Posted on 01/13/2009 10:41:37 AM PST by Red Badger
As we all know by now, auto sales are down, dropping by around 18% in 2008. Pick-ups actually fared worse, posting a decline of 26.5% over the same period. Still, the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado maintained their positions as the two best selling vehicles in the United States, and these two manufacturers managed to post incremental increases in total pick-up truck market share after all was said and done.
Those increases came directly from the competition, especially Dodge. The full-size Ram truck managed to see its piece of the pie dwindle by almost one full percentage point. Dodge's drop in overall market share allowed Toyota, for the first time ever, to grab the bronze medal behind Ford and General Motors. However, it's not particularly good news for the Japanese upstart, which owns just 8.52% of the market after seeing Tundra sales fall by over 30% in '08 and well short of its stated goal of 200,000 units per year. The last place trophy goes to Nissan, as its 34,000 sales represent a meager 2.11% of the market.
These market share figures include both full-sizers and their smaller brethren, and it was the Toyota Tacoma and the aging Ford Ranger that made the biggest upward moves among the mid-size pick-ups. Again, the biggest loser award goes to Dodge, which saw its Dakota sales fall nearly 65%, and its Mitsubishi Raider stablemate, which posted an insignificant 2,900 total sales.
I’m on my second Rav4, and lovin’ it!
I see... you’re trading it in after only two or three years?
Yeah. No.
It’s not what’s popular. It’s not what’s “in”. It’s called getting value for money and NOT having to trade your truck in every three years because you’re afraid it’s going to die.
My buddy’s 04 Ranger EDGE turned five last November. All of a sudden, the interior parts are falling off and the ABS block is malfunctioning.
I love my Tacoma. But I have admired many F-150s and I could well have bought one and been happy. The Harley Davidson Silverado looks great too.
Fuel economy on the Tacoma? It guzzled a lot for the first 7,500 miles. Now that it’s broken in, it has done 355 miles per 17 gallon tank, almost 21 mpg, all highway driving. Not sure how good that is, but seems a little higher than what I was promised.
You got the V6, right?
What happened to the first one?...........;^)
Goes right along with the antique it is producing, right? :D
In many ways, it sure does. I called on the Chrysler plant at Belvedere, IL, built in about 1964. It was light years ahead.
I'd still have it today, but someone shot it and cracked the block a few years back. I sold it as scrap because I didn't have the time or money to fix it at that point. Shame, because it had 450,000 miles on the original engine and transmission.
I would have bought another one later, but my needs changed. Today I have this as my "knockabout/don't care" vehicle:
244K and counting....
Total crap...the money goes to Japan...Dodge money goes home to Chrysler-and American company...fix the free trade and make Japan take American cars...you would see much more manufacturing here. That being said...I’ll be the first to tell you guys...there is going to be a recall of Tundras quite soon-count on it. A transplant is not an American company no matter what.
Can they produce vehicles without the “help” of the unions in right-to-work states like FL for example?
I don’t pull heavy loads, the biggest is a 700 Polaris sportsman (675 pounds) or a GS 30 walk behind mower.
right now I’m driving an H2.
Not as long as the UAW’s around. They have a separate contract (suicide pact?) that says that any new plant in the US or Canada *has* to be union.
*Americans* won’t buy American cars, what makes you think other countries will?????
Can the Tacoma be flat-towed? Most important of all requirements.
Okay, so tell me where the money is going for the Dodge Journey?
Remember, no profits to send home to corporate HQ, so all the money goes to the suppliers and the assembly plant. In Toluca Mexico.
Like any 2WD pickup, yes, just disconnect the driveshaft (like you’d have to do on the Ranger.)
I bet you do like your truck much better. Don’t forget to put you food, etc. inside the cab.....my husband and I do volunteer work for the NPS and we have been Campground Hosts in many areas. Keeps the wild critters out of your stuff and should help protect you from big critters, like bears, that could eat you ;o)
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