Subprime mess? No problem when you have the Prius

Toyota not worried about slumping housing market?

A number of automakers and analysts have already cautioned that the subprime mortgage mess threatens to greatly disrupt the economy and, therefore, people's decisions to purchase automobiles.

Toyota, on the other hand, isn't worried according to both Reuters and the AFP. "We now expect the US car market to shrink slightly this year compared with the previous year, while Toyota continues to strive to meet its initial target," Toyota Motor president Katsuaki Watanabe told reporters.

"Toyota has been outperforming the market by a modest margin," he said.

And, Toyota has reason to be confident. July was a rough month for automakers, yet it was a stellar month for the Toyota Prius. Hybrid cars, it appears, might just help propel Toyota past all competition.

Ohh, that quirky little Prius.