Who sells the most cars and trucks in America?

Ahhh, I love the ignore button almost as much as I love my Toyota Prius

 

As we speak, the Toyota Camry Hybrid is being introduced at the Detroit Auto Show. Why aren't you there? You can see the car for yourself. It will be on the road by mid-year. HSD will be coming to every platform, raising Toyota's MPG's for every make and model. Generally "bs" is a term used to describe something that is false. It is not generally used to describe a car that is ready for production.

Nate

 

By the way, malorn, you are just illustrating my point. Instead of trying to sell me a Chevrolet or a Ford, you are trying to prove me wrong. Or is that the sales pitch? Only when my spirit is defeated will I buy the domestic brand?

The domestics must change their attitude if they want my money.

Nate

 

Did I miss something here? Since when are comets associated with 'rednecks'? Maybe I had to be there...didn't see the commercial yet myself. Or was the comet a redneck itself, in disguise?

 

Maybe when the comets are inhabited by aliens who abduct the rednecks and insert plumber's helpers up their you-know-whats.

 

The problem, though, is that people like me will be waiting the 5+ years to see if quality has indeed improved. I remember when this promise was made last time (late 90's)? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Nate

 

Malorn,

What is your initial impression of the HSD Camry vs Ford Fusion choice ?
I'm presuming you have the specs ..

 

I would like to know what this "plan" is because GM seems like it has been dead in the water since the late 90's. Also, they may be able to lure us into the showrooms, but we don't have to buy a car just because we walk in.

I will admit, I did give the Fusion a good look, but it seemed like more of a luxury car and I didn't like the fuel economy.

 

I was trying to respond to this earlier but got bombed out lost everything I had written so I'll try to sum up.

"Are these articles my emotional rantings?" No, they are however fuel for your emotional rantings.
You cite that first article like there is some problem with it. What is the problem? It is not saying that Toyota IS number one over GM in sales. It is saying that if the current rates continue THEN they will become number one. Is it untrue to say that?
You cite the second article I suppose as evidence that the notion in the first article is completely offbase with reality. First of all, the second article came out just two days ago, so if that is the latest and most accurate news out there on the subject, so be it. That still doesn't make the first article wrong. Secondly, this second article is quoting Wagoner, the head of GM, so tell me what is the likelyhood that he will paint anything other than the rosiest of outlooks for the company? Thirdly, I still don't understand why so much emphasis is being placed on the sales numbers. If GM sold every car for a penny, heck sure they'll sell the most damn cars in the universe! Woo hoo! Well, considering the way they are losing money they aren't even making a penny's profit on each car. Clinging to this crown of Number One In Sales while being Number One In Financial Loss is just an emotional life-preserver.
Finally, I agree with you on that last article about it being "amusing" and nothing else. Did you write that article? Because it sounds like an Op/Ed piece and not newsreporting at all.

Also, I'm glad you came clean about the Toyota ownership thing. Having the business own them as trade-ins is a world of difference from personally owning and driving one on a daily basis.

 

Malorn, I don't know where or how to "remember that over one half of all Toyota owners own a GM truck or suv."

I'm trying to think of just one person I know of that owns a Toyota that also owns a GM truck/suv.
Where is this factoid coming from?

 

Yes, could please dig up that reference for me because that sounds like maybe years ago it might have been the case but I have doubts that today those are the numbers.
Even still, it doesn't say anything about the current trend towards more economical vehicles if lots of Toyota owners have GM trucks/suv's rotting in their driveways.

 

This thread, and molorn's forlorn optimism to bring people back under the GM/Ford umbrella caused me to remember a bit my own attitude towards Mitsubishi motor company.

In the early 90's, I was a strong fan of the company. I opined that their cars were 90% of a Honda or Toyota, at a much lower price. But then they used their good name to rebadge and sale hyundais to an unsuspecting public. They refused to deal with poor brakes in the Mirage line. And in the last five years or so, widespread cover-ups of manufacturing defects have come to light.

It will be very surprising if I ever consider, let alone buy another car from Mitsubishi in my lifetime. Partly distrust, and part a desire to punish, I am a GENERATIONAL loss as a potential customer.

I suspect that each time GM sold someone a lemon, and then washed their hands of responsibility, they lost a customer for a lifetime. There seems to be tens of millions of people like this. Quotes I see from insiders in the US auto industry seem to accept this, in calling for downsizing of the company to match current market share or lower. Company growth is a forgotten pipedream.

They just want to stabilize and not continue to bleed customers. But in reliability, the small car segment, the economy car segment, the cheap vehicle segment, the small CUV segment, the environmental segment, and the FE segments of the car market, GM is either behind or way behind. To a large extent, only in the large SUV and truck segments can GM say they are competitive. But that is only 50% of their business by numbers;and here fuel prices have a high chance of continuing to hit the SUV's hard, and Toyota, Nissan and Honda are attacking the once dependable truck segment.

GM's response: If I may guess, a Goebbilistic PR blitz apparently designed to eat up whatever cash reserves they have in no time flat, spouting surveys and numbers rather than trying to adapt to changes that other car companies have been preparing decades for.

Brilliant strategy, if the goal is to die quickly.

 

Fair enough, mate. Sorry for the confusion.