Well the car is discovered, as in years ago. Some sales could be people moving from an SUV back to a car, and the Impala is the cheapest larger car they find for sale. As a five passenger car, with decent gas mileage, for a family, it may account for some new sales. No, it won't match an i4 Accord for gas mileage, and a stick shift is not available. Simply a different car. The Hyundai Sonata is likely the closest competition, as in it larger inside, and family car like ride. Or then the Camry comes to mind. Accord V6 is going to be a different buyer looking for handling, and stability control, while having the V6 power for around the same price as the Impala. Impala is the family basic transportation, police car, or rental / business car.
As for the warranty, if you drive 15K miles per year- 5 yrs, it is a 75K mile warranty, or 15K miles more than the others offer. A good thing, but not as good as Hyundai 10 years. Loren
Wonder why the FiveHundred sales are so bad. Not too exciting to look at, but it is a very funcional car, with lots of room and safety. How does the Impala stack up against the FiveHundred in car testing? For looks, the Impala has the appeal compared to the FiveHundred. Now that they are going to add some bling to the exterior of the FiveHundred, as it aquires the Taurus nameplate,will perhaps catch some more buyers attention sitting there on the lot or as they drive on by the roads of America. Seems like they are a tremendous deal for those looking for safety or for a spacious interior, while having a high, throne seating position. Not to my liking, this throne seating. First they raise the doors, and now they raise the chair --- what next! The Impala is more tranditional, and dare we say sporty in looks compared to the FiveHundred/Taurus. And then there is Ford itself. Perhaps people feel the company has simply run out of steam and think they are out of the car business. Who knows. Many, perhaps even Bill, think of Ford as the truck company. Loren
Loren, I've seen ads around here for the Lacrosse CX for 19,995 brand new. I know the CXS and CXL can MSRP around $29K, but they can be had a lot less than that.
Yes, I know, and with full wheel covers, only $19,995 as the blue light special.
If a Buick is to be a doctors class car once again, just sell the CXS model, and let Chevy sell the lower end. Perhaps this should have been in the Chevy line? A CXS for say $24K to $25K range, would be a good buy.
i think if we want to keep auto jobs in this country we shouldnt ask for 30 hr...i make 15 a hr at a supplier and the new delphi contract is competitive...another waste of money is the white collar benefits in detroit, which exceed blue collar benefits...i think it is time for the execs to step up and give back to the company as well..it is a competitive world with a lot of cheap labor..i dont think we can really expect a big pension or lifetime job either, that is not realistic...or alan mullaly getting some ungodly bonus (ford ceo)..anyways, i hope GM can build a hybrid for 15,000$, that would really turn things around for them, in additon to their already strong suv and pickup sales...i have always bought GM or ford vehicles, i want them to be strong...i feel the domestic auto industry is important to this country
"Did they increase Impala fleet sales by 40%? What is to explain a 44.7% jump in sales after all these years for the old gal? Something here just doesn't jive well with reality. If you gave $4K or more off, like the great sale year, a couple ago, you still can not account for such an increase. The car has been out since 2000, then updated with improvements to interior, and the refresh of exterior styling for 2006. All the sudden, not in 2005 or 2006, but in 2007 people need this car. If true, keep that advertising firm - they are precious."
The 06 Impala cane out at the mid point in mid 2005 so still the 2000-2005(previous generation of) Impala was still on Chevy dealer lots for at least the 1st half of 2005.
"Loren, I've seen ads around here for the Lacrosse CX for 19,995 brand new. I know the CXS and CXL can MSRP around $29K, but they can be had a lot less than that."
In my opinion the LaCrosse is a very ordinary looking car(especially the rear end styling) so that could be why its not selling.
4 door Accord Manual: 26 mpg city / 34 mpg hwy I drove the Impala V8 SS and the instantaneous readout of mileage was 30-31 at 60 mph and 28-29 at 70 mph. OK, so it (3.9 DOD) is rated at 31 mpg hwy. The SS topped it's EPA by 3-4 on the readout when I drove it.
Why is the V6 Accord not a family car? People lean to Accords for stability control? How many people actually know what this is? Impalas don't handle well? They just smoked Mercedes best SUV on the Baja 500 course with their '05 model. Accord V6 is priced around the same as Impala? Impala is keeping up with some very impressive cars.
i think if we want to keep auto jobs in this country we shouldnt ask for 30 hr...i make 15 a hr at a supplier and the new delphi contract is competitive
Where do you live??? Here in the Northeast, where the average house can cost $300,000 or more, $30/hr is a necessity (at least total household income). Don't sell yourself short. There are a lot of other things that this country falls short of to compete w/ other countries (healthcare???) that need to be fixed as well.
another waste of money is the white collar benefits in detroit, which exceed blue collar benefits
Kudos to that. If they expect us to take a paycut because someone can do it cheaper overseas, they should keep their pay inline with overseas execs.
If you are in the market for a new car, and that price is reasonable to you, grab it!!!! don't let anybody BS you about it "only" having a 4 sp auto, because they work great, and you can eke out over 30 mpg on the highway on a long trip.
another waste of money is the white collar benefits in detroit, which exceed blue collar benefits...i think it is time for the execs to step up and give back to the company as well..
Which beni's are you talking about? GM Salaried has to pay for their healthcare and have for years. Pensions are also gone. Have the 401 though.
Camry's today at dealer: 2.4L $21,794 has floormats 2.4 22,444 has stability control and floormats 2.4 22,535 has sunroof only 2.4 28,349 has leather, alloy wheels, stability control, body side molding 3.5L $25,537 has JBL stereo, 22 city, 31 hwy 3.5 29,729 has leather, stability control and heated seats 3.5 31,394 has leather, the works These Camry V6 prices reach into the range of the Luscerne, The Buick has a 3.8L OHV and a 4-spd trans which are simpler, older technology at same mpg for a heavier car. In the $29-31k range, you can upgrade the Buick to a 275 HP V8 CXL, but hwy mpg is 25 and Camry V6 is 31. This CXL is over 800 lbs heavier than an Accord and turns 7.62 sec 0-60.
I always thought it would've been neat if GM tried putting an HHR type of front end and styling on the Trailblazer platform.
I also kinda wished that GM would have used the Trailblazer as the basis for a small/midsized pickup truck, instead of just taking something originally designed for the Taiwanese market and slapping Colorado/Canyon badging on it. But then, maybe a pickup that was Trailblazer-based might've been considered too big, and put pressure on the full-sized trucks?
There are various choices but for an HMO a family pays $200 per month, with a $3000 cap on deductables and co pays. co pays on medicines are $7 generic, $25 preferred brand and $50 for non preferred brand. Of course with an HMO you have to stay within the HMO doctors and going outside cost you more.
Blue Cross/Blue Shield type insurance is not available.
An HSA PPO has no monthly payment, $5450 annual deductable, $10,200 cap on deductable + co pays. this is what we have and I am still befungled on how it works. Basically we are supposed to pay for all cost untill we hit $5450 and then we pay a copay/deductable untill we hit the $10,200 max. But somehow some charges are being paid even though we have not hit the $5450 deductable minimum. Annual physicals are paid for 100%.
Untill just recently the union paid nothing monthly and most everything was covered but that has changed recently. The UAW gave Ford and GM some concesions but did not give Chrysler any. One big reason Germany dumped them.
Well, going downhill, and with little foot on the gas, the Accord i4 gets around 40 MPG+ And the same goes for the Impala SS, until you put the right foot into it. All in all, on the serious side, a four banger seems to really shine for around town and overall gas mileage, and V6 or V8 do pretty good these days on the freeways.
An Accord can be a family car and a sports sedan or coupe. Seats four OK. The Impala is a bit larger and can hold more people and stuff and thus is more family hauler. But true, both can work well for the family. Accord V6 will be more fun to drive however. As for stability control, you don't have to know the dynamics of the beast, but it is there when ya need it. Around here and lot and I mean what seems to be three times as many as reported elsewhere, are roll over accidents. And without the roll over, it can tame the driving down. Now, if you wish too, it can be disarmed by the use of a button.
Now as for Baja 500 course, I would say most Honda owners will refrain from those off-road excursions. Another feature of stability control; you won't leave the pavement as often.
Accord V6 cost less, if bought at the right price, once the resale is figured into the equation. Not sure if the retails are much different, come to think of it. What does a 244HP V6 Impala, with stability control, and 6 CD changer run these days? As for Impala keeping up with other cars, I don't know, perhaps it is just in a different classification. It does what it is suppose to do well, and is relatively inexpensive to purchase. I think it is $19K in some ads. Loren
Camry V6 starts at $24K -- I did see one on the lot for that. It was the plain ol' base one though. And is a better comparison to the Aura. Well maybe the Impala, or LaCrosse.
A Lucerne would be more luxury, and if the 3.8 engine and 4 sp. tranny feels right for your driving, that price of $24,495 seems like a bargain. A new car is always nice. Of course one could say you can get a V8 for even less money as a used car in a couple of years, but that's no more right than wanting for a new car, as it's your money. You get a discount price and a new car warranty, and know the history of the car, as you are its only owner. So a Lucy is now sub- $25K in the base form, interesting. Loren
...the Accord and Camry, fleet sales are the major reason why.
According to fleet-central.com, 53.9 percent of Impala sales for the first half of model year 2007 were to fleet customers, compared to 4.9 percent of Accord sales (and it's in the final year of the current design) and 7.7 percent for the Camry.
Out of 144,699 total sales for the Impala, 44,660 went to rental car companies; 23,036 went to commercial customers; and 12,438 went to governments.
The Impala is nowhere near toppling the Accord or the Camry when it comes to popularity with retail customers.
The Big 3 get a break in many localities - my county included. Vehicles are bought on a lowest bidder price but have to come from the traditional American companies.
It's a silly requirement in this day and age but last I looked it was still there.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
The Big 3 get a break in many localities - my county included. Vehicles are bought on a lowest bidder price but have to come from the traditional American companies.
Wonder if there is any stipulation that the vehicles bought have to be built in the U.S. Can GM sell vehicles it builds outside of continental U.S. to government agencies.
Does anybody know what's the percentage of Impala's fleet sales in 2006? 53.9% is definitely not the direction Impala should be headed under GM's "let-reduce-fleet-sales" movement.
Looks like Accord's fleet sales is holding pretty steady at around 5% even at the end of it's life-cycle and Camry's has dropped from previous year's ~13%. I would assume that's due to the introduction of the all new 2007 Camry.
What is GM really offering for the 2008 model year that may reverse its fortunes? I know that the 2008 Malibu is expecting to be big seller. Is there anything else coming out that will be exciting? I know that Honda is introducing a new Accord, Mazda a new Mazda6 so the sedan area will still be a battleground. But maybe I missed the news releases, but it looks like GM is looking at the 2008 model year as small improvements to existing models, not treading new ground. Am I wrong? Oh, I forgot the new Cadillac CTS, that's all new also, right?
has been a REALLY big fleet seller so far this year. Of course, the new model is out in a few months. I wonder if they will offer a "Malibu Classic" for a year to the fleets, like they did last time.
It wouldn't be a bad idea. If they have to have fleet sales for a few more years, might as well be the old models they sell. Ditto the Grand Prix. They oughtta ease off the huge fleet Impala sales though. Apparently the Ford Five Hundred is selling close to half to fleets, and the Charger and Magnum are at WAY over that figure, so let the OTHER domestics handle the large-car fleet sales for a while GM! ;-)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Anyone seen the new CTS, up close - in the metal? Hard to tell from the photos if it is next best thing for Cadillac, or a step away from the CTS origins. The current front, IMHO, is cleaner - less busy looking. The car has always been one sort of hard to judge by photos however. Would be nice to see the two parked next to each other. I think they kept most of the Arts&Science edge to it. That was the worry, in a way, that the uniqueness, some may say quirkiness, may give way to a more rounded, and conservative look. Not sure signature grills work, as an example of, how they should keep the CTS unique, in some peoples view. Of course, all the matters for sales, is that they please more people than the years before. That said, it sometimes becomes a spiral down. People often complained about the Volvo boxes, or the rather odd shapes of Saab, but they seemed to sell well back when. Just a thought.
The CTS is my favorite in the Cadillac car line. The STS, as a stretched and rounded CTS is just not there design wise. The Eldorado was a beauty, though long gone. The XLR is a good curiosity piece, but I would take the Corvette, thank you, for less money. Loren
Beverly Brown didn't expect to be driving a Chevrolet Impala after her last lease ran out early this year.
But it turned out GM's best-selling car gave her more for her money than other deals she could find, she said.
Brown thought the car looked nice, and it fit her budget. It was so affordable, she said, she upgraded from the car offered in the ad.
"I added a moonroof and all the top-of-the-line amenities – I still haven't figured them all out – all for under $300 a month," Brown said.
General Motors Corp.'s sales numbers so far this year indicate Brown is part of a growing group of retail and commercial fleet customers the automaker is winning over with its now 2-year-old version of the Impala.
Sales of the midsize sedan were up 27 percent to 144,541 in the first five months of the year, compared with 114,014 a year ago. And while the roomy sedan long has been a staple of commercial, government and rental fleets – analysts say fleet sales generate about half its sales – GM said retail sales have provided the largest bump this year, with a 41 percent increase in year-over-year sales. We decided we really wanted to see what this car could do," said Cheryl Catton, Chevrolet general director of car marketing, so the company has increased its national and regional advertising and asked dealers to take more of the Oshawa, Ontario-made sedans into their showrooms. So far this year, she said, dealers have ordered as many as the company hoped they would.
And J.D. Power & Associates reports that the average transaction price for an Impala in May was about $20,400, more than $4,300 less than the average price of vehicles sold in the segment that J.D. Power calls large conventional. "It's the same price as the Accord and Camry, but it's bigger," said Edmunds.com industry analyst Alex Rosten. "You get a lot more bang for your buck."
Additionally, he said, "it gets good fuel economy," at 31 miles per gallon on the highway. "And fuel economy is one of the primary considerations of car buyers."
Consumers who want to determine who has the best vehicle interiors can look to the 2007 winners of the best interior styling awards from Kelley Blue Book and its marketing-research arm.
The top winners: Mercedes-Benz in the convertibles/sports cars segment, GMC among trucks, Cadillac in the luxury SUV category and Toyota in three segments – minivans, nonluxury SUVs and nonluxury sedans.
Domestic automakers fared well in the survey – particularly General Motors Corp., whose newest generation of full-size pickups debuted for 2007 with greatly improved, carlike interior designs.
The GM truck interiors are so good that they took the top three spots in the survey, which awarded honors for first, second and third place in each of the surveyed vehicle classes.
For automakers, fleet sales are like a rich dessert: Everyone wants to cut back, but it's hard to pass up one more helping.
Among major automakers, the Chrysler group and Ford Motor Co. have had the most trouble staying away from the dessert tray.
For the first four months of 2007, fleet sales accounted for 36 percent of the Chrysler group's total sales and 34 percent of Ford's total sales.
General Motors has displayed more discipline: Fleet transactions accounted for 24 percent of total sales.
Among import brands, Hyundai, Kia and Mazda generate substantial fleet sales, while Toyota and Honda do not. Nissan hovers in the middle.
The fleet sales data are estimates derived from a comparison of overall sales for the period to retail registration data obtained from R.L. Polk & Co. of suburban Detroit. Fleet sales include transactions in which the buyer purchases 10 or more vehicles at a time.
Sales to corporate fleets such as Wal-Mart or the post office can be profitable. But vehicles sold to daily rental fleets such as Hertz or Avis usually are heavily discounted, so profits are thin. When retail sales start falling, automakers sometimes dump excess inventory into the daily rental fleets.
Meanwhile, General Motors has reduced fleet sales by 280,000 units since 2005, so it's already close to its target.
The change has been most dramatic for Pontiac. In some months last year, Pontiac's fleet sales sometimes edged up to 50 percent of total sales. But for the first four months of 2007, Pontiac's fleet sales are down to 32 percent.
No where does the article deny that, for the first half of this model year, 53.9 percent of Impalas went to fleet customers, and that the car is nowhere near the retail sales figures of the Accord and Camry.
I didn't bring up Ford and Chrysler, as the discussion centered on the Impala, Camry and Accord.
But the fleet sales figures for some of their new vehicles are shocking.
The Dodge Avenger - less than six months old - sells a staggering 79 percent of its total production to fleet customers! Even the Ford Edge is at 32 percent.
Two good signs for GM are the Buick Lucerne - only about 13 percent fleet - and the new GMC Acadia.
GM can spin it all they want and I don't care if the retail is up 200%. The fact of that OVER HALF of the Impalas sold over the first half of 2007 is NOT GOOD. As matter of fact, that is not good for ANY MODEL, domestic or import, Chevy or Toyota.
GM can spin it all they want and I don't care if the retail is up 200%. The fact of that OVER HALF of the Impalas sold over the first half of 2007 is NOT GOOD. As matter of fact, that is not good for ANY MODEL, domestic or import, Chevy or Toyota.
Absolutely not good.
But I thought this coversation started around how has the Impala increased sales since it's redo. The first thing that came up was that it had increased fleet. Well yes fleet volume has increased but the fleet penetration has dropped significantly while the opposite is true, retail has increased significantly.
And while you may not care if retail went up 200% I would say that it is a significant number toward the offensive GM is taking to become more profitable so I guess I care.
Man, am I wary of any survey that finds a Sienna as having a great interior. When we tried one out that was one of our chief complaints about it. The interior - most notably the dashboard - was full of hard plastic that looked like a kid could make a wreck of it in short order. I'm assuming that isn't the case or I would have heard it from Sienna owners.
That said, GM IS doing a good job of getting its interior act together. That will help matters.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
If any vehicle has a big percentage of fleet sales, it is usually a screamin' bargain to buy as a 2 or 3 year old model, not that many miles, the cars are often well maintained and they are sold because the fleet is being turned over, not because people have problems with them. An Impala for $13K with 35K miles would not be a bad deal. When the Taurus/Pontiac Grand Ams were coming off fleets, they could be had for sometimes $11K for a two year old car. If you are looking for a decent car that has years of life left in it, it's there.
But I thought this coversation started around how has the Impala increased sales since it's redo. The first thing that came up was that it had increased fleet. Well yes fleet volume has increased but the fleet penetration has dropped significantly while the opposite is true, retail has increased significantly.
By that frame of reference, Impala seems to be doing quite well, it is #4 overall.
If you add #4 and #5 together (both are made by GM), you exceed the #3 Altima.
And geez, Chrysler isn't even close. And Ford only has one popular with retail customers, the Fusion. I wonder if retail 500 sales will bump up now that is called the Taurus.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
So this Beverly Brown leased a car with all sort of goodies, she has no clue as to what they do, for under $300 per month, on what she calls a budget. I guess in broad terms, she has a budget. Not one which will allow her to retire early in life, leasing an Impala instead of buying a used one for half the price, all things considered over time. If they can find lots of people to do that, then the good times shall roll again for GM. As for the Impala being the same price as the Accord or Camry, I really doubt that. With a 3.9 engine and the 6 CD change, the price of the Impala is $1,300+ more than say the Accord SE V6. Does it have stability control? Once you get to comparing the same features, the Impala is no longer less expensive. In the base form, perhaps it is closer. This is before resale values are figured in. And a stick shift doesn't exist. If you need the extra inch or two inside, and want a base model, it may compare somewhat well with other car buying options. If you buy and hold for seven or more years, it may work out. To lease one - d'oh!
There was an increase of 41% of the portion of which is retail sales (44%) in year over year sales? Still can not figure that one out. Could it be discounts at dealerships, people moving over from buying Sonatas, those selling the family SUVs, or those no longer able to buy their beloved Taurus? Guess it doesn't matter, as one way or another more leave the factory. They want quantity, they got it - numbers are up. Loren
According to the figures grbeck reported, 30.8% of Impala sales went to rental car companies, the rest of the fleet sales went to companies and governments. While it's true that those 44k rental sales will hurt it's resale value when they get dumped back on the market in 12-18 months, the rest of the fleet sales will probably NEVER see a dealership to be sold again, or it will be at least 5 years before they are sold. While not a RETAIL sale, it is still a GOOD sale.
I work for Verizon. From 1999-2002, They bought several Cavaliers, SL-1's and Neons. These cars are on an 8-10 year replacement cycle. Therefore, while not much was made on the initial sale (they're white, auto, AC, AM/FM, cloth seats, and plastic wheel covers), they have ZERO EFFECT on a 1-5 year resale value of those models. The same could be said of Police cars. When they are done, either the municipality recycles it as a pub. works car, or they are autioned off, or junked. TAXIS also fall into that category of a GOOD fleet sale.
They're fleet-central.com's numbers. "Year-over-year" doesn't mean a whole lot, since staggering the fleet disbursements can jiggle the monthly comparisons.
I just think we should differentiate a GOOD sale from a BAD sale. I saw an ad in Sundays paper. A dealer, Herb Chambers, sells Hondas, Saturns and Cadillacs in this area. They were offering 4cyl 2007 VUE's for 15,995, or 199/mo for 24 mos. w/20% down. They also had 2007 CR-V's (or '08's, the new style) for 19,995 or 108/mo for 24 mos. w/20% down. I assume this must be how Honda props up their sales w/o resorting to fleet sales, as they can better control how many go out the door at that price for only 24 mos. I imagine they would have resale problems if they sold way too many at that price, only to have them dumped back on the market all at once in 2 years.
"Year-over-year" doesn't mean a whole lot, since staggering the fleet disbursements can jiggle the monthly comparisons.
True but 6 months of sales is a pretty good basis. If Camry/Accord were up 41% retail for the first half of the year that would still be pretty impressive. For Impala not so impressive.
As General Motors consolidates Buick, Pontiac and GMC dealerships, it also is combining those brands’ advertising work, sources familiar with the move say.
In a surprise development, GM told dealers Monday that it has fired longtime advertising agencies McCann-Erickson and Lowe Lintas & Partners Worldwide, New York from the Buick and GMC accounts, respectively.
GM is consolidating all advertising for the three brands within Pontiac’s advertising agency, Leo Burnett Detroit. The change is effective October 1.
“They said it had nothing to do with the quality and capability,” says a dealer familiar with the news, who asked to not be named. “They want to streamline their approach by using one agency.”
McCann-Erickson and Lowe are longtime agencies for Buick and GMC. McCann-Erickson has done Buick’s advertising for nearly 50 years.
They need more than one for GM as a company to advertise the product? Chevy ads appear to hit the mark more so than some others. The original CTS / Cadillac campaign was pretty good. What agency did those?
I must say those flying cars kinda freak me out. Whoa, a little more spoiler needed my friend. :P
The Chevy Corvettes, with the kids driving was a good ad, until taken off due to some silly complaints. This is our country are probably really good ads in that they tug at the heart strings, don't require much thought about product and provide no news of discounts. Pretty good - be American, buy this stuff, period. Would like to see more humor, as in really well written stuff in some ads. Looks like VW ads, once the top of the mark, seem to be, well let's say just odd. That's my opinion. Anyone like the Rabbit and GTI ads? Loren
Comments
As for the warranty, if you drive 15K miles per year- 5 yrs, it is a 75K mile warranty, or 15K miles more than the others offer. A good thing, but not as good as Hyundai 10 years.
Loren
Loren
Loren, I've seen ads around here for the Lacrosse CX for 19,995 brand new. I know the CXS and CXL can MSRP around $29K, but they can be had a lot less than that.
If a Buick is to be a doctors class car once again, just sell the CXS model, and let Chevy sell the lower end. Perhaps this should have been in the Chevy line? A CXS for say $24K to $25K range, would be a good buy.
Loren
Huge stock of 2007's which GM needs to get rid of. The 2008 is already on sale
The 06 Impala cane out at the mid point in mid 2005 so still the 2000-2005(previous generation of) Impala was still on Chevy dealer lots for at least the 1st half of 2005.
In my opinion the LaCrosse is a very ordinary looking car(especially the rear end styling) so that could be why its not selling.
I drove the Impala V8 SS and the instantaneous readout of mileage was 30-31 at 60 mph and 28-29 at 70 mph. OK, so it (3.9 DOD) is rated at 31 mpg hwy. The SS topped it's EPA by 3-4 on the readout when I drove it.
Why is the V6 Accord not a family car?
People lean to Accords for stability control? How many people actually know what this is?
Impalas don't handle well? They just smoked Mercedes best SUV on the Baja 500 course with their '05 model.
Accord V6 is priced around the same as Impala?
Impala is keeping up with some very impressive cars.
Where do you live??? Here in the Northeast, where the average house can cost $300,000 or more, $30/hr is a necessity (at least total household income). Don't sell yourself short. There are a lot of other things that this country falls short of to compete w/ other countries (healthcare???) that need to be fixed as well.
another waste of money is the white collar benefits in detroit, which exceed blue collar benefits
Kudos to that. If they expect us to take a paycut because someone can do it cheaper overseas, they should keep their pay inline with overseas execs.
Which beni's are you talking about? GM Salaried has to pay for their healthcare and have for years. Pensions are also gone. Have the 401 though.
Just how much of their healthcare costs are they paying?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Picking one up for $25K or so at the end of the year will be a great deal.
2.4L $21,794 has floormats
2.4 22,444 has stability control and floormats
2.4 22,535 has sunroof only
2.4 28,349 has leather, alloy wheels, stability control, body side molding
3.5L $25,537 has JBL stereo, 22 city, 31 hwy
3.5 29,729 has leather, stability control and heated seats
3.5 31,394 has leather, the works
These Camry V6 prices reach into the range of the Luscerne, The Buick has a 3.8L OHV and a 4-spd trans which are simpler, older technology at same mpg for a heavier car. In the $29-31k range, you can upgrade the Buick to a 275 HP V8 CXL, but hwy mpg is 25 and Camry V6 is 31. This CXL is over 800 lbs heavier than an Accord and turns 7.62 sec 0-60.
I also kinda wished that GM would have used the Trailblazer as the basis for a small/midsized pickup truck, instead of just taking something originally designed for the Taiwanese market and slapping Colorado/Canyon badging on it. But then, maybe a pickup that was Trailblazer-based might've been considered too big, and put pressure on the full-sized trucks?
Blue Cross/Blue Shield type insurance is not available.
An HSA PPO has no monthly payment, $5450 annual deductable, $10,200 cap on deductable + co pays. this is what we have and I am still befungled on how it works. Basically we are supposed to pay for all cost untill we hit $5450 and then we pay a copay/deductable untill we hit the $10,200 max. But somehow some charges are being paid even though we have not hit the $5450 deductable minimum. Annual physicals are paid for 100%.
Untill just recently the union paid nothing monthly and most everything was covered but that has changed recently. The UAW gave Ford and GM some concesions but did not give Chrysler any. One big reason Germany dumped them.
An Accord can be a family car and a sports sedan or coupe. Seats four OK. The Impala is a bit larger and can hold more people and stuff and thus is more family hauler.
But true, both can work well for the family. Accord V6 will be more fun to drive however. As for stability control, you don't have to know the dynamics of the beast, but it is there when ya need it. Around here and lot and I mean what seems to be three times as many as reported elsewhere, are roll over accidents. And without the roll over, it can tame the driving down. Now, if you wish too, it can be disarmed by the use of a button.
Now as for Baja 500 course, I would say most Honda owners will refrain from those off-road excursions. Another feature of stability control; you won't leave the pavement as often.
Accord V6 cost less, if bought at the right price, once the resale is figured into the equation. Not sure if the retails are much different, come to think of it. What does a 244HP V6 Impala, with stability control, and 6 CD changer run these days? As for Impala keeping up with other cars, I don't know, perhaps it is just in a different classification. It does what it is suppose to do well, and is relatively inexpensive to purchase. I think it is $19K in some ads.
Loren
Camry V6 starts at $24K -- I did see one on the lot for that. It was the plain ol' base one though. And is a better comparison to the Aura. Well maybe the Impala, or LaCrosse.
A Lucerne would be more luxury, and if the 3.8 engine and 4 sp. tranny feels right for your driving, that price of $24,495 seems like a bargain. A new car is always nice. Of course one could say you can get a V8 for even less money as a used car in a couple of years, but that's no more right than wanting for a new car, as it's your money. You get a discount price and a new car warranty, and know the history of the car, as you are its only owner. So a Lucy is now sub- $25K in the base form, interesting.
Loren
According to fleet-central.com, 53.9 percent of Impala sales for the first half of model year 2007 were to fleet customers, compared to 4.9 percent of Accord sales (and it's in the final year of the current design) and 7.7 percent for the Camry.
Out of 144,699 total sales for the Impala, 44,660 went to rental car companies; 23,036 went to commercial customers; and 12,438 went to governments.
The Impala is nowhere near toppling the Accord or the Camry when it comes to popularity with retail customers.
It's a silly requirement in this day and age but last I looked it was still there.
Wonder if there is any stipulation that the vehicles bought have to be built in the U.S. Can GM sell vehicles it builds outside of continental U.S. to government agencies.
Looks like Accord's fleet sales is holding pretty steady at around 5% even at the end of it's life-cycle and Camry's has dropped from previous year's ~13%. I would assume that's due to the introduction of the all new 2007 Camry.
grbeck, do you have a link to those stats?
Cars:
http://www.fleet-central.com/af/stats2007/cars_web.pdf
Trucks:
http://www.fleet-central.com/af/stat...trucks_web.pdf
It wouldn't be a bad idea. If they have to have fleet sales for a few more years, might as well be the old models they sell. Ditto the Grand Prix. They oughtta ease off the huge fleet Impala sales though. Apparently the Ford Five Hundred is selling close to half to fleets, and the Charger and Magnum are at WAY over that figure, so let the OTHER domestics handle the large-car fleet sales for a while GM! ;-)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Loren
The CTS is my favorite in the Cadillac car line. The STS, as a stretched and rounded CTS is just not there design wise. The Eldorado was a beauty, though long gone. The XLR is a good curiosity piece, but I would take the Corvette, thank you, for less money.
Loren
Retail up 41% over last year.
Beverly Brown didn't expect to be driving a Chevrolet Impala after her last lease ran out early this year.
But it turned out GM's best-selling car gave her more for her money than other deals she could find, she said.
Brown thought the car looked nice, and it fit her budget. It was so affordable, she said, she upgraded from the car offered in the ad.
"I added a moonroof and all the top-of-the-line amenities – I still haven't figured them all out – all for under $300 a month," Brown said.
General Motors Corp.'s sales numbers so far this year indicate Brown is part of a growing group of retail and commercial fleet customers the automaker is winning over with its now 2-year-old version of the Impala.
Sales of the midsize sedan were up 27 percent to 144,541 in the first five months of the year, compared with 114,014 a year ago. And while the roomy sedan long has been a staple of commercial, government and rental fleets – analysts say fleet sales generate about half its sales – GM said retail sales have provided the largest bump this year, with a 41 percent increase in year-over-year sales.
We decided we really wanted to see what this car could do," said Cheryl Catton, Chevrolet general director of car marketing, so the company has increased its national and regional advertising and asked dealers to take more of the Oshawa, Ontario-made sedans into their showrooms. So far this year, she said, dealers have ordered as many as the company hoped they would.
And J.D. Power & Associates reports that the average transaction price for an Impala in May was about $20,400, more than $4,300 less than the average price of vehicles sold in the segment that J.D. Power calls large conventional.
"It's the same price as the Accord and Camry, but it's bigger," said Edmunds.com industry analyst Alex Rosten. "You get a lot more bang for your buck."
Additionally, he said, "it gets good fuel economy," at 31 miles per gallon on the highway. "And fuel economy is one of the primary considerations of car buyers."
The top winners: Mercedes-Benz in the convertibles/sports cars segment, GMC among trucks, Cadillac in the luxury SUV category and Toyota in three segments – minivans, nonluxury SUVs and nonluxury sedans.
Domestic automakers fared well in the survey – particularly General Motors Corp., whose newest generation of full-size pickups debuted for 2007 with greatly improved, carlike interior designs.
The GM truck interiors are so good that they took the top three spots in the survey, which awarded honors for first, second and third place in each of the surveyed vehicle classes.
Among major automakers, the Chrysler group and Ford Motor Co. have had the most trouble staying away from the dessert tray.
For the first four months of 2007, fleet sales accounted for 36 percent of the Chrysler group's total sales and 34 percent of Ford's total sales.
General Motors has displayed more discipline: Fleet transactions accounted for 24 percent of total sales.
Among import brands, Hyundai, Kia and Mazda generate substantial fleet sales, while Toyota and Honda do not. Nissan hovers in the middle.
The fleet sales data are estimates derived from a comparison of overall sales for the period to retail registration data obtained from R.L. Polk & Co. of suburban Detroit. Fleet sales include transactions in which the buyer purchases 10 or more vehicles at a time.
Sales to corporate fleets such as Wal-Mart or the post office can be profitable. But vehicles sold to daily rental fleets such as Hertz or Avis usually are heavily discounted, so profits are thin. When retail sales start falling, automakers sometimes dump excess inventory into the daily rental fleets.
Meanwhile, General Motors has reduced fleet sales by 280,000 units since 2005, so it's already close to its target.
The change has been most dramatic for Pontiac. In some months last year, Pontiac's fleet sales sometimes edged up to 50 percent of total sales. But for the first four months of 2007, Pontiac's fleet sales are down to 32 percent.
But the fleet sales figures for some of their new vehicles are shocking.
The Dodge Avenger - less than six months old - sells a staggering 79 percent of its total production to fleet customers! Even the Ford Edge is at 32 percent.
Two good signs for GM are the Buick Lucerne - only about 13 percent fleet - and the new GMC Acadia.
Absolutely not good.
But I thought this coversation started around how has the Impala increased sales since it's redo. The first thing that came up was that it had increased fleet. Well yes fleet volume has increased but the fleet penetration has dropped significantly while the opposite is true, retail has increased significantly.
And while you may not care if retail went up 200% I would say that it is a significant number toward the offensive GM is taking to become more profitable so I guess I care.
That said, GM IS doing a good job of getting its interior act together. That will help matters.
Not so much.
1st half MY 2006
Impala- 65,917 fleet (54.8%); 54,268 retail (45.2%)
1st half MY 2007
Impala- 80,134 fleet (53.9%); 68,565 retail (46.1%)
Camry- 177,431
Accord- 155,556
Altima- 106,705
Impala- 68,565
G6- 45,380
Fusion- 43,838
Sonata- 38,998
Jetta- 37,473
300- 36,993
Avalon- 34,804
Legacy- 33,232
Malibu- 26,435
Charger-24,976
Maxima- 23,121
Aura- 20,888
500- 18,337
Mazda6- 18,096
LaCrosse- 17,475
Passat- 17,363
Sebring- 14,866
Milan- 13,083
Solara- 12,517
Grand Prix- 9,376
Optima- 9,247
Azera- 8,696
Galant- 7,927
Magnum- 6,405
Montego- 5,978
Monte Carlo- 6,187
Avenger- 2,591
Amanti- 2,489
If you add #4 and #5 together (both are made by GM), you exceed the #3 Altima.
And geez, Chrysler isn't even close. And Ford only has one popular with retail customers, the Fusion. I wonder if retail 500 sales will bump up now that is called the Taurus.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
There was an increase of 41% of the portion of which is retail sales (44%) in year over year sales? Still can not figure that one out. Could it be discounts at dealerships, people moving over from buying Sonatas, those selling the family SUVs, or those no longer able to buy their beloved Taurus? Guess it doesn't matter, as one way or another more leave the factory. They want quantity, they got it - numbers are up.
Loren
If we even assume that retail was 54K in 2006 that would mean this years would be 76k and fleet would be 73k.
According to the figures grbeck reported, 30.8% of Impala sales went to rental car companies, the rest of the fleet sales went to companies and governments. While it's true that those 44k rental sales will hurt it's resale value when they get dumped back on the market in 12-18 months, the rest of the fleet sales will probably NEVER see a dealership to be sold again, or it will be at least 5 years before they are sold. While not a RETAIL sale, it is still a GOOD sale.
I work for Verizon. From 1999-2002, They bought several Cavaliers, SL-1's and Neons. These cars are on an 8-10 year replacement cycle. Therefore, while not much was made on the initial sale (they're white, auto, AC, AM/FM, cloth seats, and plastic wheel covers), they have ZERO EFFECT on a 1-5 year resale value of those models. The same could be said of Police cars. When they are done, either the municipality recycles it as a pub. works car, or they are autioned off, or junked. TAXIS also fall into that category of a GOOD fleet sale.
True but 6 months of sales is a pretty good basis. If Camry/Accord were up 41% retail for the first half of the year that would still be pretty impressive. For Impala not so impressive.
Sad day for a lot of friends.
As General Motors consolidates Buick, Pontiac and GMC dealerships, it also is combining those brands’ advertising work, sources familiar with the move say.
In a surprise development, GM told dealers Monday that it has fired longtime advertising agencies McCann-Erickson and Lowe Lintas & Partners Worldwide, New York from the Buick and GMC accounts, respectively.
GM is consolidating all advertising for the three brands within Pontiac’s advertising agency, Leo Burnett Detroit. The change is effective October 1.
“They said it had nothing to do with the quality and capability,” says a dealer familiar with the news, who asked to not be named. “They want to streamline their approach by using one agency.”
McCann-Erickson and Lowe are longtime agencies for Buick and GMC. McCann-Erickson has done Buick’s advertising for nearly 50 years.
I must say those flying cars kinda freak me out. Whoa, a little more spoiler needed my friend. :P
The Chevy Corvettes, with the kids driving was a good ad, until taken off due to some silly complaints. This is our country are probably really good ads in that they tug at the heart strings, don't require much thought about product and provide no news of discounts. Pretty good - be American, buy this stuff, period. Would like to see more humor, as in really well written stuff in some ads. Looks like VW ads, once the top of the mark, seem to be, well let's say just odd. That's my opinion. Anyone like the Rabbit and GTI ads?
Loren