Toyota Is World's No. 1 Automaker

First Quarter Sales Bypassed GM For The First Time Ever

(AP)  Toyota Motor Corp. became the world's top auto seller in the first three months of the year, passing rival General Motors Corp. for the first time, the Japanese automaker said Tuesday.

Toyota sold 2.348 million vehicles worldwide in the January-March quarter, company spokesman Satoshi Yamaguchi said, surpassing the 2.26 million vehicles that GM said it sold during the same period.

The results mark the first time Toyota has beat GM in global sales on a quarterly basis, he said.

While the figures represent only quarterly sales results, they foreshadow a tough challenge for GM as it fights to hold onto its title as world's top automaker - a claim usually staked on annual production figures.

Toyota has been gaining steadily on GM in recent years, and analysts have been saying it is only a matter of time before it eclipses its Detroit-based rival, which has seen its market share shrink in the United States even as it leads sales in China, a market with tremendous potential.

While GM has struggled to shore up earnings with job cuts and plant closures, Toyota has expanded rapidly, thanks partly to the popularity of its fuel-efficient cars.

In 2006, Toyota's global output surged 10 percent to 9.018 million vehicles, while GM produced 9.18 million vehicles worldwide.

Much of the hype on Toyota and other imports are just not true. If anyone believes that someone has a Toyota with 100,000 miles and no brake repairs, I have a bridge in New York for sale at a discount.

My Toyota has less than 100,000 miles and

1. It's on it's 2nd radiator
2. It's on its 3rd carburetor
3. It's on it's 3rd water pump
4. It's on it's 2nd starter
5. It's on it's 2nd clutch
6. It's on it's 2nd or 3rd set of brakes
7. The radio died.
8.. It's on it's third set of tires.

People are not telling the whole truth about the maintenance on imports. As Albert Einstein said "There are two things that are infinite; the universe and human stupidity; I am not sure about the universe".

[ajcarlson62]

Our 2004 Toytota pickup has 236,000 miles on it and the only repair it has had is a new thermostat. (aside from regular stuff like brakes and tires). It is the most solid vehicle ever made and I love driving it knowing that there was so much thought that went into designing it. It still starts and runs like a champ.

Engineers for American car companies have been made the slaves of the company accountants and forced to compromise good design with cheap materials and poor quick design decisions. Unfortunately the accountants were only counting their dollars in the short term, and now the American car companies are paying the price. They brought it on themselves. As well, the Toyota plant in Kentucky is known for being a great place to work with excellent incentives and benefits packages for its workers...sounds like the American work force 30 years ago...

[ander241]

I have kept two cars for 12 years before they had such expensive problems I had to sell them outright. The first was the new 1972 Pontiac Firebird (loved that car), then a Subaru XT Coupe. Now, I have had a Toyota Celeca for 6 1/2 year and plan to keep it until it starts to cause expenses. I have never had it in the shop for a problem. I love it and would have gotten a Prius had one been available then...for less gas comsumption. This Toyota is wonderful and great to look at. People really comment on the appearance since the 2000s were especially sporty looking before the style changed a tad. No more American cars for me.

[themightyhoe]

Its true....GM has pissed away alot of customers. Its gonna take years for them win them back. If they can at all. I can say from being on the inside that the company has taken a 180. Its a totally different company. Will the new products be enough to stop the bleeding? I don't know.

Its funny, all these auto companies now buy all thier parts from the same people. Globalization has almost run its course in this industry. And its probably going to be the thing that saves GM. They can now buy the cheap components from South Korea and China just like Toyota does. So these cars are a collection of pieces.....and all the pieces come from the same suppliers....they are really not that different. Now mind you, this is a recent development. But the benifits of globalization are now starting to take shape for GM.

[jebby_one]

Is my 1998 Maxima becomming a classic?

What a great car! We have 190,000 miles on ours and it and it still shines like the gem that it is. It probably won't become a classic though because to many 96-99 Maximas are still around and still looking like new. This car won't die - ever!

[jebby_one]

I love my Prius !!

at 50+ MPG I could drive around the world for just $500 .. with air conditioning !!

I can get 55 to 60 if i milk it. i'll probably start doing that if gas goes to $4.00 a gallon.

[jgiallor]

My '89 TOYOTA Camry @189,900 miles can be found STILL For Sale on Auto Trader for CHEAP. And, once known as the most stolen car in America because its model year ran for 7 years without change along with the Honda Accord tells all of us - You dont have to mess with success. Im sure those window cranks and door locks are the same in the widely acclaimed ES 250 Lexus, just has more "panache" with leather and all. These cars run great for a long time!

[tbweb]

Toyota makes a great vehicle. I had a Camry for over 10 years and changed the tires and oil regularly and that was it. When I gave it up I didn't want to, I felt like I could have drove it another 10 years. Toyota makes a quality product and its hard to argue with quality. A friend on mine had a Toyota Tercel for over 14 years and that Tercel was still running good when he sold it for $1200.00. He told me he never changed the oil, never washed it and completely abused that Tercel and he said it just adjusted to his abuse and kept running with no problems. Toyota is the Gold standard for auto quality and other car makers had better pay attention or continue to lose market share. Long warrantys in some cases 10 years long are good but who wants to be sitting in the shop no matter how well the service is, you want to be on the road and not losing time at the repair shop. American cars are a lot better now, a lot better but they still have staying power issues and seem not to be as reliable pass 5 years according to people I talk to.

[downtowner97]

Tucker called it.

[okieman11]

I bought a 2005 Nissan Sentra w/5 miles on the odometer. Had problems with suspension, engine and the power windows all before 17,000 miles. It just goes to show people that think Japanese/Foreign cars are the best. All automakers make junk, not just the big 3. I just purchased a 2007 Chevy HHR and now have 20,000 and it is great. No problems.

[randalds]

Then again I do have a 1998 Chevy Tracker that I've now owned for nearly 10 years. I keep it around because it's been paid for for years and it runs great! I love it and have never had a bit of trouble with it. Just basic oil changes and tune-ups and one new battery.

Of course it IS made in Japan by Suzuki.

[sparks224]

GM, Ford and Chrysler should all merge and change their name to Big Stupid Trucks are us.

BSTs (SUVs) are cheap to make and can be sold for a huge mark up.

If Americans ever decide they want something more sophisticated than a pickup truck with gadgets on the inside, the American auto manufacturers will be out of business.

[glidescube]

I bought a new pontiac and the engine blew at 9,500 miles, the transmition followed at 16,000 and the alternator went at 22,000 miles. Of course it was under warranty but it still cost me time and lost hours at work to get it fixed. I bought a toyota Prius and have 25,000 miles on it and it still drives like new with out so much as a squeek.

Then GM wonders why it looses customers like me.

[vancouverboo]

It's only going to get worse.

The elite power structure of America focused on Short Term Greed. Long Term Greed was beyond their little minds. They couldn't/can't see quite further than the next quarterly statement.

[randalds]

The plain and simple truth is that they make better cars for a better price. In the late 70's the US automakers were almost taken down by the Japanese because of fuel economy. For awhile it seemed as if they'd learned there lesson, but then they started building their whole market based on huge SUV's who's sales are particularly sensitive to rises in fuel prices. Yes the public wanted them, but putting all of their eggs in this one basket was ignorant.

Besides many of the "foreign" cars being sold in the US are actually built here with American labor and the Big Three are all just as international as the Japanese are. There are no more American made vs foreign made cars sales any longer. All of the companies are worldwide.

[vastr-wcon]

There is no surprise in the news that Toyota is number 1. I just bought a new Honda Accord, after looking at Camry and a few GM, Ford, Chryslers. The Honda is great value for the cost and outstanding quality; the Camry was a close second. The others are total ***, with poor gas mileage.

[sparks224]

%u201CTHE UAW cause the big 3 to go DOWN. THE UAW they are no good.%u201D
Posted by lawandorder6 at 01:25 PM : Apr 24, 2007

Well I glad to hear the management had nothing to do with it.

Or the fact that health care cost in the US are double what they are in every other industrialized country.

[lawandorder6]

THE UAW cause the big 3 to go DOWN. THE UAW they are no good.

[supercoupe40]

Another truth is that the 'Little 3', have learned their lesson, and the benefit of their corrective measures are just now beginning to be seen and felt. Regardless of the fact that many people (myself included) don't want to believe that their quality ratings are climbing at a rate that will put them (on paper) near the level of Toyota or Honda within just a few more years, much of the general public has had their fill of problem-prone American automotive products of the past 40 years. And regardless of how many J.D.Power Initial Quality Surveys they come out on or near the top of, it will take another decade for a majority of public sentiment to turn back in their favor.

Besides - you ask me, and I couldn't care less about initial quality surveys. I EXPECT a car to do well out the gate! If it doesn't it IS a piece of ***! Where it counts is how that car does 5 years down the road. My SC400 is a '93 and still purrs like a kitten baby!

[supercoupe40]

Yep. They're reaping what they've sewn alright. Neither of them will go under though. There'll always be enough "Buy American" sentiment to keep them afloat. Plus, truth be told, they are starting to put out some products that people really do want to buy. You can't deny the influence and success of your Chrysler 300's, GM G6's and Ford Edges. Are they terribly fuel efficient? No, but not everybody makes purchase decisions based on fuel efficiency. Of all the places in the world to worry about fuel efficiency, America (the most prosperous, and free-marketed country on earth) is not where you'll find a grand percentage of that count. Heck, I don't drive a 4-ltr V8 Lexus SC400 for its fuel efficiency. I drive it because I fell in love with the car back in college and was finally able to get one pre-owned. I'll get no less than 400k mi out of it before passing it down to my son.