What’s the next big announcement? That Ford expects the sun to rise in the east?

File this under “big deal”.

Most of GM’s time at #1, they’ve defined mediocrity. Profit per sale matters much more than number of sales, which is why both GM and Ford are shrinking. As Toyota’s climbed the charts, so have their recalls.

This is news? I thought we had been hearing this for like the past three years.

Wouldn’t it be scary to see Toyota’s internal projections? I believe they hired Pinky and the Brain and are planning to take over the world!

LOL Im so disappointed in Ford right now. Bold move Ford admitting defeat. Exactly when is Ford gonna expect higher sells instead of defeat.

MC, this isn’t admitting defeat, but accepting reality. Only then can you address the situation and implement the necessary steps to reverse it. Better they realize this than go on kidding themselves.

For the number one automaker in the world, unless you spend over thirty grand, they sure do build boring, characterless cars that handle like off-kilter hovercraft boats. Styling changes don’t mask what you feel from the car in a test drive.

Ford is hardly any better, so this seems pretty pointless int he first place unless ALL you are looking at is #1 market performance.

good job ford! not

Toyota is a juggernaut that cannot be stopped. 30 years of a well earned reputation is really paying off for them. It’s only a matter of time before they take the top spot away from GM. Slow and steady. And if they create more jobs here in the states to go along side their success, then so be it. They’ve earned my respect.

I liked Toyota before they had steering recalls on seemingly everything over the past couple years…and are on trial for hiding the issues on one generation of pickups and 4Runners.

I liked Toyota when they sold affordable mid-engine cars like the MR2 (series 1 and 2, not that atrocious convertible version) and fun, rear wheel drive sport coupes like the Supra. I couldn’t care less for anything in their lineup at the moment.

Actually I can see Chrysler recovering before Ford does.. if they do at all…

One thing you have to remember, in terms of Toyota being number one, is that the average person doesn’t care about the same things we do; for them a Camry is a dream come true.

Toyota makes great appliances, and has a great business plan, to there credit. But boring as it gets. True the US automakers really fell asleep with product development. Financially speaking Ford and GMs’ costs are thru the roof with the union wages and pensions. This has limited there ability to reinvest in future products. I really thought that the late 80’s and early 90’s were the low point for U.S. cars. Since then the quality of U.S made cars has all but caught up with the Japanese, and has in some ways surpassed the Germans. The good news is if there financial woes don’t kill them, it has forced the U.S. automakers into a whole direction. We are finally starting to see some the cool stuff from overseas coming to the U.S.
IE, the solstice, all the new saturns, the 5speed auto in DCX products, and many more to come.

One thing you have to remember, in terms of Toyota being number one, is that the average person doesn’t care about the same things we do; for them a Camry is a dream come true.

Exactly. Well said.

as a gm guy my whole life, i couldn’t resist the financial benefits that the toyota prius would bring to my business, if the claims were true. WOW!! this is one unbelievable vehicle, and my first long trip produced 49mpg in a florida headwind. even better, the ride is very near the smoothness of my cts, so i just can’t say enough good about this car. its amazing how far ahead toyota is in this area…the fact that i will save $15,000 in gas and have a great ride for the next 5 years speaks volumes. toyota deserves the position they are in. watch out gm…..

Toyota is getting to big and because of this they are having more problems with there cars. In five years from now there reputation will demish and ford will have fixed there problems. I dont think that they will ever get to the level that ford and GM are world wide. We are only focused on the United states. Hell buick sold more cars in china than here. Ford is not really herting as u might think. It is a marketing tacket. Look were changing and they are for the better, but this makes for emotion, makes people say well ford is changing and there herting lets looks at ford this time and see if they are better. And they are no one really wants to see a jap company do better than American companys. If you do then your a commie basterd that sould move out of here.

i really think toyota needs to make a TRD brand. They have Toyota for A to B cars…Lexus for Luxury..Scion makes the youth fun cars…then they need TRD Brand…
RWD coupe ~$27500 350hp-425hp (350Z, RX8, Mustang, GTR)
MR coupe/convt ~$20,000 200hp-250hp (Solstice, Miata)
4WD mid Sedan/coupe ~$25,000 250hp-350hp. (STI, Evo)
They would sell everyone of them.

Foster- if you think showing pitty to ford is going to help anything then you need to move out of here.

Fords’ european Focus and Fiesta are great cars and both are very well thought of in Europe. While Lexus has struggled greatly in Europe and actually had to be relaunched as a brand in Japan last year. Now Toyota wants to launch a performance division and call it F, how original. After stealing BMWs styling for there new camry and avalon, now they want to mimic there performance division. If they were not leading in the Hybrid arena, I would consider them total rip off artists. Eventually the small nicks in there armor will grow and not being a leader in concepts and style will slow them down. And they will eventually become Jaded like GM and they already think there **** doesn’t stink like Ford did in the 90s, this will catch up to them.

Say what you want, but it all comes down to quality. Toyota may not have the most exciting or original products but they don’t drop transmissions after 60k, don’t start rusting after 6 years, and as long as you maintain them properly, Toyota cars and trucks will provide years of trouble free and dependable service. That’s why I buy Honda cars and Toyota trucks. Quality for the money. It’s that simple. Ford, GM, and Chrysler have quality reputations to start building before I’ll go back.

Menace what kind of Ford, GMC, or Chrysler have you been driving. My dad has a 99 crown victoria with over 200,000 miles on it with the same engine and transmission. In fact the engine wasn’t even broken in with 116,000 miles on it. No rust spots or anything. Still a great everyday driver too.

For the record, my 2001 Mustang GT traded in with 69K miles was way, way more reliable (as in nothing but scheduled maintenance) than my current ‘04 Acura TL with 65K miles (3 different power window regulators, bad ABS speed sensor, faulty seat memory, eats tires like an exotic, new battery, noisy clutch pedal, etc.). Don’t knock American cars, they’re not as bad as the propagandists make you think

>>Foster, posted on December21 at 2:50 pm
>>Ford is not really herting as u might think. It is a marketing tacket.

Well it’s a damn bold one if it is.

>>Comment by shaver, posted on December21 at 3:06 pm
>>While Lexus has struggled greatly in Europe and actually had to be >>relaunched as a brand in Japan last year.

While it’s true that they introduced the Lexus brand in Japan last year, it was not a re-launch, they really haven’t sold anything as a Lexus is Japan prior to June 2005, all Lexus equivalents were sold as Toyotas.

I think Toyota quality and engineering are still top notch. What they do build, they build well. I just won’t buy any of it because nothing they currently build interests me. Same for FoMoCo.

I really have to ask: why can’t Toyota find a way to justify selling ANY of its rear-drive Mark II, Tourer, Verossa, Chaser or Cressida models in the USA again? Some of those models seem to appeal to the buy-anything Camry market if you ask me. The difference is the car’s suspension and powertrain aren’t–as in the Camry–lukewarm jello.

To ask a carmaker to produce a simple, rear-drive sedan with the option of a powerful engine that *isn’t* a V-8 and *doesn’t* have a Lexus badge really doesn’t seem like it’s asking a lot these days.

Menace: I had the opposite experience with Toy Ota’s…and they began rusting within 3 years. So there you go. Because of that, I won’t even look at them anymore. Once a carmaker builds crap like that, they’re on my ****list, permanently.

Shaver you win the prize for the most intelligent posts so far as far as I’m concerned. To bad all of us won’t be around in 70 years from now to see what 70 years of paying out pensions, drug benifits and the costs of labour going up, and how it will affect Toyota then. Plus don’t forget that what the Japanese have payed their people in the past, is what I would consider a sub standard wage to build automobiles. Over here we pay to much, Daah no wonder their sitting pretty, but it is innevitable it will slowly bring them down to.

> MC, this isn’t admitting defeat, but accepting reality.

No, this is admitting defeat, if in fact the source is accurate.

It’s like a football team saying “yeah, we’re all losers, and we’ll probably still be losers next year too.”

This is good news, and it’s to be expected too, Toyota knows what the people wants, its a smart company, and they build quality, highly efficient automobiles that are just superior to their Ford counterparts, that’s generally an accepted fact to everyone but the ignorant and sad Ford faithful

Foster, wake up, you’re pity towards Ford is truly naive, and if you’re going to make an argument, at least learn how to spell.

And lastly, like someone pointed out above me, all of you look at Toyota from the enthusiasts perspective, which makes sense because all of us are enthusiasts, but 99% of the population aren’t interested in that kind of driving, and those kinds of cars, so at least credit Toyota for building what the people want, high quality, well made, good interior quality cars. And all of you whining about Toyota recalls, get a life, GM and Ford have a huge amount of recalls too, especially GM

watch out gm there commin for u next but they still got along ways to go sucks about ford though as much as i dislike them they are an american company!

Number Two = ****

Number Two = Better than #3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, etc…so what was your point again?

Renton, intelligent post… care to elaborate on that?

Hyperion, exactly because they don’t have to bring over those cool models for them to make $ in US. Toyota even has a RWD minivan that costs only $19K and it handles like a small sedan due to its very light weight.

They have it so good they don’t care about offering anything exciting or substantial overseas. Wait a second…. I’m not only describing Toyota Japan/USA, I’m also describing Ford USA vs. Ford Europe/Australia!!!

“Because of that, I won’t even look at them anymore. Once a carmaker builds crap like that, they’re on my ****list, permanently.”

I hear ya and agree. Unfortunately for me, that ****list is being led by General Motors. it took more than just one round before I learned though. I guess I was just a glutton for punishment.

And the only thing worse than the ****box GM’s that I was stuck with, was the poor service I recieved. It was like the Maaco of car services.

The dream of reliable, economic, mid size sedan? Well hold on, let me get my 12 gauge….

deantj: Then apply that same statement to the Malibu, the Impala, the Fusion, the G6, the Aura, etc etc etc. It’s not like the Camry is the only “boring” car in its class, everyone forgets the domestics offer a bunch of boring **** too.

I finally got it Ford’s BOLD move was to forfeit. Now isn’t that Fukin great. People stop showing FORD pity cause in all honesty they did deserve what was coming. No effort creates no results hopefully this can be a real wake up call for Ford. I hope their listening stop wasting money by redisning the Mustang every year and start working on a new car a improve old cars. like what was the hold up in improving the focus. Look at all the profitable brands first they take their time in producing a car then they just sell it and they do little change year from year. Seriously look at the Miata great car still sells and they don’t waste money on redesigning every year. Look at Volvo they are consistent with their products. Even MB is consistent with their whole line-up one theme that they change every 4 or so years keep costs down in the design department. I think Ford should go into neutral start selling the fusion, the focus, the mustang, and a few others and then worry about radically new designs in two years. I want them to be realistic and to stay on the ground so to speak for a little while.

Look at Toyota they have a few consistent cars and then they have a few radical twists in the works.Same with Honda, Audi, BMW, and so on and so forth

Only a matter of time before GM sees Toyota blow past them as well… GM, your undeserved reign at the top of the sales charts (thanks to dumping into fleets) will soon be over as well. The public has been waking up to your bull**** for 3 1/2 decades now and we aren’t going to let you live it down.