GM takes the lead again.

[Blind_Io]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6907739.stm

GM retakes sales lead over Toyota
Toyota Highlander
GM has narrowed the gap with Toyota
Global sales at Japanese carmaker Toyota have been briefly overtaken by US rival General Motors, figures show.

Troubled GM briefly took back its crown as world's top carmaker after selling 2.41 million vehicles from April to June, according to company figures.

Toyota global sales hit 2.37 million in the same period, but still outsold GM in the first six months of the year.

Japanese car firms have been boosting sales in the US, at the expense of their less "green" American rivals.

Tokyo-based Toyota overtook GM as the world's largest carmaker in terms of volume in the first quarter of the year and expects to sell 9.34 million units in 2007, compared with GM is forecasts of 9.2 million.

US decline

GM continued to lose customers in the US - the world's largest car market - with sales down 7% in the region over the past three months

High fuel prices have driven Americans away from its trucks and sports utility vehicles and the Detroit-based firm has been forced to cut thousands of jobs and close factories in an effort to turn around the flagging business.

Meanwhile, Toyota has enjoyed strong US sales on the back of the success of its pioneering petrol/electricity hybrid, the Prius, and new models of popular car ranges like the Camry Sedan and Corolla.

But outside its home market, the popularity of GM models is rising, particularly in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East.

GM has announced plans to invest $500m in Brazil and Argentina to develop smaller vehicles for the region and other emerging markets.

[Mopar Man]

Way to go boys! GET'R DUN!

[Samir]

One quarter doesn't make a trend.

[watto]

Won't last for long. Toyota is an unstoppable force.

[TomCat]

I'm sure they said the same thing about GM decades ago. But people soon learn better.

[Vette Boss]

The difference between the two brands, GM is struggling to keep ahead, and Toyota is still building their empire. Toyota is in much better shape than GM right now.

[TomCat]

GM is coming to terms with their problems and improving quality by leaps and bounds.

Toyota is riding on the reputation they've built in the past, back when they weren't the most recalled car in the world.

[Vette Boss]

Toyota is having so many problems after having built all of their cars in America. I reckon most of the problems are down to the idiots assembling them, rather than poor initial design.

[TomCat]

If anything, it's the parts, not the person watching the robots bolt them together.

[No Boss]

Originally Posted by Vette Boss

I reckon most of the problems are down to the idiots assembling them, rather than poor initial design.

This.

Originally Posted by Mopar Man

Way to go boys! GET'R DUN!

Not this.

[Mopar Man]

I support any company that annoys the green movement.

[I<3myV8]

Originally Posted by Mopar Man

Way to go boys! GET'R DUN!

I thought you were a mopar man?

Originally Posted by TomCat

If anything, it's the parts, not the person watching the robots bolt them together.

Right. Cause the whole car is made by robots. :p

[jetsetter]

Originally Posted by Vette Boss

Toyota is having so many problems after having built all of their cars in America. I reckon most of the problems are down to the idiots assembling them, rather than poor initial design.

Of course you would say that.

[TomCat]

Originally Posted by I<3myV8

Right. Cause the whole car is made by robots. :p

Pretty much. The parts that matter anyway.

[Wizegui]

Toyotas made in America suck. Not only are they poorly assembled, but almost every Toyota has a GM plastic dashboard now. Who cares about the title of world's largest car manufacture?

[otispunkmeyer]

Originally Posted by TomCat

GM is coming to terms with their problems and improving quality by leaps and bounds.

Toyota is riding on the reputation they've built in the past, back when they weren't the most recalled car in the world.

would agree here, we have a rav4

yes its nailed together well, but the quality of some of the materials is just horrid. the dash board is especially nasty...cheap natty plastic painted up as aluminium and a stereo that looks like it came from the 80's. add to that a jarring rock hard ride (worse than my focus) and engine noise that would put most diesels to shame (its a 2.0vvti petrol)

toyota definately didnt give this car its full attention thats for sure.

i know its not gm, but chrysler are selling the new sebring over here.... from what i saw in the ads it doesnt look half bad. they just need to get rid of the softly spoken gay guy that does the voice overs because its just wrong lol

they have the jeep patriot ad as well.... some really camp dude voice overs a softly focused slo-mo of a patriot going over a few small rocks and a dirt track whilst claiming 42.2mpg on combined cycle.

seriously, with that voice over man they must be going for the gay demographic...its so camp its unreal.

anyway my dad wont touching toyota again, i mean this car hasnt even shown us that supposedly bullet proof reliability toyota are known for. Lexus however is a possibility..... guess toyota make their cars a bit subpar in the hope people will then pay more to have a lexus instead.

[TomCat]

Originally Posted by Wizegui

Toyotas made in America suck. Not only are they poorly assembled, but almost every Toyota has a GM plastic dashboard now.

When have they not had cheap plastic dashboards?

I owned a 1981 Toyota Celica GT for a while. The dash was nothing to be proud of.

[Soldner]

Way to go for GM. I think both car manufacturer's are strong. GM has made some error's and they are trying to turn it around, which is definitely something that takes a while. Toyota has had further success because of their Prius and hybrid cars. Especially since gas prices have gone up, people are staying away from the GM vehicles unlike before when gas was cheaper GM, Ford, and Crysler were doing better because they could sell the beefy V8's and V6's. Now a lot of people don't want to spend a little more money for those vehicles anymore. In the US though, gas is still much cheaper than other places in the world and everybody moans and groans about it, but maybe they should get out and see how Europeans pay about 8 USD a gallon. I see both companies being more successful and I see GM growing even more because it has more markets and more options than Toyota does. With as many different models GM can push out and they have realized their mistakes with quality over quantity.