(anyone think Chrysler will last more than another year or two? Shame on Daimler Benz!).
I have been told by my owner that Chrysler has 11 billion cash/line of credit on hand :shades:
Chrysler aint dying anytime soon.
America will not let any one of the big 3 close shop. Everyone in North America (including the Import guys) depend on the Big 3 one way or another and without direct contact or knowledge for a % of that check every friday.
I wish I could believe that. However, with their announcement yesterday of the closing of their only minivan plant in the U.S, a plant that just last year they spent 1/2 billion dollars on to upgrade to a flexible manufacturing facility, they took a step closer to the morgue.
I remember blowing out regular cab v6 tundras for $16,990, then $15,990, and finally $14990.00 all of these were white. I sold one to my cousin Angel (the one that owns a mexican restaurant) and he is so proud of it that he hardly drives it. It has less than 20k miles on it. He gives me a mileage update every time I go eat there. Mack
" It's all I can do to stop myself from driving south and beg Mack to sell me a Prius for MSRP and 2K ADM. "
Heck, right now I'd be happy to sell you one at MSRP if I could get my hands on one.!
"Dumping a SUV for half of what you owe and then buying a hybrid for over sticker is just dumb in my book. Yet lots of people are doing it. "
Well, it happened again today. A young couple paid over sticker for a used 06 Prius with 57k on the electric clock! $24,990.00 when original price was well under 23k! i WASN'T THE ONE THAT SOLD IT.
the uaw was holding a knife to chrysler throat in st louis. :surprise:
if and when demand returns chrysler will have done what the imports have done since the start.set up shop without unions in the south or in northern mexico.
The brains will stay in Auburn Hills but the sweat will be thousands of miles away.
"Maybe Toyota needs to put the Camry SE suspension under the Solara? Don't get me wrong. I've bought and helped buy a lot of Toyotas. It seems they got tremendous momentum in trying to overtake GM. And then, kind of let their guard down...across the board. I guess the marketplace has spoken considering the volume numbers released today. Maybe Toyota caught a little GM/Ford disease? That is, they were seduced by the margins on trucks and SUVs. Should have put their focus on the huge lead they have in the hybrid market. "
The Solara SE does have a tighter suspension than the SLE or 4 banger.
Toyota is not trying to overtake GM. It's just happening all by itself. The problem we are having right now is lack of inventory. No Prius, No Hybrid Highlander, few Corollas, (six came in today!) , no Yaris, no xD's, Camry still selling very well, and the trucks and suvs will eventually move. It's Ford and GM that were caught with their pants down. Ford does not have a fuel efficient 4 banger. They have one in the planning stage but it won't be ready for another two years. They are thinking of bringing some of the European models here. Now there's an idea!
And I don't know what GM sold last month since they have nothing but gas guzzlers. The Cobalt is nothing to write home about and the Malibu is a nice car but still no Camry or Accord. And their hybrid Tahoe/Yukon twins are a joke! One of my Prius customers lives next to a guy that works for GM. When the GM guy told him about the Hybrid Tahoe my customer laughed. He said he would be embarrased to tell people about the gas mileage. :shades:
I tried buying a car from a few stores i trade with, i offered $15,000 over invoice and they walked me.
Told me to get in line and that the big boys from overseas are paying up to 50k (black)over msrp on the challengers :shades: the silver ones are the cold ones they only bring 20k over msrp :P
Reminds me of when i had Italian and german buyers paying 100k over on vipers back in 92 thru 94 :shades:
"...i am waiting for a 07 h2 roof/gps 9K miles for the low to mid teen$..."
And what did the poor [non-permissible content removed] who traded it in pay for it new, 60-70K? You got to love the opportunities that are out there right now. If I had the need for one, I'd buy some big SUV and park it in my driveway until the panic is over.
OTOH, if I'm wrong about gas prices, I would be crying as the hybrids pass my out of gas beast on the side of the road.
What's that old gamblers saying? Scared money don't win?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
oldfarmer.....I love your quote...."scared money don't win". I'll use that in adage in my next poker game.
mac.....again, no disrespect to your product. I think Toyota has blurred the lines between it's upscale brother (Lexus) and the "meat and potatoes" of models (Toyota). As I said, I think my friend really liked the looks of the Solara. Maybe if she had driven a different model (SE?) her opinion would be different. But, I had to agree with her assessment. "Pretty car. But, that's where the fun begins and ends". Gotta say, there's been more than once when I've seen a Solara at a distance that I thought I was looking at a Lexus. Honda has done much the same thing. For example, the lines between Acura products and Honda products has blurred quite a bit. Matter of fact, the interior of my friend's new Accord could be straight out of an Acura product. I was that impressed.
Side note, a former business colleague just bought a new Benza few months ago. Whatever their new entry level is (I don't recall the nomenclature). Looks good on the outside. But, does it drive any better than the Accord? I've only driven either car a few miles. But, I don't think a Solara/Camry or an Accord gives up anything to the Benz. Plus, his $40K sled looks like a "stripper" model compared to either the Solara, Accord....and definitely looks woeful when compared to my 3 series. The Benz isn't built as well as any of those cars, IMHO. Somebody thinks its worth it to pay for that 3 pointed star, though.
I think those of us who have been around for awhile have seen this oil situation play out before. As most know, this too will pass. As oldfarmer points out, people are running scared right now....making irrational decisions.....trading (or trying to trade) $40K SUVs for a Yaris. While the landscape will definitely change among the car buying public,in the short term, with the expanses of blacktop we have in this country, Americans want big, powerful vehicles. Once the bubble bursts on this oil "thing" (and it will, which will spawn another financial crisis akin to the mortgage bubble and the dot com meltdown), all those trucks and SUVs will sell.
I can empathize with you, though. Business is out there for the taking, if you've got the right product mix. The market is knee deep in trucks (Toyota included), when the public wants 4 cyl cars. Still, I don't think any of the manufacturers saw this fuel runnup coming. Especially since it hit so quickly.
deskman....I wish I had your faith in Chrysler. Daimler left it in shambles. Cerebus doesn't know what to do. Challengers will be tasty, but what else is there in the Chrysler stable that anyone else wants? I've driven the Avenger, as a rental. Boy, I don't know how much money was spent in development, but I'd ask for a refund. Jeep? Can't give them away right now. Even their vaunted minivan is looking like it's being shunned with the cut back in it's production. The 300 may as well be a 100 in the market place it's so long in the tooth. Unless Chrysler has some magic bullet they're keeping under wraps, I can't see any way to bring it back to life short of selling off assets. Every other day we're hearing more bad news (even though they are no longer a public company) about them. That does nothing more than to cause more echos in the showrooms.
Reading through these posts, I see that the general consensus of fourbangers flying off the shelves and trucks and SUV's becoming over stocked holding true. While that is true, really true, I want to promote some optimism. Yesterday I sold a Ford Explorer and brought in a '02 Saturn SL2 4-Banger. Theres a swing in a different direction. :P :P :P
The Ship aint skinking baby .The ship may have a big freeking hole in it but we have a huge set of tools we can use to fix it :shades:
The minivan plant in st louie only built the short wb ones that did not sell retail(fleetcars/rentals),the windsor plant builds the long wb High margin vans.
The st louie ram plant built the oddball trucks like the 4x4 reg cab with a 4.7 and a six speed hand shaker.
Chrysler is in much better shape than ford,gm and maybe even toyonda.Chrysler has deals with nissan,volkswagen,chery,and soon fiat.chrysler has head hunted major talent from toyota/nissan/ford/gm.IMHO Chrysler is taking the time to make sure the next product to wear a pentastar sets a new standard in the automotive industry .
I have to agree that Chrysler really needs to take this time, face reality and put more quality into their cars. I simply don't see it. Even the 08's look just slopped together, cold, plasticy look. The convertible is a joke, when compared to other models, that car simply does not hold up. Though it might be one of the cheapest convertibles you can get, so that is 1 plus to it.
I also cannot believe that people are paying way over sticker for the Prius, you are simply dumping all of your gas savings right into the car payment. Your better off getting a car you actually want. They are selling as high as $30k, You can get a fully loaded Camry, Accord, TSX, etc, that opens a whole other door of cars you can get, and be so much more fun! The gas prices are making everyone freak out, and people are not thinking realistically about making big decisions on this. This is your well, hard, earned money, don't throw it away on a car that is supposed to be loaded at $23k. MSRP! Defeats the whole purpose.
Other than an SUV, that I have seen piling up everywhere, I don't blame the dealers for not wanting more of them, and making owners take a hit on trade in. Its a business. Though, I see brand new Tahoe's, Escallades, I hope the owner knows that they just took a huge hit on resale value for their car, and the minute they signed that contract, they just when way upside down. Its almost binding, they might not be able to get out of it, without practically giving it away.
But some of us need a big SUV, and that is okay, but realize what your doing. You can get a great deal on one now too though, so that helps!
Most every auto manufacture around the world has a diesel version of most cars sold in the US and most of those diesel cars get twice the mileage of the gas counterpart. To make things worse, the mandated 10% ethanol in our gas reduces mileage by about 2% and E85 reduces mileage by about 25%.
If you are in AG or the recipient of fuel taxes, the US is the place to be. For the fuel consumer, not so good.
MB has the BlueTech offering this year and VW is going to have the 2.0L diesel in the Jetta by August I hope. I think Honda had something in works for the 2009 MY
What is the word on the show room floor as to new diesel offerings in the form of small to midsized passenger cars?
Diesel is higher than gas, but diesel would have to be 35% more expensive than gas before it would be the same in cents per mile to drive. IE $4.00 gas = $5.40 diesel.
Even the 08's look just slopped together, cold, plasticy look
That's what I thought when I recently drove a Jeep Patriot. It's a lot of Jeep for the money, but interior and exterior quality is second rate. Also, don't know why Chrysler messed up the nice exterior styling the previous generation Grand Caravan had. Now it looks like something Toyonda would design...blahh. :sick:
deskman....wished I shared your optimism for Chrysler. I had heard they were working on some diesel cars/trucks, but diesels, in the hands of the U.S. consumer, have never caught on. Plus, regardless of the savings reaped with a diesel, for some unknown reason, a gal of diesel costs a lot more than a gallon of regular petrol.
I had a breakfast meeting this a.m. near one of the largest auto mega sites near my 'burg. As I was driving away, I noted that one of the dealerships had a huge sign out front "HUGE SALE ON HUGE GAS GUZZLERS". Gotta love it.
i think you will see diesel hybrids coming from the usa and european brands. a diesel operates in a very narrow power curve that is ideal for a generator that produces electricity and run at a constant rpm you can eliminate 99.9999 % of the toxins produced.
MB has the BlueTech offering this year and VW is going to have the 2.0L diesel in the Jetta by August I hope. I think Honda had something in works for the 2009 MY
The Jetta TDI is on its way. Every dealer has already received a demo car - sedan with DSG. I took it home for a day, and I got 40 MPG for mixed city/freeway ride home, 12 miles commute. Right now I am pre-selling my allocation for the next 6 months - I am at the only dealership in SF Bay Area that doesn't markup to cars, so the business is going to be very good! :shades:
I have to agree that Chrysler really needs to take this time, face reality and put more quality into their cars. I simply don't see it. Even the 08's look just slopped together, cold, plasticy look. The convertible is a joke, when compared to other models, that car simply does not hold up.
I have to disagree. I have an 08 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited and I'm very happy with it. The quality is veyr good. This is my first Jeep, but I've heard from other owners that the 08s are much much better than the 07s. So there's hope.
Having said that, my brother in Norway was looking at a Patriot. He was dissapointed about it. It didn't have a lot of the features that other similar cars there (Xenon, blue tooth, some mechanical things that I can't remember, etc.). So they aren't out of the woods yet.
I also cannot believe that people are paying way over sticker for the Prius, you are simply dumping all of your gas savings right into the car payment.
LOL, on last night's local news, they had a family of 5 on and the guy says, "We decided to buy a Camry because of the high gas prices. Oh we're still keeping the Suburban, but for normal around the town driving, I couldn't afford the gas in the Suburban."
deskman....hope you're right. If history is the teacher, we could see this coming. First, there was the "merger of equals" via Schremp. What it should have been called was the rape and pillage of Chrysler. Then there were the awful "Dr Z" marketing campaigns.
Kind of sticks in my craw the way Daimler sucked Chrysler's sizable (at the time) bank account dry. Then proceeded to force previous generation technology on Chrysler (Crossfire, components for the 300, etc). Then, being so bold to think MB was so superior as to have Chrysler develop products that had little chance to succeed with the Mercedes cast offs. All the while, MB stole the 4WD technology from the Jeep division to put into their own SUVs.
Some people said Chrysler drug the quality of Mercedes down to where it is today. I say it was the exact opposite. Mercedes drug down Chrysler's quality and technology.
Back to sales stories (actually questions).....
-Does a dealership, who is stuck with immovable merchandise cut staff when things get tough? -If so, where to they cut? -Is it by attrtition? Are the sales people making so little money from commissions they eventually quit, and aren't replaced?
-Does a dealership, who is stuck with immovable merchandise cut staff when things get tough? -If so, where to they cut? -Is it by attrtition? Are the sales people making so little money from commissions they eventually quit, and aren't replaced?
The strong survive! the weak go on to greener pastures and a pipe dream or order take at toyonda for a lot less money :lemon:
My owner cut his fleet of russian / ukrainian mistresses down to 4 . :shades:
I'm rooting for Chrysler to survive/thrive, too. As a life-long import buyer, I surprised myself by buying a '99 Chrysler 300M. A first model year, domestic, CHRYSLER??? Was I insane??? It just caught my fancy... invoice pricing, 0% financing and away I went.
I thoroughly enjoyed that car. 5.5 years, 67,000 nearly trouble free miles (a couple of 1st model year, known issues repaired under warranty was about it). Build quality? Nowhere near the Japanese models I had owned, but it didn't leak, creak and nothing fell off. IMO, outstanding exterior style, nice interior (fabulous Plood!), nice handling for a large sedan, good ride and reasonable mpg.
But, as I headed to 70k miles, old prejudices die hard and I didn't want to own the platinum beauty into its middle/old age (Chrysler, the tranny was going to go... And the front end was not feeling right). So, traded it for my current Acura TL which I also thoroughly enjoy (invoice price, 2.9% for 48/months). Hated to leave the M on the Acura lot, hope it found a good home.
Current Chrysler products? Well, it has grown on me (familiarity breeds acceptance?), but the new 300 was/is not my cup of diet soda. The new Sebring is atrocious, imho (style-wise). Crossfire? Well, with the huge discounts might be a nice weekend toy. Calibre? Looks neat, but most reviews I've read haven't been overly kind. Never had a need/desire for any Jeep. So, currently there's not much that appeals to me. But, if I needed a minivan, I would definatley check out the Pentastar.
My Dad enjoyed his Concorde, other than noise and really bad build quality I enjoyed my company provided Intrepid and the 300M was fab. So, hopefully Deskman is correct in his views of Chrysler emerging bigger, faster and stronger. More competition in the field can only benefit us all!
And, yes, my lust still runs deep for a Jag XK... but my pockets run shallow... :sick:
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
I drove one from beavercreek to the sunshine state in may.if i did not have a few oz's of the dank killer sticky white widow mountain buds i would have left it at the edwards airport :surprise:
I did make it from vail to miami on 4 tanks of 87 running 80 to 120mph the whole way. :surprise:
I was rolling one handed spliffs and had the comedy channel on the drive home. :shades:
Roy L., you certainly paint a picture with your posts! I've really got to find a copy of your life story movie and enjoy it again! Enjoy your "mmile of cars..." and hopefully your prices arent't, "Toooooo xxxxxxing expensive!"
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
Also, don't know why Chrysler messed up the nice exterior styling the previous generation Grand Caravan had. Now it looks like something Toyonda would design...blahh.
That’s about the way Son #1 put it about his new 08’ T&C Turing Signature Series (whatever it is) van when he compared it to his 02’ Grand Caravan that he traded for his entertainment center on wheels. :confuse:
I believe he said, “This van isn’t about the outside, it’s all about the inside”. :surprise:
I got to see this thing this past Saturday, you know, the one with the must have power adjustable pedals (for shorty, his wife who ain’t all that short), dual DVD players (second and third row seats), Sirius radio, CD hard disk drive, etc. etc.
When he was about half way finished with the touch screen display demo I said, “there is waaay to much to play with here; this thing is an accident waiting to happen”. What the driver really needs is a pair of blinders, but Chrysler didn’t provide those.
I sure hope he and his wife remembers what I tried to teach him when I taught him how to drive ”When you take yours eyes off the road your looking for trouble” and that was waaay before all this junk they’ve put on/into/around cars today.
There I went sounding like an old coot again.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
i mentioned my viper deals a few posts ago, :shades: bought my first offshore boat thanks to those guyz
i also was big in the eastern european suv export craze making huge gross on multi unit sales to flattheaded russian bizinessmen :shades: 10k over msrp
The central and south americans are still a good source of cash deals :surprise: 5 k over msrp
The Mexicans are buying every wholesale truck for stupid money ( 2k truck for 8k)
The locals you need a slick pencil or a big club to catch
Comments
I have been told by my owner that Chrysler has 11 billion cash/line of credit on hand :shades:
Chrysler aint dying anytime soon.
America will not let any one of the big 3 close shop. Everyone in North America (including the Import guys) depend on the Big 3 one way or another and without direct contact or knowledge for a % of that check every friday.
I wish I could believe that. However, with their announcement yesterday of the closing of their only minivan plant in the U.S, a plant that just last year they spent 1/2 billion dollars on to upgrade to a flexible manufacturing facility, they took a step closer to the morgue.
mACK
:shades:
out of respect of out forefathers please no import posting on the 4th :P
Mack
Heck, right now I'd be happy to sell you one at MSRP if I could get my hands on one.!
"Dumping a SUV for half of what you owe and then buying a hybrid for over sticker is just dumb in my book. Yet lots of people are doing it. "
Well, it happened again today. A young couple paid over sticker for a used 06 Prius with 57k on the electric clock! $24,990.00 when original price was well under 23k! i WASN'T THE ONE THAT SOLD IT.
if and when demand returns chrysler will have done what the imports have done since the start.set up shop without unions in the south or in northern mexico.
The brains will stay in Auburn Hills but the sweat will be thousands of miles away.
The Solara SE does have a tighter suspension than the SLE or 4 banger.
Toyota is not trying to overtake GM. It's just happening all by itself. The problem we are having right now is lack of inventory. No Prius, No Hybrid Highlander, few Corollas, (six came in today!) , no Yaris, no xD's, Camry still selling very well, and the trucks and suvs will eventually move. It's Ford and GM that were caught with their pants down. Ford does not have a fuel efficient 4 banger. They have one in the planning stage but it won't be ready for another two years. They are thinking of bringing some of the European models here. Now there's an idea!
And I don't know what GM sold last month since they have nothing but gas guzzlers. The Cobalt is nothing to write home about and the Malibu is a nice car but still no Camry or Accord. And their hybrid Tahoe/Yukon twins are a joke! One of my Prius customers lives next to a guy that works for GM. When the GM guy told him about the Hybrid Tahoe my customer laughed. He said he would be embarrased to tell people about the gas mileage. :shades:
Told me to get in line and that the big boys from overseas are paying up to 50k (black)over msrp on the challengers :shades: the silver ones are the cold ones they only bring 20k over msrp :P
Reminds me of when i had Italian and german buyers paying 100k over on vipers back in 92 thru 94 :shades:
NO
:lemon: camcord = Meathead from All in the Family
And what did the poor [non-permissible content removed] who traded it in pay for it new, 60-70K? You got to love the opportunities that are out there right now. If I had the need for one, I'd buy some big SUV and park it in my driveway until the panic is over.
OTOH, if I'm wrong about gas prices, I would be crying as the hybrids pass my out of gas beast on the side of the road.
What's that old gamblers saying? Scared money don't win?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
mac.....again, no disrespect to your product. I think Toyota has blurred the lines between it's upscale brother (Lexus) and the "meat and potatoes" of models (Toyota). As I said, I think my friend really liked the looks of the Solara. Maybe if she had driven a different model (SE?) her opinion would be different. But, I had to agree with her assessment. "Pretty car. But, that's where the fun begins and ends". Gotta say, there's been more than once when I've seen a Solara at a distance that I thought I was looking at a Lexus. Honda has done much the same thing. For example, the lines between Acura products and Honda products has blurred quite a bit. Matter of fact, the interior of my friend's new Accord could be straight out of an Acura product. I was that impressed.
Side note, a former business colleague just bought a new Benza few months ago. Whatever their new entry level is (I don't recall the nomenclature). Looks good on the outside. But, does it drive any better than the Accord? I've only driven either car a few miles. But, I don't think a Solara/Camry or an Accord gives up anything to the Benz. Plus, his $40K sled looks like a "stripper" model compared to either the Solara, Accord....and definitely looks woeful when compared to my 3 series. The Benz isn't built as well as any of those cars, IMHO. Somebody thinks its worth it to pay for that 3 pointed star, though.
I think those of us who have been around for awhile have seen this oil situation play out before. As most know, this too will pass. As oldfarmer points out, people are running scared right now....making irrational decisions.....trading (or trying to trade) $40K SUVs for a Yaris. While the landscape will definitely change among the car buying public,in the short term, with the expanses of blacktop we have in this country, Americans want big, powerful vehicles. Once the bubble bursts on this oil "thing" (and it will, which will spawn another financial crisis akin to the mortgage bubble and the dot com meltdown), all those trucks and SUVs will sell.
I can empathize with you, though. Business is out there for the taking, if you've got the right product mix. The market is knee deep in trucks (Toyota included), when the public wants 4 cyl cars. Still, I don't think any of the manufacturers saw this fuel runnup coming. Especially since it hit so quickly.
deskman....I wish I had your faith in Chrysler. Daimler left it in shambles. Cerebus doesn't know what to do. Challengers will be tasty, but what else is there in the Chrysler stable that anyone else wants? I've driven the Avenger, as a rental. Boy, I don't know how much money was spent in development, but I'd ask for a refund. Jeep? Can't give them away right now. Even their vaunted minivan is looking like it's being shunned with the cut back in it's production. The 300 may as well be a 100 in the market place it's so long in the tooth. Unless Chrysler has some magic bullet they're keeping under wraps, I can't see any way to bring it back to life short of selling off assets. Every other day we're hearing more bad news (even though they are no longer a public company) about them. That does nothing more than to cause more echos in the showrooms.
Errrr, do you mean hari kari?
Hare kari might be killing a rabbit?
Richard III
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
The minivan plant in st louie only built the short wb ones that did not sell retail(fleetcars/rentals),the windsor plant builds the long wb High margin vans.
The st louie ram plant built the oddball trucks like the 4x4 reg cab with a 4.7 and a six speed hand shaker.
Chrysler is in much better shape than ford,gm and maybe even toyonda.Chrysler has deals with nissan,volkswagen,chery,and soon fiat.chrysler has head hunted major talent from toyota/nissan/ford/gm.IMHO Chrysler is taking the time to make sure the next product to wear a pentastar sets a new standard in the automotive industry .
LOL
I also cannot believe that people are paying way over sticker for the Prius, you are simply dumping all of your gas savings right into the car payment. Your better off getting a car you actually want. They are selling as high as $30k, You can get a fully loaded Camry, Accord, TSX, etc, that opens a whole other door of cars you can get, and be so much more fun! The gas prices are making everyone freak out, and people are not thinking realistically about making big decisions on this. This is your well, hard, earned money, don't throw it away on a car that is supposed to be loaded at $23k. MSRP! Defeats the whole purpose.
Other than an SUV, that I have seen piling up everywhere, I don't blame the dealers for not wanting more of them, and making owners take a hit on trade in. Its a business. Though, I see brand new Tahoe's, Escallades, I hope the owner knows that they just took a huge hit on resale value for their car, and the minute they signed that contract, they just when way upside down. Its almost binding, they might not be able to get out of it, without practically giving it away.
But some of us need a big SUV, and that is okay, but realize what your doing. You can get a great deal on one now too though, so that helps!
If you are in AG or the recipient of fuel taxes, the US is the place to be. For the fuel consumer, not so good.
MB has the BlueTech offering this year and VW is going to have the 2.0L diesel in the Jetta by August I hope. I think Honda had something in works for the 2009 MY
What is the word on the show room floor as to new diesel offerings in the form of small to midsized passenger cars?
Diesel is higher than gas, but diesel would have to be 35% more expensive than gas before it would be the same in cents per mile to drive. IE $4.00 gas = $5.40 diesel.
That's what I thought when I recently drove a Jeep Patriot. It's a lot of Jeep for the money, but interior and exterior quality is second rate. Also, don't know why Chrysler messed up the nice exterior styling the previous generation Grand Caravan had. Now it looks like something Toyonda would design...blahh. :sick:
Chrysler is in much better shape than ford,gm and maybe even toyonda.
I hope you are right, but I think you are not.
I had a breakfast meeting this a.m. near one of the largest auto mega sites near my 'burg. As I was driving away, I noted that one of the dealerships had a huge sign out front "HUGE SALE ON HUGE GAS GUZZLERS". Gotta love it.
Don't forget the guy who destroyed Home Depot and got lousy 200 million for it...
2018 430i Gran Coupe
i think you will see diesel hybrids coming from the usa and european brands. a diesel operates in a very narrow power curve that is ideal for a generator that produces electricity and run at a constant rpm you can eliminate 99.9999 % of the toxins produced.
The big 3 aint going away anytime soon !!!!!!
Trust the Deskman on this one boys and girls .
The Jetta TDI is on its way. Every dealer has already received a demo car - sedan with DSG. I took it home for a day, and I got 40 MPG for mixed city/freeway ride home, 12 miles commute.
Right now I am pre-selling my allocation for the next 6 months - I am at the only dealership in SF Bay Area that doesn't markup to cars, so the business is going to be very good! :shades:
Mico
I have to disagree. I have an 08 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited and I'm very happy with it. The quality is veyr good. This is my first Jeep, but I've heard from other owners that the 08s are much much better than the 07s. So there's hope.
Having said that, my brother in Norway was looking at a Patriot. He was dissapointed about it. It didn't have a lot of the features that other similar cars there (Xenon, blue tooth, some mechanical things that I can't remember, etc.). So they aren't out of the woods yet.
The hitler youth( Dr Z and his gang of thugs) only returned to the fatherland a year ago. :P
In less than 24 months you will see a lean mean fighting machine :shades:
LOL, on last night's local news, they had a family of 5 on and the guy says, "We decided to buy a Camry because of the high gas prices. Oh we're still keeping the Suburban, but for normal around the town driving, I couldn't afford the gas in the Suburban."
I take it that Jim Press was the only american on the board?
Edited to say: I may be slow, but I get there...and it's worth the wait according to mrs dad23
Kind of sticks in my craw the way Daimler sucked Chrysler's sizable (at the time) bank account dry. Then proceeded to force previous generation technology on Chrysler (Crossfire, components for the 300, etc). Then, being so bold to think MB was so superior as to have Chrysler develop products that had little chance to succeed with the Mercedes cast offs. All the while, MB stole the 4WD technology from the Jeep division to put into their own SUVs.
Some people said Chrysler drug the quality of Mercedes down to where it is today. I say it was the exact opposite. Mercedes drug down Chrysler's quality and technology.
Back to sales stories (actually questions).....
-Does a dealership, who is stuck with immovable merchandise cut staff when things get tough?
-If so, where to they cut?
-Is it by attrtition? Are the sales people making so little money from commissions they eventually quit, and aren't replaced?
-If so, where to they cut?
-Is it by attrtition? Are the sales people making so little money from commissions they eventually quit, and aren't replaced?
The strong survive! the weak go on to greener pastures and a pipe dream or order take at toyonda for a lot less money :lemon:
My owner cut his fleet of russian / ukrainian mistresses down to 4 . :shades:
I thoroughly enjoyed that car. 5.5 years, 67,000 nearly trouble free miles (a couple of 1st model year, known issues repaired under warranty was about it). Build quality? Nowhere near the Japanese models I had owned, but it didn't leak, creak and nothing fell off. IMO, outstanding exterior style, nice interior (fabulous Plood!), nice handling for a large sedan, good ride and reasonable mpg.
But, as I headed to 70k miles, old prejudices die hard and I didn't want to own the platinum beauty into its middle/old age (Chrysler, the tranny was going to go... And the front end was not feeling right). So, traded it for my current Acura TL which I also thoroughly enjoy (invoice price, 2.9% for 48/months). Hated to leave the M on the Acura lot, hope it found a good home.
Current Chrysler products? Well, it has grown on me (familiarity breeds acceptance?), but the new 300 was/is not my cup of diet soda. The new Sebring is atrocious, imho (style-wise). Crossfire? Well, with the huge discounts might be a nice weekend toy. Calibre? Looks neat, but most reviews I've read haven't been overly kind. Never had a need/desire for any Jeep. So, currently there's not much that appeals to me. But, if I needed a minivan, I would definatley check out the Pentastar.
My Dad enjoyed his Concorde, other than noise and really bad build quality I enjoyed my company provided Intrepid and the 300M was fab. So, hopefully Deskman is correct in his views of Chrysler emerging bigger, faster and stronger. More competition in the field can only benefit us all!
And, yes, my lust still runs deep for a Jag XK... but my pockets run shallow... :sick:
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
I drove one from beavercreek to the sunshine state in may.if i did not have a few oz's of the dank killer sticky white widow mountain buds i would have left it at the edwards airport :surprise:
I did make it from vail to miami on 4 tanks of 87 running 80 to 120mph the whole way. :surprise:
I was rolling one handed spliffs and had the comedy channel on the drive home. :shades:
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
Thanks to my boss for the natasha and thanks chrysler for the plentiful head room under the wheel
That’s about the way Son #1 put it about his new 08’ T&C Turing Signature Series (whatever it is) van when he compared it to his 02’ Grand Caravan that he traded for his entertainment center on wheels. :confuse:
I believe he said, “This van isn’t about the outside, it’s all about the inside”. :surprise:
I got to see this thing this past Saturday, you know, the one with the must have power adjustable pedals (for shorty, his wife who ain’t all that short), dual DVD players (second and third row seats), Sirius radio, CD hard disk drive, etc. etc.
When he was about half way finished with the touch screen display demo I said, “there is waaay to much to play with here; this thing is an accident waiting to happen”. What the driver really needs is a pair of blinders, but Chrysler didn’t provide those.
I sure hope he and his wife remembers what I tried to teach him when I taught him how to drive ”When you take yours eyes off the road your looking for trouble” and that was waaay before all this junk they’ve put on/into/around cars today.
There I went sounding like an old coot again.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
You mean there are a couple of hotties with accents running around unclaimed? I feel a drive to Florida coming on.
On the other hand, Mrs. farmer is polish/ukrainian and you don't want to mess with her when she's mad. Maybe I'll stay home.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Hope the Evil Wife doesn't see this...
'21 Dark Blue/Black Audi A7 PHEV (mine); '22 White/Beige BMW X3 (hers); '20 Estoril Blue/Oyster BMW M240xi 'Vert (Ours, read: hers in 'vert weather; mine during Nor'easters...)
they must be in the obama camp :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
i also was big in the eastern european suv export craze making huge gross on multi unit sales to flattheaded russian bizinessmen :shades: 10k over msrp
The central and south americans are still a good source of cash deals :surprise: 5 k over msrp
The Mexicans are buying every wholesale truck for stupid money ( 2k truck for 8k)
The locals you need a slick pencil or a big club to catch
my pops is on his 7th or 8th. :surprise:
My new stepmom is about 12 years my junior :shades: