Posted on 01/13/2009 10:41:37 AM PST by Red Badger
As we all know by now, auto sales are down, dropping by around 18% in 2008. Pick-ups actually fared worse, posting a decline of 26.5% over the same period. Still, the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado maintained their positions as the two best selling vehicles in the United States, and these two manufacturers managed to post incremental increases in total pick-up truck market share after all was said and done.
Those increases came directly from the competition, especially Dodge. The full-size Ram truck managed to see its piece of the pie dwindle by almost one full percentage point. Dodge's drop in overall market share allowed Toyota, for the first time ever, to grab the bronze medal behind Ford and General Motors. However, it's not particularly good news for the Japanese upstart, which owns just 8.52% of the market after seeing Tundra sales fall by over 30% in '08 and well short of its stated goal of 200,000 units per year. The last place trophy goes to Nissan, as its 34,000 sales represent a meager 2.11% of the market.
These market share figures include both full-sizers and their smaller brethren, and it was the Toyota Tacoma and the aging Ford Ranger that made the biggest upward moves among the mid-size pick-ups. Again, the biggest loser award goes to Dodge, which saw its Dakota sales fall nearly 65%, and its Mitsubishi Raider stablemate, which posted an insignificant 2,900 total sales.
A Marine friend put 280,000 miles on his little blue Toyota SR5 2WD pickup. He’d still be driving it if it wasn’t for his wife’s insistence on an automatic.
Yeah, the most your truck is “supposed” to get is 16/20. If you have a stick, it’s 15/18.
Not surprised that it gets better than predicted mileage, though. My 82 certainly did.
I prefer the Toyota over the F-150, because I want to buy American.
(Not joking.)
Most of the stockholders of Toyota are North American.
Yes, trading after only 3 years. 2006 still looks new and no problems. Doesn’t hurt to change color and going with standard this time. It was bought with cash in 2006 and will trade with cash. We’re value shoppers and like getting a good deal. Everyone has their “wants” or “must haves” when choosing a vehicle. This fits our wants...and that’s good enough for us.
The laws of the market cannot be repealed. No-one is going to spend $1000s more for an inferior product, just to enrich entrenched Union bosses.
No problem...when we slap Japan with a tariff for violating trade law...this should make up for the $1000.00. You do understand when you buy from Toyota, you buy from a company that has shafted American business and your country with their ‘trade barriers’...one good thing in this downturn is that Toyota’s little game is going to be much more difficult...sell at a loss in the states make up the lost revenue in Japan-where there is no competition thanks to their dodgy game of we export, but don’t import.. because the Japanese can’t afford to buy cars and their country is getting poorer by the minute.
From what I know about vehicles, no vehicle with and automatic transmission can be flat towed for more than a limited distance. At least the manufacturers recommend against it.
Ha, ha...they better sell quick. Toyota is in trouble. Also, profit is different than stocks...Americans buy stocks. Profits are generated by selling cars...the money goes home to Japan.
Chrysler’s truck division will probably be one that survives. I don’t know about the rest of the stable.
You can if the vehicle in question is RWD and you disconnect the driveshaft.
It goes to America...specifically Chrysler who has headquarters in Detroit Michigan...they also pay more taxes than Toyota. My wife worked for a Belgium company in Atlanta-logistics. Every week, the profits made in this country were sent to Belgium...enough was kept to make payroll, fund operating expenses and avoid banking fees-that’s about it. In the plant, the poor dumb Americans received low wages and illegals received less...What to bet how many illegals vs how many Americans worked there in terms of percentage?
Yes, but Chrysler isn’t *making* a profit. So, no profits go to Michigan, and all the money goes to pay costs... in Mexico.
Yes, but that is a PITA. Who wants to crawl under the vehicle in the cold or the rain to install or remove a driveshaft?
The best selling car in China is a Buick...GM is doing great overseas-especially in Europe. These people don’t have a prejudice against American cars like you real Americans here...kind of pathetic in a sad, twisted way. I am an American and damn it- I love all foreign goods and think America produces crap...Let raise the flag and sing the Star Spangled Banner and maybe say the Pledge of Allegiance while we are at it- oh yeah, we must not forget our freedom fries. I hate all things American, but I consider myself a proud American (sarcasm).
That made no sense.
Toyota is not making a profit either...we had a financial meltdown...in case you forgot. Before some poster tells me how much GM lost last year....those figures include restructuring costs which is progressing well despite the naysayers.
It made plenty of sense...people who buy foreign cars are screwing their country...in the true sense of the word. The ‘I love all things foreign mentality’ will destroy this country-it’s unAmerican and dangerous. We need auto manufacturing in this country...we need manufacturing in general. The so called service economy failed-in case you didn’t notice. We will get national health care this year thanks to the loss of good paying jobs...this country will become a socialistic hell hole if this continues.
Interestingly, Saturns (even with automatic transmissions) are designed to be flat-towed.
This is why they are such a big hit with the RV crowd.
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