You are here: Forums Automotive News & Views What is "wrong" with these new subcompacts?

What is "wrong" with these new subcompacts?

8691 messages,  Last post on Dec 04, 2009 at 1:39 PM

You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires

What is this discussion about? Nissan Versa, Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, smart fortwo, MINI Cooper

#6443 of 8691 Re: Get your smart now [robertsmx] by steve_ HOST Dec 06, 2007 (11:51 am)
Replying to: robertsmx (Dec 06, 2007 11:49 am) Just a "minor" typo but the $28k real asking price is pretty pie in the sky too!
#6444 of 8691 Dodge Sprinter by michaell Dec 06, 2007 (12:30 pm)
On the TLC channel there is a show entitled "Jon and Kate Plus 8", which profiles a family in PA who have a set of twins (age 7) and a set of sextuplets (age 3).   The family has two vans ... the "small" van is either a Honda Odyssey or Mazda MPV, while the "large" van is a Dodge Sprinter. It's got seats for 11 (I think), and it takes them about 30 minutes to get everyone buckled in.   There was an episode on recently where they had rear a/c added to the Sprinter ... I can't imagine having those kids in there in the heat of a PA summer without it.   I've looked on-line at the RV conversions that are done on the Sprinter chassis .. I believe the starting price is somewhere around $68K. Replies to this message: jlawrence01 (Dec 06, 2007 7:33 pm) lilengineerboy (Dec 06, 2007 7:49 pm)
#6445 of 8691 Re: before this goes [Mr_Shiftright] by texases Dec 06, 2007 (1:05 pm)
Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Dec 06, 2007 8:49 am) Those aren't sales or orders, those are refundable deposits   Two reasons they could sell out this year with no long-term implications: 1. It's new - just about every new thing/fad has huge, temporary demand that quickly goes away. 2. The "PS3 flip" syndrome - folks were lining up to buy PS3 at release with no intention of owning/using them, just selling them on Ebay. A failed strategy in most cases. Replies to this message: oregonboy (Dec 06, 2007 1:30 pm) texases (Dec 06, 2007 1:42 pm) Mr_Shiftright (Dec 06, 2007 2:03 pm)
#6446 of 8691 Re: before this goes [texases] by oregonboy Dec 06, 2007 (1:30 pm)
Replying to: texases (Dec 06, 2007 1:05 pm) off topic: my younger daughter successfully flipped 2 Nintendo Wiis last Christmas season for a tidy profit. Let's hear it for a young entrepreneur identifying and exploiting a mismatch between supply and demand in our market economy.   On topic: don't you hate it when car dealers do that with ADM stickers?   james Replies to this message: texases (Dec 06, 2007 1:42 pm)
#6447 of 8691 Re: before this goes [oregonboy] by texases Dec 06, 2007 (1:42 pm)
Replying to: oregonboy (Dec 06, 2007 1:30 pm) What's sauce for the goose...   I hear he could still do that this year with the Wii...no chance with a PS3!
#6448 of 8691 Re: before this goes [texases] by Mr_Shiftright HOST Dec 06, 2007 (2:03 pm)
Replying to: texases (Dec 06, 2007 1:05 pm) You might flip a Smart for a few bucks if you catch that narrow window...but unless the deposit receipts are salable and tranferable, or unless you have a dealer's license, you're going to have to pay sales tax before you flip, so there goes that profit--if you take possession of the car.
#6449 of 8691 Re: before this goes [Mr_Shiftright] by snakeweasel Dec 06, 2007 (3:56 pm)
Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Dec 06, 2007 8:49 am) that Daimler is looking to test an EV Smart in American cities (suggesting that the gas car is not delivering the expected economy?)   How does testing an EV version suggest that the car is not delivering the expected economy?   In 10 years, in 37 countries,   Have they been in all 37 country all ten years?
#6450 of 8691 Re: Those are a lot of straws to be grasping at. [Mr_Shiftright] by snakeweasel Dec 06, 2007 (3:59 pm)
Replying to: Mr_Shiftright (Dec 06, 2007 9:45 am) Not a horrible figure, but horrible enough to lose money since the Smart was introduced. It's NEVER MADE MONEY!   Smart has lost money but has the Twofor lost money? Remember that up to recently Smart had the Fourfor and the roadster which my understanding sold very poorly. It could have been that those two models were big losers and the Twofor has actually made money.
#6451 of 8691 Re: Those are a lot of straws to be grasping at. [dromedarius] by snakeweasel Dec 06, 2007 (4:04 pm)
Replying to: dromedarius (Dec 06, 2007 11:33 am) It's almost as expensive as a Fit or Yaris and doesn't have near the interior space w/little to no mileage improvements.   Its a bit less expensive than the Fit or Yaris. If it gets the promised mileage it will blow away the Fit or Yaris in that aspect. Replies to this message: Mr_Shiftright (Dec 06, 2007 4:38 pm) snakeweasel (Dec 06, 2007 6:22 pm) Mr_Shiftright (Dec 06, 2007 6:38 pm) and 38 more... robertsmx (Dec 06, 2007 10:26 pm) and 3 more...
#6452 of 8691 Re: Interesting Discussion! [dromedarius] by boaz47 Dec 06, 2007 (4:17 pm)
Replying to: dromedarius (Dec 06, 2007 6:47 am) Sorry, but there is no real virtue to buying one petrol consuming product over another. Except in ones own mind. You can also bet your pocket protector that getting a bigger vehicle is simply a wants based purchase. Getting a smart will not be needs based because there are plenty of vehicles getting Smart mileage and providing more utility. The converse of large vehicle people getting a status symbol is micro car self righteousness. The foolish believe that on a global scale the people in China will care one whit what you saved so they can buy from the same people we do. Europe and Asia have had small cars for as long as we have had big cars and has fuel consumption gone down in one of those areas? When Europe decided to promote diesel what happened? Air quality went down and oil prices still went up. So if Europe's move to small cars has had not real effect and Asia's small cars have had no real effect. And even the Asian cars imported to the US has had no real effect.   "Save the planet, buy small cars" is nothing more than Chicken little saying the sky is falling. This whole forum has proved that people buy sub compacts because they like sub compacts not because they get the best fuel mileage or are the least expensive to buy. Replies to this message: dgecho1 (Dec 07, 2007 5:48 am) boaz47 (Dec 07, 2007 8:07 am) dromedarius (Dec 07, 2007 7:54 am) oregonboy (Dec 07, 2007 8:23 am) boaz47 (Dec 07, 2007 8:23 am) Mr_Shiftright (Dec 07, 2007 8:28 am) and 6 more... dromedarius (Dec 07, 2007 9:29 am) snakeweasel (Dec 07, 2007 3:12 pm) Mr_Shiftright (Dec 07, 2007 3:15 pm) and 1 more...

You are here: Forums Automotive News & Views What is "wrong" with these new subcompacts?