- #80 of 654
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Re: a local one bites the dust [explorerx4]
by boaz47
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Dec 08, 2008 (7:45 pm)
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Replying to: explorerx4 (Dec 08, 2008 7:06 pm)
"people also need to have jobs to support a car payment. "
well now you know where the dealers have been headed for some time. Once we started exporting our jobs off shore it was only a matter of time before people couldn't afford to support cars and a house and all the other goodies we exported off shore.
Still I have to wonder if Suzuki and Subaru will weather 2009 without losing a dealership or two? They weren't all that plentiful in the first place.
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- #81 of 654
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Re: a flushing out is necessary [steve_]
by nippononly
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Dec 08, 2008 (10:16 pm)
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Replying to: steve_ (Dec 08, 2008 6:59 pm)
In that article they mention government incentivs to consumers to buy cars, but I think consumers need direct government lending for a while if they are to buy enough cars to help out all the dealers in trouble.....
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- #82 of 654
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Re: Epitaph for a Dealer [lemko]
by guss
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Dec 09, 2008 (4:40 am)
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Replying to: lemko (Dec 08, 2008 10:10 am)
Funny you mention Eckenhoff, a co-worker came into my office yesterday and said they closed over the weekend. No going out of business sale or anything. I guess they get a better price sending them back to GM, than the expense of selling them ?
I work near them, and a few years ago they were picketed by a mechanics union. The strike lasted 4 or 5 months, that may have hurt them a bit.
I test drove a Pontiac G6 and G8 there over the summer. It was a Tuesday on my lunch and they seemed busy. They must have had alot of no sales like me.
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- #83 of 654
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Re: a flushing out is necessary [nippononly]
by gagrice
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Dec 09, 2008 (5:43 am)
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Replying to: nippononly (Dec 08, 2008 10:16 pm)
I think tax credits are preferable. Then you do not get people strung out financially that should not be. Easy credit got US where we are today. The government meddling in the mortgage business was probably the root cause of all the current problems. We need to get back to sound lending practices. You don't qualify, you don't get that new car or home loan. I would also like to see a lending cap on interest rates. I think some states like MN already are set at 12%. These CC companies are making it more difficult for people in trouble to get out with 20-30% and higher interest. If they are not a good risk at 12% they should not have the money. I know our Credit Union has not wavered and do not have the problems many banks have today.
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- #84 of 654
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Re: Epitaph for a Dealer [guss]
by lemko
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Dec 09, 2008 (6:35 am)
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Replying to: guss (Dec 09, 2008 4:40 am)
Well, Eckenhoff had only been there for about two or three years. Before that, it was called Fairway Cadillac. Didn't know about the strike as I always had my car serviced at the dealership from which I bought it. All I know is they kept the same parts guy when they changed ownership. I was shopping for a car last fall and they sent me email inviting me to look at a car, however, I had already purchased my DTS from the same dealership and salesman I from which I bought my 2002 Seville STS. I did talk to a salesman at Eckenhoff, but they didn't have the kind of DTS I was looking for. I wanted a Luxury III or a Performance, but Eckenhoff only had a lot of the lower end models.
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- #85 of 654
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Re: a local one bites the dust [explorerx4]
by ingvar
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Dec 09, 2008 (8:48 am)
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Replying to: explorerx4 (Dec 08, 2008 7:01 pm)
True!!! Dealer have to sale high quality service and car with the service. Service must on a good level at reasonable price.
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- #86 of 654
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Re: a local one bites the dust [boaz47]
by dtownfb
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Dec 09, 2008 (9:07 am)
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Replying to: boaz47 (Dec 08, 2008 7:45 pm)
Not sure about Suzuki but Subaru is one of the few manufactures that is relatively close to their 2007 sales numbers. They finally updated their lineup this year and it appears to be working. Of course they will not hit their sales goals but still a solid year for them considering the market.
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- #87 of 654
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Re: a local one bites the dust [dtownfb]
by nippononly
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Dec 09, 2008 (6:04 pm)
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Replying to: dtownfb (Dec 09, 2008 9:07 am)
Subaru is one of only two automakers that is up for the year (1.2%). Daimler is the other.
THOSE dealers must be happy.
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- #88 of 654
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Re: a local one bites the dust [dtownfb]
by boaz47
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Dec 09, 2008 (6:34 pm)
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Replying to: dtownfb (Dec 09, 2008 9:07 am)
"They finally updated their lineup this year and it appears to be working. Of course they will not hit their sales goals but still a solid year for them considering the market."
Yes I agree but the little guy still has to survive 2009 and no one is looking at dealers like Subaru and Suzuki. Subaru has a very loyal fan base but if sales are flat again for 2009 how will they survive? Subaru has very little for the mainstream entry level buyer and Suzuki doesn't have the brand loyalty to hold off the wolf for another 2 or 3 quarters. Neither Subaru nor Suzuki is cash flush like Toyota and I doubt they will be exempt from another short fall next year. I believe we are heading into at least a two year slump and I don't think credit will be freed up till 2010 or 2011. Both Subaru and Suzuki have been on the ropes in the US before in the US and while the dodged the bullet so far I just wonder how well they will do over the long run?
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- #89 of 654
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Car Dealer's Tough Choice
by lemko
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Dec 10, 2008 (8:58 am)
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From the Philadelphia newspaper:
http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20081210_Agonies_trickle_down.html
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