Toyota No. 1, but GM still tops in Valley

Chevrolet, Pontiac and Buick are the top brands in the area.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
The Mahoning Valley is General Motors country even though the rest of the world is flocking to Toyota.
The Japanese automaker topped GM in global sales for the first time in the first quarter of this year.
But in the Mahoning Valley, GM is still No. 1.
Three GM brands -- Chevrolet, Pontiac and Buick -- ranked as the top three in sales in the first quarter in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties. Toyota finished seventh.
As for popular models, those also are from GM. Eight of the top 10 sales leaders are GM models, with the Chevrolet Trailblazer leading the way. The Toyota Camry was No. 14.
It's a different story elsewhere. Toyota nearly knocked off GM as the worldwide sales leader in 2006, and many in the industry expect it to succeed this year.
Reliable
Koji Endo, auto analyst with Credit Suisse in Tokyo, told the Associated Press that Toyota sales are booming because of its image about reliability and ecological technology.
Meegan Demagall, 27, of Warren said she was persuaded by Toyota's safety record. She bought a new Camry in 2003, knowing that she was about to start a family.
"I wanted something I could rely on," she said.
Not only did she research consumer magazines, but she also talked to her mother.
"My mom has always had a Camry and she drove from Akron to Cleveland every day. It was a one-hour drive," Demagall said.
Chuck Guerrieri, 52, of Lake Milton bought his first Toyota two years ago, a 1999 4Runner. He liked it so much that he bought a 2000 Toyota Tacoma a short time later.
"These cars are seven years old, and they run like tops," he said.
He switched to Toyota after owning many GM vehicles and becoming frustrated with their reliability.
He also likes that Toyota is building more of its vehicles in the U.S. "It eases my conscience," he said.
Tino Merlo, a manager at Toyota Volvo Jaguar of Warren, said he's seeing more customers who are interested in the Japanese brand now that Toyota has been promoting its investment and job creation in the U.S.
"That helps us a lot, especially in this area," he said.
Sticking with GM
Ed Ayres, said, however, that he has never bought a foreign brand because he thinks it would be bad for the country.
"There's none in our future, either," said the 65-year-old Johnston resident.
It helps that he has a brother who works for GM, so he can receive a discount when buying a GM vehicle.
Bill Cipriano, 76, of Sharon, Pa., likes his Buick Century but recently bought a Hyundai, which is a Korean model. He said his GM cars have been better, so he's returning to the domestic brand for his next car.
"I've always thought that General Motors was a good car," he said.
shilling@vindy.com