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I don’t think the sales are because of it being a hybrid, I think buyers are buying a Sienna and don’t really care about the powertrain, many likely never even test drive it.
Probably a combination. They see hybrid and they automatically think big gas savings but also because they want the Toyota reliability.
I don’t think the sales are because of it being a hybrid, I think buyers are buying a Sienna and don’t really care about the powertrain, many likely never even test drive it.
ummm, the Sienna gets 36MPG. That is why the Sienna is so popular. And Toyota is a good brand when it comes to reliability and value
ummm, the Sienna gets 36MPG. That is why the Sienna is so popular. And Toyota is a good brand when it comes to reliability and value
But then why was it so popular before it was a hybrid?
If they sold a gas V6 version of the Sienna, it would outsell the hybrid at least 2 to 1. We know this because it’s the case on every Toyota vehicle they sell both as a gas and a hybrid vehicle.
But then why was it so popular before it was a hybrid?
Because paying a premium for more fuel economy was not the “in thing” to do. Look up KIA Sedona from 2004, it had a 3.5 litre V6 that made just 195hp, the Toyota Sienna made 230hp from a smaller V6…Toyota has been ahead of KIA and Hyundai for a long time in the van segment…Ford Freestar had a 4.2V6 with 201HP…..so back then, the Sienna was ahead…Today, Toyota, they are now FAR ahead with MPGs and fuel costs….Pacifica is VERY good too BTW
Because paying a premium for more fuel economy was not the “in thing” to do. Look up KIA Sedona from 2004, it had a 3.5 litre V6 that made just 195hp, the Toyota Sienna made 230hp from a smaller V6…Toyota has been ahead of KIA and Hyundai for a long time in the van segment…Ford Freestar had a 4.2V6 with 201HP…..so back then, the Sienna was ahead…Toyota, they are now FAR ahead with MPGs and fuel costs….Pacifica is VERY good too BTW
Then why are none of the hybrid variants the top selling variant when there is a gas option for the vehicle also?
Im not saying nobody buys the Sienna because it’s a hybrid with great MPG, I’m just saying that’s not why most buyers who buy one do so. They buy it because of its reputation as a Toyota Sienna. Look at how well the last gen Sienna continued to sell despite being woefully outdated and behind the competition?
Then why are none of the hybrid variants the top selling variant when there is a gas option for the vehicle also?
Im not saying nobody buys the Sienna because it’s a hybrid with great MPG, I’m just saying that’s not why most buyers who buy one do so. They buy it because of its reputation as a Toyota Sienna. Look at how well the last gen Sienna continued to sell despite being woefully outdated and behind the competition?
Sales figures of minivans have been in decline for some time. Most will just do a 3-row crossover (which I don't get why since the 3rd row is actually usable in a van)
Then why are none of the hybrid variants the top selling variant when there is a gas option for the vehicle also?
Brands that are not Toyota. People usually will not a pay premium for hybrid fuel economy. Only Toyota can really sell hybrids for a premium to the masses. Most want the cheapest price. But Toyota hybrid equity is second to none. Now Toyota can release all hybrid models like the Venza, Sienna and soon the Sequoia. (I would not pay) if I had a nice gas option.
Originally Posted by SW17LS
Im not saying nobody buys the Sienna because it’s a hybrid with great MPG, I’m just saying that’s not why most buyers who buy one do so. They buy it because of its reputation as a Toyota Sienna. Look at how well the last gen Sienna continued to sell despite being woefully outdated and behind the competition?
Yeah, I agree people buy the Sienna for the reputation. But when there is a $1100 gas saving per year over a KIA, it is very hard to pass that up. $11,000 in gas saving over a 10 year ownership…it’s all about the MPG
Sales figures of minivans have been in decline for some time. Most will just do a 3-row crossover (which I don't get why since the 3rd row is actually usable in a van)
The Palisade and Telluride have very useable 3rd rows. It's about minivan size which is impressive.
Brands that are not Toyota. People usually will not a pay premium for hybrid fuel economy. Only Toyota can really sell hybrids for a premium to the masses. Most want the cheapest price. But Toyota hybrid equity is second to none. Now Toyota can release all hybrid models like the Venza, Sienna and soon the Sequoia. (I would not pay) if I had a nice gas option.
Toyota models also, all models where there is a gas and a hybrid option, the gas model outsells then hybrid by a wide margin.
Yeah, I agree people buy the Sienna for the reputation. But when there is a $1100 gas saving per year over a KIA, it is very hard to pass that up. $11,000 in gas saving over a 10 year ownership…it’s all about the MPG
But those buyers would still choose the Sienna if it weren’t a hybrid, that’s my point. You need to see if the Sienna is capturing buyers from other vans it didn’t before to conclude that the hybrid powertrain is having a big impact.
The Kia is so much cheaper the gas savings is a wash.
I generally hear a lot of criticism about Toyota being behind in tech, but it can't be said about their hybrid tech. They are likely coming out with more hybrid-only vehicles because they know gas prices will only continue to increase. In spite of Toyota being behind in EV tech, it's ultimately forward-thinking, which unfortunately, inadvertently, leaves some of their customers behind. Toyota must know the trend toward improved fuel efficiency, which sacrifices HP for MPG, will only continue, and support their strategy.
After 2008 when gas hit $4/gal in CA, I seriously considered selling my V8 Tundra, believing gas prices would never come back down; but they did. This time, at $6/gal, I'm even less confident prices will ever become significantly lower in the future. Efficiency is one of the few tools available for battling climate change. Thank you Toyota for your efforts here!
Most of Toyota's customers couldn't care less that they don't have 6 different ways to hook-up their phones or that they don't have the fastest touchscreen out there. You could say they are behind in this area, but only by design.
Pretty sure there was more demand for the RAV4 Hybrid compared to the gas only RAV4 when it was launched for 2019. Don't even need to bring up the Prime demand in 2020 to now. I would not even consider a non-hybrid from Toyota if there is a hybrid option. Excluding their GR cars. Haha.
$1K more expensive than an Odyssey. Easy choice until the new Odyssey comes out.
Not trying to potentially catch on fire to save $2K with the Carnival. Not saying they will, but just to be safe for now.
Again, I'm not saying the new Sienna Hybrid is a bad minivan, it's just not the minivan I want to own. We do longer trips with lots of roads with steep inclines, trucks and slow traffic you need to pass, quickly. Our van is usually loaded up, and you want a smooth experience whether you are accelerating hard or just cruising at 80 mph. And I just am not a fan of 4 cylinders, especially in a minivan. So if I had a choice of the 2022 Sienna Hybrid or keeping my faithfully reliable, beat up 2013 Sienna LE with it's 3.5L NA V6 @ 152K of extremely hard driven miles, I'll stick with my old friend, who's never let us down. And I'm willing to pay more for gas for a better ride and experience. But that's just me. I know that it's a hot selling van, but it's just not geared towards my needs. So for now, my 2013 stays where she is until another alternative shows up.
I recall a pair of TV ads that aired heavily when the current Sienna was released. It was shocking that in neither ad was its fuel economy touted.
Thats a great example of what I'm talking about. Thats not what the buyers in the segment are after.
Originally Posted by nicedude
Pretty sure there was more demand for the RAV4 Hybrid compared to the gas only RAV4 when it was launched for 2019. Don't even need to bring up the Prime demand in 2020 to now. I would not even consider a non-hybrid from Toyota if there is a hybrid option. Excluding their GR cars. Haha.
Non hybrid Rav 4 outsells the hyrbid.
$1K more expensive than an Odyssey. Easy choice until the new Odyssey comes out.
Not trying to potentially catch on fire to save $2K with the Carnival. Not saying they will, but just to be safe for now.
Transaction price will be way different. Toyota dealers are selling Siennas at a big markup, while you can get a new Odyssey or Carnival for under MSRP. Sienna will be way more expensive.
04-30-22, 11:01 AM
