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Not sure how many 2010s are left. I know the local SD dealers show 102 vehicles and a TMV right at invoice price. By comparison the same area Chevy dealers only have 16 Equinox available, with TMV close to MSRP. The Equinox getting 4 MPG better on the highway than the RAV4 should be a selling point. The Chevy tank is bigger as well extending the range over the RAV4 by at least 150 miles. That can help finding lower gas prices. Which Onstar will help and Toyota has nothing like that to offer.
Not true - Toyota's incentives are lower than Nissan's or Honda's.
And don't use the truck argument because Toyota sells more trucks than both of those combined.
I think Hyundai shocked everyone. A friend I know who works for Subaru called the Sonata a "segment changer". Pretty rare for an employee from a competitor to admit that.
And how about getting an automatic with more than 4 gear ratios installed in the RAV4?
The V6 is coupled to a 5 speed auto, FWIW. Also, it's selling well enough that they haven't needed to.
Still, it's only a matter of time before that bites them, so an update is due.
Edit: I'm trying to look up days of supply for the RAV4, Automotive News publishes that every month IIRC.
http://www.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1047761_are-suvs-making-a-comeback
In fact, of the ten 2010 vehicles in shortest supply, nine are SUVs ranging in price from the affordable Toyota RAV4 (16 days' supply) to the luxurious and pricey 2010 Audi Q7 (15 days' supply).
I'm sure Toyota ramped up supply, perhaps too much if some dealers are full of them now.
It's tough to forecast sales, gas prices spike and SUVs and Crossover sales dip.
The industry standard is a 60-day supply, though, and I seriously doubt there is more than 60 days' supply of RAV4s right now.
Still looking for more recent sources of info....
http://www.autonews.com/assets/PDF/CA71856129.PDF
Some observations:
* average is 67 days, Toyota had 64 days as of Dec. 1
* Lexus is in higher demand that Toyota/Scion
* In sales per dealer, Toyota/Scion rules, they're #1
* incredibly, Lexus dealers are #2
* best domestic sales per dealer average is less than *half* of Toyota/Scion
That last comment proves further dealer consolidation is in order for competitors.
Also, peek at the bottom right corner, it's the Koreans that are kicking tail. Supply is extremely short. European makes are in 2nd, then Japanese, and domestics have the biggest oversupply problems.
Equinox is indeed a bright spot for GM, and deservedly so (6EAT + DI = 32mpg hwy).
Cadillac is overstocked pretty bad, but Saab and Mitsubishi are worse.
Subaru is also kicking asphalt.
Any how, point is Toyota's supply is fine, Lexus is actually a bit short of supply right now.
I have a feeling there are quite a number of Nox owners would not agree with you on that. And not getting EPA FE numbers are the least of their worries. Among serious wiring and system incompatibility woes, engines are knocking and pinging badly. Dealers are telling owners to use hi-test gas to help until GM can come out with a software upgrade in the ECU. But i think they have advanced the timing so much to try to reach those higher mpg figures for the size, weight and height of the Nox, that that, combined with too tall gearing, is making for a combo that I don't think is going to be all that easy a fix. They also have a lot of clunking tranny shifts, engine stalling etc etc. The head guy behind the Equinox should be fired. If not for authorizing a less than workable combo to start with, but in how poorly issues seem to be handled as they are surfacing. I am amazed that it would seem that word has not spread, if the supply numbers are as restrictive as is being said. The glow really wears off fast anywhere from 3000 miles to 15000 miles. How can some GM vehicles be relatively problem free and others completely riddled with issues? I think responsibility has to come from the top, then the top of each model on down..
Still, power output is good, and they're on the roomy side, so I'm not surprised demand is strong.
GM will figure it out - the Lambdas had early transmission issues but a re-program seems to have worked, owners are much happier now.
It makes sense based on the value of the Yen.
North American output is way, way up this year, while output in Japan is down.
It's been below freezing for a very long time and I haven't had a chance to clean the van.
FWIW the dealership was quite busy, several customers were purchasing cars. A family took delivery of a new Swagger Wagon while I was there.
Cost cutting police alert: I sat in a new Highlander, loaded up near $40k, and the headliner on those is now cardboard with peach fuzz covering, as opposed to the fabric they used to use on those, and still do on Camry and Sienna.
That's a shame. We had an '05 Highlander (now being driven by our son in Houston) and it had a marvelous headliner. Heavy, thick fabric. I hate the cheaper ones as they tear easily and are horrible to clean if you get something on them....
I wonder if the sound deadening filler has been cheapened too?
Dryer lint over coard board has no place on a $40,000 vehicle.
That was my laugh for the day. It's true for _every_ brand. That was the best description of what some of that stuff has ended up looking like.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Heck, I think loaded RAV4s, which cross $30 grand with ease, should have nicer materials on top models.
Sadly this is par for the class. I saw an Equinox at the DC Auto Show last year, sticker was a jaw-dropping $39 grand, and it had the same dryer lint over cardboard headliner material. Ridiculous.
That is such a perfect description of those cheap headliners! Thanks for the LOL! :-)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I'll have to remember that. :shades:
I agree with others who enjoy your description...thnx for the smile!
It's very ironic in two ways:
First, Lexus was trying to raise its price point of the current generation LS460 to the BMW 7 level and failed very badly. It's a far reach.
Second, not only it could not reach the Germans, but it also loses to the lowly Hyundai who is trying to delicate the same formula which launched the Lexus 20 years ago.
It appears that Lexus has forgotten what made them successful in the first place: a German alternative for a lower price. But Hyundai learned that.
http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/zevprog/factsheets/clean_vehicle_incentives.pdf
Here's the link ::
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/10q3/2011_hyundai_equus-first_drive_revi- - ew
The Equus is due in dealerships this fall, but Hyundai hasn’t set firm pricing. The company has indicated that the car will start in the mid-$50,000s, with the Ultimate trim demanding a few grand more. It may be a bargain compared with an S-class, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the big Benz—or any other premium flagship—in cachet, sumptuousness, or dynamics. The Equus will have to overcome some serious obstacles and the image of its own brand to make headway with its intended audience. Still, with the high-tech sales and service, massive list of gadgets, and business-class back seat, Hyundai shouldn’t have any problem finding a couple thousand thrifty-minded (but not poor) buyers each year. If not, we hear that New York City’s limo companies are champing at the bit (horse joke!) to add the Equus to their airport fleets.
Wrong - Lexus sold 10,759 thru November, while the BMW 7 had 11,229 sales. That's so close it's a rounding error.
lowly Hyundai
Welcome to 2011, have you been in a cave for the past 5 years?
There's nothing lowly about Hyundai for the past couple of years at least.
Hyundai's Genesis outran the BMW 5 in CR's avoidance manuever, also.
Really?? Surely BMW has not gone that soft?
That is so hard to believe, i think i will remain a skeptic for now on that.
(altho, i believe that might be what has been written, but i'd have to see the back-to-back myself)
Hyundai needs to send them more advertising money.
Is this an admission that Lexus = Toyota, since this is posted on a Toyota thread? :P
And just b'cos Lexus is discussed in Toyota thread -doesnt mean Lexus=Toyota!! Just b'cos the Sprinter is discussed in the MB threads,doesnt mean MB=Sprinter. Toyota is the parent company of Lexus!! So probably , a father figure I guess !! :P
The new laws favor the Volt and Leaf. Starting in 2012 they will give out 40,000 HOV stickers to Plug-in Hybrids and EVs only. The Prius is out of the HOV lanes as of July ONE. 85,000 Prius owners that only bought the car to use the HOV lanes while driving alone, will have to join the rest of the single drivers fighting the rush hour traffic. Maybe they will find someone to carpool with.
I'd like to see the total value of vehicles sold in those LS vs 7ers - BMW will have serious ownage in that one, no rounding error possible.
Didn't a Lexus model score the slowest of all cars in some CR test?
I called the current LS460 a big failure based on its sales over the years. Take a look at the numbers below; the current generation LS sales volume is the lowest in the 20 year LS history and the big decline started right from the year Lexus priced it close to the BMW 7 instead of 5 in 2009.
Of course the lower priced cars should have higher sales volume. BMW 5 series has much higher volume than the 7 series. The Lexus LS should be compared to the 5 series, not the 7 series. Now the cheaper LS sales volume is even lower than the 7 series, that shows how big a problem it is for Lexus.
Calendar year Total sales U.S.
1990 42,806
1991 36,955
1992 32,561
1993 23,783
1994 22,443
1995 23,657
1996 22,237
1997 19,618
1998 20,790
1999 16,357
2000 15,871
2001 31,110
2002 26,261
2003 23,895
2004 32,272
2005 26,043
2006 19,546
2007 35,226
2008 20,255
2009 11,334
2010 10,759 (thru Nov)
Yep. The reason I remember is that it surprised me, too.
How do the LS' incentives compare to the BMW 7? I bet BMW has bigger incentives.
Not that I know of. More info?
The BMW 7 design is newer, just freshened actually. Lexus LS actually had a very strong November so it's a tight race, we should have the final tally for 2010 soon.
Wait a sec....
A local lawyer's office has a TV ad that says "If you suffered death, stroke, or heart attack" to please call them.
Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!
If I wanted that kind of experience, I'd spend the rest of my life on my family room couch.
Are you a big fan of Matlock reruns & early bird specials?
""
Routine Handling: The LS is not particularly agile. Body roll is not excessive in everyday driving, but if the road or the pace become slightly demanding, the LS begins to protest with increasing body lean and a trace of buoyancy. The steering is responsive enough but doesn't give the driver much feedback.
Emergency Handling: The LS was secure on our track, thanks to its stability control, but felt a bit sloppy and clumsy with pronounced roll and only fair grip. It posted a fairly low speed in our avoidance maneuver and didn't inspire a whole lot of confidence. ""
Dont see any bias there !! :P
You sound a bit biased so i would appreciate hearing from others, but your opinion also.
As far as the top German brands are concerned, Lexus really doesn't exist. Mercedes & BMW compete with each other & with Audi, not with Lexus. (If you've been paying attention, you'll know that Audi is now the hot luxury brand.)
If you're looking for the "couch on wheels" AARP geezer driving experience, you won't even consider the Germans. Chances are that you can't even spell BMW. You'll trade your Lincoln Town Car for a Lexus.