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Smart Shopper Stories from the Sales Frontlines
48068 messages, Last post on Dec 04, 2009 at 9:26 PM
You are in the Smart Shopper Forum. Your Hosts are kirstie_h & tidester
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Replying to: graphicguy (Jul 01, 2008 5:18 pm) The Solara SE does have a tighter suspension than the SLE or 4 banger. Toyota is not trying to overtake GM. It's just happening all by itself. The problem we are having right now is lack of inventory. No Prius, No Hybrid Highlander, few Corollas, (six came in today!) , no Yaris, no xD's, Camry still selling very well, and the trucks and suvs will eventually move. It's Ford and GM that were caught with their pants down. Ford does not have a fuel efficient 4 banger. They have one in the planning stage but it won't be ready for another two years. They are thinking of bringing some of the European models here. Now there's an idea! And I don't know what GM sold last month since they have nothing but gas guzzlers. The Cobalt is nothing to write home about and the Malibu is a nice car but still no Camry or Accord. And their hybrid Tahoe/Yukon twins are a joke! One of my Prius customers lives next to a guy that works for GM. When the GM guy told him about the Hybrid Tahoe my customer laughed. He said he would be embarrased to tell people about the gas mileage. 
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I tried buying a car from a few stores i trade with, i offered $15,000 over invoice and they walked me. Told me to get in line and that the big boys from overseas are paying up to 50k (black)over msrp on the challengers the silver ones are the cold ones they only bring 20k over msrp  Reminds me of when i had Italian and german buyers paying 100k over on vipers back in 92 thru 94
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Replying to: mackabee (Jul 01, 2008 9:00 pm)  Import?Bo and Luke in a tercel ? NO camcord = Meathead from All in the Family
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Replying to: deskman (Jul 01, 2008 7:21 pm) 
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Replying to: deskman (Jul 01, 2008 9:23 pm) 
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Replying to: deskman (Jul 01, 2008 7:17 pm) And what did the poor bastard who traded it in pay for it new, 60-70K? You got to love the opportunities that are out there right now. If I had the need for one, I'd buy some big SUV and park it in my driveway until the panic is over. OTOH, if I'm wrong about gas prices, I would be crying as the hybrids pass my out of gas beast on the side of the road. What's that old gamblers saying? Scared money don't win?
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Replying to: oldfarmer50 (Jul 02, 2008 1:57 am) mac.....again, no disrespect to your product. I think Toyota has blurred the lines between it's upscale brother (Lexus) and the "meat and potatoes" of models (Toyota). As I said, I think my friend really liked the looks of the Solara. Maybe if she had driven a different model (SE?) her opinion would be different. But, I had to agree with her assessment. "Pretty car. But, that's where the fun begins and ends". Gotta say, there's been more than once when I've seen a Solara at a distance that I thought I was looking at a Lexus. Honda has done much the same thing. For example, the lines between Acura products and Honda products has blurred quite a bit. Matter of fact, the interior of my friend's new Accord could be straight out of an Acura product. I was that impressed. Side note, a former business colleague just bought a new Benza few months ago. Whatever their new entry level is (I don't recall the nomenclature). Looks good on the outside. But, does it drive any better than the Accord? I've only driven either car a few miles. But, I don't think a Solara/Camry or an Accord gives up anything to the Benz. Plus, his $40K sled looks like a "stripper" model compared to either the Solara, Accord....and definitely looks woeful when compared to my 3 series. The Benz isn't built as well as any of those cars, IMHO. Somebody thinks its worth it to pay for that 3 pointed star, though. I think those of us who have been around for awhile have seen this oil situation play out before. As most know, this too will pass. As oldfarmer points out, people are running scared right now....making irrational decisions.....trading (or trying to trade) $40K SUVs for a Yaris. While the landscape will definitely change among the car buying public,in the short term, with the expanses of blacktop we have in this country, Americans want big, powerful vehicles. Once the bubble bursts on this oil "thing" (and it will, which will spawn another financial crisis akin to the mortgage bubble and the dot com meltdown), all those trucks and SUVs will sell. I can empathize with you, though. Business is out there for the taking, if you've got the right product mix. The market is knee deep in trucks (Toyota included), when the public wants 4 cyl cars. Still, I don't think any of the manufacturers saw this fuel runnup coming. Especially since it hit so quickly. deskman....I wish I had your faith in Chrysler. Daimler left it in shambles. Cerebus doesn't know what to do. Challengers will be tasty, but what else is there in the Chrysler stable that anyone else wants? I've driven the Avenger, as a rental. Boy, I don't know how much money was spent in development, but I'd ask for a refund. Jeep? Can't give them away right now. Even their vaunted minivan is looking like it's being shunned with the cut back in it's production. The 300 may as well be a 100 in the market place it's so long in the tooth. Unless Chrysler has some magic bullet they're keeping under wraps, I can't see any way to bring it back to life short of selling off assets. Every other day we're hearing more bad news (even though they are no longer a public company) about them. That does nothing more than to cause more echos in the showrooms.
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Replying to: mackabee (Jul 01, 2008 9:30 pm) Errrr, do you mean hari kari? Hare kari might be killing a rabbit? Richard III
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Reading through these posts, I see that the general consensus of fourbangers flying off the shelves and trucks and SUV's becoming over stocked holding true. While that is true, really true, I want to promote some optimism. Yesterday I sold a Ford Explorer and brought in a '02 Saturn SL2 4-Banger. Theres a swing in a different direction.
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Replying to: mackabee (Jul 01, 2008 9:33 pm) |
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