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1. Government ownership and subsidy. Even after the privatization, the French government still owns 15% of Renault, for exmaple.
2. Quota for Japanese imports.
3. Local (national vs. EC) variations in taxes and regulations. For example, cars are less expensive in Belgium than in France, even for French-made brands like Renault and Citroen . . . yet regulations and taxes make it costly to import cars from Belgium to France.
4. High percentage of government/agent purchases that are practically exclusively French-branded.
1 (subsidy) & 2: I am sorry to say that I really do not know if it currently is like you have posted. If so, such behavior would be against a number of EU Acts and Laws.
4. I wonder which brands of cars (plus helicopters and planes) are officially used by the President and other High Staff members of the USA Government
Jose
1 & 2: IIRC, there is an EU-wide quota on Japanese imports;
4. Per centage of public vs. private car purchase is what makes the difference. France has a very high per centage of car buying using public funds as having an assigned car is often a job perk for being a public "servant," one of the reasons why being a bureaucrat is the most sought-after career path for French youths. Obviously, those cars bought on public accounts are domestic French brands
Jose
I salute you... that is a classy way of not entering into a protracted argument. Very well done.
TagMan
Other information indicates that the vehicle will be a compact SUV, and not a crossover vehicle. In addition, it will be built in Germany, and not in the US.
TagMan
By "compact SUV" do you mean a ladder frame like the Nissan XTerra? How would that be possible if its based on the C-class? I don't see any reason for Mercedes to go that route, when everybody is moving away from body on frame SUVs. Are they trying to out-offroad the LR2 or something? They've got to know that no one will use it for that, and it will add a ton of unnecessary weight (see Toureg).
The announcement of the GLK being an SUV comes from Geoff Day, Mercedes' director of communications and experiences... he said the GLK will be positioned as a compact SUV, as opposed to a crossover.
The word "positioned" seems ambiguous to me.
TagMan
Volkswagen and Audi have ended plans to market diesel cars in North America under the name Bluetec, according to a report in Automotive News Europe sister publication Automobilwoche.
VW group formed an alliance with DaimlerChrysler last November to market Mercedes, VW and Audi diesel cars in the U.S. under the Bluetec name.
Now VW group has changed its mind, Automobilwoche said. The VW and Audi brands will continue to use the TDI designation for diesel cars sold in North America. "The TDI brand is strong enough in the U.S. "We don't need Bluetec," an Audi spokesman told Automobilwoche.
A spokesman for Volkswagen declined to comment on the report.
By using the joint Bluetec campaign, the German manufacturers planned to counter positive publicity that Japanese automakers have received in the U.S. for their environmentally friendly hybrid-electric powertrains.
DaimlerChrysler will continue to use the Bluetec branding for its Mercedes cars.
About half of the new cars sold in western Europe are diesels, compared with 5 percent in the US.
In the U.S., many car buyers think diesel cars are loud, smelly and environmentally unfriendly. They are not aware of technological advances that have helped to make diesel cars popular in Europe.
The German business magazine Wirtschaftswoche said that the cooperation is being ended because the brand Bluetec is associated with Mercedes, and is therefore problematic for VW.
TagMan
70% annual growth of what? A few thousand, and that's being generous. As for the boom that's going on now, I fully expect the movers and shakers that are running things there now to remain the top brass, even in a "down turn" in the economy there. Speaking of, the Chinese economy is doing better than our right now, isn't it?
I think we agree on the Chinese v. Japanese issue. There is a lot of history that will not be changed in the next 4-5 generations.
Such a pity.
The good news? Supposedly the Audi engineers have found a way to burn clean diesel through a catalyst, a la Honda, instead of urea bladder. They supposedly were working on this behind the scenes even as the Daimler deal was happening. They are reportedly able to be compatible with current TDI's.
The bad news. This has pushed VW/Audi's 50-state "clean" certification to 2010, at the earliest. And this comes in wake of the TDI Toureag being demoted to 43-state only compliance, down from 45. But VW still will sell the '08 TDI model.
We'll just have to stay posted to see what happens.
I will say, though, that the diesel revolution is showing signs of taking too long to launch, IMO, and by the time it gets going, the hybrids and EVs will likely have made significant progress in the marketplace... possibly to the point that the diesels will have a near impossible time being competitive.
TagMan
I was referring to VW/Audi as a whole, as in all of their diesel-engined cars being able to muster the entire cut.
So far, the 5.0L V-10, 3.0L V6 and current 4.2L Audi TDI isn't available for 50 states, although Audi promises such with their 4.2 to appear late next year on the A8 and A6 update.
Hasn't Japanese brands Mitsubishi and Toyota had their own share just as well, lately?
TagMan
"We anticipate that diesels will comprise up to 15 percent the next decade," Klegon said.
A Chrysler pickup may not be all that exciting, but the bigger picture is that every additional diesel-powered vehicle that is on the market will help to add to the overall diesel awareness factor, which will ultimately nurture diesel sales in general.
TagMan
Because of the risk of fire or even explosion, the Prius launch has been moved back to 2009 and will now bow with the conventional nickel-metal-hydride battery the Prius has used since its introduction in 1997. In addition to the Prius delay, Toyota announced it has postponed hybrid versions of the Tundra and Sequoia.
IMO, Toyota is gambling with its leadership position here, as General Motors, Tesla, and others anticipate their upcoming releases of vehicles utilizing lithium-ion technology... well in advance of Toyota.
The potential near-term upside for Toyota's conventional battery hybrids is that other's lithium-ion technology doesn't work as well as was hoped, or there are recalls due to overheating, fires, or explosions. However, such unfortunate events could ultimately hurt the entire hybrid alternative... and unintentionally boost the diesel alternative... which inherently won't pose the risks potentially associated with future hybrids.
TagMan
At the bottom of the list... Land Rover.
The results are as follows (problems per 100 vehicles):
Buick: 145
Lexus: 145
Cadillac: 162
Mercury: 168
Honda: 169
Toyota: 178
BMW: 182
Lincoln: 182
Subaru: 192
Oldsmobile: 196
Jaguar: 197
Acura: 207
Mercedes-Benz: 212
Infiniti: 215
Industry Average 216
Jeep: 219
Pontiac: 220
Scion: 220
Ford: 221
GMC: 222
Chevrolet: 226
Hyundai: 228
Mitsubishi: 228
Volvo: 230
Audi: 234
Dodge: 236
Hummer: 242
Mini: 247
Chrysler: 249
Porsche: 252
Nissan: 274
Saturn: 274
Kia: 288
Mazda: 289
Volkswagen: 298
Saab: 319
Isuzu: 322
Suzuki: 324
Land Rover: 398
JD Power 2007 Dependability Study
JD Power Press Release
TagMan
So there are benefits to be had from not changing any mechanics for 15 years....
I guess this does infer that Lexus and Toyota do have more going for them than just reliability.
Clearly they want to err on the side of caution. Being first out of the gate with a Li-ION based hybrid wont mean much if there's an Explorer\Firestone type debacle to go with it.
One thing Toyota (and diesel fans) can definitely be proud of is Jeremy Clarkson and James May drove a Toyota Hilux (European Tacoma) diesel pickup to the North Pole for the TG winter special, with nothing but special tires and a few suspension upgrades. It was the first time anything like that had ever been done. I watched it in HD, pretty incredible.
I found the video online. I just finished watching it.
WOW!... It is absolutely remarkable!... I recommend everyone here watch it... although be prepared for about an hour of viewing time.
Thank you, LG.
TagMan
Thank you, LG.
You're welcome.
For those of you that can't get the episodes from BBC 2, BBC America is going to start airing full episodes starting Aug 20th at 8pm ET, not chopped up like the ones that briefly aired on the Discovery channel. Unfortunately no such luck for Fifth Gear. Why is it that the BBC has two brilliant shows about cars, and the best we can do is the unwatchable Motorweek?
Jose
Yes, I know I said family was first—I just tried to have a glimpse, I could not refrain myself from that!
Jose
Jose
I think it is smart for them to expand the diesel engines down to the half-ton models. And as if you didn't know, the Cummins TD is now the cleanest diesel to be offered in a multi-purpose passenger vehicle in the United States.
So clean in fact that the "Governator" in your lovely state actually let it be for sale their. The '08 Dodge Ram CTD-equipped models will be for sale in Cali.
That sucks too because Toyota said that they found a way to propel the Prius on electricity-only for up to 60 mph. That's phenonmenal.
Buick, what can I say? The record speaks for itself.
Interestingly enough, 3 American brands hold the top 3 spots. Cadillac sure has come a long way, but people love their venerable DTS' and Escalades. And the Grand Marquis is the perfect standby.
Mercedes-Benz impressed, besting out a supposed bulletproof Japanese brand. I guess those E-Class models held their own. But Infiniti's customer satisfaction and reliablilty remains stellar in the real world, surveys be damned.
And of course LR drags the rear, but interesting to see HUMMER of all company's to beat Porsche. Something is definitely of defect here....
Toyota July Sales
The Toyota Division posted July sales of 196,917, down 4.5 percent from last July. The Lexus Division reported best-ever July sales of 27,141 units, an increase of 4.9 percent.
A little perhaps, and a number of posters pointed that out.
Here's a perspective on that, though. Even if all the brands were hypothetically only a few numbers apart, there would still have to be a decending order to all of them.
Thus, it doesn't necessarily mean that being down the list is bad. It's the number of problems per 100 vehicles that matters more.
Specifically, Porsche's number of problems per 100 vehicles is shown as 252, only 36 below the average of 216. Also only 18 below Audi, for example, even though Porsche is five positions down the list from Audi.
Immediately AFTER Porsche, however, the problems per 100 vehicles takes a jump with the very next vehicle position, Nissan and Saturn, at 22 additional problems... and things quickly get worse from there.
Land Rover, at the end of the list had 398 problems per 100 vehicles, which is 182 below the average! (a far cry worse than Porsche's 36.)
So... while not an excuse for Porsche... it is nonetheless the appropriate way to interpret the data.
TagMan
louiswei -
Everyone here has already previously discussed that "error" that Dewey posted. It turned out that it was not his fault, as he simply copied and pasted the data from a source that had made the same error.
Thanks, though.
TagMan
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
This will be extremely awkward for me personally. I have always sworn to support the first manufacturer that comes to market with a light duty diesel but after a ridiculous experience with a Jeep Grand Cherokee's reliability I would hate to find myself in a Chrysler product...
Come on GMC Sierra, give me some help!
Sorry, couldn't resist!!
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
I do know that my 997 is clearly the best Porsche ever made, so it will be interesting to see how it holds up over the next few years. So far, the number of problems = 0. How can it get better than that? :shades:
TagMan
The SLK has been a problem since the '97 model.
Seems to be. The upcoming GLK will be German-built... at least at first. This week's announcement indicates the vehicle won't show up here in the US until '09, as a 2010 model. Two years to go.
Speaking of upcoming MBZ, the green light that was given to the Ocean concept should be getting closer to a real vehicle soon. As you recall, the Ocean is the 4-door pillarless convertible, based upon the S-class, but even more beautiful, as the rear deck is more flattering than in the sedan. The Ocean should prove to be a gorgeous and desireable car to own... for those that can afford one.
TagMan
According to the Japanese newspaper, Nikkei, Honda is planning to integrate either one or both of its diesel engines into its Acura lineup as well.
... the diesel revolution is about to begin.
TagMan
Most of your friends must be laughing behind your back... but...I am willing to help you out. Just ship that ol' 997 to me and I'll take the heat for a while and drive it for you for a year or two. OK?
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
However, the Ram Heavy-Duty is the exeption. The Cummins equipped Ram trucks have the least amount of reported problems than that of the Ford Powerstroke or GM Duramax.
But things may have changed since these are all technically new engines.
But Cummins record speaks for itself. I've used them since 1990 and haven't any major incidents. And the fact that can produce the cleanest diesel, even before the strick regulations were enacted, goes to show that they feel genuine about their product.
Audi confirmed that their will be a convertible version of the upcoming CLS-competitor A7.
Mercedes obviously had to do this one as it is not going to sit by idling while the new RR Drophead reaps all the glory.
They both have beauty in their own respective ways, IMO.
Jose
Jose
The RDX would be the perfect candidate for diesel power. Fuel economy would improve by at least 50%, without eating up the RDX's limited interior space or ruining its handling prowess.
For instance, cars are cheaper in Spain than in France, but only if the buyer can avoid the Spain 'new-registration tax', which is very high. Many French citizens living near the France/Spain border make hidden arrangements with Spanish dealers to buy cars here (no mattering if the car origin is Japan, Germany, France, Spain or whichever). They then wait for a while (not to long, not to short) whit the car in the dealer depot or somewhere until they manage to change the registration plates ad get the money of the Spanish tax back. They then get the car into France.
Funny thing is, some other French citizens prefer to buy the car in Spain that way or even paying the extra money caused by the Spanish registration tax. This is because cars sold in Spain, even the French-origin cars, may have different equipment loaded in, and also different seat fabric covers. French-origin cars sold in Spain usually have plain color upholstery, while the same brand and model sold in France often has strange geometric patterns or even flowers on it. Not all French buyers like this sort of interiors. (I feel I can freely comment on this because my wife is half French; in addition to that part of the family, we also have French friends and acquaintances that use to make jokes about strange car interiors.)
Also, there is a number of Spaniards that buy second hand luxury German cars registered in Germany in order to import these cars and avoid the Spanish new-registration tax. The sad part of the story is that in too many occasions they get faulty cars than eventually cost more than the brand-new ones.
Ouch, there is a better life but more expensive.
Or else: there is life before death? :P
Jose