Prius #1 Seller in Japan

WSJ just reports:

"After all, it’s been the No. 1 seller for the past 18 straight months through November."

http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2010/12/07/toyotas-prius-to-become-top-japan-seller-ever/

I certainly am seeing a lot of them in the Houston area!

 

I see a ton of Prius drivers around the MD/DC/VA area. I didn't realize how many were on the road until I started driving one.

 

It would sell much better in the US if fewer insecure people rated their own worth and allowed others to rate their worth based upon the vehicle they drive. Compared to others in this price range and segment I think the Prius really is far ahead of the rest. Being a hatch back it has very good storage, acceptable power (it's marginally slower than the competition), but feels secure on the road and good standard options (keyless start, etc.) and of course the gas bill will plummet, which is why it's king at this price point.

And guess what just hit $90 barrel

 

Not surprised at all. Prius is the uber-functional do-it-all in a smaller package car ... and geez, easy to get the II at $21k. That's much cheaper than the gen2 in 2008 (course it had 3 door SKS, backup camera and bluetooth).

I saw Wiki's chart showing Prius 2010 sales through Sept. or Oct. at 250,000 !!

US is a little over 100,000 in same time frame.

Funny, US was buying more gen2's than Japan in the 2006 - 2008 timeframe, now it's the opposite, w/ gen3.

If the US mfrs. had more you know what, they'd try to second source the Prius ASAP if patents allow. Insight is little competition.

 

Prius = ICHIBAN

 

Great, the advent of the Prius takeover just makes everyone ripe for an EMP attack. ;(

 

Gas prices are much higher in most parts of the world than in the US. I'm sure it's very high in Japan. When we were in Scotland in 2007, gas was 1 UK pound per liter. With the horrible exchange rate at that time, it was about $8 per gallon.

 

An EMP strike will disable more than just Priuses...

 

It's now £1.20 petrol and £1.25 for diesel. or at 3.7 litres a US gallon that's £4.44 or $7.02 as of todays exchange rate.

Funny thing, but with fuel costing that much even 5 mpg difference can make a big cost difference over a month. Makes me laugh when I hear that the price of fuel doesn't affect the choice of car. I can assure you it most certainly does, otherwise I'd be driving a nice 3.5l v6.

 

Must remember we Americans are all supposed to be so dumb, that we think it is gallons we are getting. Liters? Sounds foreign. Crappy foreign gas anyway.

The Japanese are very thrifty in day to day living expenses, but don't mind paying a fair price for high quality that lasts. They prefer to buy products made at home to help their own country.

Americans like monster pickups that cost 50k and last 10k, and cost $3 to drive 5 miles. They think driving fast saves gas as they get there faster and the motor runs less.

Eurpeeans I don't know about how they are. Australians are too far away to know anything about.

The Chinese are buying one prius to take apart, duplicate, and sell for 50 cents each.

So I can understand why the Prius is #1 in Japan.

 

Then we would all have to drive Pontiac Azteks ala Dark Angel. (It does look like Prius XL)

 

I thought that Pontiac Aztek picture was just a weird Chinese clone type vehicle, but I looked it up on wikipedia and they we actually proper cars sold in the US!lol, no wonder Pontiac are no more.

 

It was actually designed by the guy who designed the C4 Corvette...it is also a precursor to all the latest wierd european crossovers like BMW X6 and the Acura ZDX (it was a decade too early)...so give the poor ugly Aztek some respect.

 

I once read an article about a long haul trucker who claimed to use an ultra boosted CB radio like an EMP to disable state troopers. Always wondered if this could actually be done.

No one ever had the battery power we Prius owners (and now Leaf, Volt and Tesla) have.

Will a PHD in the audience please engineer an offensive EMP mod for the Prius. I promise I will use it only for good and never in anger.

 

I'm sorry but your specifications are imprecise:

• directional or omni-directional? (please specific range and angular spread)
• stealthy or doesn't matter? (is a small explosion OK?)
• target sensitivity? (disable vehicle? flying insects? other?)
• speed? (aka. a few seconds or instantly?)
• Prius too?

Bob Wilson

 

Even though you've stated you don't put as many miles on your cab as most do, I'm sure the annual miles are still significant and the savings are significant. I do not remember having seen a Prius cab in my area yet, if fuel prices were like the UK, I'm sure there would be a lot of them.

 

I don't think Priuses have ability to generate that kind of EMP...unless you want your 'target' to sit in your own back seat..

 

I read an article in the same publication that proves Elvis is alive and operating a Krispy-Kreme franchise in Illinois.
Both articles are 'possible' in a purely theoretical sense---but, NO.
You cannot disable a State Trooper's anything with an amped-up CB radio.
That ranks up there with the spark-plug and home-made wave guide rumor for 'disabling' doppler radar.

Ain't gonna happen....and besides, the FCC frowns on unlicensed radar transmitters, EMP burst weapons, conservative talk radio...etc.

 

Do some people actually believe this?

I guess for a few people it doesn't impact it, for most it does. I enjoy when gas is very high reading about the occasional person who acts as if it doesn't matter with a "screw you" attitude to high gas prices, paying huge sums to fill their guzzling vehicle.

Yes, the Pontiac Asstek is considered by many to be one of the ugliest vehicles ever. Really hideous and as bad in real life as in picture.

Aesthetically ghastly.

Not possible. Krispy Kreme stores are as rare as hen's teeth

I agree, though, it sounds very snopes.com like. Speaking of snopes, this mentions EMPs and otherwise interesting read: http://www.snopes.com/rumors/realdeal.asp