Dingo
Toyota ARE number one (both in profits and volume)
I have never disputed that. Although every counter arguement starts with this fact, or some irrelevant JD power survey result.

When supply outstrips demand (as it will when the Prius production is increased -the whole point of this article and it’s associated comments), the price should go down. Mazda can do it why cant Toyota?

Toyota instead choose to increase the prices on all of their poplular models and blame the cost of steel.

Are Toyota that concerned for the environment?
You would say yes because they have Hybrids.
They cant be that concerned if they charge what they do for access to technology that everybody should have a right to. Especially when they can now meet the demands for such a product (the point of this article – remember)

In other words – You can all have our product now…but we’re still going to make you pay top dollar for it.

In essence, Toyota dont care about their customers (they describe their vehicles as ‘units’ – a word associated more with accounting than passion or service) and it reflects in their pricing.

Oh what a (sinking) feeling (in the gut).

By the way, Porsche are the most profitable car company on the planet if you calculate it per vehicle, so please be more specific when conjuring up irrelevant facts or making idle boasts.

Interestingly, due to his abrasive and abusive nature, even Toyota Motor Corporation Australia wish he would shut his stupid mouth as they concede his rants are only damaging the brand.

His post above (31/7 at 5:13pm) illustrates this perfectly. After highlighting Toyota’s record profits in this post every Toyota customer should now be rightfully asking themselves, “have I been overcharged?”, and the answer is most certainly yes.

Every “new” Corolla owner should go to straight back to the dealer they purchased it from and demand to know why it doesn’t have life saving ESP fitted. Hyundai’s have it.

With the record profits Toyota are making they certainly could prvide ESP, so the answer can only be Toyota do not regard it’s customer safety as a priority, instead prefering to focus on maximum profits.

As Fenno so rightly points out, “a company that really doesn’t give two hoots about you”

Unfortunately, as you look across the range of Toyota vehicles you find evidence of this overcharging and under delivering everywhere.

In these difficult and uncertain economic times with the cost of living rising most of us battle and work hard to make ends meet and keep the wolf from the door – for ourselves and our families, not for Toyota’s record profits.

Well done Dingo on alienating yourself, and damaging Toyota’s reputation, even further.

Thomas79 – i have some of the financial figures for the past couple of years of the automotive manufactuers in Australia.

* 2007 / 2008 FISCAL year

1. Toyota … $242 million profit
2. Holden … $6 million dollar loss
3. Ford … $84 million dollar loss

* 2006/2007 FISCAL year

1. Toyota … $184 million dollar profit
2. Holden … $146 million dollar loss
3. Ford … $ ??

2005/2006 FISCAL year

1. Toyota … $55 million profit
2. Holden … $145 million loss
3. Ford … $ ??

So, in the past 3 years – Toyota Oz has reported a $481 million profit compared to Holdens $297 million loss … oooch !!

That represents a massive $778 million dollar diference in just 3 short years alone.

And whats funny about all this, the usual monkeys question Toyota’s stability in Australia … haa, what a joke !!

Seriusoly dude, the clowns on this site are just killing me with thier stupidity

Cheers

ps. to all those idiots that have stated in the past that Toyota Australia sells the most cars but not make the most profit … i dare you monkeys say that now !!

“While Toyota (and to a lesser extent, Honda) lead the charge in the hybrid race, incase you haven’t noticed but they also have huge commitments in maintaining thier diverse fleet, ongoing engineering and development of Lexus (which co-incidentally is amoung the most technologically advanced automotive brand in the world today), Scion, Hino and ofcourse motorsport including F1 and thier new commitments in NASCAR just to name a few.”

Why is it, every time you guys are stumped with a truly compelling case against your cause you resort to F1 and Nascar? It is irrelevant to what you can buy from the showroom (same, same with the V8 supercars) When has Toyota in this last decade won a road
race with a car you can buy from a local dealer?

On topic though…
The Prius was revolutionary in its case of bringing to the world the need to look for alternate ways to power our vehicles (with the oil supposedly running out). I dont give a sh1t about batteries or any of the crap that people say against the Prius (ie my diesel this does .1 of a litre less etc etc). The prius has a place on the market and performs it’s intended function as best it can.

What I cant get around is that Toyota (largest and most profitable) are still charging over 40k for it after 9 years of the technology being available. That is ridiculous! How is it then they can get a grant off OUR government to build them (hybrid camry’s – what are they going to cost????!!!) here when they post a profit equal to that of our GNP? When other manufacturers bring out Hybrids i can guarantee that they wont be ripping people off to the extent that Toyota are (which might be a good thing when they have 200,000 extra Prius’ gathering rust on the Docks around the world – we’ll see maybe sane pricing then I hope)

The Prius is now a part of Automotive history and represents the first vehicle in a step towards the future.
But it doesn’t represent good value if it is going to take 40,000 years to recover the purchase price on the fuel saved alone.

This is why you will always have the dissenters out there to make you question why you are so passionate about a company that really doesnt give two hoots about you!

BTW…Millatime…Still chortling at some of your comments.

You guys really need to stop living in fantasy land, and start living in the 21st Century!!

TOYOTA & LEXUS = BLAND, BORING, GRANDPA, WHITEGOOD DRIVING. ME DON’T NEED A TOYOTA, I ALREADY HAVE A FRIDGE PARKED IN MY KITCHEN AND IT RUN’S ON ELECTRICITY JUST FINE.

Are you employed or paid either directly or indirectly by Toyota or one of its agencies?

Toyota could do so much better, what a shame they don’t.

I knew I should’ve used a crayon so you’d understand..

Are you employed or paid either directly or indirectly by Toyota or one of its agencies?

As for being dumb … fairdinkum – you are killing me !!

The problem my friend is that much of my written comments are based on fact and reality, not stupid rot from la, la land.

As for Tesla, one of the smallest automotive companies in the world and with the smallest number of commtments.

Toyota however is now the largest manufactuer not to mention the most profitable, wealthiest and engineering amoung the best that can be found anywhere in the world today but thier commitments are amoung the most diverse in the world aswell.

While Toyota (and to a lesser extent, Honda) lead the charge in the hybrid race, incase you haven’t noticed but they also have huge commitments in maintaining thier diverse fleet, ongoing engineering and development of Lexus (which co-incidentally is amoung the most technologically advanced automotive brand in the world today), Scion, Hino and ofcourse motorsport including F1 and thier new commitments in NASCAR just to name a few.

Tesla is a good company but thier commitments are limited, Toyota is huge but so are thier commitments especially when maintaining a strong, reputatable, quality, well balanced and guided uniform not just today but into the future and strive not to fall into the same traps that GM and Ford did which co-incidently is destroying them.

Considering the size and diversity of Toyota Motor Corporation, they have done a remarkable, argueably an impeccable job of establishing themselves as they exsist today so don’t you dare critise thier commitment in hybrid technology.

Just for you because you really need it, i’ll repeat myself – Toyota leads the charge in hybrid technology with the Prius, RX400hl, GS450hl, LS600hl and hybrid diesels from Hino all the best examples that can be found anywhere in the world today and until other manufactuers match them especially in mass production, i suggest you pull your head in and stop being a clown.

As for Tesla accelerating from 0 – 100 in 3.9 secs – all well and good but what is thier history like for reliability, dependability and durability which are amoung the most important performances of hybrid technology then just accleration … have a think about it.

Oh yeah – i still haven’t seen critism from you aimed at General Motors … why not !!

And don’t you dare give me that crap GM doesn’t manufactuer thier own batteries becuase that is not an excuse. Infact, it’s nothing more then a pathetic sidestep but haa – that’s what clowns do … put on an act !!

It is a well known fact that if GM or Ford were achieveing the same remarkable results as Toyota is, all would be the best and impeccable engineering but becuase that’s not the case and Toyota leads the charge, circus clowns like yourself put on an act instead which is down right pathetic.

But then again – you are pathetic so what else would we expect !!

If you wish to trade insults I’m fine with that.

GM dont manufacture batteries.

Every time you post you prove yourself constsntly to be the dumbest human to ever sit in front of a computer.

I have begun praying for you that mercifully one day even the smallest spark of intelligence will ignite and take hold in that pea sized mush filled crumb that you call a brain..

Let me spell it out for you and it’s a shame I can’t use crayons for you so you’ll understand..

Promoting hybrid technology is the automotive manufacturing equivalent of fiddling away while Rome burns.

It is doing very little under the banner of doing a lot.

You tell us with monotonous regularity that Toyota are the worlds largest automobile manufacturer, posting the largest profits.

Look at what Tesla have achieved – one of the worlds smallest vehicle manufacturers by the way – with all electric technology.

0-100 in 3.9 seconds with the running cost equivalent of 256 mpg! Did you bother going to the Tesla website to check it out?

So here’s the crunch – if (one of) the worlds smallest car manufacturers can achieve that, just imagine for a second what the worlds largest and most profitable (as you continually tell us) could achieve if they devoted even a small portion of their gargantuan profits to all electric technologies.

Toyota worldwide would spend more on pens and paper than Tesla do on the development of their roadster.

Toyota are in a unique position. As the largest and most profitable car maker, as you tell us every day, with the market acceptance they have earned, if they developed an all electric car and stuck a Toyota badge on the front and rear of it, and applied their marketing genius, combined with Toyota’s reputation for quality, it would sell in numbers from day one.

Now do you understand why the Prius, and all other hybrids, are simply not good enough? Especially from the worlds largest car manufacturer..

Anyone ingnoring facts and it is you … PERIOD !!

Your comments are not critism – just stupid rot.

Read my comment again and tell me what’s not fact. I’ll even even help because you need it – none !!

Toyota and to a lesser extent, Honda – have lead the hybrid charge for many years and now a greater number of manufactuers are coming onboard including some of the biggest names in the automotive industry.

The Prius is a remarkable car and has proven it’s credentials on the world stage despite the current platform showing some age of which it will be replaced with the next generation example in the 2009.

The NG Prius will be powered by a 1.8 instead of the current 1.5 mated to an advanced, more refined and developed hybrid system therefore the vehicle will be more powerful yet more efficient and that’s Toyota’s reponse to global demand … more power yet more efficient.

What i find downright brain-dead about dimwits like you is you critise Toyota’s hybrid technology despite them being the most advanced in the industry and improving performance with every new release.

Toyota hybrid’s have proven to be the most efficent, reliable, dependable and durable in the hybrid industry and also recognised for the high quality of thier vehicles (impeccable for Lexus) so why don’t you critise GM for thier lack of development and due care sense thier hybrid platfroms are proving unreliable and downright under-developed.

Toyota leads the charge in the hybrid industry and no matter amount of stupid, pathetic comments from you will change those very simple facts … not even remotely.

Better still – why haven’t i seen a critism from you directed at GM because of thier current recall due to leaking batteries resulting into a complete system shutdown effectively rendering the hybrid package unserviceable / useless.

Answer that – why no critism ??

This will be good, Mmmm …

The Toyota Prius, Lexus RX400hl, GS450hl, LS600hl and diesel hybrids from Hino all lead the charge in the hybrid industry from the world’s most popular manufactuer … PERIOD

ps. why do you ignore the facts of my comments ??

How predictable and utterly boring you are.

Why do you ignore the main points of my post, ie Toyota with their vast resources could build and market a truly “green” motor car, and simply punch out yet another advertisement for Toyota?

Are you employed or paid either directly or indirectly by Toyota or one of its agencies?

PRIUS IS SIMPLY NOT GOOD ENOUGH FROM THE WORLDS BIGGEST CAR MAKER.

It’s a dangerous gimmick as it allows Toyota and other manufacturers to say “hey we really are trying to advance alternative technologies” whilst the status quo is effectively maintained.

What a shame…

Prius – Lagging in the today’s hybrid technology scape, it can do better and should do better, but Toyota are happy for people to keep buying them at the rate their going for such a 10 year old car… it was and eyeopener then but cmon its substandard in its effeciency against cars of today.

I am a happy and delighted Prius owner. It’s a true space age vehicle, keyless entry and start (so it’s like it recognizes me) and living near NYC, USA – I am VERY grateful to not have pay attention to gas prices all the time as they wobble up and up.

Prius isn’t just a car… it’s an experience!

Hey.. I should start writing tag lines…

thank you for the wonderful spirited posts!

:-)

As i said earlier – the Prius recently ranked No.1 in the 2008 UK JD Powers Quality / Customer Satisfaction survey fending off over 100 other models and scoring a massive 910 / 1000 pts. And despite the current model which is now aging (next generation Prius due in 2009), it’s engine / hybrid system also won the 2008 World Green Engine Of The Year.

These are facts representing the Prius in the real world while your comment is nothing more then just pure rot.

And the best hybrid’s in world do come from the world’s largest manufactuer with examples including the Lexus RX400hl (due to replaced with the RX450hl in 2009), GS450h and ofcourse the 327kw/650nm, 5.0 V8 / 8-speed, AWD LS600hl which is also the world’s first V8 hybrid.

Oh yeah, and lets not forget Toyota’s trucking subsidary – Hino – was the first brand in the world to introduce/sell hybrid diesels.

What more do i need to say … !!

PRIASS AND TOY-MOTA SUX !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!