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Automotive News & Views Sales Flops of 2005
729 messages, Last post on May 08, 2006 at 7:51 AM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
....with the higher end Japanese sedans now is twofold: when they first debuted (particularly in the case of the Acura Legend and Lexus LS400), they were new and different to the market, and because of the inflated deutschmark at the time, the Japanese cars were great values compared to the Germans. For about $24k new in '86, the Legend had a V6 and a lot more room for at least a couple thousand dollars less than a 190E 2.3; the '90 LS400 was about $36k at a time when a 6-cylinder Mercedes 300E was about $45k. Now, they don't compare nearly as favorably. Second, particulary in the case of Acura and Infiniti, their lower end cars are so nice, why pay an extra $10-20k for an RL or Q? Diminishing returns, big time, especially if you factor in resale on Infiniti Ms and Qs. While something like the current Lexus LS is a very 'nice' car, they sure haven't changed much in fifteen years in terms of basic shape, power or size, and now their neck-and-neck in price with a Mercedes E430, if not more costly. Their kind of Japanese Cadillacs now, most drivers I see are seniors.
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Replying to: ghulet (Nov 20, 2005 9:43 pm) That is true. However, unlike the Mercedes, they come with outstanding customer service and great reliability. I have been to both the Mercedes and the Lexus events this past year at Arlington Park and I hear two constant themes 1) They don't make Mercedes like they used to. 2) You get so much more from Lexus with fewer problems (and I heard that at the Mercedes event). One of the local businessmen always reminds me that he paid "$20k for a used Lexus with 80k miles and he's driven it for ten years and it doesn't look or ride any different than the day he bought it." |
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I didn't know your girlfriend had a LaCrosse- when did she purchase it?
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Replying to: jrosasmc (Nov 21, 2005 5:24 am) |
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| how the Lexus LS and Infiniti Q-ship seem to have "grown up" and aged. IMO the old models, especially those first, grille-less Q's, seem down right youthful in comparison! | |
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Replying to: nippononly (Nov 20, 2005 12:50 am) As for the Lucerne, GM has excluded it from the Red Tag promotion, which might be a sign of strong sales.
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Replying to: prosa (Nov 21, 2005 7:05 am) Maybe wishful thinking? In reference to Chrysler, the load-em up strategy failed miserably on the Pacifica. |
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the Ford Freestyle and to a lesser extent the 500? I don't see many Freestyles around and it seems that customers just opt for one of the alternatives (SUV or sedan) rather than an attempt at a hybrid.
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Replying to: au94 (Nov 21, 2005 7:09 am) |
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from their mistake on the Pacifica. Took them a long time to learn though, because they did the same thing with the Reliant/Aries in 1981, and the Aspen/Volare in 1976! When the 300 came out, Chrysler had more of a variety in stock. Also, it seemed like they didn't flood the lots with them at first...they let them trickle in to see which ones the customers wanted. And in a rare occurence, it turns out this was one model where a good chunk of the buyers WANTED the pricier trim level! For awhile, something like 40% of 300 sales were the Hemi C model, leaving the three cheaper lines to scrap for the remaining 60%. In contrast, the vast majority of Intrepids and Concordes were usually the cheapest trim line. And even with cars like the Accord, Camry, and Altima, the top trim levels usually only account for a relative handful of sales.
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