Has Toyota fallen out of love with the Prius?

The table posted above, as a graph with pretty colors. Note that 2014 goes through September



Prius sales are trending down for years now, but hybrids in total are not. The GC worry that Toyota is abandoning hybrids is unfounded.

GC has pointed out that Prius used car prices have gone up quite dramatically in the UK this year, which seems at odds with the falling sales of new Prius cars. One guess from looking at the graph would be that interest in hybrids has increased in the UK, and for now there are just not that many used hybrids on the market, and even less of models other than Prius. If this is the reason then I expect the used Prius market to collapse in a couple of years as people choose a used Auris or Yaris hybrid instead.

Bisco, is this what you were wondering about ?

 

The drop in the prius sale is not about gas prices, its other brands making their own hybrid. From 2006-2009 (gen II) there wasnt much Hybrids out there in the market, to name some market competitors were Ford Escape hybrid, Ford Fusion hybrid, Civic, Accord V6 Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid. In 2010 when the gen 3 Prius debut, not much have change in the market, and the Prius gen 3 was considered revolutionary in terms of achieving 50 mpg. Fast forward to 2012+ There was a SURGE of Hybrids in the market, the new Range extender EV's and then there was The Resurrection of the EV's , examples were, Ford C-Max chevy volts, Kia optima hybrid, Hyundai sonata hybrid, ford fusion hybrid, VW tourege Hybrid, expansion of the prius family, nissan leaf ect ect pretty much there's a hybrid for every shape and size and there are EV that virtually uses no gas but has no range either. So there you have it, the drop in prius sale is because there's more competition in the market, there are other hybrid cars that are way more practical then the Prius but not as efficient, so the next gen Prius has to significantly STEP it up to get back on to the #1 seller in the market again.

 

I agree with this. There's more competition for the Prius from other auto makers, plus, why lie about it, many cars are now better built than the Prius. Nicer, more comfortable interiors, and more stylish exteriors. Plus they get tremendous gas mileage with some pushing the 40 mpg range on gas alone. The next generation Prius will really tell the tale as to whether it will regain its surge in sales. If they don't do it, then you'll see the Prius just be another humdrum hybrid on the road.

 

see, this misnomer of 'pushing the 40 mpg range' is what many people believe because of marketing hype. gm has used this type of language for years. you can have a more comfortable, more stylish car than prius, while only giving up a few mpg's that won't make a dent in your wallet. then, the buyers remorse sets in when the reality of 'pushing 40' turns into 25-30 lifetime average.

 

The only input I'll give is GC is talking about "Toyota UK" or whatever they call themselves, NOT "Toyota". Each division is not necessarily owned by Toyota jp or controlled fully by Toyota jp. Each makes their own marketing decisions, and of course they must face Toyota jp eventually to explain if their market share goes down. Making their own marketing decisions is necessary, as a Japanese manager may not fully understand local "customs and preferences" for each region.

If you believe the marketing hype, Toyota jp IS pushing the Prius and other hybrids hard worldwide!

 

......

 

Fair point, but Prius mpg tends to be overblown as well. Most people aren't going to drive a Prius like many here at Priuschat and getting 60+ mpg. Most are going to get closer to 40 to 45 mpg because they'll drive it like a regular car. And while mpg may have been hyped at one point, people are a bit more savvy these days, as are auto makers. They know if they tout a car getting 40 mpg and it gets 25 that word gets out.... quickly, and that car is sunk.

I still think the Prius, for me, is a tremedous car. But I also believe if it dosn't come up with something new with Gen4 it will pulse & glide into the sunset. It would be truly sad to see that happen to a car that broke through so many technological barriers. I'm hoping it can drive through a few more.

 

That's easy, it is because a large segment of the populace has the memory and intellectual capacity of a salamander.

They no more understand the causes of the Great Recession than they understand the the connection between high fuel prices and their wasteful energy consumption behavior.

 

i wonder what the next best mpg car is after prius, gasoline only. i suppose fuely is the place to look?

 

I'll guess the Honda Fit in the US. Our other car

I was close, but I keep forgetting the Mitsu Mirage
Fuel Economy

You also said

 

well, i don't see fit type cars as the 'close to prius mpg's with more comfort, handling and style' that many are choosing over the prius. i see them as a non hybrid econobox that get decent mileage because of their size and weight.

 

^^ I tried to explain 'close to Prius MPG' in an earlier post.

As for 'econobox,' that is definitely in the eyes of the beholder. For my tastes the Fit handles great, looks wonderful, and is very comfortable. It is also very well engineered for reliability and safety. My only complaints, if I cared to search, are engine noise intruding into the cabin and a jerky gear change from one to two. I am definitely a convert to CV transmissions.

As for Fit MPG, both my wife and I get about 80% of Prius MPG. For me that means ~ 42 MPG and for her, about 36 MPG.

 

and how are fit sales numbers over the last five years?

 

Where ?

 

uk for o/p's sake, but i'm more interested in why u.s. prius sales are declining, specifically if it's because people are moving to cheaper, more comfortable, better handling, better looking cars that get almost the same mpg.

 

They are choosing cars that are either cheaper, and/or better handling, or "better looking," that get good enough MPG. And as we can easily see from this forum, a large fraction of the geeky/techno/enviro types have jumped to *EVs.

I have been expecting a migration to hybrid from fuel price sensitive buyers bit by the promise of very small turbo ICE cars that promise excellent fuel economy on easy test routes but disappoint actual owners. It really has not happened -- yet.

 

The hybrid market is only 3% of all US sales. There are many choices now, thus the reduced sales in Prius. Low prices in gas will not help the hybrid market sales move any higher than the 3%.

I still believe the cost of the inevitable replacement hv battery is the main reason the sales percentage cannot increase. That seems to be the main concern of buyers, the battery.

The uk used prices have increased most likely because of the 11 year unlimited miles warranty on the hv battery. No worries for the first 11 years

 

That is the main excuse. Talk to those people and you will find they are ignorant. The battery story rationalizes their behavior.