Toyota Is World's No. 1 Automaker

(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.