The Toyota Camry is one of four vehicles (including the Corolla) that now sells more prolifically than Ford's dethroned F150 full-sized pickup. At the same time, the new Toyota Tundra pickup is a drug on the market; sales fell 34 percent vs. May 2007. Do the math. ToMoCo have. The transplant's looking at using its famed production flexibility to replace excess Tundra capacity with Camry assembly. Automotive News [sub] reports that Toyota is switching its Princeton, Indiana plant from cranking-out slow-selling Tundra/Sequoia trucks and Sienna minivans to producing the Camry, which sold 51,291 units last month. Though Toyota has not officially responded to the reports of production shuffling, though the company does say it's "looking at a lot of things to balance production." With Tundra production already slowed at Toyota's second truck plant in San Antonio, there's no doubt that Toyota (like many automakers) is over invested in a product that dropped sales to the tune of 31 percent last month. Camry spent much of the 1990's at the top of sedan sales records, and with the battle for the best selling vehicle in America wide open, boosting Camry production could help Toyota's champion snag top-spot bragging rights.
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How about producing Camrys better, not faster? That would lead to more sales, definitely. The IP on my 2009 is extremely crooked and the backseat cushions have weird gaps in them!
I’ve noticed the latest Camry is a definite step-down in design and quality from past models. I guess Toyota really is on the way to becoming the next GM.
The Toyota Camry is one of four vehicles (including the Corolla) that now sells more prolifically than Ford’s dethroned F150 full-sized pickup.
While one month usually does not a trend make, you’re probably right here.
Shouldn’t that be a drag on the market? It’s the 2.8 that are on drugs!
I drove a Camry V6 last week. Afterwards, I couldn’t believe people could spend $30k on that car. Even a stripper 4-cylinder is over 20k with an automatic. The car doesn’t have a single defining trait or selling point. I’d pick an Accord over it in a second. Sonata, Altima, Mazda6, or Malibu, as well. All of those are considerably better (and often cheaper). Why, America? Why!?
Btw, same goes for the Corolla.
I’ve never been into those big dog Camry’s. I’m surprised the Corolla isn’t more sought after. It just doesn’t have enough pep, charm, or mystique. I imagine if they put the Prius drive line in it, it would detract from the Prius?
Ha Ha. Knew that POS Tundra would leave Toyo with egg on it’s face. I’ll take one for half price? Death trap morbid fuel consumer that it is.
I wouldn’t write the Tundra off as a failure quite yet.
Toyota, unlike the other big truck companies, isn’t dependent on truck sales to make money. They ride through this collapse and pick up the market share that used to belong to Chevy or GM when one of them croaks and come out with a profitable chunk of the market when it stabilizes.
Also, it has to be pretty nice to be able to switch a truck factory over to sedans. I bet GM would kill for that kind of flex.
Although I understand the appeal of the Camry (plush, big, boring, bland, reliable, good assembly) , given the most recent generation is obviously lacking in the last two categories, it’s alarming on how many Americans still desire bland, big, and boring transportation. Oh yeah, add ugly to the list. It’s not even that fuel efficient or powerful compared to the class-leading Nissan Altima and Accord. My guess is that most Camry owners never bothered to test drive the competition, but then again, they’re more the type to talk on their cell phones while driving instead of carving corners.
I’m not trying to be mean- I don’t know why anyone even buys the Corolla. It was the second car I ever drove and I’d never take it over a (then) Focus, Protege, or Civic. I guess it’s for people who can’t swing a Camry and are oblivious to the fact that other manufacturers sell better cars. At least the Camry is roomy- the Corolla (even in its most recent iteration) has always had poor use of space and only middling efficiency.
I don’t know that Toyota can switch a truck plant to sedans, and I don’t know that they can’t. I think the Princeton plant has built the Sequoia, Tundra and Sienna. The first 2 are BOF and the Sienna is unibody I think, so maybe they’ll build the Camry on the Sienna line. Sales of all three are down so they have capacity. I’m pretty sure when the Camry production was added via the Lafayette, IN, the stamping for that plant was done at Georgetown. I assume the suppliers located around Georgetown will be able to ship to Princeton much easier/faster than San Antonio for example.
Anybody know if it’s easy vs. next to impossible to build unibodys and BOF stuff on the same line?
romanjetfighter: “The IP on my 2009 is extremely crooked….”
Internet Protocol? Intellectual Property?
IP = instrument panel.
And, to boost production, Toyota will build a few hybrid Camrys in Australia:
Toyota to Build Hybrid Camrys in Australia
“I don’t know why anyone even buys the Corolla. It was the second car I ever drove and I’d never take it over a (then) Focus, Protege, or Civic”
I bought an early 2000s model Corolla over those choices. The Focus had a trash interior and lousy reliability so I didn’t bother with it. The Civic had the best interior, nice steering, a wonderful shifter, but there was no power at all. It also plowed like hell through the corners, and I’m not big on the stiffy-style throttle. The Protege also had no power, and backed that up with pathetic fuel economy. It also had a lame shifter. On the other hand it had amazing steering and handling.
The Corolla had not only good power, but class leading fuel economy. It also has a comfortable ride, and it has been flawless in terms of reliability. The steering sucks, but that’s really my only beef with it.
Didn’t ToMoCo buy the former Isuzu assembly plant in Evansville IN from GM for the sole purpose of building more Camry’s?
I always think IP means injection pump when I first see it. A friend’s wife recently bought a new Corolla to replace her falling apart Pontiac Sunfire. I don’t know if Sunfire -> Corolla is a step down or step up.
I had a rental 2006 Corolla last year, and all I could say was that it had decent headlights. Everything else was mediocre at best. But I guess people that don’t care about cars are fine with mediocre vehicles. Otherwise Toyota would be headed toward bankruptcy too.
BKW :
June 10th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Didn’t ToMoCo buy the former Isuzu assembly plant in Evansville IN from GM for the sole purpose of building more Camry’s?
Sort of. That plant originally was a 50/50 joint venture between Subaru and Isuzu. When Isuzu imploded in the US, they sold their half to Subaru for a buck. The plant was then underused. Then GM sold it’s stake in Subaru and Toyota bought some of it, so now Subaru rents out part of it to Toyota now. (Toyota also bought some of GM’s stake in Isuzu, but that was an unrelated move-Isuzu left the plant long before that happened.)
Does Toyota really need to increase Camry volume?
It looks to me that the market has shifted down one size and the volume leaders will be Civic and Corolla, as they were in May.
I’ve owned an ’89 Corolla SR5 and currently own a 2006 Corolla CE (Classic Edition – a stripper) for my second vehicle. True, the Corolla is underwhelming and a disappointment when compared with the ’89. At least the ’89 was fun. The ’06 is like having sex with a sleepy fat chick – you’d never want your friends to find out (you drive one) but it’s still maybe better than going solo (walking) and you get the job done.
It’s ToMoCos image with the Camry and Corolla that hurts. ToMoCo wants to be recognized as the responsible, safe, and green company. The fun kid has grown up and the cars have all the personality of a brick wall these days.
Sure my Corolla is the best appliance on wheels I’ve owned. It gets me where I’m going on the cheap and never breaks down. Mission accomplished. It’s the around town grocery getter and errand runner.
And it still has the stodgy image of a menopausal librarian’s car with granny glasses that needs more cupholders for the prune juice.
Like I said, it’s my second vehicle.
Juniper :
June 10th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Does Toyota really need to increase Camry volume?
It looks to me that the market has shifted down one size and the volume leaders will be Civic and Corolla, as they were in May.
The Accord and Camry were in the same ballpark as the Civic and Corolla (all four beat the F-150 which was in fifth).
mel23 :
I don’t know that Toyota can switch a truck plant to sedans, and I don’t know that they can’t. I think the Princeton plant has built the Sequoia, Tundra and Sienna. The first 2 are BOF and the Sienna is unibody I think, so maybe they’ll build the Camry on the Sienna line….
Anybody know if it’s easy vs. next to impossible to build unibodys and BOF stuff on the same line?
Based on my experience (I’ve worked in both systems), it just would be very difficult to do.
BOF need 2 separate lines in the trim shop for assembly: 1 for the chassis, 1 for the cabin, and at some point the body marries the chassis. On unibody, you just have one line.
For operator ease, chassis should be assembled upside down, then turned over… engine comes is installed from over the chassis. In unibody, engine comes from inside, which requires to elevate the car to install it, and if they’re very ergonomical friendly, while the car is elevated, rotate it to an angle of about 45º for easier assembly.
If they assemble unibody in that plant, example Sienna, that also shares platform with the Camry, then it’s easier to switch.
The body shop would need perhaps new jigs and surely robot programming to handle the new model. The paint shop would need almost the same. Then you have to train operators in the 3 shops on that car, run pre-production examples, audit them, start mass production.
Everyone is bashing Toyota for producing, boring, bland vehicles. Toyota builds vehicles that are not overly offensive, targeted to the masses who buy vehicles. Not just a few people who go against the grain. Go buy your Pontiac, and make friends with the service manager at the dealership as you will be seeing him often.
Obviously they are doing something right, they have sent the “Big Three” back to the drawing board, and lets not even talk about the financial hurt they have put on these fatter, slower manufacturers.
I could go on but bottom line is they may not be the sexiest, fastest vehicles on the road. But thats obviously not what people want.
Look at the facts. Toyota is not the best at anything. But they are damn good at just about everything.Resale Value…(Check the KBB on your GM lately?) Reliability, Quality,Value.
Get used to it people and complain about cars that deserve it. Stop Knit Picking