So Much for Lowering Incentives
Automotive News [AN, sub] reports that Chrysler and GM are piling on the incentives in the hopes of clearing out lingering '07's and maintaining '08 sales and market share in the run up to the New Year. Dodge buyers signing-up for the 2008 Ram scoop $5k off sticker. The Dodge Ram 2500, Ram 3500, Durango, Charger and Magnum; Chrysler 300C, and Jeep Commander and Grand Cherokee carry incentives ranging from $3k to $3500. GM dealers may not have as much cash on the hood, but thirty-one models– including 20 trucks– tempt seasonal buyers with $500 to $2k off msrp. Caddy hopes to clear out its '07's by offering [both] XLR buyers $7,500, stumping-up $5k for DTS intenders, deflossing the Escalade's price tag by $4,500 and tempting aspiring CTS and STS drivers with $4k. GM biggest losers are the "classic" (i.e. '06) Silverado and Sierras, clocking-in with a $5k discount. Elsewhere, Subaru's '07 B9 Tribeca sheds $3500k, Suzuki's '07 XL7 trims $2500 and Volvo's XC90 can be had for $5k off. Meanwhile, Toyota has dialed back on Tundra incentives, offering just $1500 off the new Texas-built pickup. But its old Tundra and its SUVs all get $4k off. Although most of these incentives are scheduled to expire in January, what's the bet they wont'?
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That $4000 incentive is on the old 2007 CTS The newly redesigned 2008 CTS comes with no cash incentives And frankly, after having driven one, it doesn't need any.
Pile 'em high and sell 'em cheap. "Laaaayydees, we gotcher goods, right here." What a way to run a (money losing) railroad. Or car companies. In the meanwhile, the Oct. 15 issue of Crain Automotive News essentially reported on the huge changes in the US auto market place. Changes like Ford brand being down 288,317 Jan-Sept. 2007 vs. Jan-Sept. 2006. Dying on the vine. (Perhaps just perhaps the AFA boycott did have some weight to it, after all.... who knows?) The magazine's words are "Ford Motor Co's. sales and market share are collapsing at a dramatic rate." Ford's overall sales (including trucks) is down 13.3% in 2007 (compared to 2006). GM cannot "crow". Chevrolet sales, down 126,577 Jan-Sept. 2007 vs. Jan-Sept. 2006. Toyota brand's sales UP 101,907, Honda brand's sales UP 45,374 for the same period. Toyota brand is leader in car sales "undisputed king of car sales by a massive margin." Honda's "meteoric rise", now number 3 in car sales and on the verge of 10% of the total US light vehicle market. "Within a few years, Lexus will probably eclipse the best sales year Cadillac ever had." Buick down 24.7% this year, Changes like this tell me that the American car buyer is moving to quality and sick of buying commodity cars with huge discounts (which come back to slap the buyer on all four cheeks when it comes to massively low resale value at trade-in time). People are smart. They're moving away from the 2.8 and towards Toyonda.
Re: The photo caption When puns are outlawed, then only outlaws will have puns.