I am talking about same filter company and the price varies a lot for various car. Filter for Corolla is a lot more expensive than filter for Passat. Since Corolla is a much more popular car on the road and is the best small compact seller, the "supply and demand" doesn't hold water here. The Passat filter is about 3 times bigger than the Corolla's filter and cost 1/3 less. The same is for Cherokee's filter. Why are Corolla's filter so ____ expensive.
Why some filter cost more than others
- Thread starter M1Accord
- Start date
- Status
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2002
- Messages
- 39,799
The only thing that limits price is distribution and marketing costs. The energy and tooling put into the cost of the filter probably account for most of it. The difference between one and the other is probably (pulling it out of my behind) be in the fractions of pennies between most filters of high enough volume.
Pete C. might be able to give us the variations due to material differences. I think it would rate in the "by the ton" realm in proportions. There's some print out somewhere with direct labor, indirect labor, material costs, energy cost, fixed costs, variable costs..etc. I'm sure that it comes in on the shy side of a buck.
There's some choke on that filter that makes it more expensive.
btw- are we talking OEM or some aftermarket supplier???
Pete C. might be able to give us the variations due to material differences. I think it would rate in the "by the ton" realm in proportions. There's some print out somewhere with direct labor, indirect labor, material costs, energy cost, fixed costs, variable costs..etc. I'm sure that it comes in on the shy side of a buck.
There's some choke on that filter that makes it more expensive.
btw- are we talking OEM or some aftermarket supplier???
I was looking at Puralotor filters for corolla and Passat. Passat filter cost a little less even though it is about 3 times bigger than the corolla's filter. I went on the look at different brand and the same thing occurs. I know when it comes to automobile, the more common the part, the cheaper it would be. Corolla has to be much more common than Passat.
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2002
- Messages
- 39,799
Again, material costs, within limits (not BIG diesel filters), don't typically effect retail that much. A pureone costs $5.95 at my AA. It's $5.95 for any of them, IIRC. The teacup PH3614 size or the FL1A size. There's got to be 4 times the material in that comparison.
..but I do see the oddity between a Toyota filter and a VW filter. The VW should be less popular. It's also a more robust filter that is unique to VW/Audi engines.
Maybe DC has too may Euro-alloy cars of the Audi/VW persuasion and not enough of the cheaper cars.
It must be an "in the beltway" thing. I can't understand.
..but I do see the oddity between a Toyota filter and a VW filter. The VW should be less popular. It's also a more robust filter that is unique to VW/Audi engines.
Maybe DC has too may Euro-alloy cars of the Audi/VW persuasion and not enough of the cheaper cars.
It must be an "in the beltway" thing. I can't understand.
Ain't necessarily so. Look at the oil quantity in a truck vs a car, and what/how each vehicle is used. The design dirt holding capacity of a filter is not predicated by how many square inches of media there is, but by how much dirt each square inch of the chosen media can hold.
Why should they? When they have a certain set of specs for a given engine, and a smaller filter will meet those specs.
Why should they? When they have a certain set of specs for a given engine, and a smaller filter will meet those specs.
have you seen the design of a toyota oil filter, they pack a large amount of filtering media into those tiny canisters.
size doesnt always matter, it's the amount of media that does.
Try it this way ..... VW way less popular and therefore less filters sold.
Toyota way more popular, therefore way more filters sold, therfore increase price to make more money on the very popular filter.
I do not believe for a second that economies of scale are in play there when comparing how much it costs to make a tea cup vs. an FL1A size filter.
What I believe is that the companies know where the bread and butter is ... think they will give you are break because they are selling 10x as many? No way, they will just actually charge more.
Same can be said about almost any Honda air filter, any brand. Their costs is HIGH and has stayed high, because I believe the companies know they are gonna sell alot of them.
Toyota way more popular, therefore way more filters sold, therfore increase price to make more money on the very popular filter.
I do not believe for a second that economies of scale are in play there when comparing how much it costs to make a tea cup vs. an FL1A size filter.
What I believe is that the companies know where the bread and butter is ... think they will give you are break because they are selling 10x as many? No way, they will just actually charge more.
Same can be said about almost any Honda air filter, any brand. Their costs is HIGH and has stayed high, because I believe the companies know they are gonna sell alot of them.
Its basic marketing... You got toyota's we got filters for you.... as long as no company comes in to undercut the major players the prices will remain the same. Companies may make more or less on each product but can make up for less profit of each sale by the volume of sales. Its really simple
I just know the the filters are both from Purolator and the Toyota is 1/3 the size. I didn't cut them up to compare. I figure Purolator design them the same. Also, filter fitting Corolla also fit few other vehicle (including GM Prizm) so I don't know if Toyota actually tell filter manf. to "stuff more element" in the one design for their vehicle. It is a strange economic because Honda Accord filter is also cheaper than Toyota Corolla filter even though it is more popular because this Corolla is 15 years old.
- Status
Similar threads
