"Toyota has an answer for you and it will be coming to a showroom near you very soon (in Canada at least - should be in US too)" Toyota Venza
Ah yes, the ubiquitous Camry wagon. But don't call it a wagon. Wagon seems to have a negative connotation among car makers, even the almighty Toyota. At your local Toyota dealers first week in December. 4 cylinder model available late January.
Break the UAW, even up the playing field on the import export laws, and get real on the emmisions standards and we will see who rules the roost in the auto world.
Did you know that we make a Focus sold in England that get gets 65 Miles to the gallon.
.6 TDCi Duratorq diesel Available on: Studio, Style, Zetec, Titanium, ECOnetic CO2 emissions: 114g/km (ECOnetic only)/ 119g/km (all other bodystyles) Annual vehicle excise duty: £35 Fuel efficiency (combined cycle): 65.7mpg (ECOnetic only)/ 62.7mpg (all other bodystyles)
Or how about this puppy, tell me it wouldn't sell
We are making head way on getting our Europen line here. I will be glad when we get them all in place
we are looking for something a bit smaller than a Venza, seeing that we alreaddy have an explorer that seats 7. it only has around 87k miles on it and still looks good and runs fine. we are looking at a small suv, to start out. other than styling, is there any difference between a highlander and a venza?
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
When the new body style F150 came out back in 1996 we had a vendor problem with a particular wheel. When we ordered a truck for this one guy we told him that it would delay shipment up to possibly 2 months.
Well he kept seeing all his friends in there new F150 and he did not have his yet. So when his truck was still at best 90 days out he started coming in every day asking where his truck was at. Every day the SM would tell him that we did not know when it would be here. When I say every day I mean every day like clock work he would stop on the way home.
After a month we offered to give back his deposit and get him another truck with after market wheels very similar to the factory. He refused.
One day he saw a truck on the road he thought was like his and started raising hell. It was a truck with the wheels we had offered to get him.
So after like the 45th day of all this he started getting beligerant and making a scene on the show room every day.
The sales person had enough of him and when the guy came in the next day and asked where his truck as the sales person squatted in the middle of the show room floor and started grunting. The cust asked what are you doing? He said "I am trying to chit your truck for you" Guy went through the roof, he is yelling, customers and SP are laughing and the GM was about to have a heart attack. Guy disappeared for a month. When his truck came in a month later the GM called and the guy apologized for being an [non-permissible content removed], said he would take the truck.
The media revealed yesterday that some people have stopped making their mortgage payments so that they can apply for a refi with a lower interest rate and a longer term. The only requirement to become part of the bail out package is to be 90 days or more delinquent on your house payment. A consulting attorney said that it was legal. No income verification is required at this time for the refi. Banks have to add you to their list of refis. Talk about greed. Some average citizens are as bad as congressmen and corporate ceo's.
If we are going to bail out the Big Three, then why not have the banks to do a refi on cars? You could get a better interest rate and stretch your payments out for 500 months. All of this brings up the question of credit scores. Not to worry. The consulting attorney for the media noted that you can just start rebuilding it again from day one. There will be so many people with broken scores that it won't actually matter to the banks any longer. I can't believe that I have lived long enough to see such a mess. :sick:
To jmonroe: NFL players will have to take pay cuts as well. Why? Because there will be fewer people who can afford game tickets.
I stopped making my car payments years ago. Its called paying it off, :shades:
The media revealed yesterday that some people have stopped making their mortgage payments so that they can apply for a refi with a lower interest rate and a longer term.
Gee and all this time I was paying extra in order to get rid of my house payment years earlier. Oh well thats what I get for being fiscally prudent. I am probably 90 days or more ahead on my payments.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Hey, Joel! Get that Focus Cabriolet over here and I'll travel to buy it from you! Sweet looking car and exactly what Ford should be doing.
My great fear with the bailout is that Mulally with get equated in with Wagoner in the "throw the bums out" movement. He's not a bum. I've never been a Ford guy and my one experience with the Windstall was bad but Ford knows where it is going and is addressing what needs to be done. I think the only reason they are asking to be a part in the bailout is to keep GM running so the supply chain stays intact.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
Exactly---there are basic principles of PR. Did they really think no one was going to notice that flying around in private jets and begging for money don't really work together? As for Al Gore, given that he got the message out, I'll forgive his transgressions and hypocrisy. The balance sheet works for me in that case. A fat person tells me that being grossly overweight will kill me prematurely--well that's correct info even if they don't heed it, right? The truth is what it is, or not.
But what was the message sent by the Big Three execs other than "you all might have an economic crisis, but I'm doing fine, thank you very much".
If I were their PR person I would have told them to take AMTRAK, then a nice Cadillac limo to the exclusive Men's Club aka Congress in DC.
I am probably 90 days or more ahead on my payments
If your mortgage is like mine, you're never "ahead". You still have to make your minimum monthly mortgage payment. You may have only paid the principal down.
If your mortgage is like mine, you're never "ahead".
Yes I am ahead. First of all if I keep it up I will not pay the last 130 or so monthly payments. Second if I keep it up for every extra dollar I pay each month I will save 2 dollars in interest over the life of the loan. Thirdly if things do get tough for me I can always cut back several hundred dollars on my payment and the mortgage company won't have any grip. And finally it does give me some leverage in negotiating with my mortgage company if things get even tougher.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
we are looking at a small suv, to start out. other than styling, is there any difference between a highlander and a venza?
Read this one to see. Venza is more of a station wagon so is more car like than a Highlander. It is low to the ground like a car. This article says it is a cross between a Camry and Highlander with the rear part being all new. Venza
Reviews are fantastic and you will be amazed at the handling and fit and finish compared to your Explorer. I pretty much thought a car is a car, but when I traded in my Jeep I thought for the fun of it I would try an X3. I didn't want to get out of it. A 20 minute drive convinced me that there's more to driving than just getting there. I have also heard good things about the new Mazda's too 5 or 7!
We go to England twice a year and I am amazed at the nice cars Ford makes for that market. I have a feeling Ford decided the U.S. market was very different and they could read what cars the U.S. buyer wanted. Another thing is the experts have to justify their jobs - so they have to make cars for "their" market which only they understand, happens a lot in business when you bring the experts in. I guess with factories in place, unions in place, old designs that they had to get their money's worth out of, demand for big SUVs and trucks, Ford didn't consider bringing in smaller European cars. Of course, the factories turning out those smaller Euro Fords couldn't produce more for the U.S. market. It would be worth bringing those cars to North America....that little Coupe is nice.
He said "I am trying to chit your truck for you" Guy went through the roof, he is yelling, customers and SP are laughing and the GM was about to have a heart attack. Guy disappeared for a month. When his truck came in a month later the GM called and the guy apologized for being an [non-permissible content removed], said he would take the truck.
I am glad he finally got his truck and everyone was happy but I don't think that salesman got his training from the School Ford School of training. The whole thing could have backfired on him in a big way.
One thing I do with customers like that is to be overly polite. I almost make a game of it. It is fun, because you are really being so sincere and nice, and it makes it hard for them to keep arguing....meanwhile I am enjoying it more and more....hard for management to come after you too!
If we are going to bail out the Big Three, then why not have the banks to do a refi on cars?
That might work better than direct loans to the Big 3. How about deep discounted prices to get inventory moving and get some cash flowing in, and the government use 25 billion for no interest loans - which would get some cash into the market.
I know Honda and Toyota might complain, but their not getting part on the $25 billion anyway, and if the U.S. economy starts moving the whole world will benefit...it would be the Prime the Pump loan program!
I'm so livid over this issue I sent a message to my Senator and Congressman. May or may not get read
Oh, he will read it all right. Letting them know our feelings and how pi$$ed we are will be the only way to stop them throwing billions down this rat hole. Good for you.
Just got my mail and found out for the third time "I may have already Won" a new Kia at the local screamer dealer. Even got the key. All I have to do is drive over and see if it fits.
Seeing that the odds of any one of my keys fitting the Kia are 749,982, having 3 keys doesn't boost my odds much.
Maybe I could use the key they sent my father too. He's been dead since 2001 so I don't think he'll be stopping by.
I know that these are desperate times for the dealers but this just seems to be throwing money away.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
You may want to re read that again sir. I recall the opposite being said so as to prevent abuses. But it wouldn't surprise me if people are finding ways to get around it. I've been following your saga with the Grand Marquis. Are you going to pull the trigger? The Ford employee pricing less rebate deals seem might enticing. I "built" a Fusion online very well equipped with the fancy leather seats and cloth inserts, moonroof and Sync package, fancy wheels, etc and it says I can get it for around 21k but to submit my vehicle to my local dealer to get a lower price? Anyone know anything about this? Maybe our local Ford man can clarify this for me. I'm really insterested as my wife drove one as a rental when our car was in a fender bender a few months back and she was really impressed with it. I thought she would never look at another American car after driving that Bimmer roadster of hers.
He will be the only one that shines. He showed it at the hearings. Other than the jet and Lexus gaffe he will be ok. I'm glad too. I would like to see Ford make it. My first car was a Ford T-bird that I have very fond memories of. I just wish they would stop with all the nostalgia models and bring out something new and exciting. The Mustang is nice but...How about a CamCoord fighter with excitement. Not a rebadged 500. That car is about as exciting as watching paint dry. The Crown Vic has lots of history but would lose in a one-legged man butt kicking contest.
back from the auto show. no bmw's or land rovers and only a few porsches. some nice surprises: Mercedes S63, Astin Martin DBS, a couple of Masserati's and a Milan Hybrid. i was a surprised in the cheap switchgear and/or plastics in many vehicles. my favorite: Audi S5. my wife's favorites: lexus 35? sedan and suv and lincoln mk? sedan and suv. she also asked me about the mileage difference between ford escape and escape hybrid. hands down winner for my wife would be the mxz we saw. great black metal flake paint, awd, moonroof, chrome wheels, less than 31k(employee pricing). my daughter's favorite: anything with a nav screen that was operational. there was a Venza on display. good luck with that one, toyota. the explorer is staying in the family. it's just a workhorse and it seems to be surviving the 2 new drivers thrown at it the last few years.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
Hey, my 9 year old son can buy you a Kia with the Delta-affiliated credit card for which he's been pre-approved!
New England auto show is in a couple of weeks. I wonder if I will be disappointed? Yeah, unlike last year when I could afford to buy some of the cars at the show...
'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...)
"...the Delta affiliated credit card for which he's been pre-approved..."
Didn't Delta go bankrupt? Maybe giving credit to 9 year-olds was the reason.
Then again his judgment must be better than some of these so-called adults who spent themselves into ruin.
Keeping on topic (sort of) I saw my first Challenger on the road yesterday. Maybe it was the black color but I have to say, I wasn't real impressed. The looks were nice but didn't give me the shiver in my toes that the original did. Plus the weight (what's it, 4000+ pounds?) and a big thirsty V-8. Just seems out of step with the new reality.
What ever happened to that Hornet concept Dodge was playing with?
I wish Chrysler could come up with a modern K car. Something light weight and inexpensive but maybe throw a nice turbo 4 cyl in it. Give it some decent handling and you could sell a ton of them.
Ahh, what the heck, Chrysler is probably done for. We'll all be driving Hondas and Tatas in 5 years so who cares, right? I'm depressed. :sick:
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
i saw 3 new challengers at the auto show today. they sure are large cars, compared to a mustang. i did like that you can get a moonroof. the examples at the show had hemi's and priced out at about 38k. btw, even if your unfortunate vision of new honda's and tata's comes true, where is it carved in stone you need to buy a new car? you can buy a brand new 69 camaro, if you want to.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
I wish Chrysler could come up with a modern K car. Something light weight and inexpensive but maybe throw a nice turbo 4 cyl in it. Give it some decent handling and you could sell a ton of them.
That is the last thing that Chrysler would do. A big success like that would ruin their bailout chances !
I wish Chrysler could come up with a modern K car. Something light weight and inexpensive but maybe throw a nice turbo 4 cyl in it. Give it some decent handling and you could sell a ton of them.
That's one of the best ideas you have had OF But it has already been done. It is called a Suburu WRX Suburu WRX
I built an 4 cylinder SE automatic with sport package and sync and moonroof and I come up with $20570.00 zip is 90210. What confuses me is it gives me the employee price of $18820 then adds the options of $1420, minus auto show bonus customer cash ?? LA auto show? then the emp. net price. Isn't there any rebates also that must be subtracted? maybe there's where I'm getting confused. :confuse: Ok, I see there is a link right below the monthly. It says I get a $2000.00 rebate and another $500.00 if I finance thru Ford. So I take it I subtract that from the $20,570.00?? That would put me at $18,070.00 plus taxes. Holly mother of God! That's a steal!
I think they had filed for Chapter 11 about a year ago or so. That allowed for reorganization and they seem to be "back in business." Delta jets have been taking off and landing from our airport without interruption throughout the ordeal.
Well, at my age I could have misunderstood the income verification part; but I was thinking that was what caught my attention. I do remember the report saying that the only requirement was to be 90 days behind. If I hear more, I'll post it.
As for the GM, I haven't decided. I think that I'm becoming a member of the paranoia group in this country. I keep thinking of my parents and the Great Depression. It's getting harder and harder for me to let go of a dollar. Even my family has decided not to exchange gifts this season---except for the two little children in the family. After 15 years, my niece just got laid off from her sales position with a major drug company. My nephew thinks that he may lose his job as a golf course designer with Greg Norman. The fear factor is really out there. I may have to help float a loan or two. Back to the GM, it really is a good deal. I'll keep you posted.
tidester....Delta just emerged from Chapter 11. They've got a hub here. Delta bought out Northwest, who has a hub in Detroit (where they're HQ'd). CVG has the highest airfares in the country (quite unusual for a hub). But, while I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist, I think Delta is trying to finagle out of its commitment locally to keep a hub here. Best way to do that is to make it too expensive to fly out of the local hub.
They demanded (and received) a lot of financial concessions to put their hub here. Now, they don't need it anymore and trying to find a way to shut it down without paying the freight to do it.
oldfarmer.....you're are probably the first person I've ever known who wants the "K-car" to come back. However, I do agree that any of the "Big 3" who can put out an inexpensive, small platform 2-door/4-door car, wagon, minivan, that gets good MPG, looks half way good, might indeed gather some decent market share.
Maybe you're right, though. I don't know if Chryco still has all the tooling for the defunct K-car and its derivatives. But if they do, it's long since been amortized. They could make a new version cheap. Update the styling. Get the 4 cyl turbo to pass today's EPA standards, and it may very well save Chrysler, yet again!
Just build the car as you and Old Farmer described and also with the option of a small clean diesel and they could sell a ton...if they didn't get greedy.
"...you can buy a brand new 69 camaro, if you want to..."
Did you mean 69' or 09'? My girlfriend had a 69' when we met. She traded it for a 74' Charger so I knew this was the girl for me. Can you imagine what a showroom condition 69' Camaro with no miles on it would be worth today? More than I could afford.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
You're correct about Delta. My brother-in-law just retired as a Delta pilot. If the pilots association hadn't been so greedy, Delta probably wouldn't have had to go to Chapter 11. The pilots refused to take a pay cut. My brother-in-law made $250,000 a year flying to Europe twice a week. His retirement is 80% of that---$200,000. Still, Delta survived.
You're also correct about the hubs. They got out of their hub contract here by charging ridiculous rates to make connections in Atlanta. Our small airport authority was actually glad to see them go. Not only did they charge too much, they were always late and regularly canceled scheduled flights.
Prediction I read for the the Big 3 after bankrupcy;
GM: Would become half the size, market share would be about 10% instead of about 22%. Make Chev and Cadillac for North America and Buick for Asia - they love Buicks over there. Number of dealerships would be cut drastically. Might even sell cars on line or from Sears or Walmart. They could get out of contracts for dealers and renegotiate or drop unions. They would make money.
Ford: Specialty maker of trucks and SUV's. They would drastically cut back to about 7% of the market and would make money. Tata might be interested in making car lines.
Chrysler: Foreign company might buy out at bargain basement price to use assembly lines etc. Not much hope.
Much smaller operations and fewer assembly plants. Will not have high union fees. Foreign makers will build more cars and build more plants. There will be a strong industry in the U.S. Unfortunately government will have to pay off pension plans.
GM and Ford will actually be better off, making a profit. Just read the other day a perfect line that covers GM. The problem with building an empire and being the leader is....that no empire ever survives!
Oldfarmer, global warming is as real as the rain. The science is good and re-inforces the alarm each day. The future therefore belongs to those countries, corporations and automakers who embrace global warming as a real issue that must be addressed. Otherwise, Europe and Japan, who are acting much faster on this issue, will develop the technologies to cope with global warming, and come over here to clean our clocks, and perhaps the Chinese clocks, too.We'll beg for the tech, and they can name their price.
Al Gore can't make you walk, he doesn't have the power ---but Mother Nature can.
HANDOUTS -- I would have LOVED to see them begging on bended knee--even one knee. Even a mildly penitent cast-down gaze would have been okay.
So much nicer than snapping their fingers and saying "C'mon, c'mon, where's the money. We got bills to pay!"
Apparently president-elect Obama has recently hinted that the Big Three had better shape up or no aid will be forthcoming.
I like your Prime the Pump Loan Program. The no interest government loans to consumers keeps the $25B out of the Big 3 CEO's hands. How about this: A stimulus package to consumers to buy new cars from the big 3---with verification of purchase required. If you used your stimulus money on top of the employee pricing and rebates plus 0% financing from the government, the economy would definitely be stimulated.
Joel, I can't believe that I found another '09 clear coat black GM at zip code 28358. The list price is $30,790. With employee pricing and rebates, what do you think the bottom line would be? Thanks.
Well I agree that climate change is going on but it always has. Whether or not it is man made or natural is still up for debate. Scientists are split about 50/50 as near as I can tell. I agree that all the hype is man made.
This issue could certainly affect the cars that are sold in the future.
Okay, fair enough, I'll gonna take my Global Warming rap over to here, (see link below), a more appropriate topic, along with the latest scientific data I've been researching.
Well, goodness gracious. I've seen you have a word or two with another poster, but NEVER with another Host. It's nice to know that you don't play favorites. :P
Comments
If you can fake sincerity then you have it made!
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Toyota Venza
Ah yes, the ubiquitous Camry wagon. But don't call it a wagon. Wagon seems to have a negative connotation among car makers, even the almighty Toyota. At your local Toyota dealers first week in December. 4 cylinder model available late January.
Did you know that we make a Focus sold in England that get gets 65 Miles to the gallon.
.6 TDCi Duratorq diesel
Available on: Studio, Style, Zetec, Titanium, ECOnetic
CO2 emissions: 114g/km (ECOnetic only)/ 119g/km (all other bodystyles)
Annual vehicle excise duty: £35
Fuel efficiency (combined cycle): 65.7mpg (ECOnetic only)/ 62.7mpg (all other bodystyles)
Or how about this puppy, tell me it wouldn't sell
We are making head way on getting our Europen line here. I will be glad when we get them all in place
we are looking at a small suv, to start out.
other than styling, is there any difference between a highlander and a venza?
Well he kept seeing all his friends in there new F150 and he did not have his yet. So when his truck was still at best 90 days out he started coming in every day asking where his truck was at. Every day the SM would tell him that we did not know when it would be here. When I say every day I mean every day like clock work he would stop on the way home.
After a month we offered to give back his deposit and get him another truck with after market wheels very similar to the factory. He refused.
One day he saw a truck on the road he thought was like his and started raising hell. It was a truck with the wheels we had offered to get him.
So after like the 45th day of all this he started getting beligerant and making a scene on the show room every day.
The sales person had enough of him and when the guy came in the next day and asked where his truck as the sales person squatted in the middle of the show room floor and started grunting. The cust asked what are you doing?
He said "I am trying to chit your truck for you"
Guy went through the roof, he is yelling, customers and SP are laughing and the GM was about to have a heart attack. Guy disappeared for a month. When his truck came in a month later the GM called and the guy apologized for being an [non-permissible content removed], said he would take the truck.
If we are going to bail out the Big Three, then why not have the banks to do a refi on cars? You could get a better interest rate and stretch your payments out for 500 months. All of this brings up the question of credit scores. Not to worry. The consulting attorney for the media noted that you can just start rebuilding it again from day one. There will be so many people with broken scores that it won't actually matter to the banks any longer. I can't believe that I have lived long enough to see such a mess. :sick:
To jmonroe: NFL players will have to take pay cuts as well. Why? Because there will be fewer people who can afford game tickets.
Richard
The media revealed yesterday that some people have stopped making their mortgage payments so that they can apply for a refi with a lower interest rate and a longer term.
Gee and all this time I was paying extra in order to get rid of my house payment years earlier. Oh well thats what I get for being fiscally prudent. I am probably 90 days or more ahead on my payments.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Look at you, you rebel. Way to buck the system
My great fear with the bailout is that Mulally with get equated in with Wagoner in the "throw the bums out" movement. He's not a bum. I've never been a Ford guy and my one experience with the Windstall was bad but Ford knows where it is going and is addressing what needs to be done. I think the only reason they are asking to be a part in the bailout is to keep GM running so the supply chain stays intact.
But what was the message sent by the Big Three execs other than "you all might have an economic crisis, but I'm doing fine, thank you very much".
If I were their PR person I would have told them to take AMTRAK, then a nice Cadillac limo to the exclusive Men's Club aka Congress in DC.
If your mortgage is like mine, you're never "ahead". You still have to make your minimum monthly mortgage payment. You may have only paid the principal down.
Yes I am ahead. First of all if I keep it up I will not pay the last 130 or so monthly payments. Second if I keep it up for every extra dollar I pay each month I will save 2 dollars in interest over the life of the loan. Thirdly if things do get tough for me I can always cut back several hundred dollars on my payment and the mortgage company won't have any grip. And finally it does give me some leverage in negotiating with my mortgage company if things get even tougher.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
other than styling, is there any difference between a highlander and a venza?
Read this one to see. Venza is more of a station wagon so is more car like than a Highlander. It is low to the ground like a car. This article says it is a cross between a Camry and Highlander with the rear part being all new.
Venza
I think what you should try out is a VW Tiguan:
VW Tiguan
Reviews are fantastic and you will be amazed at the handling and fit and finish compared to your Explorer. I pretty much thought a car is a car, but when I traded in my Jeep I thought for the fun of it I would try an X3. I didn't want to get out of it. A 20 minute drive convinced me that there's more to driving than just getting there.
I have also heard good things about the new Mazda's too 5 or 7!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
We go to England twice a year and I am amazed at the nice cars Ford makes for that market. I have a feeling Ford decided the U.S. market was very different and they could read what cars the U.S. buyer wanted. Another thing is the experts have to justify their jobs - so they have to make cars for "their" market which only they understand, happens a lot in business when you bring the experts in. I guess with factories in place, unions in place, old designs that they had to get their money's worth out of, demand for big SUVs and trucks, Ford didn't consider bringing in smaller European cars. Of course, the factories turning out those smaller Euro Fords couldn't produce more for the U.S. market. It would be worth bringing those cars to North America....that little Coupe is nice.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Guy went through the roof, he is yelling, customers and SP are laughing and the GM was about to have a heart attack. Guy disappeared for a month. When his truck came in a month later the GM called and the guy apologized for being an [non-permissible content removed], said he would take the truck.
I am glad he finally got his truck and everyone was happy but I don't think that salesman got his training from the School Ford School of training. The whole thing could have backfired on him in a big way.
One thing I do with customers like that is to be overly polite. I almost make a game of it. It is fun, because you are really being so sincere and nice, and it makes it hard for them to keep arguing....meanwhile I am enjoying it more and more....hard for management to come after you too!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
That might work better than direct loans to the Big 3. How about deep discounted prices to get inventory moving and get some cash flowing in, and the government use 25 billion for no interest loans - which would get some cash into the market.
I know Honda and Toyota might complain, but their not getting part on the $25 billion anyway, and if the U.S. economy starts moving the whole world will benefit...it would be the Prime the Pump loan program!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
And Columo overcoat, really old clothes with holes in it, no bath, don't shave, and a real tin cup would have been even better.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Oh, he will read it all right. Letting them know our feelings and how pi$$ed we are will be the only way to stop them throwing billions down this rat hole. Good for you.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Please just shoot me. I can't take this anymore.
For crap sakes, isn't that what started this mess?
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
LOL. Oh, that's a good one. Mentioning Al Gore and truth in the same post.
Who says the hosts don't have a sense of humor.
If Al has his way we'll all be walking. Maybe the sales folks can make a living selling shoes.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Seeing that the odds of any one of my keys fitting the Kia are 749,982, having 3 keys doesn't boost my odds much.
Maybe I could use the key they sent my father too. He's been dead since 2001 so I don't think he'll be stopping by.
I know that these are desperate times for the dealers but this just seems to be throwing money away.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
I try to increase exposure and presence without spending a dime
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I've been saying it all along.
I've been following your saga with the Grand Marquis. Are you going to pull the trigger? The Ford employee pricing less rebate deals seem might enticing. I "built" a Fusion online very well equipped with the fancy leather seats and cloth inserts, moonroof and Sync package, fancy wheels, etc and it says I can get it for around 21k but to submit my vehicle to my local dealer to get a lower price? Anyone know anything about this? Maybe our local Ford man can clarify this for me. I'm really insterested as my wife drove one as a rental when our car was in a fender bender a few months back and she was really impressed with it. I thought she would never look at another American car after driving that Bimmer roadster of hers.
some nice surprises: Mercedes S63, Astin Martin DBS, a couple of Masserati's and a Milan Hybrid.
i was a surprised in the cheap switchgear and/or plastics in many vehicles.
my favorite: Audi S5.
my wife's favorites: lexus 35? sedan and suv and lincoln mk? sedan and suv.
she also asked me about the mileage difference between ford escape and escape hybrid.
hands down winner for my wife would be the mxz we saw. great black metal flake paint, awd, moonroof, chrome wheels, less than 31k(employee pricing).
my daughter's favorite: anything with a nav screen that was operational.
there was a Venza on display. good luck with that one, toyota.
the explorer is staying in the family. it's just a workhorse and it seems to be surviving the 2 new drivers thrown at it the last few years.
New England auto show is in a couple of weeks. I wonder if I will be disappointed? Yeah, unlike last year when I could afford to buy some of the cars at the show...
'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...)
Didn't Delta go bankrupt? Maybe giving credit to 9 year-olds was the reason.
Then again his judgment must be better than some of these so-called adults who spent themselves into ruin.
Keeping on topic (sort of) I saw my first Challenger on the road yesterday. Maybe it was the black color but I have to say, I wasn't real impressed. The looks were nice but didn't give me the shiver in my toes that the original did. Plus the weight (what's it, 4000+ pounds?) and a big thirsty V-8. Just seems out of step with the new reality.
What ever happened to that Hornet concept Dodge was playing with?
I wish Chrysler could come up with a modern K car. Something light weight and inexpensive but maybe throw a nice turbo 4 cyl in it. Give it some decent handling and you could sell a ton of them.
Ahh, what the heck, Chrysler is probably done for. We'll all be driving Hondas and Tatas in 5 years so who cares, right? I'm depressed. :sick:
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
they sure are large cars, compared to a mustang.
i did like that you can get a moonroof.
the examples at the show had hemi's and priced out at about 38k.
btw, even if your unfortunate vision of new honda's and tata's comes true, where is it carved in stone you need to buy a new car?
you can buy a brand new 69 camaro, if you want to.
Tell me the list price and your zip code and I will tell you what the price would be after rebates before taxes
That is the last thing that Chrysler would do. A big success like that would ruin their bailout chances !
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
That's one of the best ideas you have had OF
But it has already been done. It is called a Suburu WRX
Suburu WRX
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
What confuses me is it gives me the employee price of $18820 then adds the options of $1420, minus auto show bonus customer cash ?? LA auto show? then the emp. net price. Isn't there any rebates also that must be subtracted? maybe there's where I'm getting confused. :confuse:
Ok, I see there is a link right below the monthly. It says I get a $2000.00 rebate and another $500.00 if I finance thru Ford. So I take it I subtract that from the $20,570.00?? That would put me at $18,070.00 plus taxes. Holly mother of God! That's a steal!
link title
I think they had filed for Chapter 11 about a year ago or so. That allowed for reorganization and they seem to be "back in business." Delta jets have been taking off and landing from our airport without interruption throughout the ordeal.
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
As for the GM, I haven't decided. I think that I'm becoming a member of the paranoia group in this country. I keep thinking of my parents and the Great Depression. It's getting harder and harder for me to let go of a dollar. Even my family has decided not to exchange gifts this season---except for the two little children in the family. After 15 years, my niece just got laid off from her sales position with a major drug company. My nephew thinks that he may lose his job as a golf course designer with Greg Norman. The fear factor is really out there. I may have to help float a loan or two. Back to the GM, it really is a good deal. I'll keep you posted.
Richard
They demanded (and received) a lot of financial concessions to put their hub here. Now, they don't need it anymore and trying to find a way to shut it down without paying the freight to do it.
oldfarmer.....you're are probably the first person I've ever known who wants the "K-car" to come back. However, I do agree that any of the "Big 3" who can put out an inexpensive, small platform 2-door/4-door car, wagon, minivan, that gets good MPG, looks half way good, might indeed gather some decent market share.
Maybe you're right, though. I don't know if Chryco still has all the tooling for the defunct K-car and its derivatives. But if they do, it's long since been amortized. They could make a new version cheap. Update the styling. Get the 4 cyl turbo to pass today's EPA standards, and it may very well save Chrysler, yet again!
Not a bad idea on 2nd thought.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Did you mean 69' or 09'? My girlfriend had a 69' when we met. She traded it for a 74' Charger so I knew this was the girl for me.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Better be ready to duck. If they're concentrating on the 9 year-old crowd you may have some REALLY young pilots flying those planes.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
You're also correct about the hubs. They got out of their hub contract here by charging ridiculous rates to make connections in Atlanta. Our small airport authority was actually glad to see them go. Not only did they charge too much, they were always late and regularly canceled scheduled flights.
Richard
GM: Would become half the size, market share would be about 10% instead of about 22%. Make Chev and Cadillac for North America and Buick for Asia - they love Buicks over there. Number of dealerships would be cut drastically. Might even sell cars on line or from Sears or Walmart. They could get out of contracts for dealers and renegotiate or drop unions. They would make money.
Ford: Specialty maker of trucks and SUV's. They would drastically cut back to about 7% of the market and would make money. Tata might be interested in making car lines.
Chrysler: Foreign company might buy out at bargain basement price to use assembly lines etc. Not much hope.
Much smaller operations and fewer assembly plants. Will not have high union fees. Foreign makers will build more cars and build more plants. There will be a strong industry in the U.S. Unfortunately government will have to pay off pension plans.
GM and Ford will actually be better off, making a profit. Just read the other day a perfect line that covers GM.
The problem with building an empire and being the leader is....that no empire ever survives!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Al Gore can't make you walk, he doesn't have the power ---but Mother Nature can.
HANDOUTS -- I would have LOVED to see them begging on bended knee--even one knee. Even a mildly penitent cast-down gaze would have been okay.
So much nicer than snapping their fingers and saying "C'mon, c'mon, where's the money. We got bills to pay!"
Apparently president-elect Obama has recently hinted that the Big Three had better shape up or no aid will be forthcoming.
Richard
Richard
No, it is not. But this is not the place to debate the "issue."
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Well I agree that climate change is going on but it always has. Whether or not it is man made or natural is still up for debate. Scientists are split about 50/50 as near as I can tell. I agree that all the hype is man made.
This issue could certainly affect the cars that are sold in the future.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Global Warming and the Auto Industry
Visiting Host
Richard