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Proof People Aren't Dumb: Prius Sales Up 27%

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by Danny, Apr 1, 2010.

  1. Fred_H

    Fred_H Misoversimplifier

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    Re: Evidence People Aren't Dumb: Prius Sales Up 27%

    Yes, the press is milking the story for all it's worth.

    "... I start thinking someone is making things up to support American car makers. ..."
    That was also the feeling of a couple of my Prius friends over here.
    I took the time to research some facts from original documents and debunk some of the conspiracy theory. With a couple tiny possible exceptions, such as the obviously incredulous Sikes case, there is no big overall conspiracy against Toyota. But the overreaction and the inaccurate and especially the incomplete reporting by the press can lead people to fill in the blanks with conspiracy theories.

    Since there are people who don't think that the story is being sensationalized by the press itself, they are looking for other culprits as the drivers of the hysteria. This has led to an ugly accusation or two by a couple of my Prius friends.

    I have seen enough polls where people say one thing, but the statistics prove that when the time comes to put their money where their mouth is, they actually do the other. Here we have a slightly different situation where the press and other people are telling us that we have lost confidence in Toyota, but when the time comes to put our money where our mouth is, we are still buying Toyotas.

    Most car buyers spend thousands more than the minimum required to meet their most basic needs. The money goes for things like prettier paint, louder radio, fancier wheels, more luxurious interior, cupholders, etc. Are we now expected to believe that we are spending thousands on such trivial things, and at the same time that we think we are putting our very lives on the line just to save a couple hundred dollars?

    Not me.
    How about you?
    No? Then it must be a third person.
    Sure, it's always only the others, never me.
     
  2. Iceman123

    Iceman123 New Member

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    I'm afraid you don't understand the point....Toyota is promoting today ...and will be for a long time....If they want to see their business go up against 2009 figures !...Doing that will cut into the profit of per car sold ...This profit loss per car can turn into a better profit, if, hypothetically, Toyota sells (Like 40%)allot more cars.

    100,000 at 10k profit = $1 Billion profit
    140,000 at 8k profit = $1.12 billion profit

    Of course, low balling sales is at a risk of getting your customers accustomed to buying on the cheaper. This also lowers the value of each car, which subsequently hurts resellers .
     
  3. Iceman123

    Iceman123 New Member

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    You picked a bad example(A bad move on your part) in Apple, you fail to realize that they ticked off more people then Toyota did, when they lowered their 3g phone by $200...Because of customer backlash, they issued refunds of $200 for the difference the earlier buyers had paid for.

    Also Apple did not withhold technical issues(If they had to) from the U.S, when they informed Europe.

    Your analogy of casino gambling to buying a car is baseless.When buying a car you are suppose to get a pretty accurate read as to what your resale value will be for your car in a few years barring any accidents or high miles....Rest assured if the base price for the car gets lowered for any unforeseen reason(Recalls, bad press, deaths, abnormal incentives) you can throw that out the window .This is the direct responsibility of the automaker.The only thing you can compare to casino gambling to this..Is when the dealer steals some of your chips when you're taking a look at the waitress.
     
  4. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    Actually it is a perfect example since I've owned Macs from 128k forward. We did buy one PC 'luggable' but my doctor told me I had to sell it . . . my blood pressure got too high.

    I didn't see that clause in my sales contract. Perhaps you are confusing a sale with a lease.

    Bob Wilson
     
  5. Iceman123

    Iceman123 New Member

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    I appreciate you being a little more even keel as to some of the others.As to you may provide links, just to get conversations going.
    But the 2 links , is no different then the Bloomberg link I provided. Of 100% U.S car buyers , you can guarantee that 20-25 %(44% in Bloomberg poll) of Americans will only buy American, that number has increased since the recent woes. 5 % -10% are die-hard Toyota loyalists, will only buy Toyota , which leaves the majority on the fence(between 45%-75%). Your articles don't say guarantee to buy , but rather I would interpret that they would look into buying, having a positive outlook or w/o having bias.

    I find it interesting that you couldn't find the full results in the RICE study anywhere..Where they state that 26 other automakers averaged a 4(I owned many in my time, would give none a below average rebuy) to Toyota's 8.

    How come say a Ferrari doesn't top a list..You want to tell me..People that own them have gripes ?
     
  6. Iceman123

    Iceman123 New Member

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    You want to tell me you couldn't read a Kelley Blue Book on estimated expectancy of car resale in 1,2,3 or 4 years, when you bought your car ?

    Or what the pro of this company said, when things are no longer the norm :

    "The longer Toyota continues its promotions, the greater the risk that it is training consumers to expect a deal", Bell said.

    Moreover, when manufacturers rely too heavily on incentives, their vehicles see greater depreciation three or four years down the road. Resale values take a hit, Bell said, and that "won't make Toyota owners happy."
     
  7. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    I am rewarded for my loyalty every time I drive.
    I have extreme confidence that every time I get in my car it will go, every time I set off for a place I will get there, and when I have had my car for many years, my last car I had for 14 years, it will still be running and running well. That's all I care about. Keep your Prius long enough and this hick-up will be a distant memory and you will have had many miles of road under your Prius, trouble free or as near trouble free as any car. If your Prius has dropped a couple thousand in value over the last 3 months that will be very little over 12 to 16 years. It could be worse, you could have bought a Nissan and suffered the same depreciation without any recalls or drama. Toyota will recover, your car will serve you well.
     
  8. malorn

    malorn Senior Member

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    No people are wiser, I think it would take something around $3.50 /gallon to make people switch this time. Eventually people catch on to the fact that the gas prices are a bubble. I read an article in the WSJ last week that refineries are runnning at 65-70% of capacity because demand is so low. YOu tell me real supply and demand problem or another bubble. I think the economy is going to double-dip without anymore increase in energyprices. If energy spikes it will make the 2nd dip deeper and wider, and we will have sub $2.00 gas again.
     
  9. PriusSport

    PriusSport senior member

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    Well, people don't like politicians, and they don't like the media. So, that answers that.