Despite Falling Interest, Toyota Still Tops New-Car Searches

Through January, Toyota is still the most-searched brand among new-car shoppers on Cars.com. However, the automaker’s share of that search is falling, and falling fast since the recall announcement for sticky accelerator pedals on Jan. 22.

Before the recall announcement, Toyota’s share of new-car searches in January was 12% of all new-car searches. The next closest brands were Chevrolet with 9.9% and Ford with 8.1%. After the recall, Toyota’s share fell to 10.6% of all searches. Chevrolet fell a small amount to 9.4%, but Ford saw searches rise to 8.7%. New-car searches overall rose 0.3%, likely due to end-of-the-month shoppers.

During this same time, Lexus and Scion search traffic remained relatively flat.

Only one brand showed improvement significantly greater than the overall average. Hyundai saw searches rise from 3.0% to 4.0% during the period after Toyota’s recall.  No other currently operating brands – defunct Pontiac saw its search share dip from 2.1% to 0.9% over this time period – experienced dips as severe as Toyota.  

Comments

Who has to search for Toyota information? I think we know all we need to over the past few weeks.The whole scandal has proven that even mighty Toyota falls into the same rut every other carmaker has fallen into for over 40 years now....shoveling problems under the rug and hoping the statute of limitations save them from a formal recall (GM X cars and sidesaddle gas tanks anyone...??).

Over the weekend my wife and I test drove the Malibu, Camry, and Legacy at six different dealerships (two from each manufacturer). The Toyota and Subaru dealerships were very busy while we thought the two Chevy dealerships were going to smother us just for visiting. I can attest that Subaru's and Toyota's are still near the top of people's shopping list. We think we may go with the Camry as we didn't like the CVT in the Legacy - however it is a very nice car. The Malibu handled nicely but everything else about it was blah and the interior felt small. My wife wants to check out the new Sonata which I think we will.

Chopper, also check out the outgoing Sonata while you're visiting the Hyundai dealer. It's essentially Camry done better at ridiculously discounted prices.

Chopper,

When Malibu just came out and everyone had euphoria about it, I just happen to sit in it at the mall and that was enough to say that this is not the car of the high standard. Accord was still better to feel.

Sonata is... well, Camry and Malibu mix. It feels like Camry, fit and finish like Malibu. Not perfect.

Today is such a mess, it is hard to say, which car is better. don't think that if you get Camry, Legacy or Accord you will be problem free. These babies are no longer problem free. They may be built well unlike some other cars. Accord may be handles better then all of them. Toyota rides better. You need to pick what you prefer but you will not get a trouble free car no matter which you pick.

I have a 2009 Honda Accord that I bought in '08, I do a lot of driving due to my job, the car just turned 46,000 and I have had a total of zero problems. I looked at every car in it's class and believe I bought the cream of the crop. Like Car and Driver said, the Accord is the 3 Series of family haulers.

I recently traded my Malibu because of trans problems and ended up buying an Accord. Originally I wanted a Mazda6 but after test driving the Milan, Accord, Camry, Sonata, and Mazda6 I went with the Accord. This is my first Honda but probably not my last as I love my Accord!

Hyundai is quickly becoming the new Toyota. The new Sonata will only further cement this movement.

The Rentabu has always been overhyped and under-delivered which isn't surprising since it's a fleet special just like the Impala and Sebring are. I've met 2 persons who had to replace engines due to faulty camshafts (same widespread problem as the Lambda SUV and other GM vehicles with the corporate V6) and another who had a transmission hesitation problems that prompted an early lease stoppage.

As far as Toyota, maybe folks are looking for a bargain now that values are dropping?

malibu is no worse than camry inside or out. In fact it looks better inside and out. Camry interior is mediocre at best- just sat in a 2008 XLE the other day. No one who is objective can honestly sit in the Malibu, Fusion, Camry, 6, etc and come away being impressed by the Camry. Period. The fit and finish is OK and there are few soft touch plastics to be found. Accord interior is just OK. The buttons and fonts are huge as if the car is designed for seniors. Without the nav screen the interior is terrible because you get a small screen with 80s style VCR text. The praise for the Accord interior exists simply because it's a Honda. Its not better than Malibu or 6 inside and its actually quite unattractive with its huge expanse of AARP sized buttons.

And the Malibu is no more of a fleet car than the Camry or Altima so YOING can give the lame "rentabu" jokes a rest. I doubt any midsize sedans are more reliant on fleet sales than Sonata and Altima.

Really Sheth/1487. I beg to differ with you.

http://www.automotive-fleet.com/Statistics/StatsViewer.aspx?file=http%3a%2f%2fwww.automotive-fleet.com%2ffc_resources%2fstats%2f2008-MY-Midyear-Registrations.pdf&channel=

2008 statistics but so what. 33% of Malibus are fleet specials.

And that is with GM selling 1/3 the amount of Camrys that Toyota sells each year.

And because you are so predictable I await your counterpoint that these stats are from 2008 and GM has lowered fleet sales but lest we forget that GM only managed to eak out Toyota in January sales due to increasing fleet sales for a total of 29%.

http://www.cheersandgears.com/topic/52437-by-the-numbers-january-2010-total-recall-edition/

"GM dealers delivered 42,703 fleet vehicles, comprising 29 percent of total deliveries for the month."

In a few weeks, we will all move on to the next great thing that socks the nation. Our media has OCPD (not COPD or OCD), jumping on one story and obsess over it, then promptly forgets about it.

At least Toyota has made the effort to publicly apologize. I don't think GM ever apologized for make crap for so many years, or for taking our money (via the federal gov't) without showing any great results. My point is, at the end of the day, Toyota still makes a strong product that few can successfully challenge... for a while anyway. I hope GM makes more cars like the Malibu and CTS. Cars like that, and the G8 (RIP), are unfortunately a little too little, a little too late.

WOW 33% of Chevy Malibus are to rental car companies! I'm glad I got rid of mine. It explains why the resale value was so low.

http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f13/chevrolet-malibu-voted-2010-my-fleet-car-year-87705/

Rentabu.

http://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/f13/inside-news-gm-wants-new-malibu-take-big-retail-fleet-sales-impala-46860/

Rentabu.

Oh YOING so smart that he ignores the whole point of this blog and rather blather about fleet sales which BTW is way more than just rental cars.

The only people who truly believe that Ford and GM are better quality cars now are the paid people in Ford commercials and the US gov't who is desperate to get repaid their loans.
I have first hand experienced the superior quality of a Toyota over many different vehicles and will continue to purchase them. The only brand in my price range that is comparable is a Honda.
FOR ME, TOYOTA HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL DRIVING EXPERIENCE.