Toyota, Honda Expect Record U.S. Sales Next Year

[shugah]

Toyota, Honda Expect Record U.S. Sales Next Year

Dec. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co., the world's two largest carmakers by market value, expect their 2006 U.S. sales to rise as their fuel-efficient designs take customers from U.S.-based manufacturers.

~snip~

The two companies, which get as much as 70 percent of operating profits in the U.S., are building more factories there and adding models to win sales from General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler unit. Toyota's 2006 global sales may rise 9 percent to 8.85 million, a step closer in surpassing GM as the world's largest automaker by that measure.

~snip~

Toyota was the first Japanese company to earn more than 1 trillion yen in annual profit, with last year's net income at 1.17 trillion yen ($10 billion). The company may top last year's earnings for another record result in the 12 months ending March 2006, according to a Nov. 4 forecast by Senior Managing Director Takeshi Suzuki, who didn't give a figure.

``Toyota makes sure it does well in the markets where it wants to be strong in'' even though it ``moves slowly like a huge steam roller,'' said Graeme Maxton, Hong Kong-based director of the Economist Intelligence Unit.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000087&sid=a698c0Qcq010&refer=top_world_news

[mbperrin]

1. Meanwhile, in Detroit's idea rooms.....

:crickets:

[KansDem]

26. 10-15 years ago when Honda introduced their revolutionary design...

in four-wheel steering (where the front and back wheels both turn), I saw a T.V. ad in which Honda described this and thought "Wow! That's quite an innovation...!" At that time Honda offered it as an option in their Prelude. Then a few minutes later I saw an ad for a US-made car and what were they offering to American consumers?: Pin striping!

I new then we were doomed.

[primavera]

35. That's unfair!

Detroit does too have ideas! They're planning on launching a new vehicle called the Behemoth, a true 'murican vehicle! It gets 1 mile/10 gallons, puts out more emissions than Chernobyl, but you can land a squadron of F-18s on it and, by God, that's what this country's all about!

[Brundle_Fly]

42. In 1998 you can get a well equiped Honda civic for $20,000

and in 2002 you can get a $60,000 fully loaded Chev Tahoe.

in 2006 that civic is worth MORE than the Tahoe.

These companies have got to start doing some real innovation, and truly begin to understand their market.

[Nomen Tuum]

46. Don't forget the $75,000 HUMMER

Yeah, I love them HUMMERS™ that get 8 gallons to the mile, especially when the stereo keeps playing "God Bless the USA"...

[Brundle_Fly]

43. nope Detroit is to bring you...

the new V8 dodge charger, the new V8 mustang, the new V8 Magnum....

havent you heard? its the decade of the return to the muscle car.

these clowns need to get a clue.

[Deja Q]

2. I know plenty of people now actively boycotting Ford and GM:

They're sick of the pro-corporate politics and how they can file for bankruptcy and even keep workers' pensions.

So, fuck yeah, people will boycott "American" company products. :applause:

It's symbiosis. And American companies ought to remember that.

[Kolesar]

11. How is Honda keeping out the UAW union not "pro corporate"?

& which automaker filed for bankruptcy?

[losdiablosgato]

13. Honda has good pay, good beni's and respects its workers

taht is how they keep the UAW out. The workers decided they did not want them.

[JCMach1]

45. That's what WALMART says too...

:(

[rodeodance]

3. our automakers did not learn lessons!!----

[wordpix2]

7. they should have learned the lessons during 70's oil embargo when

Americans started buying fuel-sipping Hondas and Toyotas that lasted 200,000 mi.

When I went looking for a fuel-efficient new car in '02, the Corolla, Echo, Civic and then brand new hybrids were 40 mpg or better, and all Honda and Toyota models. Ford Focus and other American cars were in low 30s mpg range for same size.

Very dumb and short-sighted by American cos.

[NC_Nurse]

4. Perhaps instead of fighting fuel efficiency

standards and emission controls, they should've spent more time WORKING on improving and beating set goals.

Too fucking bad.

[B3Nut]

5. My father-in-law just bought a new Civic coupe...

...he didn't get the hybrid (too long a wait, he needed a new car since his poor beloved 1990 Nissan 240SX got accordioned between two infernal SUV's on campus in Madison) but he's seeing 30mpg in town and 40 or so on the road. He looked at Detroit's offerings...pfft. The thing's loaded, and he paid around $21K for it. Pretty good deal, seeing as (1) Civics are *tight* little cars and (2) they run forever.

I have a Ford Escort ZX2 I bought in 2000...I really can't complain as it's been very dependable despite bouts of neglect. It's got around 156K on it, I'd like to get 200K out of it. Better than many Detroit-brand cars, though the ZX2 is part Mazda (323 chassis), so it has some of the Japanese mojo. I sorely need a tuneup and brakes...eek. Heck, I'm surprised the clutch is still good at 156K... :yoiks:

Todd in Beerbratistan :beer:

[Skink]

25. bought my ZX2 at Carmax.

2001 with only 33000 miles on it. Looks great in gold very dependable. Did a little warranty work and it is like new. for only 8000 it was a bargain. Mileage is in the low 30's but still for the money you can't beat it.
Ford has developed a line of smaller cars. The Focus and the Fusion (due out this year) are good. I'm hoping Hybrid engines are the next addition to them.

[Redstone]

6. So how come the Japanese can built good cars in America (and

even the Koreans are doing it now), but the American companies can't?

And why can't the German companies (except Porsche) build a good car anymore, anywhere?

Redstone

[billbuckhead]

12. German cars are damn good cars

Even a less expensive German car drives better than expensive Japanese and American cars.

[Kolesar]

15. That's the German reputation

My take is that the gap between the delightfully-handling cars and the ponderous cars has become much narrower over the years, though. I am not one of those drivers who challenges the limits of my vehicle's handling on twisty canyon roads, anyway. I drive like an old man. The slower off the line, the better, I say.

[gulfcoastliberal]

16. Not according to consumer reports

Their reliability is worse than GM.

[billbuckhead]

29. Resale value is the best indication of quality& BMW is number 1

Mercedes,MINI, VW and Porsche also have very strong resale values.
<http://carbuying.autoblog.com/entry/1234000043062132/>

[MrPrax]

20. They're Smart cars are good...

well made, great on gas, and unavailable in the US for some reason.

They make great fleet cars for government services as they save a bundle on energy...certainly not for all uses, but since car users lie to themselves all the time about how much they actually travel a day (nearly 90% on intra-urban commuting of less than 20 km), then cars like this should be made mandatory.

[Redstone]

28. I had two damned expensive German cars fall apart in less than

two years. Brand new ones, and I don't abuse cars.

I'll never buy another one.

Redstone

[JCMach1]

44. Not true... German quality is declining fast... esp. BMW

Lots of German cars on the road here (for prestige reasons). Everyone bitches about the quality.

[hatrack]

8. There was a piece on Marketplace last night on the Pontiac Solstice

So anyway, the segment began with the sound of the LA Times' auto critic (name escapes me) huffing and puffing comically as he tried to get the roof down (it's a ragtop). The segment also discussed how when he took the Marketplace reporter out for a spin there wasn't even enough room in the back "seat" to set the guy's briefcase. The Solstice has to be (in essence) hand-built since GM's going to be putting out relatively few of them, making a dedicated robotic line non-viable. Oh, and GM's going to lose money on every Solstice sold.

But the upside is that it'll "generate excitement" and "build brand appeal" for GM as it seeks to "update its image". Oh, and it is a sporty fun car to drive.

:eyes:

[MrTriumph]

9. Solstice is a heavy, slow Miata-wannabe

You'd think with years to study the Miata, GM would have designed a competitor. Sadly, the car is 400-600 lbs too heavy. You'd also think that having an easy to use top would be a sure thing. After all, a '76 Fiat Spider came with a top you could drop easily from the driver's seat. No such thing for Solstice owners.

It isn't pensions killing GM. It is bad leadership and poor engineering.

[onehandle]

10. General Motors' factory closings is responsible for much of this.

Toyota will be the number one car seller in the U.S. next year.

I once again have to quote my professor friend:

"America will be the Mexico of the 21st century."

He said this to me at a party over ten years ago during the surging Clinton economy.

I laughed.

sigh.

[raccoon]

21. He was wise. What was his area? nt

[Greyhound]

14. I made my sister buy a Honda 2 months ago

after she got royally screwed on her Dodge truck. 2002 with 118,000, but otherwise immaculate, 3years ago sold for $25,000 today worth <$9,000. Comparable Honda, sold new for $21,000, today worth $16,000.
No decision at all. :shrug:
What really sucks is we have the engineers, designers and workers to kick the Japanese manufacturers collective butts, but the amerikan companies are run by a shrubCo type crony system. They make horrible decisions and the workers have to pay for them.

[gulfcoastliberal]

18. I feel your sister's pain.

I bought a 2001 Oldsmobile Alero coupe, fully loaded except for a sunroof. Sticker (still have it) $25K. Got it for $19K. Today worth <8K.

My brother bought a 2002 Toyota Tacoma TRD V6 4X4 for 27K. Decided he didn't need a pickup truck and it used too much gas, so he sold it this year to a divorce attorney going through a divorce for 23K. Bought a brand new Toyota Camry SE at wholesale in Fairfield, CA for 23K. It is one sweet car.

I'm buying a Civic as my next car since it rated so well in the latest crash test results (originally planned on a Corolla). GM should have scrapped Buick, not Olds. Oldsmobile's sold well until their demise and the Intrigue and Alero were good-looking and (mostly) well built cars. The 99 Aleros had problems since they were the first model year. When I bought mine, it had a 60-month, 60,000 mile warranty. The body integrity has held up admirably, although the Lower Intake Manifold gasket failed at 44,000 miles because the bolts were over-tightened at the factory leading to early failure. The GM dealership took me to Enterprise rent a car and I got a nice rental while they pulled the engine out to fix it under warranty. It's lucky because that would've likely been around a $2K repair on a car worth maybe 7K. I treat the car like it's made of paper mache - Got the tranny fluid and filter changed at 30,000 and again at 50,000 just because I'm paranoid about the automatic tranny failing (shades of the 85 olds custom cruiser wagon I got when I turned 16). Changed the serpentine belt at 40,000. Next oil change I'll likely get the cooling system flushed out.

[Kolesar]

17. Toyota & Honda have a high perceived value based on quality &reliability

I think they are overrated per the price premium their cars demand, but I guess that's the consumers' decision to make. Maybe if I watched more tv commercials I would understand. Toyota is raking in the cash on account of their gigantic sales margins, and that gives them money to invest in new plants and new models.

The $1300/car vs. $300/car expense ratio for health care costs is killing GM and Ford. How are they supposed to cover that? Multiply that $1000/car * six million cars/year and you have six billion dollars that GM cannot put into the company. We will have figured it out about ten years after we already lost the domestic auto industry. Too fucking bad. I guess I'll go buy some Toyota stock for my retirement portfolio. To do otherwise would be stupid.

[Triana]

30. very true...

...and it's earned, from what I know and hear. My Toyota is 10+ years old and still going strong. The cars often run up to 200,000 miles - almost unheard of in an American made car - as long as you keep up the maintenance. Most people I talk to say Honda and Toyota cars they've owned were similarly robust.

[LynneSin]

19. Honda & Toyota only companies in the Hybrid business

Once again America is left in the Dust because we keep coming up with these behometh gas-guzzlnig SUVs

[Orsino]

22. Let's give Ford a little tiny bit of credit...

...for their hybrid SUV. But, yeah, America fell far behind, thinking that the petroleum party would never end.

[BiggJawn]

27. A TEENSY bit of credit.

For developing a bolt-on package that turns a 12 MPG SUV into a 14MPG "Hybrid" SUV...

And what new inovative model did they roll out just the other week?

ANOTHER FSM-Damn SUV that guzzles gas like it was free...

Stupid, stupid, stupid....Bad car company! No Doughnut!

[Orsino]

32. A 17% Increase in Fuel Efficiency Is an Achievement...

...but it also reeks of a desperate attempt to hang onto the believers in the Cult of the SUV.

They don't have the courage to try to sell America on real fuel efficiency.

[BiggJawn]

36. I had a Buick when I was younger that I got a 300% improvement out of.

Tuned it up, fixed the carb float. Went from 7 MPG to 21 MPG.

17% is NOT impressive when you still end up under 20 MPG.

I think it's those damn "Focus Groups". Detroit is just too scared to admit they pulled a boner with THAT idea, just like stealing "Quality Circles" and company songs from the Japanese was.

Has the idea ever occured to anyone besides me that PERHAPS the people in these groups are fucking with the suits and blowing them some shit just so they can have a huge laugh when GM comes out with something like the "Hello Kitty Edition Silverado"?

[Ian David]

23. Ford has a Hybrid minivan that's advertised with 30-something MPG

But keep in mind that in actual practice vehicles get about 30% less than their advertised MPGs.

[Orsino]

33. If they're driven by the lead-footed NASCAR wannabes...

...American drivers have been raised to be. Meeting or even beating EPA estimates is not hard for anyone who cares to try.

Grrr.

[evworldeditor]

34. Ford does not have a hybrid mini-van

.... It's only hybrids are the Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid. Also, mileage in any of these vehicles is highly dependent on individual driver skills and habits. I have driven the Escape Hybrid and it delivered very close to its advertised fuel economy.

Bill Moore
Editor in Chief
EV WORLD
http://www.evworld.com

[skids]

37. Heheh. Yeah the Escape only LOOKS like a minivan.

Many of the people driving it are convinced they are in a rough and tough SUV. To us, it looks like a minivan. Heck, frankly, while I'm driving down the street I mentally put "woody" panels on the sides of every SUV I see, because it's the modern day station wagon. I don't know where people get the idea they are in any way "macho."

[skids]

31. No they just have a head start.

This list is probably only half of the mass market electric hybrids available this
year or next (note not all are full hybrids, caveat emptor.)

Model Drive type
-----------------------
Prius Synergy I
Lexus Synergy II
Sierra ???
Escape Transaxle like Synergy I (fork of same tech tree.)
Silverado mild (not a real hybrid)
Accord power assist
Insight power assist
Civic power assist
Mariner ???
Highlander Synergy II
Altima Synergy I (relicense from Toyota.)
Accent Parallel (+ gas turbine?)
Kia (Rio) Parallel (Hyundai Accent relicense.)

[Ian David]

24. TDS and Ford

TDS and Ford
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/12/13.html#a6304

Gaywatch

Guess what topic was included in this segment on The Daily Show? That's right- Ford. Don't forget to buy your "Inseminator " now. It might be a hybrid or it might be something completely different.

AmericBlog has the full story about Ford on his blog.
http://americablog.blogspot.com/

[Thom Little]

38. Toyota could overtake GM as top automaker in 2006

Toyota Motor Corp., which is threatening to overtake General Motors Corp. as the world's biggest automaker, is planning to produce 9.06 million vehicles in 2006, the Japanese automaker said Tuesday.

.......

Toyota, Japan's top automaker, has been growing at a time when its U.S. rival General Motors has been stumbling, losing $1.6 billion in the third quarter and seeing its market share in North America chipped away by Asian automakers, including Toyota.

.......

Detroit-based GM has announced drastic cost cuts, including trimming 30,000 jobs, or 27 percent of its North American manufacturing jobs, and closing a dozen facilities by 2008.

GM's U.S. market share fell to 26.2 percent in the first 10 months of this year compared with 33 percent a decade ago, the result of increasing competition from Asian rivals. Standard & Poor's Ratings Services lowered GM's debt to "junk" status earlier this year.


http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051220/AUTO01/512200425

[freethought]

39. I have almost no sympathy for GM and its management

To the workers, I simpathize, it is they that are going to pay the price of management's short sightedness. My father worked in a GM plant many years ago.

Slow or resistant to innovation, dismissive of new ideas, and overly focused on busting the union, GM is now reaping the benefits of their vision.

America will still have a great auto industry. Instead of the names of Ford , Chrysler, and Chevy it will be Toyota, Hyundai, and Nissan.

R.I.P. GM!

[DaveColorado]

40. They simply make better cars than GM

If GM made cars like the corolla, I'd buy GM.

[Indy_Dem_Defender]

41. Use to

Use to make the geo prizm, that was the Corolla back in the day.