Toyota Fearing Hyundai?

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  • joe97joe97 Member Posts: 2,248
    Thanks for the explanation. The original post you made it sound like Hyundai is 20 years behind Honda, which certainly is not the case.

    As I stated previously, volume is not indications for success, it's part of it :)
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    with some new Hyundais climbing the JDPower IQS and getting noticed, and all the competing cars from the domestics and the Japanese getting better all the time, Toyota will have to work a lot harder in the next decade to keep the Camry and Corolla looking "special" to buyers, not to mention the RAV4, Highlander, and Sienna, other areas where the Koreans are encroaching fast. The North American market is overcrowded.

    Worldwide, I think there is plenty of room for everyone, and I have no doubt that the Koreans and then the Chinese will draw level with, maybe even pass, the Japanese in global sales. (Domestics too)

    Does Toyota seek global domination, or just steady and profitable growth? I think the latter. And no-one is going to dominate the global marketplace anyway.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • robertsmxrobertsmx Member Posts: 5,525
    volume is not indications for success, it's part of it

    I would agree with that to some extent. But to clarify further, my response was to add to the discussion on sales volume (certain company being larger than certain other company, or some company selling so many units over a year in some market...).
  • whiteandnerdywhiteandnerdy Member Posts: 6
    I think that Hyundai needs to start coming up with something more exciting if they seriously want to take down Toyota. Right now, they are selling reliable cars with impeccable interiors, conservative styling, and rather boring driving dynamics at low prices. Basically, they are selling Toyotas for $3-5K less and with 100,000 mile warranties. However, I have always thought that neither Toyota nor Hyundai has come up with any really interesting new cars since the old IS300 and the Celica. Toyotas are soft, plush, boring cars that sell well because all of the 60-year-old baby boomers like them. In 20 years, the boomers will be off the roads and in the nursing homes, and Hyundai will have to make money selling to the under-50 crowd. The Sonata is a solid car, but I would rather have an Altima or even a Mazdaspeed 3 (it just costs $24K!).
  • jbowling88jbowling88 Member Posts: 1
    I bought a 2001 Hyundai Tiburon back in 2003 when I first got my drivers license. At the time it was much cheaper than a Civic or Corolla of the same year, and had leather, sunroof, ABS, all the good stuff. I recently decided to sell the car and listed it for $7400.00 (Under its Blue Book Value). I would like to buy a Honda or something larger than the Tiburon, but it seems that selling the Tiburon is easier said than done. From what I have experienced I think that buying a Hyundai, a lesser known brand in some cities, is good in the begininng, however resell is terrible for the car and people will not want to buy something that they may not be able to sell in the future. I would advise people to buy Hondas or Toyotas and shy away from Hyundai (and Kia). They make nice cars, but resll is terrible. (BTW- I still have the car for sale if anyone has any ideas how I may sell the car on my own in a better way than newspaper and online ads??? email me at: Jbowling88@lycos.com ) Jake.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    One idea is to lower the price--it looks to be too high. edmunds.com's TMV for this car with typical miles and in good condition is about $5200 for a private party sale. nada.com says the average RETAIL price (i.e. at a dealer) for the car is about $6700. Private party prices are always lower than retail prices. kbb.com is more optimistic, and says the private party value (with 72k miles) is about $6500 in good condition and $5800 in fair condition. In any case, your asking price appears to be much too high. No wonder you aren't getting any interest in the car. Almost every buyer these days has access to online pricing services like these and can see that your asking price is too high.

    In comparison, edmunds.com says the private party sale price of a Civic EX coupe is about $8200, and that of a 2001 Corolla S is about $7300. But as you noted, they cost a lot more than your Tiburon back when you bought it, so they should be worth more now.
  • csandstecsandste Member Posts: 1,866
    It might be good to re-emphasize that Edmunds and NADA reflect selling prices while Kelly reflects ASKING prices. People sometimes slap Kelly stickers on the outside of their cars. I ignore these and use Edmunds and walk away from any deal where the seller insists that Kelly counts for something (other than making a nice sticker for the seller to troll for suckers).

    Backy is right-- Don't blame the Honda, you're just way out of line on your asking price.
  • kankokuonlykankokuonly Member Posts: 15
    http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2007/02/21/037865.html

    Now, all they need is a sporty compact,to compete with the likes of the Scion tC, or the upcoming Mitsubishi Lancer(or Both!). ;)
  • scape2scape2 Member Posts: 4,123
    I think Honda/Nissan should be shaking much before Toyota here in the North American markets. Hyundai/Kia are catching on quick to what Americans want in their automobiles. Look at the sales charts also. A steady climb north for both brands. Honda/Nissan are also climbing but not at as fast a rate as Hyundai/Kia. I honestly see Hyundai/Kia being #4 in the U.S by 2015.
    My guess by 2015 the 5 top manufactures in the U.S. will be.

    1. Toyota
    2. GM
    3. Hyundai/Kia
    4. Ford
    5. Honda
    6. Nissan
    7. Dodge
    8. VW
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    I think GM will still be ahead of Toyota in U.S. sales in 2015. But mainly, I think Hyundai/Kia is about to stall out for a few years. Sales briefly declined sharply in the last 12 months, and their biggest new product intro of last year, the Sonata, ended up being dumped in fleets to keep numbers up at the new plant when buyers shopped elsewhere. This year's new "big intros" are the new Santa Fe and the Veracruz, both large heavy vehicles with a thirst for gas that aint so good for boosting sales at a time when gas is fairly expensive. Then we have the new Elantra, a basically competent car that doesn't offer much advantage over the Corolla except for standard safety gear, and can't be had for less than the Corolla in real-world prices.

    U.S. sales in 2015? I say

    1. GM
    2. Toyota
    3. Ford (as long as those F-150 sales hold up; Ford is pretty much a one-trick pony on the sales front)
    4. Honda

    Those will be the big 4. It is hard to predict the futures of Nissan, which I think is about to fall hard, and of the Chrysler Group, which may be about to do the same.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Actually, the Sonata was Hyundai's biggest intro in 2005. Their biggest intros in 2006 were the Azera and Accent, both of which debuted very late in 2005. The new Santa Fe is selling very well so far, while the Veracruz just came out. If you check Elantra pricing at sites like fitzmall.com, you will see that real-world pricing is in fact considerably lower than the Corolla's, e.g. compare an Elantra GLS with its $1000-2000 general rebate and the Preferred Package with the Corolla LE with ABS, side bags/curtains, foglamps, and satellite radio and there's quite a difference.

    But I don't see Hyundai/Kia topping Ford or Honda in the next few years. Nissan? Quite possible. Kia is coming out with some very good cars too, including the Sedona, Optima, and Rondo.
  • kdshapirokdshapiro Member Posts: 5,751
    That is a big so what. Kia reliability is spotty, and their perception isn't all that great.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Nor was Hyundai's just a couple of years ago. When a mag like MT says that they won't be surprised when a Kia wins their COTY award (more than one Kia was a COTY finalizt this year), and when a mag like C/D ranks a Kia over the new Camry in a comparo, it shows that perceptions are changing.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Or does it show C&D's taste for sportier cars over softer ones?
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Now there's a change in perception--calling the Optima "sporty"! ;)

    Read the review--it wasn't the Optima's sportiness that the editors raved about.
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,709
    of practical things about the Optima. Good for you to remember so many of the things I've read about Kia from C&D and MT, backy. I think MT has emerged as my car mag fave in the last 12 months, BTW. They flat out loved the build of the Optima, the ride, the handling, the ghastly mileage, the looks, yes, the Kia Optima's looks!

    It has really been a fun ride with Kia the past 8 years. Being a new '08 Lancer GTS owner and Mitsu fan hasn't dampened my admiration for Kia and big bro Hyundai whatsover. They have both won so many awards the past 5 years or so that these dumb comments from so-called automotive know-it-alls here on Edmunds and elsewhere really has me wondering what Americans are taking to erase memory banks. The automotive writers are awake to the South Koreans and the world's finest student's by score are turning some of that talent towards automotive production, and the results are finally being realized as being superior. Superior to *gulp* Toyota and Honda even.

    BTW-the Long Haul Warranty is not a Warranty that evades the consumer. I didn't need it much but I had two great dealer/dealer service departments who were smart enough to know that crappy customer service after the sale was not gonna cut it. I would return to the Kia fold as a new customer in the future without hesitation.

    Toyota fearing Hyundai? I'd say they're looking fervently over their shoulder, at least.

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    Problem, of course, is Toyota dealers are selling a HECK of a lot of Corollas at $13,888 to folks who aren't concerned about side airbags and ABS. I'm not saying that's good or bad, just that Toyota's real-world price advantage right now (which will end around February 2008) is suppressing the success of other new compacts on the market. Elantra is not the only one, Sentra is another.

    Hyundai has always been quick to push "upmarket" in the last few years, and I think they were always slightly ahead of where they should have been. In 2000 the Hyundai was ALWAYS the lower-priced model when compared to the competition, and now that's not the case in many of the lower-priced segments.

    And now we see them wanting to release a V-8 entry-lux sedan at $30K or so before decade's end? They should be very sure they have a fall-back position if sales don't take off with each step upwards. Thoughts of building a Kia plant in the U.S. seem like another example of going too fast.

    In the meantime, they seem to be following the Toyota play-book absolutely word for word, even mimicking model offerings in large part, it seems. That might be the biggest reason for Toyota to worry, because after all the Toyota playbook led to the large success Toyota is currently enjoying.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • bobadbobad Member Posts: 1,587
    I think the subject "Toyota Fearing Hyundai" conjures up visions of Toyota scrambling frantically to head off inroads into their market by Hyundai. That just isn't happening.

    However, I'm sure that Toyota's marketing department is forced to keep a wary eye on Hyundai, and to react to them in small ways. At this point, I don't think Toyota is losing any sleep over Hyundai. However, if Hundai keeps the pressure on in their product and marketing improvements, they could do some real damage to Toyota's market share in the years to come.
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,709
    regarding Toyota and Hyundai/Kia, regarding "years to come."

    I don't think Hyundai/Kia is going to make large inroads in to Toyota profits, nor cause them loss of sleep. Although, I have heard things that make me want to reconsider that thought, namely, that the Japanese work ethic is unrelenting and very, very strong. And full of pride. And determination. That is what it is and why knock it? Point to consider is that Toyota workers at whatever level may be starting to get jittery a tad, when you factor in that hard-working ethic. Thing is, the sales results are very hard to knock for Toyota, nor their stock value.

    Hyundai and Kia officials know who they're chasing. It's not my current favorite, Mitsubishi Motors, is it? I do love my '08 Lancer GTS, though. :D

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • wylldsharkwylldshark Member Posts: 34
    As a Hyundai fan, I love the cars and have seen the dramatic improvement in the 5 years I've liked them and can not wait for the BH platform to hit next year so I can finally get that monster V8 Next-Gen Tib! But, I digress.

    It has been cited in different places that Toyota is keepinga vigilant eye on Hyundai.

    Hyundai recently teamed up with JM&A to handle their warranty claims, and just about any Toyota person knows who Jim Moran & Associates is since they contributed immensely with building Toyota's custoemr satisfaction. Last week we had a few JM&A guys here at the dealership training our F&I manager on the new process and I took the chance to ask them what they thought of Hyundai. All of them commented on the progress Hyundai has made and also on how Toyota has stated several times they they are watching Hyundai, and a few of them even own Hyundais.

    Yesterday at teh Verzcruz Launch Event one of the guys spent 20 years with Toyota and even he supported the claim that Toyota was in fact looking over their shoulders at Hyundai.

    What I'm getting at is that most people who are in the auto industry will tell you, maybe where no one can hear, that Hyundai is the marque to keep an eye on in the future.

    What gets me though is when people actually advise others to shy aways from Hyundai due to their low resell value.

    How the heck can a company expect to boost their resell value if people tell others not to buy the vehicles because of the value?

    The cars are a GREAT value, and next year there will be excitement injected to the brand when the first of the BH platform vehicles hit.
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Speaking of the Veracruz... one of the articles in the current Automobile magazine is about the Veracruz, and how it's like a less expensive Lexus. I can get a Verzcruz at a local Hyundai dealer for $24k (today's advertised price); not a loaded model with leather etc., but with seating for seven and all the features I would need. That's a lot less than a new Lexus costs!
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,709
    has is superior bodystyling. I know opinions differ on this subject and it is a subjective subject, but I prefer the Hyundai and Kia bodystyling in virtually any model of rig.

    To those of us that appreciate the domestic models from the 60's(like I do)it appears to me that the South Koreans are beating the Americans in the bodystyling category(DUH!).

    Does anybody see that turning around? With maybe Saturn, for starters? New Chevy models like the '08 Malibu? Nah, that's off topic, we won't go there now.

    There's this other Japanese car maker over there that makes a cool little Rally Red 4-door sedan that doesn't do too badly in the bodystyling department, either.

    Slowly but surely there are getting to be more choices in the small car range, even considering my Lancer a small car. I kind of liked the old Lancer but this new Lancer runs design and build circles around their old one.

    So I do feel that Hyundai is ahead of Toyota in the styling department. How their car's hold up is getting better all the time and many say they're there now, reliability-wise. Improvements can always be made and both Toyota and Hyundai are ever-so-aware of that fact.

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • bobadbobad Member Posts: 1,587
    How the heck can a company expect to boost their resell value if people tell others not to buy the vehicles because of the value?

    A lot of Hyundai's "low resale value" is smoke and mirrors. If the statistics go by the new car's sticker price, and go by new car dealer trade in allowance, yes, it will be very bad.

    The good news is, YOU can influence your resale value. If you pay bottom dollar when you buy a new Hyundai, take great care of it, then sell your old Hyundai privately for top dollar, then your resale value will be excellent.

    Yes, a 5 year old Honda will fetch $4K more at the used car dealer than a comparable Hyundai. But duh, the Hyundai probably cost $5-$7K less than the Honda when new.

    A new $25K Accord costs you $24-$25K. A $23K Sonata costs you $18-$19K. Those who criticize Hyundai's resale value don't take that into account.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Well stated. I think the truth is you would not get a good trade-in price on any car, Honda included. Dealers are not in the business of paying top dollar for used cars.

    PS
    Dealers bank on the fact that most people are too lazy to sell their used car.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Maybe a better way to look at it is to consider the entire True Cost to Own.
  • bobadbobad Member Posts: 1,587
    Maybe a better way to look at it is to consider the entire True Cost to Own.

    I took a look, and it appears that comparison is badly skewed. People don't pay $23K for a Sonata, as the Edmunds TCO charts show. They pay $18-$19K. I got a nicely equipped '06 V6 for $17,600. At that time, an equally equipped Camry and accord were going for $24-$25K. Not on paper, mind you, but in real dollars.

    Also, how does Edmunds know A. What I can sell my car for in 5 years, and B., What I will spend on repairs over 5 years? The repair projections are totally blown out of the water anyway. The NF Sonata has a 5 year bumper-to-bumper warranty. I don't think it's likely that one can one spend $534 on it in 5 years. They would have to put some serious mileage on it.
  • driver56driver56 Member Posts: 408
    I've looked at those charts before, part of my research before buying my latest truck. They make little sense to me,
    partially because of being an American site, I reside in Canada. The only figure that made any sense at all to me was the cash price difference when I compared two particular trucks. As far as operating costs go, don't know what hat they were drawn from. And depreciation? My insurance rate is half of that stated, the financing is way out of whack, and my mileage is half. But then again, I suppose it's really only meant to be some sort of a guideline for comparison purposes, and there are definite regional differences.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I'm not sure which Sonata you are looking at. The SE model (V6) comes in at $19,760 with destination. The cost per mile is more than an 07 Camry SE 4 cylinder and about the same as an Accord LX V6. (link)

    True Cost to Own assumes you drive 15,000 miles. At that rate the basic warranty will have expired at the end of 4 years so maybe that's where the $534 comes from.

    Kia recognizes that it needs to increase its resale values and I'm sure Hyundai does too. 5-9-07 Kia Chat
  • drfilldrfill Member Posts: 2,484
    If you have to give it away to sell it, and it doesn't have reliable rep, you start out with a low value at purchase, and a faster depreciation.

    If demand is low when purchased, how will that change after 5 years?

    Domestics are the same way. :surprise:

    Porsche, BMW, Toyota, Honda don't have these problems.

    They don't need rebates. Don't need to give the car away. People want them new. They want them used. :)

    Not very difficult problem when you think about it.

    BTW, Hyundai sales were flat last year (despite a lot of new product), and have been down this year, so let's keep the champagne on ice until they show people want their cars. :sick:

    Questionable startegy: Sales have leveled off, so start comparing the lineup to companies that sell less than you do?

    I guess VW fell down in the forest, and didn't make a sound.

    DrFill
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,709
    '66 VW Fastback 4-speed in baby blue of Dad's. The one he taught me how to drive a stick shift in.

    I remember with glee having to learn popping the clutch and adding acceleration just right with Seattle drivers about a foot away from my rear bumper waiting for the green lights to turn in downtown Seattle(on steep hills). I would look in my rear view mirrow and wait for a "crunch" that wouldn't happen. Fun.

    Funny, I can't seem to concentrate on any new world order VW's at all with interest. It's not their looks it's their poor reliability that stops further looks from me.

    New VW's generally look much better than new Toyota's, too, eh?

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • goodegggoodegg Member Posts: 905
    It is hard to predict the futures of Nissan, which I think is about to fall hard,

    Huh? Why? Nissan is one of the best built cars out there. I have one and love it. There will always be a place for a company that builds a quality vehicle at a price less than Toyota, which is untouchable at this point.

    I'd say Ford is the one that's gonna fall hard.
  • joe97joe97 Member Posts: 2,248
    BTW, Hyundai sales were flat last year (despite a lot of new product), and have been down this year, so let's keep the champagne on ice until they show people want their cars.

    Yeah sales mean everything right? Yeah I guess we were all under the rock when Hyundai had strikes and scandal which greatly affected production. So what if its small cars were in high demand? So what if the Santa Fe is doing extremely well? So what if the main drop YOY had to do with Sonata's purposeful fleet program in 06 (and you will continue to see the drop YOY for the Sonata).

    FWIW, from a sales standpoint, Hyundai is #6 worldwide behind GM, Toyota, Ford, VW, and DCX as of 2005 (2006 should be released soon). What would the breakup of DCX mean in the sales standing in 2007? One wonders...
  • joe97joe97 Member Posts: 2,248
    Nissan does not sell on prices. Its general price range is about the same as the counterparts of Toyota. That is, until the GT-R comes ;)
  • iluvmysephia1iluvmysephia1 Member Posts: 7,709
    put Hyundai/Kia in terms of worldwide sales...right at the number 5 worldwide spot. The same No.5 worldwide spot that Hyundai management(and little bro Kia management)has been forecasting that they will hold by the year 2010. They'll just be jumping ahead of themselves a tad. :D

    2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick

  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    They (Toyota, Honda et. al.] don't need rebates. Don't need to give the car away.

    If Toyota doesn't need rebates, why does it offer them? Why does Honda need to offer subsidized leasing programs on many vehicles, and huge manufacturer-to-dealer incentives on the Accord to get them off the lots?

    Did you notice the guidance that Toyota just gave out on their sales for the next year? They are predicting flat sales. This is a tough car market right now--Hyundai isn't the only one with sales levelling off.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    Nissan's sales are down, profits are down, things aren't going too well on the French side either, which is where Mr. Ghosn will need to focus his attention for a while. And despite falling sales and profits, Nissan has nothing new, really, in the pipeline that might turn that around.

    Nissan goes through periods of good and bad quality, depending on their financial fortunes at the particular moment.

    I will be intrigued if Hyun/Kia manages to pass Nissan in U.S. sales in the next decade. I think it is possible, but not likely. Of course, Korean trucks will have a taxes-and-tariffs pass under a new trade deal just negotiated, so when the new Hyundai pick-ups arrive in 2010, that may make the Hyundai/Nissan race much closer, who knows.

    And then, of course, Toyota , makes a lot of money off Tacoma sales, so that would be one more area where Hyundai could infringe. Anyone notice that the Entourage now has a $2500 cash rebate, even more than the $1500 on Siennas? I guess Entourage didn't debut to massive sales successes...

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • harrycheztharrychezt Member Posts: 405
    http://nctd.com/review-final.cfm?Vehicle=2007_Hyundai_Veracruz&ReviewID=2077
    read this... gives ya a good idea of where Hyundai is going.

    Now, while my 04 gls v6 sonata is not lexus-like, it's far from junk, either.
    Got it for Under 15K in Sept of 04, on sale.
    Will I ever see a new V6 , by any maker, for less than 15 K again? Appears not, unless it's built in China, and sold here.

    Now.... 2007... for 15-20K price ranges, I test drove Sebring( actually, if you can overlook some interior and exterior bits, it's not bad for the price), Altima(2 days ago) and some smaller cars, like the Focus and Elantra and Lancer ES(Not the manual, Not the 6 speed paddle shifter, the unexciting CVT ES, 10+ seconds to 60...).
    The Altima was decent. Looks great on the exterior, acceptable interior(except why only 6 way ratchet adjuster, no sunroof, only 4 cylinder,and no telescopic steering, like Hyundai/Kia give ya on Sonata of same-OR WAAAY LESS-especially on sale-prices?)but nearly 22K? Even on a deal... around 21K?

    I test drove the 99 Maxima,and it was a very good car. 23K msrp, 21K on sale. V6.
    The salesman tried to tell me"this car is as fast"... LOL!
    No, maybe with the more costly V6,what around 25K?
    Dunno what he was on!

    The Optima I drove last Summer Felt as fast(and even now, cost is less, and ya get telescopic steering column, 5 speed auto-manual, which Altima's shift yourself? Sound is LOUD, like you're killing the CVT. The V6 may be different, but th eI-4? Gimme a break, and my ears! It's good, quiet on D, but shift yourself, and the car sounds like it's in it's death throes, even at 35 MPG, "dropping down a gear/spot, being held on CVT".

    Like I said, been around awhile, been driving 30 years.
    To get anything like I had years ago, you almost gotta pay 25-30K, vs 15K a mere 13-15 years ago.
    If Toyota can make BILLIONS in profits, maybe it's to to higher prices, also?

    An oil change for our 05 Scion tC is 33 dollars, 29 cheapest place(with taxes) but I ain't driving 65 miles , vs 40, to save 3 dollars, lol( pay more in gas, time,etc).
    Hyundai? 19 dollars(nearly 21 with taxes, for a V6, yet).
    Where's the savings? At Hyundai!
    I could go on and on about tune up savings, VS Toyota*(even for our Scion).
    Our tC had the throttle body stuck shut... and if not for extended warranty... we'd ave paid over 1,000 dollars last month, at 74,000 miles,for this to be repaired.
    We paid $200 (mainly for service/labor cost),
    for a thermostat replacement on it, not covered under extended warranty.

    Do I like the tC still? You bet!
    Is Toyota bulletproof? No!
    Is Hyundai? No!
    SO, if things cost less at Hyundai, parts,labor,oil changes, and MSRP's( or real prices paid vs Toyota, similar vehicle vs similar vehicle), why is Toyota less to own?
    (JD Powers survey? Anyone can lie on a survey).
    My in-law had a 99 jeep grand cherokee laredo, at 107K, needed a new tranny in 05.
    Yet, when his son came by last June for fathers day... he told him, when asked about the jeep" Great, no problems!" when he just shelled out over 3,500 8 months earlier for a new tranny, and was having abs issues, also.

    I tell it like it is. My Sonata, after test driving these other cars, is excellent.

    Even if MSRP is=, you get more. I'd have to pay thousands more at Nissan for similar items on a Sonata.
    CVT? OK for V6,from what I have read, and most likely is really good,as this CVT is above avg, vs Caluber and Lancer ES, and the I-4 was acceptable, but not what one could call fast( it felt slower than my 4 speed automanual, V6 Sonata, o4, yet, and definitely slower).

    If someone said" I'll buy you the I-4 Altima, with everything your Sonata has, and were willing to give it to me for free, and pay 25K, go ahead! I'd take it now(of course, at 25K< I'd suffer the 26-28MPG Azera, with 263HP,lol, over the Altima I-4, or maybe V6. I haven't tested the V6... nor would I , at the prices asked).

    Do I like my car, better every test drive of other makers 07-08's!
    Will I continue to buy Hyundai, or consider Kia? Maybe.
    They are getting into thsi higher msrp deal, also, and playing games of" you want a sunroof, buy top model to begin with".
    I believe all makers should have one model, mutliple packages( it's save consumers money, but the automakers might not sell as many top models,loaded with items not many really want or need,and means less cash..crooks, all of them.).
    Civic is like this. Can get one for alittle over 15K with automatic. wants sunroof and cruise? Spend 4K More!
    What! :surprise:
    If you could get the base model, with sunroof and crusie, even at 1,500, that'd be udner 17,000 dollars. Instead, they gouge you to 19K, and aadd stuff I could acre less to(they ormove the option list, basically. you have no real choice, unless you buy a base model and do it yourself...which isn't my thing to do).
    For 17K, I can get a leather lined Elantra, and only 2-3 MPG less than the Civic.
    I can live with 34-37 MPG.
    I can live with 2-3 K less( after sales,arguing, etc),50 dolalrs a month les sin payments( if I got the cloth, maybe 60-75 a month saved. Not a lot to some people,but almost enough to pay my electric bill in May, June and Sept Oct, definitely enough to pay for phone and internet).
    How about that, phone, internet, and a Hyundai for same price as a Civic, every month!
    Corolla does do ok, but, why bother with supposed 37MPG-38 ?
    Maybe next generation, if MSRP's do not match civic Hybrid pricing(due to gas prices).
    They are all decent cars. Just depends on what you want to pay each month, or if you have the cash, at one time/one payment. At 42,000 miles, I have spent only 230 dollars for maintainence(30K tune up) in nearly 3 years.
    Less than tC tune-up, by over 100 dollars, and it is an I-4.

    Resale is another issue, though.
    If my main goal was a new car every 3 years, I'd avoid Hyundai/Kia,and a few others.
    If it were 4-5 years of ownership, then a new car... I consider them. If I just want to "impress" someone... buy a used Jaguar, lol ;)

    take care/not offense.
  • driver56driver56 Member Posts: 408
    I'm with you goodegg. I own a 2007 Nissan Frontier Nismo 4x4, good, good truck. Haven't found a fault with it, and I am highly critical, drive my vehicles quite hard. It's just a very good solid vehicle. I knew that when I first drove one in late 04. Price-wise, my truck was within a few hundred dollars of the closest Toyota truck (Tacoma)that was at all comparable to mine. The thing is, Nissan would deal, Toy wouldn't. It made my decision real, nice, and easy for me. I saved 3 grand. Toyota pricing up this way is out of whack, and it's becoming quite a topic of discussion.
  • harrycheztharrychezt Member Posts: 405
    I'm taking a break from the forums.
    Buy what you like, don't attack others for their choices, and everyone's happier that way.
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    your new Toyota sales bias is beginning to show! :surprise:

    Veracruz is all new, and will give the new Highlander a run for its money I am sure. That is a very hot segment. But you can't know anything about the sales record of Veracruz, because it hasn't been out long enough to know.

    We will see how Hyundai does on the car front. Accent is a strong seller, Elantra and Sonata not so much (in Corolla/Camry terms). Accent and Rio combined outsell Yaris. Hyundai is aggressively copying Toyota, from business model to vehicle line-up. If labor troubles back in Korea don't get them, Toyota would be well advised to keep a close eye on them.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    I thought toyota said they expected sales to be flat over the next couple of years. At best they were hoping for single digit percent increases but said double digit increases were gone.
  • harrycheztharrychezt Member Posts: 405
    I'll drive whatever anyone says I should, As Long As They Make The Payments! :)
    How does that sound? You pay, I drive!
    Free of charge. ;)

    Secondly, if I do not own a car, I don't comment on it, unless it's about styling(which anyone can do just by looking, no need to own a car just to comment on styling).
    If I take a test drive, I can comment on that, but not long term ownership, unless I have owned a similar vehicle for years, by the same manufacturer.

    And no car I have ever owned was 100% fault free.
    I never went 100,000 miles without oil changes( I have heard some wild stories, like my cousin... guy changed oil but not filters... then had engine issues 50,000 miles...sludge).

    Now guys, lemme say this, I am Not attacking or flaming anyone. Opinions are good. I just like opinions from owners, too, who have had vehicles for 3-5 years. I find those somewhat valuable, more so than JD Powers, even.

    Now, I gotta go... have someone here to do work on my plumbing. Gotta watch 'em like a crooked mechanic ;) lol.
    Take care/not offense.
  • drfilldrfill Member Posts: 2,484
    Have to make some corrections on your post. :(

    1. Regardless of where I work, my Toyota bias is quite old and consistent.

    2. Accent is a direct competitor to Yaris. Rio is not. I don't see the point in combining their numbers.

    3. I don't know much about the Veracruz, and apparently, neither does the market, selling less than 1000 in it's first full month.

    4. If Hyundai would really follow Toyota's model for success, they'd wait about ten years, get their brand image out of the gutter, fill out their lineup, and start a seperate channel. I don't see them doing any of that. They come across as impatient, almost desperate, to force a new image onto a public that isn't ready for it.

    Patience is a virtue. Toyota has it. Hyundai doesn't. That's the critical difference.

    Rover

    I'd SHOCKED if sales this year fell below 10% increase levels, with the Prius flying off the lots at a record pace, and Tundra looking at 50% sales increase, and Sequioa/Highlander getting redesigns for the second half of the year. :shades:

    Toyota is playing it safe (publicly), while stepping on the throttle. Playing politics as well, as everyone else is hurting.

    What do you expect them to say? Sales will be up 10% forever? Better to play the under.

    I'd bet the over. ;)

    DrFill
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    Correction to your post: Rio is the cousin of the Accent--same platform, same engine. Rio is a direct competitor to the Yaris just as much as the Accent is, e.g. C/D's comparo a few months ago that compared the Yaris to the Accent and Rio5 (and other small cars), and CR's recent comparo of the Yaris to the Accent and Rio/Rio5 (and other small cars). If you don't think the Rio competes with the Yaris, that's fine, but that's not general opinion.

    I am sure Toyota would greatly love to see Hyundai "wait ten years."

    From your comments, I don't think you know much about Korean companies and how they differ from Japanese companies. There is a different mind-set.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Tundra looking at 50% sales increase,

    Through April, I only see 6% increase over 2006 YTD for the Tundra. Are you counting only one month increase? Their big selling Sienna is off by 13% so far this year. The RAV4 & Prius may be their brightest stars in the Toyota crown. The biggest surprise to me is the Corolla holding off the new model Civic so well. If they ugly up the Corolla as they did the Camry they may lose sales.
  • drfilldrfill Member Posts: 2,484
    Camry and Lexus RX share engines and platforms, you don't see me combining those.

    And combining the two different companies kinda defeats the purposes of having two different companies, and taking them both seriously, right? :confuse:

    I thought this was Toyota vs. Hyundai, not Toyota against Hyundai + anybody you can get a hold of.

    DrFill
  • drfilldrfill Member Posts: 2,484
    As Tundra sales increase, I'm expecting 180k in sales this year, over the 125k from last year.

    Toyota dealers are just getting up to full inventory now, and sales have increased the last 2 months.

    DrFill
  • nippononlynippononly Member Posts: 12,555
    You came at me with guns a-blazin'! ;-)

    Tundra: I would love to see them put out 150K this year, as that would allay some fears about the safety and wisdom of the huge investment in San Antonio. But this is the earliest and the LARGEST that Toyota has ever put cash incentives on a new model. And anything over 150K this year would surprise me A LOT.

    Rio and Accent: as far as I know, they are twins under the skin, with only some suspension tweaks and a different body shape to distinguish them. They probably come off the same assembly line, they are so similar - someone can check me on that. Together their sales exceed those of the Yaris. However, throw in the xA for Toyota, and now it is back in the lead by a hair's breadth. But of course the old, low-priced and gas-saving xA is gone, with just a few '06s left in the pipeline to sell before the new $15K model with a 10% drop in fuel economy arrives in August. ;-)

    Oh, one last note on Hyun/Kia - all the profits go to the same place, as Hyundai took over Kia and folded much of it into its own operations. It's one company with two brand names.

    I think Toyota's prediction of a 1.6% increase in sales this year may be slightly conservative, but I highly doubt it will be double digits. The market as a whole is stagnating, even slumping a little. Sequoia is going to be another gas guzzler, and won't even be a POPULAR gas guzzler as Tahoe/Suburban own that segment for the most part. The Highlander will hold its own, I am sure, but will it reach 200K per year? I kinda doubt it.

    gagrice: "If they ugly up the Corolla as they did the Camry they may lose sales"
    You just stated my biggest fear out loud. If they are smart they will keep the redesign conservative - that is what is expected of the Corolla. And I hope they focus on fuel economy gains rather than speed gains, in this atmosphere of high gas prices.

    2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)

  • drfilldrfill Member Posts: 2,484
    I think Toyota's prediction of a 1.6% increase in sales this year may be slightly conservative, but I highly doubt it will be double digits. The market as a whole is stagnating, even slumping a little. Sequoia is going to be another gas guzzler, and won't even be a POPULAR gas guzzler as Tahoe/Suburban own that segment for the most part. The Highlander will hold its own, I am sure, but will it reach 200K per year? I kinda doubt it.

    Just as you consider Kia and Hyundai one and the same, Lexus/Scion/Toyota sales combined should show at or near a 10% increase, as they have for the first 1/3 of the year.

    Regarding the Tundra, if they get 15k a month for the rest of the year, which is no stretch from what we've seen the last two months, they will be well over 150k. Toyota wants 200k, which is out of reach, so I'll split the difference.

    Sequioa sales are falling fast, so a redesign will produce a spike, for how long is the question. I think 50k a year is where it will settle at.

    The only reason the incentives are there for Tundra is because full-size truckers have gotten them for the last 5 years. This is a domestic market, and Toyota wants the truck on the street, so word of mouth can carry them forward, so.....I think Toyota can afford a little seed money, don't you think?

    The domestics can't lose sales fast enough, and they are going somewhere.

    Hyundai and Nissan aren't picking them up. :blush:

    Camry is doing GREAT after it's redesign, and Corolla will always be a seller, so if you are expecting a slump, you might want to have a seat. ;)

    DrFill
  • backybacky Member Posts: 18,949
    {Toyota] President Katsuaki Watanabe told journalists in Tokyo that the market in the U.S. was very difficult right now. The comments indicated that Toyota, which is now predicting a sales increase of only 1.6 percent in North America during the coming fiscal year, is bracing for a sharp slowdown in new vehicles sales in what has been consistently one of its strongest markets over the past decade. ... Toyota is expecting sales for the fiscal year through March 2008 at 25 trillion yen or $209 billion, up 4.4 percent from fiscal year 2006.

    http://www.thecarconnection.com/Auto_News/Daily_Auto_News/Toyota_Says_Growth_is_- Slowing.S173.A12321.html
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