Obviously, times are tough, and that’s being reflected in all corners of the economy, including car sales.
But the nation’s most beloved vehicle, the Toyota Prius, is also getting dragged down in the dirt, as evidenced by sales figures released by top car seller Toyota last week.
The Prius has seen sales fall to 42,753 units so far this year, with its daily selling rate (DSR) down 45.5 percent.
Last month, the Prius sold 10,091 units, down from 15,011 a year ago in the comparable period, a 30.2 percent decline.
And with the release of Honda’s Insight Hybrid, which seems to be a carbon copy of the Prius (starting at $19,800), there will be even more downward pressure will be on Prius sales.
But before we jump to conclusions about hybrid vehicles, it’s important to note that larger, gas guzzling models are down even more.
Sales of the FJ Cruiser, 4Runner, and Sequoia were all down more than 60 percent in May compared to a year ago, while the company’s full sized truck, Tundra, slipped 45 percent.
The only survivor in the bunch seems to be the ever-popular RAV4, which saw sales decline just 11.4 percent last month to 12,730 units from 14,917 a year ago.
The Toyota Division overall posted sales of 135,661 units in May, a decrease of 39 percent from the same period last year.
FYI, Honda is currently offering the Insight Hybrid at $229 per month for 36 months, with $2,799.00 total due at signing.