[Truck Champion]

​

• Sales of the 2014 Tundra easily up against horrible October, 2012 figures.
• Tundra market share continues to decline.
• Tundra marketing called “ignorance is bliss”.
• My emails to Toyota communications go unanswered
  ​

It’s easy to claim sales are up when the previous years sales value was horrible. It seems that heavy television and Internet advertising did little to attract many new buyers to the refreshed ½ ton Tundra full-sized pickup this past month. On a raw-volume basis, unadjusted for 27 selling days in October, 2013 versus 26 selling days in October, 2012, sales of the Tundra are 9,913, up 22.4 percent from a horrible sales month in October of 2012. The numbers reflect an increase of 842 trucks sold from September of this year, and that's not much to get excited about.

I've polled our huge Tundra owner base about the new Tundra pickup and found that the perception of the pickup continues to decline significantly across all age groups. Cosmetics aside many current owners have complained that the lack of powertrain improvements alone will send them to other brands. This social media backlash about the pickup remains unaddressed as Toyota ignores my emails and my repeated pokes at their full-sized pickup. I’ve characterized the advertising of the Tundra pickup as “ignorance is bliss”, because clearly Toyota has chosen to ignore the questions and concerns from the brands most loyal owners – well, what’s left of them.

In Toyota’s press release today their V.P. commented “Consumers showed resiliency in October with steady auto sales despite headwinds caused by the government shutdown,” said Bill Fay, general manager and group vice president. “The growth in the auto industry continues to play a leading role in the economic recovery, and Toyota is on track for a strong close to the year.” Interestingly none of the other pickup manufacturers reported any issues with the temporary government shutdown as their pickup truck sales soared.

This past October the other pickup truck manufacturers wrangled in many buyers. Specifically sales of the Ram pickup truck are 29,846, up 18 percent, which is its 42nd-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains and its best October sales since 2004.

Sales of the Silverado are 42,660, up 10.1 percent and sales of the Sierra are 16,503, up 13.3 percent. Strong calendar-year-to-date sales have helped Chevrolet and GMC earned a remarkable 30 percent share of light-duty pickups priced $40,000 or above. That is up 5 percentage points versus 2012.

Ford F-Series sales of 63,803 trucks are up 13 percent, making October the sixth-straight month above the 60,000-vehicle mark for F-Series. The last time Ford sold more than 60,000 trucks for six consecutive months was 2006.

 

[ToyotaT4WD]

It really is great to see the Tundra 14 do better than the Tundra 13, the new interior is fabulous and is such an improvement over the 07-13 model truck.

 

[SuckersWalk]

[*] My emails to Toyota communications go unanswered.

If you do get hold of them, ask them when they are going to reinstate the CRC campaign for the 04-06 Tundra frames.

 

[pursuit2550]

Its sad that a truck this good is doing so bad. And I am so surprised that people are actually buying a Chevy, which is for the most part built in China, American made made A$$.

 

[jbtoy]

Its sad that a truck this good is doing so bad. And I am so surprised that people are actually buying a Chevy, which is for the most part built in China, American made made A$$.

Sad, because Toyota marketing and bean counters have not learned enough about the NA market and what truck buyers really want.

The Chevy is NOT built in China. It has about 67% of its parts sourced from Canada and USA with final assembly in USA and/or Mexico.

 

[pursuit2550]

Go look at the back of chevy rims. I had 2 SS trucks, which one would think SS=American Muscle, American Built, not. Rims came from China. Chevy built 11 plants in China ALOT of their parts are sourced from China. Chevy is no longer a American built car/truck.

 

[jbtoy]

^^ Guess my previous post on sourcing was confusing. I will try it a different way.

There is NO truck available in the USA that is 100% sourced for parts in the USA and equally built in the USA! Times have changed.......

For the curious, the Ford 150 and Tundra are basically tied at score of 75 as "best" American sourced parts/built trucks on the market.

Chevy is scored at 67. (difference of 8 points is not significant in the bigger picture).

 

[pursuit2550]

I guess you got confused with my post. I know there is no American made car or truck. And Chevys are sourced from China. Look around the Corvette forums, Trailblazer SS forums, Silverado SS forums. I owned a 08 Tahoe and the door lock actuators went out after 15-20k miles(common for them if you check around) guess where the actuators came from, NOT Mexico or Canada. Guys on the Vette forums are pissed that when they go to the dealer to buy parts(OEM) the box says Made in China.
I have owned many chevy cars and trucks and I currently own a 03 Tahoe and the way Chevy has gone after filing BK amazes me. My disappointment with them is trading quality for profit. Now Toyota has also left me disappointed with the 14 Tundra, they removed some stuff that the previous model had and still hasn't added thing that other trucks do have and are a simple add on.