Actually it is. Ford technology is what's in the Highlander Hybrid, Toyota "bought" it years ago when Ford was working on a Hybrid Explorer, before the Escape (conventional, not hybrid) ever saw full launch, though Toyota obviously made several changes and developments in the intervening years. After Ford wasn't pleased with the results of their technology, they went back to the boards and engineered the technologies on the FEH, then cross-licensed a bit because there were some similarities, something that's extraordinarilly common in todays auto market.

I also don't put too much credience into any executive for any company, given the number of times during a one on one interview I can raise questions on what they've just said, forcing them to rephrase it so they're no longer flat out lying to me. Such is the life of a journalist.

 

Ford does not share any software or hardware components with Toyota.

 

Successful cars are often not particularly "sexy" or exciting. Some very successful cars: Oldsmobile Cutlass, Ford Taurus, Chevy Malibu, etc. An awful lot of people are pretty much only interested in spending their money on practical, reliable, well tried and proven cars for the mundane chores of daily transportation. Madison Avenue may think that people are motivated by excitement, but practicality, reliability and affordability rule for most of us.

 

I do, and so does any one who knows the advantages. There is safety in numbers:

• Availability of parts
• Design faults and potential recalls are harder to ignore and deny
• Faster servicing and shorter waits for appointments

Even though the Prius has good sales numbers, it will be outsold by the Toyota Camry Hybrid. This is already true in Canada, where even the Honda Civic Hybrid has reached parity (against the Prius). Note that the Civic is the best-selling car in Canada for the last 10 years.

 

I don’t know if it is unstoppable, but it is a great car!!!

I think one thing that impresses me is the Camry Hybrid was one of the cars chosen to go on Taxi Duty in my home of New York City. http://www.1000www.autoblog.com/2007...ybrid-by-2012/
These cars are driven almost 24 hours a day (multiple drivers, multiple shifts), in the worse stop and go driving conditions imaginable and they probably average upwards of 60,000 miles a year!!!

I asked the Manhattan Toyota Dealer who said, “Most of the cars burn through their lifetime warranty in the first 9 months. They are holding up very well with a year in service.”

Please no jokes about needing the exterior made out of bullet proof Kevlar – it is my home town!!

 

yep

 

I think if they are not unstoppable...........they are most certainly at the top of the auto world now. They have the best quality hands down.

 

Another reason I've heard is the thought that, "It takes Detroit 10 years to learn how to build any given car design." There are people out there (me included) who are very leery of being the first on the block to buy a new car. This kind of buyer wants to see a car with a ten year track record before plopping down the cash.

For me, my '06 Prius represents a real leap of faith that Toyota knows what they're doing with this new hybrid technology. I was almost "forced" to take the chance because in my situation, the combination of; my salary + 72 mile daily commute + 23.3mpg in my old Ford Taurus + gas prices probably averaging $4.00plus per gallon from '06 thru '12 = certain financial catastrophe. The risk that Toyota's hybrid technology will blow up in my face is the more acceptable risk, in my view.

 

That could use some further qualification: In the USA, Prius sales are currently more than double that of the Camry Hybrid and saw higher growth in April 2008. My interpretation of this is that in the USA, hybrids have yet to be generally accepted as "normal" cars. But I guess we already knew that from news items last year where people were coveting the "green" image more than the practical results. For example, one individual traded up their TCH for a Prius because they felt that the latter was more in-your-face about what it was. That is vanity.

 

Back in the 70s the best selling car in the world was an air cooled VW Bug.

Back in the 80s the best selling car in America was the Oldsmobile Cutlass.

At the time no one was interested in watercooled VWs and Olds was the strongest brand of GM. Times change....