Edmunds CarPool

Nice! It's good to know that smart people are slowly but steadily becoming a majority.
 
Prius is definetely not a bad looking car and it doesn't look geeky either. People can travel in style in it and save money on gas too!
 
I thought your commute was like a 100 miles to work. Assuming you drive mostly on the highway (or even interregional roads) I am surprised to know that you find so many Prius enroute. I thought Prius was common for city driving and not highways.

Tiruvan, look what you've done! We will now have to endure flicmod's relentless ranting regarding driving Prius's? Priui? on the highway.
 
As much as I think Hybrids are a waste of time, I can't help but vaguely recall a fellow commenter, perhaps savetheland, chavis10, or 1487? who loudly proclaimed Toyota to be using the "low volume, niche model" Prius to cover their arse and make it appear as though they are doing something to help the environment, while they sell more Tundra's than Priui. Can anyone find the comments I'm thinking of? I couldn't.

BBECHTEL16......... , Savetheland wrote ............Toyota is irresponsible company full of greed. It does not care about environment at all. All it cares about is taking cash out of pockets of naive Americans and moving it to their bank accounts overseas. Hype with Prius was created to fool people who hate cars. In reality GM starts making more fuel efficient hybrid system that can be used also in trucks where it really matters. And do not forget about diesels. I do not see how Toyota creates competition by making low quality, gas-guzzling super-sized truck with excessive power. You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time. Time of reckoning is coming…

"As much as I think Hybrids are a waste of time, I can't help but vaguely recall a fellow commenter, perhaps savetheland, chavis10, or 1487? who loudly proclaimed Toyota to be using the "low volume, niche model" Prius to cover their arse and make it appear as though they are doing something to help the environment, while they sell more Tundra's than Priui. Can anyone find the comments I'm thinking of? I couldn't."
 
The Prius isnt a niche model. Unlike Karl, I have known for a while that the Prius has been racking up huge sales. Ever since they put incentive on it sales skyrocketed and have never slowed down. Hybrids overall are still a niche market but the Prius is by far the most successful of the hybrids due to its styling and mileage. The car is ugly and I drove one recently and the experience was totally forgettable. Its truly a focused machine in that mileage is its only reason for existence and that is fine. The steering was sloppy, the engine wasnt refined and the brakes were mushy. If you want 45mpg its the only car to get however.
 
BTW, the Tundra has outsold the Prius most months this year. I think the Tundra has slumped so far that the Prius is now back ahead. For the record, the Tundras best month was better than the Prius' best month. BTW, how many Prius ads have you seen? I have seen hundreds of Tundra ads. You dont have to accept the fact that Toyota is getting a corporate halo from having one 45mpg vehicle, but its the truth.
 
You will never find a quote from me saying the Prius is low volume. It outsells all but two Toyota cars as Karl stated.

That's what happens when you have incentives. I see these EVERYWHERE and finally had my first ride in one of these things and I don't think I could own one. If gas becomes $4.50 here, then ask me again but it's still too weird for me. Also, I positively hate the styling
  
If you ask me, people are inherently bandwagon riders. When the car first came out, it was a niche vehicle for greenies and pariahs yet now, the "in" crowd has made the Prius relevant to the masses. I liken the Prius to Apple products because I noticed a similar trend. I've been using Apples since the Mac Classic with its B&W 8" screen while everybody else thought they were corny. Now, people are buying them because they are dare I say, "cool." It actually makes me sick.

tiruvan Said:"
Nice! It's good to know that smart people are slowly but steadily becoming a majority. "
 
and this is the kind of attitude that complete turns me off to the green crowd.
 
They think they are smarter/better then everyone else for driving their little psedo-wagon. thinking they are saving the earth, as they burn the same oil as everyone else.
 
I knew for a long time the prius was main stream, I see them all over. But to say someone is 'smarter' because they bought a prius/hybrid then a person that didn't is narrow minded, but then again most of the 'sky is failling the earth is melting its mens fault' crowd is just that [narrow minded].

Wow...be careful what you wish for. I got nearly instant gratification regarding all three posters I mentioned. Thank you all for the clarification.
 
OT: Where do you go to get your monthly/annual sales figures? Is there a central location where that sort of data is available?

It looks weird, but it's a good car. Not real exciting but basically as accommodating as a Camry, and not much more expensive. Doesn't suit me, but to each his own. If I lived in LA, I'd probably swallow hard and get over the styling in order to get one of those carpool lane stickers. (And tint the windows really dark so I can't be seen...)
 
I wonder how other hybrids compare in sales. Hybrid Civic, Camry, Aura, Vue, Escape, etc. Does the Prius outsell them because it's better in any way, or just because it looks like a hybrid and most hybrid owners want to stand out?

Chavis
 
"If you ask me, people are inherently bandwagon riders. When the car first came out, it was a niche vehicle for greenies and pariahs yet now, the "in" crowd has made the Prius relevant to the masses. I liken the Prius to Apple products because I noticed a similar trend. I've been using Apples since the Mac Classic with its B&W 8" screen while everybody else thought they were corny. Now, people are buying them because they are dare I say, "cool." It actually makes me sick."
 
I couldn't agree with you more.

I can't keep from laughing reading these posts. If the "better then you" Prius and it's owners are bugging you this much, wait til the Smart is on every corner.
 
Not only does it use minimal gas but it is also a minimum car...the ultimate Green mobile.
 
LOL

" I wonder how other hybrids compare in sales. Hybrid Civic, Camry, Aura, Vue, Escape, etc. Does the Prius outsell them because it's better in any way, or just because it looks like a hybrid and most hybrid owners want to stand out?"
 
The Pruis is absolutely killing the rest of the hybrids in the market. Its outselling the Camry hybrid by at least 4 to 1 and is whipping the civic hybrid by a similar margin. Ford has had to use incentives to move the Escape hybrid in spite of its stellar mileage which tells you that people care more about image and self righteousness than actual mileage. I love the new Escape Hybrid commercial where the girl asks her dad if he had a "real" hybrid because it looks like a normal car. He says he didnt know he had to announce to everyone he was driving a hybrid. Hybrids that look like other cars have not been too successful in spite of the media telling us people are trading in their Tahoes and explorers for hybrids in a mad rush ot become more efficient.
 
None of Gm's hybrids are high volume and they dont break out hybrid sales each month. Toyota and Honda do. Obviously Honda doesn't have many sales to track with the Accord hybrid going away and the civic moving about 3000 units a month.
 
The Prius is like the Viper, its a one trick pony. Thats a good thing for many owners obviously but we cant discount the fact that the car itself it actually mediocre. CR actually gives it a very low (for a Toyota) road test score. When I drove it I couldnt believe how the hard plastics, mediocre fit/finish, unrefined four cylinder and video game steering arent mentioned when this car is heralded as the greatest acheivement in automobiles in 50 years.

The Prius is a car with a Love-Hate phenomenom. But against all odds is kicking behinds to all other car makers. Toyota did their homework and they are harvesting the rewards.

Possibly the most overrated car ever. Seriously, if you want to save gas and look like someone who can think for yourself, buy a diesel Jetta.
 
When Honda finally gets their FCX into a mass-market, they will be the ones with their noses up at Prius drivers.

To me the Prius is just another car. Another car that happens to get lower emissions and much higher mileage than normal, but otherwise another car. Smarter than thou attitude? I'm yet to see it. Maybe that's the case in California........
 
Surprised that it's doing well? I'm not. It has unique styling, has proved to be highly reliable, has great fuel economy......and those hybrid electronics makes it appear cool to many people. And let's not forget that it's spacious and has decent performance. The handling might be mediocre, but only few people care,especailly given its great fuel economy. All in all, it has all or most the characteristics that make a car succesful! When was the last time a reliable, economical, uniquely styled and cool vehicle wasn't succesful?

" The Prius is a car with a Love-Hate phenomenom. But against all odds is kicking behinds to all other car makers. Toyota did their homework and they are harvesting the rewards. "
 
Actually they had no idea the car would sell this well. It was under development long before gas was $3 a gallon and the old car got no press or sales. Toyota execs acknowledge they didnt see this coming. And how could they after the Insight and 1st Prius came and went without anyone giving a damn?
 
High gas prices, space age styling that allows owners to show their greeness to the masses and Toyota's rep have led this car to great success. Interestingly enough the car is increasingly being sold to fleets. Governments, rental agencies and car sharing organizations like Phillycarshare are buying these cars now. Thats another reason sales are going up.
 
"Seriously, if you want to save gas and look like someone who can think for yourself, buy a diesel Jetta."
 
Diesel Jetta looks like a regular car and thus no one is interested. If you drive a Jetta oil burner others may not know you are smarter and more efficient than they are because your car blends in with normal cars.

So 1487, you're saying Prius owners are or think they are "smarter" than other drivers? That's funny.......

WOW! Lot of wishful thinking,Every time there is a good review about this car all you hear is, just wait until .......yada..yada.yada ,At the same time prius owners are extremly happy with their ride.............. Toyota Prius owners apparently love their hybrid, judging by the kudos it earned in Consumer Reports' Annual Car Owner Satisfaction Survey released late Monday. The consumer watchdog reported that 92 percent of Prius owners said they would "definitely buy one again,I personally would never buy one but have nothing against anyone who choose to,...........Remember when the Lexus LS 600h was on the way, and there was head-scratching aplenty about the $100K+ price and the delay? At the time, Lexus said it only planned to sell 2,000 of the hybrid cruisers per year, and that they already had orders for 1,650 of them. Then the car came out, and in spite of being treated rather unkindly by the motoring press and boasting a less-than-stellar MPG improvement, it has sold 6,093 worldwide through October. The car only went on sale in July. (SOURCE AUTOBLOG) WOW! Great job Toyota! Though not great news for the Toyota bashers.

wow TOYOTA4LIFE:
 
thanks for posting, your open minded comments, and ability to look past toyota is really appericated.
 
I'm a car fan. Not a brand fan.
 
i've seen the old prius before. It looked like a corolla and did not stand out. The insigt stood out but was way too tiny. So what did toyota do?
They crossbread the 2 into something goofy looking. i'd rather have a 'car' 'car', that gets good gas milage then to advertise to the world that I drive a hybrid and 'care'.
 
Just like rap made the escallade a huge seller. The hollywood types that drove there 20k car (on there 10million a year salary) to the oscar's helped push the car's image.

1487
 
"which tells you that people care more about image and self righteousness than actual mileage."
 
Couldn't have said it better myself.
 
Oh and by the way the Lexus 600h is selling because it allows the limo liberals the chance to show how much they care.
 
Great for Toyota. If they can charge a premium to appeal to the vanity of the masses, terrific. Market is satisified and growth is occurring. Now stay off my back.

Toyota4life, I am not a Toyota basher. Like I just said in my previous posts, the Prius IS a great car and there's little surprise it's doing well.
 
The Lexus 600h, however, is ridiculous and the motoring press were right in "bashing" it. That car is a success not because it's a great car (compared to its competition or the Lexus LS460), but because of the positive image associated with driving a hybrid.....despite the fact that this hybrid has the same performance and fuel economy as the ICE-only equivalent. The job of motoring journalists is to give objective reviews of a car.......whether the public agrees or not is a different matter. I don't always agree with what they say....but I wouldn't call them bashers.

TOyo4life,
 
I cant really understand the concept of a Toyota fan but I guess thats what you are. If you want to try and argue the press and public is biased against Toyota you are going to have a hard time. NO ONE feels sorry for Toyota so all of this defending the honor of the weak and defensless ToMoCo is absurd. The LS600h was derides partially because its sky high price seems excessive and its mileage gains arent all that impressive. In addition Toyota initially said the car was supposed to deliver V12 like power when in fact it does not. Its not even faster than some competingn V8 cars. I dont give Toyota credit for releasing a ridiculously low sales projection that was likely to be shattered from day one. If Honda said they projected to sell 150k 2008 Accord would you give them accolades for coming back months later and saying supply outstripped their intial production estimates? 2k cars per year worldwide is a silly estimate on Toyota's part. Some (if not all) exotics sell more than that.
 
BTW, the Corvette gets great customer satisfaction marks from CR so I dont see your point. People who want 45mpg cars are likely to be impressed with the Prius because it does its job well. As long as you dont want a fast, attractive or sporty sedan the Prius gets the job dont.

1487, the LS600h actually had no mileage gain on the LS460! And no performance gain either!
 

Toyota4life-
 
Please don't plagiarize AutoBlog
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/04/lexus-exceeds-ls600h-sales-target-by-three-hundred-percent/
 
Your whole post was directly from their article.
 
For as much as some of us argue- we usually come up with our own original posts

1487 wrote , I dont give Toyota credit for releasing a ridiculously low sales projection that was likely to be shattered from day one.........Like GM 500 projection sales for the malibu first month?

Still can't buy a diesel Jetta. VW can't figure out how to get it to pass emmissions. Still.

I think the comparison to Apple is an apt one. There is a lot of image associated with the Prius now. It started out as a love it/hate it styled hybrid that got incredible mileage. The rest of the car is pretty mediocre. It didn't do anything that bad, but it didn't do anything well either. The handling and performance are all quite bad, but the average car buyer doesn't really car about 0-60 times or skipad tests. It's just incredibly trendy now. Owning a Prius is as much about style is it is about funcionality. It's like the iPod. It's a mediocre MP3 player. At the time it was first offered some clearly superior characteristics. Nowadays there are many superior offerings, but none of them come with the style and trendiness that comes with owning an iPod. An iPod is a technological piece of jewelry that people wear as much as they use for music. It's quite stylish to walk down the street browsing your playlist on your iPod with the typical white earbud headphones. Not so much with a differently branded MP3 player.
 
The Prius is the same way. Everyone else already nailed it too. It's got very unique styling. It couldn't have gotten where it's at now with regular styling. Styling, while not on many people's lists of 'things that are important in a car', is perhaps one of the single most important things. How a car looks is the first thing you see, and what you drive is a big a statement about a person's style as any piece of clothing you can wear. It doesn't matter if you think it's ugly or not, it's unique and doesn't look like anything else on the road. People, on the whole, like being unique, and the Prius also carries with it the eco-chic badge. It's a hybrid, and people *know* it's a hybrid without there being a giant HYBRID painted on the side. The Hollywood-chic showing up to awards in a Prius couldn't hurt either. If you want to stay up with the latest green-eco trends, you gotta get a Prius. Toyota couldn't have predicted this at all. I doubt many companies plan for a car to be a widespread cult hit like this, since it's hard to predict what becomes trendy and how it becomes trendy. The unique styling could have just as easily been the death knell for this car as well. Things just shook out just right that it's been a runaway success.
 
This is why the Volt could be potential competition. It has unique styling. It also, in theory, will perform better at what the Prius current does well. The styling is the X-factor though, and honestly, will determine whether the Volt is the cult successor to the Prius, or just another hybrid.
 
It's not a bad car. This never would have happened if it was a bad car. It isn't a great car either though. Then again, neither is a lot of technology Apple puts out. It's all very, very trendy though.

Yeah, it's all been said in this thread. The Prius makes its owners happy... what more can you ask for? But I'm amazed that so many sorta-mainstream brands trail it, that's impressive. There've been rumors of a Prius brand similar to Scion, selling a few body-type variants... it'd be a hit, no doubt about it.
 
One thing worries me about the Volt. Unlike the Prius, the Volt requires a change in ownership behavior (plugging it in). That'll excite some people, but scare off many more. I know it's silly but you know that's true. The Volt's other handicap is that it won't be accompanied by Toyota's ridiculously brilliant PR campaign. Call it underhanded, disingenuous, whatever... it's worked.
 
I have yet to see GM perform a well executed product launch.

chavis, at least he cited Autoblog, but really I dont see the point of reposting something like that in here.

There's already a buzz about plug-in hybrids and it seems many Prius users are adding plug-in functionality to their cars. So I think the Volt's plug-in feature should help it and not hurt it. Besides, I heard the Volt has a small ICE that can charge the batteries, so should the owner forget or neglect to plug in, he/she can still run it on gas and get the fuel economy of a regular hybrid.
But, Carlisimo, I agree with you about the PR campaign.

What percentage of Prius are sold in CA?

aticksaire, VW has 50 states certification for the Jetta TDI. The Jetta TDI goes on sale Fall 2008.
There was a manufacturing problem with a component that has been corrected. It is better that VW discovered the problem and fixed it before the NA launch of the Jetta TDI and the upcoming launch of the Touareg V6 TDI.
  
There is nothing wrong with Prius being successful as long as it is not subsidized by tax credits.

"What percentage of Prius are sold in CA?"
 
A very high percentage. In fact, I had a co-worker just inform me that, in the state of California, it is not uncommon for the Prius to outsell all of GM added together.

it is not uncommon for the Prius to outsell all of GM added together......Even with smiles on my face thats a hard pill to swallow.

toyota4life. I hope you never wake up one day driving a pos toyota because you are toyota4life.
 
sound like them old timers back in the day that used to be 'ford guys' or 'chevy guys' and would not driving anything else.
 
then they wake up old, in a butt ugly monty carlo thinking its the shzinit

Good call, the Monte Carlo seriously is ugly. It hasn't been good in many, many years.....

Pruis is the car for posers. As simple as that. It does not prove Toyota's environmental credentials which it never had. Pruis has little value, does not save environment, drives like POS, but allows some people in CA brainwashed by media to make statements that nobody really cares about. If hybrids are so great why people do not buy other hybrids than Pruis?

Hard to put much faith in someone's opinion who can't even spell the name of the car he's complaining about even though it's mentioned repeatedly before. It's Prius, not Pruis.
 
Imagine, a car that has mid size room, mileage that beats sub compacts and (to even my surprise) bulletproof reliablity.
 
Yep, sounds like crap to me.

How many Prius are manufactured in North America?
ZERO!
 
Accord, Camry, F150, Silverado, Corolla, and Civic also sell more than "entire brands" and they are all manufactured in North America.

Ha ha ha ha ha
 
Don't have a Prius but find it extremely amusing to find all these rabid foamers going off on it.
 
Could it be that the Silverado and Hummer owners can't deal with the fact that the 400 hp gas pigs are D E A D?

yes because wasnt/ isn't the silverado the best selling vechical in america? oh no. I was wrong its the f150. heres the forbes list:
 
1. Ford F-150 (588,952 models) -
2. Chevrolet Silverado (526,575)
3. Toyota Camry (398,868)
4. Honda Accord (332,815)
5. Toyota Corolla/Matrix (317,796)
6. Honda Civic (278,764)
7. Chevrolet Impala (270,504)
8. Nissan Altima (239.800)
9. Dodge Ram (214,569)
10. Honda CR-V (184,003)
 
Looks like there are only 2 small cars on that list, and 1 small suv.
 
but yes, you can spin the numbers one way and feel better about the prius. or look at it this way. the f150 sells roughly 50k trucks a month, and the silverado 43k trucks a month, the dodge ram sells only 18k a month. OMG.
 
wait, that means that only 111k trucks are sold every month. Yes trucks are dead!.
 
(only in the mind of the elitest blind green pirus drivers)

Pickup trucks sales are down by alot ,True not dead but down,infact both GM and FORD are cutting back production on their trucks.
 
Ford F-Serie down -12.4% YTD
Nov 2007: 46,568
Nov 2006: 52,727
 
Chevrolet Silverado
down -3.3% YTD
Nov 2007: 38,122
Nov 2006: 44,363
 
Dodge Ram
down -2.0% YTD
Nov 2007: 24,488
Nov 2006: 27,826
 
GMC Sierra
down -2.5% YTD
Nov 2007: 13,840
Nov 2006: 15,382
 
Toyota Tundra
up +57.7% YTD
Nov 2007: 14,988
Nov 2006: 10,469
 
Toyota Tacoma
down -1.9% YTD
Nov 2007: 11,985
Nov 2006: 14,461
 
Chevrolet Colorado
down -18.3% YTD
Nov 2007: 5,428
Nov 2006: 6,526
 
Ford Ranger
down -20.1% YTD
Nov 2007: 4,938
Nov 2006: 5,421
 
Nissan Titan
down -8.8% YTD
Nov 2007: 5,001
Nov 2006: 4,867
 
Nissan Frontier
down -17.1% YTD
Nov 2007: 3,993
Nov 2006: 4,928

Another thing that somewhat boggles me is why is the Prius getting this press? It was the third best selling car in Toyota's lineup. That means there's two other cars in their lineup also outselling entire brands. Yet...the newsworthy story is that it's the Prius thats doing it, and it's not even doing it the best. I imagine the Camry is even outselling more brands than the Prius, and quite honestly, is a better car. I wonder how many other cars in their lineup did this, and if any cars from other companies did this as well.

Lots of single models outsell entire brands.
 
Only one HYBRID outsold 18 brands in November -- ergo the press.

Just to second Karl's comment. It's not just that the Prius is the only hybrid to outsell entire brands, it's what this says about the future of automobile technology, especially when CAFE is considered.
  
A few years ago critics would have bet their life savings that the Prius would never sell 100,000 vehicles. Well, it has, even though it doesn't qualify for any tax credits. Sales would probably be significantly higher if it still qualified for the tax credit.
  
So, why is the Prius so successful compared to other hybrids? Because it has no competition.
  
The Prius is the cheapest, most fuel efficient, cost-effective hybrid you can buy. According to Edmunds, Prius hybrid car costs are recovered faster than any other hybrid - far faster than the Civic hybrid. Thus, after 4.2 years, the average Prius buyer has recovered their hybrid technology costs and is now just laughing at everyone else when filling up at the gas station - now the fuel savings are are pure gravy. If you keep your car for 7 or 8 years, you've save a few thousand dollars in gasoline costs.
 
For people concerned about foreign oil dependency and global warming, that's some pretty persuasive math.

Prius is all image, a car for those who aren't "car nuts" like the rest of us. When it came out it was also the only one that didn't feel cramped and claustrophobic... basically like a penalty box. It had the utility of a hatch, was close in size to the last gen Camry interior-wise and had adequate power over the previous Prius and Honda Insight.
 
Now that there are others out like the Camry hybrid, Civic hybrid and SUV's like the HH, Lexus "h" models , I am surprised to see the current Prius holding strong sales wise. But the technology is still somewhat new and as others have pointed out, the odd styling of the Prius is more of an image statement than a car that looks exactly like the non-hybrid. So I guess I can understand its continued popularity. But Toyota better step up on the next generation if the car is to maintain its popularity. Other traditional Toyota cars with hybrid powertrains offer similar fuel economy and diesels are going to be knocking on the little Toyotas door here pretty soon so the next Prius has to continue to be a way above others in fuel economy.
 
On a side note, what I find the most humorous is when the Prius came out and the hybrid movement was in its infancy, the technology was written off as a "fad", or a stopgap towards hydrogen/diesel/biofuel. Toyota haters trashed the car up and down and proclaimed it (and it's owners were idiots, paying premiums for an image and supporting this so called "fad")
 
But now that GM and others are offering their own models, hybrids are cool.
 
Hypocrits.

"A very high percentage. In fact, I had a co-worker just inform me that, in the state of California, it is not uncommon for the Prius to outsell all of GM added together."
 
That is extremely hard to believe, even for CA. Got any numbers behind that?
 
"On a side note, what I find the most humorous is when the Prius came out and the hybrid movement was in its infancy, the technology was written off as a "fad", or a stopgap towards hydrogen/diesel/biofuel. Toyota haters trashed the car up and down and proclaimed it (and it's owners were idiots, paying premiums for an image and supporting this so called "fad")
  
But now that GM and others are offering their own models, hybrids are cool.
  
Hypocrits."
 
there is nothing I love more than people who make up quotes and then criticize them and call the authors of those quotes hyprocrites. Who said all this stuff? Anyone here? Anyone we know? Who are you talking about? The GM hybrids are not cool. Gm knows it has to make them to improve its image and show its working on fuel efficiency. I wouldnt buy a Prius, or a Tahoe hybrid or an Aura Greenline. Period. The Prius has gotten nonstop positive press coverage since it came out. It was MTCOTY in 2005 or whatever year it came out. The car has been wholeheartedly embraced by the press and yet you are claiming the car has been under attack because so many people hate Toyota and its technological prowess. You are in a fantasyland. Toyota is the most loved and respected automaker in the US. PEriod. CR and others have noted that hybrids often dont make financial sense on the gas savings alone and they dont. That is a fact, not anti Toyota slander intended to insult Prius owners. We understand that you have to turn everything into an anti GM or anti-GM fan issue but give us a break.
 
toyota4life,
 
Pickup sales are very closely tied to construction and the economy. I'm not sure that the numbers you are showing "prove" that trucks are on their way out due to high gas prices. When housing slows down and the economy slows down pickups are going to be hit hard. On top of that the F150 and Ram are dated and due for redesigns next year. I would expect F150 numbers to continue to drop until the 2009 comes out. The bottom line is that the whole "movement" away from large vehicles to Fit sized vehicles and hybrids has been greatly exaggerated. To date NO hybrid other than the Prius has made a dent in the sales charts. There have to be at least 20 hybrids on the market today and the Prius likely outsells about 10 of them combined.

"1487 wrote , I dont give Toyota credit for releasing a ridiculously low sales projection that was likely to be shattered from day one.........Like GM 500 projection sales for the malibu first month?"
 
dont be ridiculous. a) thats not a yearly sales prediction b) all they said was they expected 500 to be sold in november which could be true if 2007s are on the lot with huge discounts available c) I agree with Chavis that you should copy texts from other sites and post it like its your own. d) as far as I know GM rarely publically announces sales targets for the year. I've noticed Toyota and Honda seem to do this a lot. I remember Acura claimed they only expected to sell 15k TSX's a year and naturally it beat that lowball estimate easily. Toyota also claimed they wanted to sell 200k Tundras and then decided they would rather offer thousands in incentives than miss that target. Doesnt that sound a lot like something GM would do? Toyota is supposed to be disciplined and align production with demand.
 
opfreak:
 
I thought the Fit was the best selling car in America. Or maybe the Versa. I want a recount.

The Fit? That's in Japan... here the best selling cars have always been midsized. In Canada they're usually compacts (Corolla/Civic), and in Japan they've recently been smaller cars (Fit or Cube).

"here the best selling cars have always been midsized. "
 
Recently you are correct carlisimo. But that wasn't the case in the early to mid 1980's. The best selling car for years was the Ford Escort and then the Chevy Cavalier. It wasn't until the Ford Taurus that the midsize domination began.

"In Canada they're usually compacts (Corolla/Civic)"
 
Actually in Canada, it near tie for 1st place between the Civic and the Mazda3. The Caravan was 3rd and I don't remember where the Corolla was.
 
If they can get enough of them, the Fit will be up there too in the 2007 number. One of my friends bought one and had to wait 6 weeks to get one with a 5 speed.

Damn, so much for that post then.
 
Great to hear about Mazda's success up there!

I just want to add a bit on the Apple comparison.
 
There is no product that succeeds based on image alone, if it did not have something that just worked right or is unique.
 
The Prius does that. It is not an enthusiast's car, but my guess is, just like an ultra-reliable 90s Civic, it has an almost guaranteed experience to come with it, whether it's reliability, or modern interior styling and functionality.
 
Apple isn't winning based on mediocre products. Yes I totally agree there are better featured MP3 players than the iPod and better featured laptops than the Macbooks. But none come with the execution that Apple has and the style. Apple's designers (in the eyes of a designer) are geniuses in how they get the marketting and product done. It just WORKS. The simple elegant ad style for Apple products (in general, though some ads are more visual effects oriented), the simple design of their websites (which, as a web designer, I absolutely bow down to for how well it's executed) and the design of their products is made so it has this inviting feel to it.
 
As for why recent models have been so "cool"? Well obviously the design and execution is there, but it's the Intel chip transition that made that happen. Heck, I would have never bought an Apple computer prior to this transition. Now I'm a very happy Macbook Pro owner and I run Windows MOST of the time on it with OSX as the backbone. It's this parallel functionality that has made so many people jump boats.
And you know what, the products, while not as featured, have well executed unique features.
 
The iPod click wheel comes to mind, but the Macbook Pro's are also standouts against PC laptops. From the MagSafe adapter (a true stroke of genius, it saved my laptop so many times!), to the backlit keyboard (that doesn't have horrible uneven lighting), to the two-finger function touchpad (again, just genius, scrolling has never been so much fun).
 
As a multimedia student and business owner, I see design and execution as critical to a product's success and Apple's recent success is thoroughly deserved because the product really does its job right.
Macs aren't just about coolness, now they're also about cross-compatibility. The coolness factor is just a side boon, really.
I'm still largely a PC user though and love Windows (gasp!), but I also hold a great degree of respect for OS X's innovations and the whole Mac experience.
 
Which brings me back to the Prius discussion. Design a product that works right and doesn't give headaches and people will love it. That includes unique styling, but you still need to EXECUTE it right too.

+1 to vic_pe regarding apple. I am in a similar (though cheaper :-) boat.

+2 -- His description of how he uses a Macbook Pro (primarily as a PC, but one that doesn't crash all the time and has an elegant, Apple design) is the exact boat I'm in. And I'm sure we've all seen the tests that prove the best PC on the market...is an APPLE (in terms of processor benchmarks tests, etc.). Funny

Been using macs for 16 years. While the Prius/Mac comparo makes some sense I see Toyota in general as more of like Microsoft.