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What is "wrong" with these new subcompacts?

9838 messages,  Last post on Feb 07, 2013 at 10:28 PM

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

Messages Page 750 of 984

#7490 of 9838 an interesting by nippononly

Apr 14, 2008 (9:25 am)

editorial in Automotive News today mentions that sales of what they call their "budget class" - consisting of Aveo, Rio, Accent, Yaris, and ForTwo - were up a whopping 33% for the first quarter of the year. Way to go subcompacts!!!
 
Unfortunately, AN classifies cars by starting price range, not by size, so the Fit gets thrown in with the larger compact cars (Cobalt, Focus, Sentra, Elantra, Corolla/Matrix, etc). But the Fit was up by the same % as the other subs from what I remember reading from Honda.
 
The article also mentions that among what it calls "sporty cars", the Mini Cooper was one of only three (out of 33 models in that group) to be up in sales. They call it a sporty car, I call it a subcompact!
 
Compact and midsize cars? Down by about 2.5% each. And as we know, large car sales TANKED. As did SUVs (down 24%), pick-ups (down another 15% even from 2007's dismal performance), and minivans (down 20% - Toyota, Honda, and Chrysler now dominate this segment with 80% of all minivan sales between them).
 
http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080414/ANA06/804140311/-1

#7491 of 9838 Re: an interesting [nippononly] by ateixeira

Apr 14, 2008 (9:56 am)

Replying to: nippononly (Apr 14, 2008 9:25 am)
The minivan segment is down because GM and Ford now sell them by another name - Crossovers.
 
How did the Sienna and Ody do compared to their own sales last year? I doubt they were really down 20% model by model.

#7492 of 9838 Re: an interesting [ateixeira] by nippononly

Apr 14, 2008 (12:34 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Apr 14, 2008 9:56 am)
Oh no, sorry if I implied that, as I didn't mean to.
 
Odyssey sales have dropped by single-digit percentages for the first quarter, if my fuzzy memory is serving me well. I know Honda just put a lease incentive on Odyssey because of dropping sales. Sienna sales are strong enough that Toyota is considering giving Sienna production more factory space, taking up some now being used to build Tundras that nobody is buying...
 
The 20% drop in minivan sales can be attributed almost solely to the fact that Dodge isn't dumping half a million SWB Caravans per year into the rental fleets any more...by 1-1-07, Ford and GM minivan sales were pretty much bust already, so they had very little effect on the YTD comparisons between this year and last.

#7493 of 9838 Re: an interesting [nippononly] by ateixeira

Apr 15, 2008 (9:48 am)

Replying to: nippononly (Apr 14, 2008 12:34 pm)
Good point about Dodge - they replaced the SWB minivan with the Dodge crossover thingy, why do I always have trouble remembering the name?
 
Honda has lowered prices on the Ody, I know because they're much lower now than they were in May 2007 when I was minivan shopping.
 
The lower prices have helped them gain market share within the segment, though.

#7494 of 9838 Re: an interesting [ateixeira] by hudsonthedog

Apr 15, 2008 (9:25 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Apr 14, 2008 9:56 am)
Sienna sales are basically flat but Odyssey sales are down 10% year over year.

#7495 of 9838 Re: an interesting [ateixeira] by thegraduate

Apr 16, 2008 (12:32 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Apr 15, 2008 9:48 am)
Good point about Dodge - they replaced the SWB minivan with the Dodge crossover thingy, why do I always have trouble remembering the name?
 
Dodge Journey
 
Subcompacts anyone? Anyone?

#7496 of 9838 Re: an interesting [hudsonthedog] by ateixeira

Apr 16, 2008 (1:59 pm)

Replying to: hudsonthedog (Apr 15, 2008 9:25 pm)
That's just bizarre.
 
Sienna prices are about on par with last year. Ody prices are down.
 
I can't tell you why Ody sales are down and Sienna's are not. It should be the other way around.

#7497 of 9838 Re: an interesting [ateixeira] by nippononly

Apr 16, 2008 (7:57 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Apr 16, 2008 1:59 pm)
Fit sales are up 50% over last year at this time.
 
Yaris sales are more than TWICE what Toyota forecast when it introduced that model.

#7498 of 9838 The best by guss

Apr 17, 2008 (4:39 am)

thing about all of these new sub compacts coming out is that the price of a new car is getting to where It is almost reasonable. The Toyota dealers are all advertising Yaris for $12,095. I assume the Fit is maybe $1k more and an Aveo maybe $1k less. I am almost a strickly used car buyer but the sub compact pricing is making me take a look at a new car for myself (wife always gets new) the first time in 25 years.
 
I think I will wait until next year when the Ford Fiesta comes over. If it stays true to the pictures I have seen and the price is in the ball park of the other sub-compacts I think Ford may have a winner. I just have to make sure 3 kids fit in the back with reasonable comfort.

#7499 of 9838 Exciting cars..... what? by podred

Apr 17, 2008 (11:27 am)

Never one to be a naysayer, and one that absolutely loves Ford of Europe vehicles, I too and taking a wait and see attitude. Frankly I will be very shocked if that terrific car is not ruined by the US division of Ford before it arrives here. So I know that sounds contrary to my opening statement , but sadly, that has been my experience with Ford in the US. Why oh Why do they refuse to bring over the simply wonderful cars? I've heard all the excuses (reasons, yeah right) and find them all fabricated. After all the UK has it's own set of very challenging standards that the auto makers must deal with, just like we do here, only different. But NOT different enough that they could not overcome them. After all why is it that we get nice Porsches, Ferraris, Aston Martins, Audis etc? And don't tell me it's about the price otherwise we would not have the very wonderful Mini Cooper S. If BMW can give us the Mini, Ford can give us a few of their very outstanding models designed by Ford of Europe!
 
That said I do have an idea of what it is, and I hate to admit it but I believe that the "average" buyer of cars in that segment in the US could care less about the car. They are buying price, cup holders, colors, and related nonsense. Wow! Look at this car Linda, it has 10 cup holders.......sold.
 
How pathetic, true but pathetic.

Messages Page 750 of 984

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