Archive for September, 2009
Toyota’s Puzzling Marketing Blitz
Toyota is acting strange lately.
- During the 90’s, Toyota led the charge in hybrid technology despite the fact they made little or no profit on every hybrid they sold.
- Last week, Toyota announced that they will not significantly invest in all-electric vehicles, nor will they choose to use Lithium-ion battery packs in upcoming vehicles.
15 years ago, Toyota rolled the dice on hybrids with no regards to costs. Today, Toyota rejects the latest battery technology to save money, and they don’t seem particularly concerned about leading the way on all-electric cars (despite their promise). Puzzled? Keep going.
Toyota's recent moves smack of confusion and poor management.
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Franky’s DOC – A Supercharged 2007 Toyota Tundra RCSB
There are many, many awesome Tundras on the road. One of them, a 2007 Regular Cab Short Box (RCSB) Tundra, is owned by Franky. In addition to having a cool nickname (Franky calls his Tundra “Doc”), this Tundra also has the big motor, a supercharger, and a ton of extras.
Here's "Doc" - a Supercharged 2007 Toyota Tundra RCSB. Be sure to note the smoked headlight lenses.
As you can see, the Doctor is “in.” This thing is suhweet. Here’s the low-down:
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2009-2010 Truck Maximum Tow Rating Guide – Part Two
Last week, we listed off all the maximum tow ratings for 2009 and 2010 half-ton trucks. The ratings ranged everywhere from 6,000 lbs to 11,300…and most manufacturers ratings are inconsistent. Ford’s 5.4L F150, for example, is rated anywhere from 7,700 lbs to 11,300 lbs depending on the presence of a tow package. That’s a difference of 46% for the same engine – how can this be?
There's something fishy about manufacturer's maximum trailer tow ratings.
There are a lot of factors that go into determining a truck’s tow rating, but generally speaking we can boil all the factors that determine maximum trailer tow ratings down to five categories:
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Why Do People Buy Pickup Trucks?
A few weeks ago we showed that the demand for pickup trucks may not be all that related to gas prices. By looking at historical fuel pricing data and comparing it to sales data, we showed there’s little to no correlation between gas prices and sales. We also did some basic math to show that, for many consumers, the additional monthly cost of operating a pickup truck (when compared to a compact car) is affordable.
If our analysis is true – if truck sales really aren’t influenced by gasoline prices – the question becomes, why? Why do pickup trucks continue to sell despite their higher fuel costs?
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Guns, Hummers, and Pickup Trucks
There are a lot of stereotypes surrounding pickup truck and SUV owners – stereotypes that many Toyota Tundra owners have had to fight long and hard against when explaining their particular choice of vehicle to friends or family who just don’t understand that a truck can actually embody a high level of technology in its design.
Unfortunately, from time to time the media gets a hold of a particular story that serves to stir up the pot and reinforce a lot of commonly-held attitudes about trucks and the people who drive them. For example:
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