4runner sales numbers

No idea if these number are accurate, but I saw this on Reddit. Looks like numbers are down this year if accurate.

 

Prices and availability are probably a factor. Plus most people are struggling just to make ends meet.

 

Given how difficult it is to get certain models and how quickly dealers go through their 4R inventory, my guess would be that Toyota is throttling back production. I don't think those numbers reflect decreased demand, but that's just my guess. Btw, comparable Ford dealers seem to have huge surpluses of Broncos, Raptor pick ups. Not sure about Jeeps.

 

Need more context. Best to use a rate of sale compared to market. If overall economy is down, are 4Runners still holding their index?

Also need days in inventory and not days of inventory. As others have implied, you can’t sell what you don’t have.

 

I think it's a supply issue. Dealers still seem to be selling all they can.

 

I suspect quite a few buyers held off in expectation of a '24 Gen 6 that didn't happen. Market premiums haven't helped, at least in my area. It seems like the markups are inversely proportional to the allocations. If I were buying the old fashioned way, I would have already given up. I do think it's possible that allocations are down, perhaps due to transition to whatever '24 will actually be.

I'm astounded at how many dealers aren't keeping up with the times. It's too easy to detect opportunism with a few minutes online, and I can't respect (much less do business with) anyone who tries to hit me up for 15-20% above the market rate. That goes double if they follow up by disputing what the market rate actually is.

 

shortage of supply
dealer markups
increased interest rates
sketchy economy

 

The problem is, if Toyota somehow ramps up production, there will definitely be a fire sale come September/ October on 2023 models. I'm pretty sure that the $1350 MSRP increase in the last 6 months hasn't helped either.

 

I wonder how car sales look across the board. I imagine interest rates have something to do slumping numbers. I bought a car in 2021 for 2.24%. The lowest my bank can get me now is 6.74%.

 

From the Toyota website, it looks like the price of an ORP (with moonroof & mtm) is now $48645. This is up $600 from when I put a deposit down on mine back in March. There must not be a lack in demand if Toyota can still raise msrp.

It's terrible how things have gotten so expensive post-pandemic. Back in 2016 I bought my TE for around invoice (less than $36K).

 

There's probably also still some recovery going on from the chip shortage.

 

More precise information in the chart below and a link to the website from which I got the table:

https://carfigures.com/us-market-brand/toyota/4runner

 

Just got my 4Runner after waiting for an allocation. Dealership said they've been allocated a fraction of what they normally would.

 

• Big dealer markups
• Ongoing chip supply issues
• Should be compared with other auto manufacturers numbers

April interesting because tax season. Will def not be buying a new vehicle around tax season. Nothing like having extra semi-annual or annual payments due every April for Insurance and registration.

 

Manufacturers are slowly cutting production to create less supply and increase prices post pandemic. So not only do we have inflation going nuts, interest rates out of control then add intentional cutting back supply adds to the issue for us the consumer.

 

What benefit does a manufacturer gain from cutting back production and creating a manufactured shortage when the price the dealer pays them is the same no matter how many they produce and their cost per unit goes up when they produce less.

The dealers love it though, they're making more per unit while paying fewer sales people and their service departments are raking it in because people are forced to hold onto their vehicles longer.

 

From what I have read the cost to the dealer is also going up but not as much percentage wise as to end consumer. Otherwise yes I would agree with you.

Less inventory on hand for manufacturer and dealer is savings to them also.

 

Well, yeah, costs go up but that does not mean manufacturers are making more per vehicle. Labor costs go up, parts/materials costs go up (especially given recent/current inflation).

Checked what my Bronco build from last summer would cost and it's up about $3k. Part of that surely is demand driven but you cannot convince me that Ford is intentionally building fewer Broncos than it could, they've been getting hammered for 2 years now over their inability to deliver.

 

100%!
when I looked at the numbers on reddit last month, I thought the same thing. Toyota is toning down production rather than people not buying as many 4Runners, and that is causing lower sales. I also noticed ford lots are full with broncos. Soon we will have the days of ford offering huge discounts off of MSRP, which should reflect actual value of these ford vehicles

I also do not understand Toyota's strategy behind all these SUVs. They redesigned Sequoia, but gave it a stupid third row.They came with grand highlander which is smaller on the outside bigger on the inside than sequoia -- which I claim most sequoia owners want anyways. And now there is talking about brining Landcruiser (Prado?) back...maybe. Where does a 4Runner fit in that case, if they did bring it back.

Looking into the future I suspect Sequoia is phased out replaced by grand highlander. I have no idea what will happen to 4Runner, if indeed Toyota brings a cheaper Landcruiser (Prado) to US market. That might cause too much saturation, no?
(I have been wrong before, looking into the future. )

 

There are some complicated decisions at the end of a product life. Some parts will be obsolete in 6G. For those parts, they can't just build to a short-term forecast whose inaccuracy they can correct by tweaking quantities in subsequent years. Instead, they'll try to build all the soon-to-be-obsolete parts they'll ever need in one year. They have to balance 1) possibly running out of stockpiled obsolete parts too soon, 2) losing manufacturing capacity that could go satisfying 6G demand, and 3) supporting ongoing production of multiple gens of some parts. It's a complicated equation, with present and future costs, implications on limits to revenue and cash flow, and reputational risk. This aspect of a product business is no fun at all IMO.

 

None of what you've mentioned here is toyota specific. New generations of vehicles come all the time.
What *I think* makes these sales numbers interesting, is that the demand for these vehicles has been very high. People still wait for months to get these, ORP and Pro being the most rare to get trims. Yet production has been low, leading to low sales. No other OEM will reduce production for an in demand vehicle. It is very curious.
Someone on 6G sub-forum made a point that perhaps they are sunsetting 4R since there simply isn't any market for so many SUVs that may compete against one another. This is in light of the rumor that LC Prado will come to US.
I find it very hard Toyota will have all of 4R, LC Prado, Sequoia, Grand Highlander in their lineup. Maybe they do the same thing they did with LC and just stop producing 4R anymore.
Or....LC Prado to US is just that...a rumor

 

It depends what you mean by "in demand". Yes, they could sell more than they currently make, but how many more? Could they really sell as many as they did in 2022? It's hard to find data to test that proposition. The ROI on this vehicle must be near the bottom of their fleet, mitigated mostly by having so few design changes over its production life.

Look how many versions of the Suburban and closely related trucks GM is carrying. They sort of add up to one decent-selling vehicle.

 

They are having to adjust production volumes across the fleet to deal with supply chain issues. I don’t know how profit margins compare on 4Runners, but if they have to cut production, they will build their higher dollar, higher margin models first. Are GX’s easier to find on dealer lots right now?

 

My buddy is looking around for 4R and two dealers are calling him everyday saying they still have a few on the lot. So maybe things are softening a bit

 

Looks like I owned 1of 5,495 4Runners in 1985.

 

The dealers calling me are asking for big markups on anything they have in stock. The discussion ends quickly when I tell them what I paid for the one that's in transit.

 

The 4Runner is the Land Cruiser Prado with different body panels. Same part number for frame, axle housing, shocks, brakes, transmission, engine -- you name it. It's the same J150 platform just like the GX460 but the GX shares body panels and 4Runner doesn't. Obviously engine and other parts are unique to GX as well.

Why Toyota wants to bring LC Prado to US market when it's already here badged as a 4Runner is beyond me.