trax,Groove 0 / xA,xB 4955

ION 6822 / Scion Tc 6615

You don't have Scion anywhere near the proper market segment. The triplets are much smaller than anything Toyota currently sells in the United States (although they sell cars in that class in Japan and Europe). The xA (and upcoming xD) competes with the Aveo 5-door. The xB (new and old models) competes with the HHR. The tC competes with the Cobalt coupe (and maybe the Ion coupe as well, I suppose). Plus, Scion's sales are off because there are no 2007 models-all sales of the xA, and most of the sales of the xB, are 2006 models (some 2008 xB sales are in there as well, but it wasn't out a full month).

[Havasavana]

Originally Posted by Chaz_23

Goes to show the value of reputation. How can any GM car possibly gain any decent reputation when they're constantly changing the names of their cars? Where are the Regals, LeSabres, Centurys, SLs that do so well on long term dependability studies?

It's been mentioned before; I don't know if there's any way to measure this, but I think your point might be more significant than most of here can guess. I know it's hard to imagine, but the vast majority of people do not spend substantial time each day reading about cars and the car market. The car ads are a blur until they're in the market and then the car names are still a blur unless they're names they've heard often enough to break through. Maybe someone they know has one; otherwise an established name has a much better chance of being recognized than some johnny come lately such as the Aveo or Gx. Look at what's happening in China; people want a Buick. Look at what happens in elections; people trust their government based on name recognition alone. Surely this has to be covered in marketing 101.

[PhishPhood]

Originally Posted by GMusa

Looks like Toyota is taking up all those fleet sales that GM and Ford are getting rid of! Bad choice Toyota.. look what it did to GM and Ford!

And that info is based on what data? Or just a presumption that there couldn't be that many increased buyers? Just wondering...

[Shotgun]

Originally Posted by Havasavana

. Surely this has to be covered in marketing 101.

That's the class the GM brass skipped!

[Geotpf]

Originally Posted by PhishPhood

And that info is based on what data? Or just a presumption that there couldn't be that many increased buyers? Just wondering...

Yeah, I've seen no indication that Toyota is particularly flogging fleet sales all of a sudden. I'll bet they are in the 10% range, as they always are.

The folks who are picking up fleet sales left behind by GM (and Ford with the cancelation of the (old) Taurus) are folks like Chrysler and the minor Asian players (Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Kia). Plus, the car rental agencies are keeping thier cars longer now that they no longer get them for basically free, so daily rental sales, industry wide, are down overall.

[Geotpf]

Originally Posted by Havasavana

It's been mentioned before; I don't know if there's any way to measure this, but I think your point might be more significant than most of here can guess. I know it's hard to imagine, but the vast majority of people do not spend substantial time each day reading about cars and the car market. The car ads are a blur until they're in the market and then the car names are still a blur unless they're names they've heard often enough to break through. Maybe someone they know has one; otherwise an established name has a much better chance of being recognized than some johnny come lately such as the Aveo or Gx. Look at what's happening in China; people want a Buick. Look at what happens in elections; people trust their government based on name recognition alone. Surely this has to be covered in marketing 101.

Plus, there's an even simplier explanation-a lot of people just buy a newer version of thier old car. If they own an old Camry or Accord or Corolla or Civic, they walk into a Honda or Toyota dealer and buy another of the same model. If they own an old Buick, they walk into a Buick dealer, find Buick no longer makes Centurys or Regals or Park Avenues or LeSabres, then decide to shop around a bit. Maybe they buy a LaCrosse or Lucerne; maybe they buy a Camry or Accord. GM turned an automatic repeat sale into a maybe with the name changes.

[neshapop]

Originally Posted by Geotpf

Yup. I've noticed a pattern in Lexus' sales-they have a massive boom-and-bust cycle-they boom whenever they redo them, then go flat quickly. They are smart enough to not redo them all at the same time, so thier sales (overall) have the same upward tilt that Toyota as a whole does, but they will have one model up 400% and another down 60%.

Unlike, say, the Corolla (I can't believe it still sells so well considering how old it is).

40 years in Europe, my friend!
http://www.toyota-europe.com/cars/ne...tory_spotlight

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

Originally Posted by guitarlix

Nice try with the flashy SS. Still zero difference for me. The Cobalt looks as dated as the Corolla. (the Cobalt's design reminds me of the Midwest for some odd reason).

I wouldn't buy either car especially not based on appearance. They both look different from each other but they're both utterly bland.

IMO comparing base Corolla 4dr to base Cobalt 4 dr the Cobalt has a lot more panache in every aspect. The Corolla defines bland. Even the name.

[jon21]

Good lord....the old style Corolla is still doing excellent! In addition, knocking on the newer style Camry doorstep in monthly sales. I guess high gas price still have some effect on people.

[PRO_USA1776]

well since toyota makes so much money in north america maybe they no longer need incentives to build a plant!

[steve333]

Originally Posted by guitarlix

The Corolla selling well against the Mazda3 and the Civic is very puzzling to driving enthusiasts. We like good handling, balance and performance. Corolla drivers care about A -> B in a reliable, economical comfortable manner. I could never buy a Corolla but for many people, it's an established product for decades now and the safe choice.

If it were comfortable I could understand it, but it issnt even that. I test drove one and I couldnt wait to get out of the car. A dreadful car.

[asim]

Man. I can't believe that GM is outselling the Toyota trucks that badly. But unfortunately it looks like Toyota are gonna get their dream of selling 100,000 trucks here in the United States. Or was the number 200,000? Well they probably can do that too.

[unkillsam]

Originally Posted by Geotpf

2009. The 2008 brouchures and whatnot show no changes from the 2007. In theory, the redesign was due for MY 2007, so they are really pushing it. But, sales are so high they must have figured to take thier time and do it right.

And why is it ok for everyone to bash GM for pushing the MCE of the Cobalt from 2008 to 2009? I mean come on, 2005-2009 is wayyyyyy
better then 2002-2009 for Toyota.

Toyo fans (not you Geotpf) just need to admit that Toyota is developing the old GM mindset. Milk an old platform for all it's worth untill you can suck no more money out of it.

[PhishPhood]

Originally Posted by unkillsam

And why is it ok for everyone to bash GM for pushing the MCE of the Cobalt from 2008 to 2009? I mean come on, 2005-2009 is wayyyyyy
better then 2002-2009 for Toyota.

Toyo fans (not you Geotpf) just need to admit that Toyota is developing the old GM mindset. Milk an old platform for all it's worth untill you can suck no more money out of it.

Actually, the Corolla was supposed to debut this past March. Unfortunately for the good soldier Corolla it ran into the Tundra launch. Nothing but nothing was going to take the spotlight off the Tundra launch. So the Corolla in the US was pushed back 12 months. It was launched on time everywhere else in the world. Europe, China, Australia and Japan. N America was the only exception.

On top of that it's an unbelievable cash machine now.