Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) has moved into Ford Motor Co. (NYSE: F) sandbox and has started smashing Ford's mighty sandcastles. That's right -- Toyota trucks, notably the Tundra full-size pickup, are taking market share left and right in the state of all truck states, Texas.Domestically, one in seven large trucks is sold in the state of Texas, and while truck sales from General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), Ford and Cerberus-owned Chrysler have declined 5% recently, Toyota's large truck sales have increased 79%. This is due in no small part to Toyota's aggressive incentive spending that really makes the Tundra look like a much-less-expensive but just as powerful option to competitor trucks.
GM has said in the past that it won't match Toyota's incentive spending but will rely on superior products instead. However, with customers tightening their wallets and consumer credit harder to come by, pricing does matter and Toyota is shipping up on the domestic truck makers. Sam Pack, who owns three Ford dealerships in Dallas, Texas, said that Tundra sales "are coming from traditionally Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge ... have they negatively affected Ford? No question they have.'' Ouch. Toyota also recently committed to a $1.28 billion manufacturing plant in San Antonio to make the Tundra. Does Toyota want to seize the full-size truck market? 100%. Absolutely. It now has the manufacturing location and incentive planning to do just that.











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-19-2008 @ 2:19PM
richard said...
I owned a 1981 4x4 pickup for 15 years (that's right, 15 years) and now I drive a 1997 Tacoma 4x4, and I can say the trucks Toyota manufacturers are very good. No major complaints. As a result, I do plan on buying a new Tundra soon.
2-21-2008 @ 4:08AM
D28 said...
love the Tacoma and Tundra to death equally... It's bugging me so much which one to get. So i buy both, Anyway you're very right Richard Toyota manufacturers are good and even always give their newest [url=http://blogs.iloha.net/toyotaparts/]Toyota news[/url] and update
2-21-2008 @ 7:39PM
Rct said...
They last forever. Tundra have a great track record for reliability,horsepower,ford parts information,more spaces.Like most of today's half-ton trucks, the Tundra provides a smooth and quiet highway ride, although trucks with the off-road package tend to feel choppy over rain-grooved expressway pavement.
8-18-2008 @ 5:05PM
Don said...
Actually, I think the glory days of Toyota is coming to an end. GM and Ford were not really competing, for at least the last 20 years, but that has changed. Toyota has been given much more credit than what they really deserve and the news media should know this. GM and Ford will bury Toyota with new technologies and today, that has actually started happening. If only they can hold out financially until 2010. For example, take the two mode transmission from GM, it is superior in technology compared to what is used in the Prius, although not many people know this yet, because of it's high cost. It's just a matter of time, before this trans will filter in all of GM's vehicles. The Chevy Volt is another high tech product that Toyota will be behind with. Do a Google search and you'll find GM has lots of other high tech products which are coming out soon. The Chevy Cruze is another. The Cruze will be a non hybrid vehicle with a 4 cylinder engine that will get an EPA rating of 45 MPG. This will match the Prius hybrid and consider that the Cruze is not even a hybrid. If GM were to make it a hybrid, which I think they will, the gas mileage would even be much higher than 45 MPG.
GM also has a better warranty than Toyota. Getting to the Tundra, I don't know why anyone would buy a truck that has had so many problems. Ford and GM makes a much better truck! Again, Toyota goes for a free ride but in time that will change.
1-16-2008 @ 3:52PM
A D said...
What a load of crapola.
The real truck people already know what a joke the Tundra is. Heck if it isn't blowing motors, transmissions, driveshafts falling off or tailgates bending, Toyota is all but paying people to drive it off the lot.
The Tundra is known for a frame made out of pipe cleaners and is consistently rated the worst in class.
The guy that wrote this nonsense better go back to the jerks at Toyota for more lessons in how to lie.
1-16-2008 @ 3:57PM
jpdr1100 said...
You can expect posting like the above when Detroit's lock on the pickup market gets shattered.
Luckily the other manufacturers take the challenge seriously, unlike the kool aide drinkers who think no one will ever buy a Toyota truck.
1-16-2008 @ 4:37PM
DL said...
Toyota's market share has nowhere to go but up... they just jumped in, so compared with zero of course their market share will increase if they sell even one! And of course the pie is being cut in smaller pieces, so market share will drop for the others. I have to agree as a truck person that Tundras are junk (except maybe for light-duty applications?), but people will buy them to try them regardless... let the market stabilize and see if Toyota still feels it's worth the investment.
1-16-2008 @ 6:50PM
A D said...
Damn Tony, you love that KoolAid comment and have hammered so may times on it you are trying to steal it.
Face it bro.
Even you can't defend the Tundra. Try to deny it didn't meet sales projections. it was close but heck a first year model with up to 8k on the seat, that sucks. And even Consumers Reports won't telll people to buy it.
Now tell us what's wrong with any of that or the other big problems that Toyota has had with the Tundra.
And we all know you won't. Because all those problems are real.
Sucks to be you don't it?
1-21-2008 @ 6:31PM
BJ said...
It is easy to post a 79% increase when your previous pickup truck offerings were not even in the same class as large pickups from the domestic brands. The real questions should be, can the Tundra meet it's annual sales forecast next year after failing this year? And can Toyota sustain momentum in this highly competitive segment without commercial-user friendly Diesel and cab and chassis configurations?