Toyota Camry is top-selling passenger car but faces competition
12-20-12, 07:24 PM
#1
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Toyota Camry is top-selling passenger car but faces competition
http://www.latimes.com/business/auto...,5421194.story
Thought I'd share the sales success that is the Camry here since Toyota is Lexus parent company.
Thought I'd share the sales success that is the Camry here since Toyota is Lexus parent company.
By Jerry Hirsch
December 14, 2012, 7:30 a.m.
Toyota’s flagship Camry sedan, which was redesigned last year, is making an impressive sales run this year.
Through the first 11 months of the year, the Camry leads the Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck and looks to finish as the No. 2-selling vehicle of any type in America. For years, the Camry has been the best selling passenger car, but has had trouble gaining on the perennial vehicle sales leaders, Ford’s F-series truck and the Silverado.
The Ford truck is sure to finish first again. It already has sales of 576,529 vehicles through the end of November, according to Autodata Corp. Camry is second at 373,479 and Silverado is third at 367,613.
And Toyota has no time to relax.
Honda’s Civic was the bestselling passenger car in November with sales of 30,075 cars. Toyota sold 28,765 Camrys last month. The Honda Accord was not far behind with sales of 26,248.
The 2013 Accord is a brand new vehicle that is just hitting the market and gathering steam. It also is a favorite to win the North American Car of the Year award at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January.
Honda is selling tons of Civics because it is offering big discounts and attractive leases to clear out inventories of the 2012 model. But the 2013 version is just arriving at dealerships, having undergone multiple design changes. Honda rushed the refreshed Civic to the market after the 2012 model was panned by the automotive press. The car was knocked for being noisy and having a cheap interior, among other criticisms.
Toppling the Camry from its position as the bestselling passenger car in America would be an accomplishment, said Alec Gutierrez, an analyst at auto information company Kelley Blue Book.
Civic's topping the Camry last month was a surprise to most of the industry. The Accord has outsold the Camry only in nine months out of the previous 71.
“While I believe it is certainly possible for the Accord to beat the Camry in any given sales month, it seems that the Camry will likely continue to dominate the segment in 2013,” Gutierrez said.
This seems to be the industry consensus.
“The new Accord will clearly bring a boost to sales for the model next year and the sales gap will narrow somewhat. However, I don't anticipate this will be enough to challenge Camry's lead as the top-selling car,” said Jesse Toprak, an analyst with auto price information company TrueCar.com.
“Regardless of the sales ranking implications,” Toprak said, “the competition will heat up in small and mid-size car segment with consumers benefiting at the end of the day in the shape of great products as well as attractive finance and lease deals.”
December 14, 2012, 7:30 a.m.
Toyota’s flagship Camry sedan, which was redesigned last year, is making an impressive sales run this year.
Through the first 11 months of the year, the Camry leads the Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck and looks to finish as the No. 2-selling vehicle of any type in America. For years, the Camry has been the best selling passenger car, but has had trouble gaining on the perennial vehicle sales leaders, Ford’s F-series truck and the Silverado.
The Ford truck is sure to finish first again. It already has sales of 576,529 vehicles through the end of November, according to Autodata Corp. Camry is second at 373,479 and Silverado is third at 367,613.
And Toyota has no time to relax.
Honda’s Civic was the bestselling passenger car in November with sales of 30,075 cars. Toyota sold 28,765 Camrys last month. The Honda Accord was not far behind with sales of 26,248.
The 2013 Accord is a brand new vehicle that is just hitting the market and gathering steam. It also is a favorite to win the North American Car of the Year award at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January.
Honda is selling tons of Civics because it is offering big discounts and attractive leases to clear out inventories of the 2012 model. But the 2013 version is just arriving at dealerships, having undergone multiple design changes. Honda rushed the refreshed Civic to the market after the 2012 model was panned by the automotive press. The car was knocked for being noisy and having a cheap interior, among other criticisms.
Toppling the Camry from its position as the bestselling passenger car in America would be an accomplishment, said Alec Gutierrez, an analyst at auto information company Kelley Blue Book.
Civic's topping the Camry last month was a surprise to most of the industry. The Accord has outsold the Camry only in nine months out of the previous 71.
“While I believe it is certainly possible for the Accord to beat the Camry in any given sales month, it seems that the Camry will likely continue to dominate the segment in 2013,” Gutierrez said.
This seems to be the industry consensus.
“The new Accord will clearly bring a boost to sales for the model next year and the sales gap will narrow somewhat. However, I don't anticipate this will be enough to challenge Camry's lead as the top-selling car,” said Jesse Toprak, an analyst with auto price information company TrueCar.com.
“Regardless of the sales ranking implications,” Toprak said, “the competition will heat up in small and mid-size car segment with consumers benefiting at the end of the day in the shape of great products as well as attractive finance and lease deals.”
12-20-12, 09:12 PM
#5
Lexus Fanatic
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camry is the undisputed king of sedan sales. despite it's lack of appeal to enthusiasts, toyota nailed it. they know their customers. they have a well-earned reputation. and they market and promote the heck out of it. 
with altima, accord, fusion, sonata, optima, jetta/passat, mazda 6, malibu, and other competitors, the camry is under a constant barage of 'incoming' attacks.
with such great competition, and even possibly changing tastes or needs/wants (e.g., smaller vehicles maybe) it is possible that camry sales will decline in overall share, but still increase due to increasing population, and still keep the overall crown. the camry beating the silverado is a bit of an anomaly simply because the silverado is now ancient, but it's due to be replaced, and will likely move past the camry again next year.
the f-150 sales are just incredible. that's about 1600 a day or a little more than 1 a minute.
with altima, accord, fusion, sonata, optima, jetta/passat, mazda 6, malibu, and other competitors, the camry is under a constant barage of 'incoming' attacks.
with such great competition, and even possibly changing tastes or needs/wants (e.g., smaller vehicles maybe) it is possible that camry sales will decline in overall share, but still increase due to increasing population, and still keep the overall crown. the camry beating the silverado is a bit of an anomaly simply because the silverado is now ancient, but it's due to be replaced, and will likely move past the camry again next year.
the f-150 sales are just incredible. that's about 1600 a day or a little more than 1 a minute.
Last edited by bitkahuna; 12-20-12 at 09:15 PM.
12-20-12, 09:38 PM
#7
Lexus Fanatic
I doubt if anything short of $10-a gallon gas will knock the F-150 out of first place....it has become an American cult. The Camry knocking the Silverado out of second-place is noteworthy but not entirely startling......Silverado owners, though loyal, are not quite as fiercely so as those of F-150s. And, let's face it....the new Camry, though admittedly having thinner body sheet metal and a stiffer ride than its predecessor, is a much better design in a number of other areas, especially in the cabin.
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12-20-12, 09:46 PM
#8
camry is the undisputed king of sedan sales. despite it's lack of appeal to enthusiasts, toyota nailed it. they know their customers. they have a well-earned reputation. and they market and promote the heck out of it.
with altima, accord, fusion, sonata, optima, jetta/passat, mazda 6, malibu, and other competitors, the camry is under a constant barage of 'incoming' attacks.
with such great competition, and even possibly changing tastes or needs/wants (e.g., smaller vehicles maybe) it is possible that camry sales will decline in overall share, but still increase due to increasing population, and still keep the overall crown. the camry beating the silverado is a bit of an anomaly simply because the silverado is now ancient, but it's due to be replaced, and will likely move past the camry again next year.
the f-150 sales are just incredible. that's about 1600 a day or a little more than 1 a minute.
with altima, accord, fusion, sonata, optima, jetta/passat, mazda 6, malibu, and other competitors, the camry is under a constant barage of 'incoming' attacks.
with such great competition, and even possibly changing tastes or needs/wants (e.g., smaller vehicles maybe) it is possible that camry sales will decline in overall share, but still increase due to increasing population, and still keep the overall crown. the camry beating the silverado is a bit of an anomaly simply because the silverado is now ancient, but it's due to be replaced, and will likely move past the camry again next year.
the f-150 sales are just incredible. that's about 1600 a day or a little more than 1 a minute.
They already had some improvements in 2013 with equipment and interior details, like some materials changed and equipment added to models (base hybrid got display audio for instance)
12-20-12, 11:24 PM
#9
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Care to elaborate on that math? I don't get it.
12-21-12, 02:48 AM
#10
If you count the sales of the Chevy Silverado and its twin the GMC Sierra, they outsell the F150. The way GM sells its trucks makes it look like the #2 player, but they've always outsold Ford.
As far as the "new" Camry goes, my mom bought a 2012 SE V6 Camry with every option. The last new car they bought was a 2000 Toyota Avalon, which they still own with 225k on it. Other than the amazing hauls *** 3.5 2GR-FE v6 in the new Camry, I feel that the old Avalon is a much nicer car. Its MUCH quieter, rides nicer, the plastics on the interior are nicer and fit together better, plus there is A LOT more space in that old car. Overall it feels like its screwed together a lot tighter than the new car.
That being said, absolute power corrupts absoluetly. That Avalon has a much more luxurious and premium feel to it, but her new Camry with its low profile tires, tighter steering, and haul *** v6 sure is a lot more fun to drive.
Really I can't stress enough how damn awesome the 3.5 2GR-FE is paired with the 6 speed automatic. For somebody wanting a family car with some serious *****, you really can't beat the powertrain in the current Camry, and its been the exact same formula since it was introduced in the 2007 Camry.
As far as the "new" Camry goes, my mom bought a 2012 SE V6 Camry with every option. The last new car they bought was a 2000 Toyota Avalon, which they still own with 225k on it. Other than the amazing hauls *** 3.5 2GR-FE v6 in the new Camry, I feel that the old Avalon is a much nicer car. Its MUCH quieter, rides nicer, the plastics on the interior are nicer and fit together better, plus there is A LOT more space in that old car. Overall it feels like its screwed together a lot tighter than the new car.
That being said, absolute power corrupts absoluetly. That Avalon has a much more luxurious and premium feel to it, but her new Camry with its low profile tires, tighter steering, and haul *** v6 sure is a lot more fun to drive.
Really I can't stress enough how damn awesome the 3.5 2GR-FE is paired with the 6 speed automatic. For somebody wanting a family car with some serious *****, you really can't beat the powertrain in the current Camry, and its been the exact same formula since it was introduced in the 2007 Camry.
12-21-12, 03:43 AM
#11
Pole Position
Really I can't stress enough how damn awesome the 3.5 2GR-FE is paired with the 6 speed automatic. For somebody wanting a family car with some serious *****, you really can't beat the powertrain in the current Camry, and its been the exact same formula since it was introduced in the 2007 Camry.
12-21-12, 06:46 AM
#12
The Silverado is old and about to be replaced, so I am not entirely surprised.
Personally, I think Toyota did a decent job with the Camry but at some point they're going to have to push the envelope with a better design, better interior materials, more efficient engines, possibly an 8AT, etc. I am not saying that the Camry isn't a good car - we own a 2012 SE and love it - but there are multiple areas for improvement. I am anxious to see what they do with the car at the refresh since, IMO, that would be a good opportunity to correct many of the little issues.
Personally, I think Toyota did a decent job with the Camry but at some point they're going to have to push the envelope with a better design, better interior materials, more efficient engines, possibly an 8AT, etc. I am not saying that the Camry isn't a good car - we own a 2012 SE and love it - but there are multiple areas for improvement. I am anxious to see what they do with the car at the refresh since, IMO, that would be a good opportunity to correct many of the little issues.
12-21-12, 09:19 AM
#13
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
silverado: 30674
sierra: 11726
total: 42390
f150: 56,299
12-21-12, 10:13 AM
#15
Lexus Fanatic
I had forgotten that GMC Sierra sales also have to be added.
That being said, absolute power corrupts absoluetly. That Avalon has a much more luxurious and premium feel to it, but her new Camry with its low profile tires, tighter steering, and haul *** v6 sure is a lot more fun to drive.
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