Toyota, Nissan, Asia Automakers Grab Record US Share In April

[hatrack]

May 4 (Bloomberg) -- Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co., Asia's largest automakers, led Japanese and South Korean companies to record U.S. market share in April, helped by fuel-efficient cars and small sport-utility vehicles.

The Asian makers sold 37.5 percent of new car and light trucks, a monthly record for the 10 companies, according to Autodata Corp. Seven had sales gains of 14 percent or more, led by Nissan's 32 percent sales increase, Toyota's 26 percent and Honda's 18 percent. Sales fell 3.9 percent for General Motors Corp. and 1.5 percent for Ford Motor Co., the two biggest U.S. automakers.

``It's product, product, product on one side, and a lack of strong competing models on the other,'' said Eric Noble, president of Car Lab, a consulting firm in Orange, California. Asian automakers ``have been setting the pace on the passenger- car side, and now they're starting to set the pace in crossovers and mid-sized trucks.''

Industrywide sales rose 5.7 percent to 1.5 million last month on increases at Japan's three largest automakers and South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co. The four had gains across their model lines, with sales of cars such as Toyota's Corolla and gasoline- electric Prius, Honda's Civic and Accord, Nissan's Altima and Hyundai's Elantra rising more than 10 percent as fuel prices climbed as much as 30 percent from a year earlier."

EDIT

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000101&sid=atVVCSUYHTs0&refer=japan

[realFedUp]

1. gee, no one could see that coming....

:eyes:

if you are a dinosaur and don't move
quickly enough, you'll be stuck in
the tar also.

[dbt]

2. Is that thunder I hear?

Very soft, yet very clear
Very far, yet very near...

[captain crunch]

3. I saw on the news this morning that GM provides health care

and pensions (for life) for 300,000 retirees, and it cost about $1600 per car they sell. Toyota only supports 3000 retirees and for only 2 years.

[customerserviceguy]

5. It would have been nice

If GM, Ford, and Chrysler cared half as much about the people who BUY their cars as they do for the people who make them.

[madrchsod]

4. toyota,nissan, and honda

have cars that are made in the usa. toyota qualifies to be in the nascar truck series and their car could also qualifies for nascar. nissan has been in this country since 1960 and it is also partly owned by renault. toyota also has deals with gm and i think the malibu is assembled at a toyota/gm plant. honda has been in the usa for years. what is the difference between furn`r cars and usa built cars? it sure isn`t the workers. after all how could the most popular car manufactor in america-the olds cutlass-end up no longer a car company?

[Sgent]

6. I feel no remorse for buying

better performing, better engineered, safer, higher quality cars.

GM may have a 1500 penalty, but they have yet to produce a car worth owning. I bought a new car six months ago, and looked at the Chrysler. Great look car, with whining from the engine when I test drove it.

[TrogL]

7. Lots Kias being sold around here

They've got some nice little cars and SUV-lite's.

Good luck finding parts, especially used.

[Horse with no Name]

8. I don't know about a Kia

I know several who have purchased them and ended up eating them.
:shrug:

[Horse with no Name]

9. Anyone own a Hyundai?

I've been looking at replacing my jeep I sold with a Hyundai Elantra.
I need something to get cheap gas mileage and then give to my daughter next year when she gets out of school.
I want a Prius--just can't afford one.