2007 sales so far - A and B+

Automotive News - May 14, 2007

let's...assign preliminary grades, based on sales performance, to some
of the new cars and trucks on the market for the 2007 model year...

A+: Jeep's Wrangler http://snipurl.com/1l6ym is easily the best of the
new breed. OK, I know the Wrangler has been around for years, but the
four-door hasn't, and the four-door is doing the job. Wrangler sales
were up 77.7 percent for the first four months of this year. It richly
deserves its grade of A+.

B+: The new Toyota Tundra http://snipurl.com/1l6yp receives a grade of
B+. Its sales have increased since its February introduction, and the
only thing that keeps it from an A is the fact that it has not yet
achieved its nut of 16,667 deliveries a month. That's what it will take
to reach Toyota's stated target of 200,000 a year. April was the new
Tundra's best month, with 14,200 sales. That's something else for the
Detroiters to worry about - as if they didn't have enough already.

Sharing the B+ grade is the Ford Edge crossover
http://snipurl.com/Ford_Edge - After four months, it was right on its
goal of 100,000 a year. But why is the goal so miserly? Face it,
neighbors: A 100,000-a-year seller isn't going to do much to save Ford
Motor Co...

 

That depends on how poor sales where last years and how many units you
are talking about

It really deserves a A++ because it is new model and concept that is
in uncharted waters. It is doing really well considering that each
sale is lakely "stealing" a detriot truck sale.

This is misleading because what other sales is Ford loosing on other
models with this? You need to look at the big picture on this one to
rate it.

 

You are ignoring the facts that Toyota not only has slaped rebates on the
Tundra, they also slapped on other dealer incentives, and practically
ordered all the Toyota and Lexus delaers to buy one in April for use as a
parts truck. Considering that a precentge of the April sales, were sales to
their own dealers, are you so sure they deserve even a B?

Ed

 

Toyota did not rise to being the number one is sales with bad products
and Detriot is the champion of rebates and incestive to sell trucks
(they cannot move them without them. Given this why is it suddenly
wrong for Toyota to do what Detroit has done for many years unless you
want one set of rules for Detriot and another for Toyota but then that
would not be "fair" either.

 

Toyota has also been caught by the move to more fuel efficient vehicles.

 

They have screwed up trying to invade the US light truck market every
time. The new Tundra factory in Texas is turning out to be an
embarrassing money pit for Toyota management. According to standard
Jap corporate procedure, someone will have to fall on their sword for
the screw up, and the factory will be converted to produce fuel
efficient cars.

Nissan has already dumped the Titan for next year.

 

Ask anyone who has achieved anything beyond the normal and they will tell
you " the price of progress is trouble ".
Toyota has deep enough pockets to fix whatever is broken.

 

Toyota has plenty of money to offer big discounts to it customers and its
dealers. If they do, they may get annual Tundra sales up above the sales
figures for the previous Tundra. If Toyota promotes the Tundra hard enough,
they may get the annual sales close to the monthly sales figures for the
Ford F150. If they are lucky, maybe even up to the Silverado or Ram,
monthly sales numbers

mike

 

Is that before Ford goes bankrupt Mike, or after?

 

I thought the old saying was "you can spot the pioneer by the arrows in his
back."

 

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/02/01/chicago-preview-2008-nissan-titan/