Comments on: Toyota to move hybrids upscale?

By: jackjimturkey

jackjimturkey — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:40:27 +0000

“Toyota doesn’t sell its Crown sedan in the U.S?”

LLN is as myopic as you nerds.

johnnycanuck good **** at 1019p on the 19th

Rover: “Since when was Toyota anything premium and deserve a premium price tag?” good question.
The answer: since it found a soft-minded customer base.

DrFill: don’t ever use the term “player-hate” again

jay: “If I had 100 large to spend I wouldn’t really care about my carbon footprint either. I would, however, be buying a Prius for commuting …”
No. I’d buy an Altima coupe for commuting.

By: kgm777

kgm777 — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:08:53 +0000

Hybrid or no, the very nice Crown Majesta should replace the Avalon in the U.S. This car should also replace the gussied-up Camry that is the current Lexus ES350.

http://toyota.jp/crownmajesta/index.html

By: AdminStar

AdminStar — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:30:26 +0000

It was my impression that hybrids were already upscale variations of the vehicle models. Is there a “stripped-down” hybrid vehicle on the market today? With the advent of more efficient batteries and better internal configurations, hybrids can have all the techno-goodies found on the most expensive model version…which tend to cost less than the hybrid.

All carmakers should offer to recycle their vehicles after 10 years of being on the road. You’ve got a 10yo Buick sitting on a Used Car lot that nobody’s gonna buy. GM should offer to pay the market value and recycle the car. They can use this “underground” chop-shops that do that anyway (when they receive stolen vehicles). Now the shop-shops can become legal business services that dismantle vehicles and ship the components to facilities that can re-process the materials (ie metals, plastics, glass, etc.).

By: autonut

autonut — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 02:23:32 +0000

Those numbers are taken out of Japan. Cars cost much more in Japan. Camry cost around 30K is US equivalent. Japs in love with electronics, we (in US) are living in stone age electronics and gadgetry wise. It works there, 21 large will not work here in theory, but in practice Toyota sells more LS600 hybrids then LS 460. go figure. People with a lot of money are different from you and me.

By: CA36GTP

CA36GTP — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 22:56:58 +0000

$21,600 premium for a hybrid?? And people are bitching about GM’s hybrid trucks??

By: 400horseSS

400horseSS — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:30:22 +0000

I guess you have a hybrid 350Zed ???

By: DrFill

DrFill — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:29:18 +0000

People always want the latest and greatest, especially Americans.
There is nothing special or sexy about gas or diesel.
But hybrid is state-of-the-art, and puts you on the cutting edge.
And you might actually save some gas.
Hybrids will only get better from here, and by 2010, companies will be using lithium-ion, making the next generation of hybrids even more desirable.
One way Toyota can use hybrids as the top banana is to remove the XLE Camry, for example, and just go LE, SE, Hybrid, and make all XLE features standard, plus you get a Hybrid engine.
If that is their plan for the U.S..
A Corolla Hybrid is mysteriously absent.
DrFill

By: SwerveEarly

SwerveEarly — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:17:42 +0000

Hybrids only make sense economically for certain people in certain situations.
Adding $25K for hybrid system blows any economic reason for buying hybrid out of the water. Yes I know they said they are throwing in a LCD ($200 value and a night vision gimick another $400 value). But really it will take 400,000 miles to get your money back on gas $ saved.
Thats not the point? Is it the carbon foot print they are selling or the bragging rights to hold your nose just a degree higher then your neighbors.
Seems a lot easier to just eliminate a few trips and alter life style a bit. But I guess their are no profits for anyone in that so who is going to lead the charge and manipulate the media.

By: DrFill

DrFill — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:02:14 +0000

Actually, I think Lexus is on the wrong side with Hybrids, putting them on heavier cars to make more power.
The only Lexus that has worked is the RX
Strangely, I think the S400 Mercedes may be the best approach. If it gets 25 MPG, and is in the $80k range.
Lexus should spin off the Prius, and make one that looks hot, 0-60 in 8.5, and cost $35k, with 50 MPG
DrFill

By: 350Zed

350Zed — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 14:07:21 +0000

@DrFill

Let 400horseSS have his own personal delusion. It’s a place where everyone still has leaded fuel, carburetors, and mullets.

The rest of us know that Toyota is leading the market, regardless of whether their ploys are brilliant engineering or pure marketing fluff.

I’d like to see Toyota put out more performance hybrids. First, give us a hybrid Lexus IS (but fix the handling so it’s actually got some “sport” in the “sport sedan”) then give us a new hybrid Celica or Supra coupe!

By: livelyjay

livelyjay — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:28:41 +0000

If I had 100 large to spend I wouldn’t really care about my carbon footprint either. I would, however, be buying a Prius for commuting, and then whatever else I could afford with the other $75000 for a fun car (Vette, Exige, Caymen S, etc).

By: DeansterTJ

DeansterTJ — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:09:32 +0000

BTW, where I live (Montreal) no one even knows what a hybrid is, let alone drives them. That being said, this is also a city that likes to throw trash on the ground and burns more oil in a single winter than all of Texas produces in a year.

By: DeansterTJ

DeansterTJ — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:07:40 +0000

Rover, Toyota may be a the corporate 800 lb. faceless gorilla, but Hyundai is all good. They’ve got soul, look at the Tiburon, Genesis, and the Veracruz. Decent entries that are getting better by the year. They’re priming the company for some really off-the-wall **** in the next few years – just look at all the crazy Kia concepts.

By: DrFill

DrFill — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:47:21 +0000

Yeah, Hybrids are a trend
Like crossovers, autoshift tranny, and NAV systems.
Don’t player-hate
Appreciate!
DrFill

By: Rover3500

Rover3500 — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 08:22:16 +0000

Since when was Toyota anything premium and deserve a premium price tag? The single biggest thing they could do to help global warming is destroy and recycle every Toyota ever made. Not only would this help emmissions greatly, but the visual pollution would also be gone from our roads. While they are at it, take Hyundai with you too. Soulless, mind sapping junk

By: sharpie

sharpie — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 06:37:30 +0000

Product development is always about timing and trend. Other automakers make hybrids because they see profit and they don’t want Toyota to dominate. However, it is still a novelty! It might never totally go away, but its popularity will die eventually with people accepting smaller cars with more fuel efficient engines. Also don’t forget diesel! Once the emission issues are worked out, it may just be the death nail for hybrids.

Finally, there are some government incentives that push hybrid, that will not last forever. Tax break, the right to use HOV lane are a couple of them. These regulations can change!

When the hybrid market finally starts shrinking, it will be relegated to “range-topping” trim on some luxury Toyota only. If hybrids are predicted to be strong for years to come, where is the Prius hybrid brand that Toyota promised? That’s proof that hybrid will probably never be mainstream, Jordan!

By: jayjc08

jayjc08 — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 04:23:00 +0000

Jordan- Because, it’s a trend. Just like pop-up headlights, flames, spinners, fender flares, hood bulges. If you look at the cost of producing a hybrid, the waste it generates to create and dispose of the batteries, then maybe people would think a little bit differently- Overall, it’s a fairly good gain, but nothing major. Buying a simple sub-compact/compact, or a used car would be a much better option.

But in other terms, if you don’t have a hybrid in your lineup, you must be a polluting, filthy gas hog, and so must be the owners.

By: 400horseSS

400horseSS — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 03:41:12 +0000

I heard that johnnycanuck, and Jordan its to please tree huggers like yourself and Al Gore.

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 03:19:39 +0000

I just don’t get it. If I had 100 large to blow on a car I wouldn’t give a flying f*ck if my neighbor 2 blocks down the road could even spell hybrid. Let those who tend worry so much they get migraines over the price of cheese calculate their carbon footprint. I’m buying a f*ckin’ Vette.

By: Jordan

Jordan — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 01:11:16 +0000

if nobody cares, then why is every single automaker adding more and more hybrids to their lineup? even in truck segments, as gm is doing?

By: 400horseSS

400horseSS — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:59:50 +0000

Kickin alot of $100,000 hybrid ass (no competition), nobody cares about hybrids unless you live in LA or Florida

By: DrFill

DrFill — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:43:05 +0000

It’s Toyota’s market, so whatever is clever.
The 600 is kicking a whole lotta ass.
The Prius sales are skyrocketing, and a redesign is afoot.
Watch and learn.
DrFill