Toyota to Increase Tacoma Production Based on Demand

Increasing demand from customers drives Toyota to increase Tacoma production. 29 day inventory average is half of all other vehicles, including competitors.
http://www.autonews.com/article/20170806/OEM01/170809778/toyota-solves-its-pickup-puzzle
http://www.autonews.com/article/20170804/OEM01/170809821/toyota-goes-on-offensive-with-mazda-deal

 

The second article was more interesting to me, more about the merger with Mazda and long term technology planning:

The closing of ranks (Mazda merger) comes as Toyota says it is shifting into “offensive” mode to ward of new rivals from outside the industry and invest more in next-generation technology.

I believe large Corporations like Toyota invest a lot of capital into long term planning. I am sceptical however about increased Tacoma production as the reason for the new partnership/ factory.

Autonomous vehicles will be playing an increasing role in how humans move around, and that will have a dramatic effect on vehicle ownership in general.

Interesting times.

 

Yep, not the main reason but an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone so to speak. Customers want more Tacomas. Mazda and Toyota want to partner and build more small cars. Perfect.

 

As the supply of new Tacomas go up, used Tacoma prices go down.

 

I haven't seen that happen. People are still willing to pay insane, over speculative prices for used Tacomas.

 

I traded my 2013 TX Baja last month for a 17 TRD OR ACC cab for blue book, and the dealer didn't even flinch. They also gave me 15% off TRD Baja wheels and installed and re-aligned, as well as all the other accessories I bought. If you install at purchase you get the full 3 year 36,000 mile warranty on any Toyota accessories. They can't keep Tacomas in stock in Albuquerque. We'll see if the Ranger makes a dent in that, but it didn't before.

 

The Tacoma has a powerful stronghold on their fan base. It will be tough for Ford to snag up these fans. With enough time, though, it can happen. Just look at the F150 sales.

 

I hope the demand continues to skyrocket, presumably I'll get a good deal when I get rid of my third gen next spring.

 

The Ranger was the Best Selling Small Truck in the Country for many years, if they make the new one right there is no reason they could not take the crown back again.

 

Quite likely. It is about time as well.

 

The Tacoma is sort of anomaly.

The highest resale value is a testament to the longevity, reliability, and overall build quality/styling it offers.

It built a solid reputation.

While it helps that gas prices have remained low, and pushed SUV/truck sales up, we will come to a supply issue where it will start eating into resale value.

One of the main reasons for this, soon to happen event, was Clash For Clunkers. It got rid of a lot of good hand me down cars that were in good condition still, minus their gas mileage. That wiped a lot of supply of the table, which in turn, raised used car values.

I'm still skeptical the Tacoma/4Runner will survive this anaomoly(highest residual used value), only time will tell.

 

Not sure just because you got KBB for your 2013 means you got a good deal? Did you pay MSRP for the 2017? Need more information.

 

The Ranger has a decent fan base also, and the Ranger fans have a lot of pent up desire to get back to into one, I think.

Tacoma world is going to get pretty interesting once the Ranger, Jeep, new Frontier and maybe even Dakota are also competing with the Taco.

Fun times ahead.

 

Agreed

 

I feel some here overestimate how much name-power the Ranger still has. The Ranger hasn't been relevant in around a decade. I'm sure it will have an initial rush of buyers that used to have one, but after that, my guess is it settles around Colorado levels (unless it's just awesome).

As for new competition, all that ever seems to happen when a new midsize comes out is the Tacoma sales stay the same or go up. New competition just seems to bring in more mid-size buyers, rather than take away from the Tacomas.

 

Why was the OPs earlier thread on this topic removed?

 

Yes, the handwriting is all over the wall for those with vision enough to see it.
As for me, I'm gonna wait until Scotti perfects the transporter and beams me up before I buy buy one of those, I guess I'm just a control freak.

And they will continue to do so until the competition can produce a good quality and reliable product, which is very unlikely to happen anytime soon

 

Ever see the quote in financial literature:
"Past performance is no guarantee of future results." .
Just my opinion, but the Ranger had a decent reputation for reliability. Chevy S10, not as much.
I still see many Rangers on the road in my area, and the people I know who still own them swear by them.
I owned an S10, and it one of the reasons I still think of GM products as crap, lol.

 

If the Ranger was so awesome, why did Ford get rid of it? (rhetorical question, btw)

Don't get me wrong, I'm all about better competition for the Taco, but all this Ranger nostalgia on TW is kinda weird. I see Rangers get clowned on in other forums. just saying.

 

I believe it was too pro Taco or optimistic and this one may pass for a little longer idk, but I'm in before the lock down lol!