- #10062 of 13340
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Re: Dismal Chevy Malibu Sales[mz6greyghost] [thegraduate] [captain2] [thegr [akirby] [captain2] [thegraduate] [captain2] [backy] [captain2] [backy] [elroy5] [backy] [elroy5] [backy]
by elroy5
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Jul 02, 2008 (4:51 pm)
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Replying to: backy (Jul 02, 2008 4:26 pm)
I don't think MT, or any other rankings (CR, etc.), have much of an effect on sales numbers. If car buyers listened to what "enthusiasts" say, the Camry wouldn't be #1. Not even close.
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- #10063 of 13340
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The Prius is not a midsize
by jeffyscott
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Jul 02, 2008 (4:57 pm)
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Replying to: backy (Jul 02, 2008 4:26 pm)
The Prius is not a real mid-sized car. Look at the dimensions, it is similar size to Corolla and other compacts.
If the roof on my wife's Jetta was maybe an inch higher, it too would be mid-size, according to the EPA's silly definition.
As Edmunds put it:
Toyota is fond of pointing out that the EPA classifies the 2008 Prius as a midsize car, just like the Camry. But the Prius is much closer in size to a 2008 Toyota Corolla compact than a midsize Camry...the plain fact is the Prius is 3-4 inches narrower than the Camry, inside and out, and we can feel it the moment we sit in the cars.
Prius vs. Camry
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- #10064 of 13340
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Re: Dismal Chevy Malibu Sales[mz6greyghost] [thegraduate] [captain2] [thegr [akirby] [captain2] [thegraduate] [captain2] [backy] [captain2] [backy] [elroy5] [backy] [elroy5] [backy] [elroy5]
by backy
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Jul 02, 2008 (5:02 pm)
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Replying to: elroy5 (Jul 02, 2008 4:51 pm)
You haven't been paying attention to the marketplace, then. For example, Elantra SEs have been very hard to get and prices have shot up since CR made it one of their Top Picks. Sales of the Elantra overall surged about 50% in the two full sales months since that article came out. I don't think that was coincidence (although the turn to smaller, more fuel efficient cars certainly helped). The MT comparo just came out. Who knows what effect it will have? Camry sales were down last month, Sonata sales up. That was before the MT comparo was published. I think many car buyers (not you, obviously) do read car reviews and use them as data points. Maybe not enough to make someone buy a particular car, but enough to get them to a dealer to look at a car they might not have considered, had they stuck with their "safe", same-old choice.
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- #10065 of 13340
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Re: The Prius is not a midsize [jeffyscott]
by backy
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Jul 02, 2008 (5:07 pm)
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Replying to: jeffyscott (Jul 02, 2008 4:57 pm)
Prius is classed as a mid-sized car by the EPA. Look to the right. Mazda6 is there, right? Prius has a hair more passenger space than the Mazda6. Maybe we should dump the 6 off this discussion? And the Legacy is usually considered a mid-sized car. Prius has more interior space than the Legacy too.
Similarly, Elantra, Sentra, and Versa are classed as mid-sized by interior volume. Personally I could not care how big a car is on the OUTSIDE. What matters to me is how big it is inside. Actually, the smaller the car is outside, and the easier it is to park, the better I like it.
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- #10066 of 13340
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Re: The Prius is not a midsize [backy]
by dave8697
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Jul 02, 2008 (5:51 pm)
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Replying to: backy (Jul 02, 2008 5:07 pm)
So much pain over Camry getting to keep it's no. 1 spot. I have a different perspective. When I go buy my next car I will start looking at a G6. I'll want it at invoice or close to. I'll want $2500 in rebates. I'll want to use my $3400 in GM card earnings that I slowly accumulated over the 7 years since I last bought a new car. I'll expect it to be better than my last new GM, which has needed only a battery in 7 years. I have had experiences where driving a GM for it's full second decade has cost me less than $500 total in repairs, so the 'Gamble' thing is a mystery to me. Being burned by GM for me was when the '98 I have that I bought new needed $325 to fix a/c and then needed $275 to fix transmission all in a 2 year period about 3 years after I was done making payments. To put it short, I buy a new GM for 5-7k under sticker, pay it off in 18 months, then drive payment free for a decade and never have a single repair that ever comes close to the orig loan monthly pmt.
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- #10068 of 13340
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Re: I guess I'll start? [bobgwtw]
by oldcem
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Jul 02, 2008 (7:49 pm)
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Replying to: bobgwtw (Jul 02, 2008 2:15 pm)
If you're willing to drop back to 219 HP, buy an Aura XE with the 3.5 V6. I have one for a business driver, and, she gets 30+ MPG running 75 on the interstate. Yeah, the engine is a low tech V6 with pushrods, but she loafs along at 2000 rpm at interstate speeds and doesn't scream her insides out going up hills.
REgards:
OldCEM
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- #10070 of 13340
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Re: The Prius is not a midsize [dave8697]
by cccompson
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Jul 03, 2008 (3:26 am)
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Replying to: dave8697 (Jul 02, 2008 5:51 pm)
A interesting post and indicative of GM's plight - the customer expects a trouble-free vehicle at a giveaway price.
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- #10071 of 13340
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Re: The Prius is not a midsize [cccompson]
by backy
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Jul 03, 2008 (4:56 am)
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Replying to: cccompson (Jul 03, 2008 3:26 am)
Also indicative of the extremely tough market for mid-sized cars, and vehicles in general this year. The fact is, reliable if not trouble-free mid-sized cars are available for a give-away price these days--and not just the G6. For example, how about a nicely equipped sedan with all the power accessories, ESC/traction, six airbags, decent audio system with at least six speakers, CD/MP3 (and maybe satellite radio), and possibly other niceties like alloys and fog lamps for under $15k + T&L? These days it's impossible to find a new Civic or Corolla for that kind of money.
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