How come Toyotas sell so well?

sorry about the double take - computer had a server glitch and I thought it had failed the first time.....Russell S
Prado RV6

G'day Russell,

Good topic.

I think the name of the game is brilliant marketing. Toyota have created a mindset with the Australian public which is so successful that most Aussies now simply relate 4X4 to Toyota.

Very effective.

As great as they are, I personally I don't believe they are any better than their main rival the Patrol

BTW - I don't own either vehicle so this is virtually a neutral opinion

DennisN

Russell,

We bought the 80 Series..for a couple of reasons...they seem to hold their value fairly well, I needed a car that had plenty of strength for the amount towing I do, and finally I wanted a car that I could fit comfortably in...given my height of 6ft 6", I tried out a couple of Patrols but it was in the Toyota that I could feel reasonably comfortable in.

cheers

AlLaugh alot..life's too short not to....

Russell, to be fairer it would need a break down of who actually buys the vehicles,
Defence contract is to Toyota, a big customer. I also believe it is due to very good marketing by Toyota as Landcruiser is viewed or thought of as a status symbol as indicated by few on this forum. It would be intersting to know the % of each vehicle type that actually tow vans or go off road. Just my views and is not a shot at Toyota
cheersShe just didn't quite make it home

most of your Bondi coffee bean bandits buy toyota's because they are manly designed for road use and make better shopping trolleys and kid transport devices for this reason.
Nissans are still built like trucks so not as appealling i guess to your average Bondi bandits and Toorak tourers.
All depends on your end use i guess, remember 90% of 4wds dont make it off the tar.

Russell

Must be a late morning tea huh! As a GU driver, I can attest that the Nissans perform very well when up against the Toyotas. However there are some key points that position the Toyotas ahead of the Nissans.

Speaking specifically about the Landcrisuier, it has been well documented that they are finished with much greater quality. An obvious example is the steel guard finish under the wheel arches, compared to the Patrol which is partly a Fibro material.

An article pointed in this direction is written in the current 4x4 Magazine. It is an article reflecting on the GU Nissans over the past four years and the value they present to the entry level 4x4er. Several comparisons are drawn against the Landcrusier on finish and quality. It concludes that the Landcrusier is a better finished vehicle. You pay for what you get.

Hi Russell..

I used to work for the State Govt Dept that handled the Tender's for Motor Vehicles...and I can tell you that Toyota's always performed well..the bottom line is normally always price...I think I only saw one Nissan contract the time I was there [7 years] and that was for a station wagon!...

cheers

Lyn [Mrs. Al]Laugh alot..life's too short not to....

Its an interesting question as to why one brand moves ahead in numbers. If there were a huge difference in quality and value then almost no-one would buy the inferior product. When it is a close run thing you look for other factors. I believe marketing has a lot do with it. Once a small market differential is established the "band wagon" effect takes over. Those with little knowledge see the marketing advantage of the market leader and follow suit just to be on the side of the majority. How do you establish that initial market advantage? I think its been mentioned above - advantageous contracts for big purchasers like Defence. The other group easily bought are the journalists. You would only have to pick up one of the 4WD mags to see how this is done. Lavish trips etc on the journalists and buy huge amounts of advertising. Pretty soon you have a compliant group with the ability to influence many others. I have no doubt that Toyota make a superior vehicle in the landcruiser. I seriously doubt whether other vehicles in their line up justify their market position cf Rav 4. Bob

Answer is simple. Toyotas are much better than nissans and land rovers. The other crappy brands dont even come into the equation. Why would anyone pay more than they could for the type of vehicle they want? Because they believe that they are getting a better product to suit their needs. Resale is better, parts availability worldwide is better (try getting a left axel seal for a Rodeo in Chile or Botswana). Toyota parts are available in most countries and regions world wide. Toyota quality of build is better (why would the defence dept buy anything but the best when they are sending troops into life threatening situations. Why would the UN use crappy brands when they are putting thousands of people into life threatening situations. These people dont buy the one that represents the best value. They test the crap out of them and buy what they see as the toughest and most suitable for their needs.

Oh What a feeling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Read it and weep Members Bill and Bob

Truckster and his trouser snake wont like this thread

Oh What a feeling my snakey

Russell,

Good thread by the way.

Another factor in the mix is supply...When I was shopping around last time one of the biggest dealers here in Sydney told me I would have to wait a little while if I wanted a 100 Turbo Diesel as they had only been allocated a small number and had already taken deposits. They could be flexible on the price of the Petrol but not on the Turbo because supply was always limited, smart move Totota. I notice that late 80 series TD's go for big money second hand. I assume this is not just because they are an excellent vehicle (as I'm sure we would all agree) but also that they are hard to find.

Anyone known the sales breakdown of 100 Series GXL wagon vs Nissan ST wagon, private sales?Regds

Bill

I presume most of you have been on a big trip this year, Toyota might have the sales figures but out bush it's mainly Nissans i saw what about you.Regards Bob
Where to next

I've just returned from a 12,000klm trip from Brisbane to alice to broome to the kimberley and back to Brisbane via the simpson, I only saw Toyotas with the exception of a few patrols at the rental place in Ayres rock. I spoke to a few mechanics who told me that out there it is TOYOTA COUNTRY. Only recently has the local police changed to nissan because toyota can't guarantee the shape of the 78 series chasis, therefore the police don't want to be building new backs every couple of years.

Interesting thread people.

Speaking for myself, when I was out hunting for my 4x4 i drove a number of vehicles both on and (where I could) off road. Obviously I couldn't take them into serious places off road but at least I could get a feel for abilities drawbacks etc.

However prior to setting out on the purchasing exercise I identified what it was I would be using the vehicle for and what I wanted it to do.

As I (like the majority of others I suspect) will use the vehicle 90 - 95% of the time on the road, and long trips at that, the chosen vehicle must have good road manners and levels of safety.

Secondly as I intended to do as much camping as I could fit in on the remainder of the 5 - 10% the vehicel needed to be able to carry myself my wife and our gear so it needed space.

Thirdly I wanted the vehiclle to be able to perform in a challenging, but not extreme, offroad environment.I have no intentions of extreme off road travel.

Fourthly it must be relatively thrifty in the fuel area, and be within my budget limits (which is important for every buyer).

With the above in mind I drove the Patrol, the Pajero, the Landrover and the Cruiser all in TD.

Based on my needs the Cruiser 100 TD fiited the bill.

I have, since purchase, driven the vehicle in a number of different off road environments and it hasn't yet let me down, and as far as I can tell the other brands(Patrol, Paj etc etc.) of vehicle that were with us didn't let them down either.

Maybe I am behind the times but I buy a vehicle based on whether it fits my needs rather than a brand. If the Patrol, the Paj or the Landy had met my needs undoubtedly I would have purchased one.

IMHO the best vehicle is the one that best meets the needs and budget of the owner/user.

I tend to ignore the sales hype, and look for peoples experiences with a product, rather than brand bias.

Cheers
PT

gday russell.
here we go again i love a good nissan/yota debate.
i think it goes down a lot to marketing/finish/resale ect.
but out in the bush you definetly so more nissans on the track unless its a landcruiseer club.so must be something to that—~‘¬‘¥•s’B

Here is a new angle , I have 3 kids and do extensive travel , 3 months Kimberly , Gulf , Cape York. The Toyota 100 series has 3 proper seats in the rear , all with proper seat belts and headrests , the middle seat is formed & therefore comfortable. The Nissan however has the middle passanger sitting on a split with only a lap belt , something that we werent happy with for long distance travel. So therefore was an easy decision for us. May have seriously considered the Nissan if the seating was more "family friendly"

Good on you Russel you got a few points of interest raised there. To sum it up Nissan owners feel it is marketing and Toyota owners feel it is a much better car.
From my point of view the best point was the mining one.
I see heaps of 4wds, govt, business and private and the majority are Toyotas, the market I have always found most interesting is business and then govt, they all predominately buy Toyota. My best mate is in geo. exploration - hard core 4wding 2 weeks on 1 off and what is their preference Toyota tray back with splits, they could buy Hummers if they wanted them. Marketing hype?
BTW I guess it is interesting to note in comparison what is Nissans role in the sedan market place? What are the resales like? Sounds like the same story as in the 4wd sector.