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Brand Mid-size Full-size
Toyota Camry:25,745 Avalon:1,939
Nissan Altima:12,149 Maxima:5,901
Hyundai Sonata:7,898 Azera:339
Ford Fusion:10,834 Taurus:5,077
Chevrolet Malibu:10,479 Impala:13,047
Chrysler Sebring:1,451 300:3,411
69 Comments on “September Sales Snapshot: Mid Versus Full-Size FWD Sedans...”
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to play armchair demographer for a bit…
since the baby boom, the peak year for baby births was 1991 (and the years right around).
presumably most of these kiddies are moving out of the home; so households shouldn’t need the SUVs/CUVs/minivans/full-sized cars.
Now determining how much of recent sales declines in these categories are due to the economy and how much is due to smaller households should be easy for the marketing experts like that Doherty person.
She should already know the answers and relevant forecasts.
I’d by something called Sonata any day over Azera.
Today’s misdizers are larger than yesterday’s full sizers. I could see someone with an older Avalon trading for a new Camry. It’s larger.
The sad truth is I’m entering the Impala’s demographic. It looks like 13,000 folks are ahead of me.
I’m not to up on this end of the market, but what’s up with Avalon? Is it too pricey?
I’m not clear on the difference really. The Impala doesn’t seem any bigger than a Malibu; it’s certainly not more upscale. We know the Maxima and Altima are built off the same platform.
The Taurus is probably the only large FWD car on the list I’d consider, given the age of the others and their lack of differentiation from midsize competitors. Of course, the Accord straddles both categories.
The Maxima is not full sized, it is about as big (volume) as the Altima.
Wow, if Nissan can move that many Maximas this month, maybe the new Taurus’ sales spike isn’t a spike at all.
OldandSlow,
I am betting 12,000 of those 13,000 are named Hertz or Avis.
Its not rocket science, generaly the more expensive the car the less units sold.
Out of curiosity, how many Accords did Honda move last month?
If it’s anywhere near the Camry’s 25K, they are the smartest automaker of all in reaching that segment with one product.
Avalon’s don’t sell as well because 1: Toyota hardly advertises (same reason Azera doesn’t sell) them and 2: There’s not enough distincting it from the camry which it’s based on. Last I herd, rumors were going around saying the Avalon is on the chopping block, but killing a nameplate a rare thing for a japanese car company (unless it’s a sub-compact (tracell, echo, yaris is next)).
The new maximas are huge. It’s not like the last gen where there was hardly anyting distincting it from the v6 altima. TOo bad it’s got the CVT though. 4DSC my ass. The interior is also HIDEOUS! That ink-blob center console has got to go!
Impalas are bought by old GM fanboys who know the W platform is top quality. I’m really suprised Malibu sales didn’t canibalize Impala sales.
The New taurus has extremely modest sales goals for its first year, 100,000 units, a far cry from the 400,000 the 1st gen Taurus, the car that saved Ford, used to make for years (and was far higher than Accord and even the Camry back then)
Oh my, Ford and GM both outsell Toyota in the full-size segment. Hell, even the Chrysler 300 outsells the Avalon by almost 2 to 1.
Of course, Toyota may be cannibalizing Avalon sales to Lexus. My guess is that they sell more GS Lexi than Avalons.
Meanwhile, the car everyone loves to hate, the Chevy Impala, outsells everything but the Camry (and probably the Accord but since Honda has no fullsize sedan it isn’t on this comparison list). Those Impalas can’t be all rental fleet sales – the rental companies are cutting back purchasing in the recession. Also, there’s price overlap between the Malibu and Impala and customers may be opting for the bigger car. Chevy would be smart to make the next Impala on the RWD platform to differentiate between their midsize and fullsize offerings.
BTW, the Chrysler 300 is RWD so maybe it shouldn’t be on the list or the headline should be revised.
I’ve noticed an interesting phenomenon. Cars look different on the street than they do at auto shows. Maybe it’s the proximity to other cars or how they look in motion, but both the ’10 Ford Fusion and new Buick LaCrosse look much better in real light on real road than they do on the show stands. Not that they’re unattractive on the show stand, they just look more impressive on the road.
The Fusion is probably stealing some sales from the Taurus. The new front end treatment makes the car look much more substantial. When I saw one the other day I almost confused it for the new Taurus. It really looks larger than the previous Fusion, though it’s just about the same size.
@slateslate: Not everyone who has a CUV wants to go back to a sedan, thanks to the seating position and ride heights. Heck, when it’s my turn to drive the family Camry it’s something I find annoying, and I just turned 40.
For a more complete picture, perhaps similarly priced CUV’s should be included in such a chart. I wouldn’t be surprised if some Avalon intenders went for a Venza instead.
bomberpete :
October 8th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Out of curiosity, how many Accords did Honda move last month?
Sept 09, 20,816 Accords. Also 16,093 Civics and 14,554 CR-Vs. These three are the volume leaders and probably the cash cows at Honda-Acura
But in May 08 with $4 gas for the first time, Honda sold 53,000 Civics (!) and 40-45,000 Accords, COrolla and Camry completed the top 4, and the 19-year perennial no 1, the F-150, dropped to FIFTH place!
.
“26theone :
October 8th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Its not rocket science, generaly the more expensive the car the less units sold.”
Geberally. because the smallest cars, the Fit – Yaris size, may be cheaper than the larger ones, but sell far fewer copies.
Those Impalas can’t be all rental fleet sales
About half of them go to fleet.
And no, they’re not all rental — government fleets buy them, too.
The Impala’s fleet sales aren’t just to the rental companies. Cops, sales and service personal, government — you see them everywhere.
Ronnie Schrieber’s right. The next Impala should be RWD. When Chrysler goes TU, bye-bye 300/Charger. There’s no retail for Crown Vic/Marquis anymore, and Ford is supposed to shut that down next year (??) with no replacement. Good strategy. GM could fill a void in the marketplace.
Wait, did I just say that? I forgot that it was GM I was talking about. Never mind.
Also, there’s price overlap between the Malibu and Impala and customers may be opting for the bigger car.
Yep. Some buyers don’t care about nice interiors, rattles, etc. that reviewers care about. They just note that the Impala is bigger for the money, which it is. Nice quality interiors cost money, and some people will always prefer not to pay for it.
The problem for the domestics is that after years of skimping, many if not most of their prospective buyers fall into the “don’t care” category. So spending the extra money to get it right doesn’t gain you a lot in the short-term; it has to be a long, continuous process of reclaiming reputation.
Impalas are really popular as taxicabs, too. Big space in the back, big trunk, not that expensive for the size.
Thanks. A little less than I expected but on target. Except for the pickup truck, does the Honda U.S. brand have any turkeys (forget Acura)?
As for the May ’08 figures, doesn’t that seem like a lifetime ago?
Autosavant :
October 8th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
bomberpete :
October 8th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Out of curiosity, how many Accords did Honda move last month?
Sept 09, 20,816 Accords. Also 16,093 Civics and 14,554 CR-Vs. These three are the volume leaders and probably the cash cows at Honda-Acura.
But in May 08 with $4 gas for the first time, Honda sold 53,000 Civics (!) and 40-45,000 Accords, COrolla and Camry completed the top 4, and the 19-year perennial no 1, the F-150, dropped to FIFTH place!
bomberpete :
Wait, did I just say that? I forgot that it was GM I was talking about. Never mind.
y0! GM is going to sell the Caprice PPV.
Hopefully they’ll open their eyes and sell a civilian version too.
Guilty as charged! I’d be one of those “old” GM fan boys buying a quality built and dependable Impala.
“The new maximas are huge. It’s not like the last gen where there was hardly anyting distincting it from the v6 altima.”
No they are not, and I just wrote down the tech specs from Kelle4y Blue book, and, amazingly, the heavier Maxima 2010 is SMALLER inside than the Altima!!
Here goes:
ALtima: WB 109.3″, 189.8″ X 70.7 X 57.9″
Maxima: WB 109.3″ IDENTICAL, and WAY TOO SMALL for a “large” car!, X 190.6″ (less than 1″ and way too short too!) X 73.2 (wider) X 57.8″ (almost equal)
BUT:
Passenger and Trunk volume in Cu ft:
Altima: 100.7 ft3, 15.3 Ft3
maxima: 95.8 ft3 (!!!), 14.2 ft3 (!!!)
So my initial guess was quite right, the MAxima both looks and actually IS way too small for a full size, and the nos are even worse!
1,451 Sebrings sold. 1,451 Sebrings sold. 1,451 Sebrings sold.
You know, even after I repeat it a few times, it still doesn’t compute.
Unless someone is offering them for sale at 40% off sticker, there are much better cars for the same money.
I took a drive in the Maxima 2 months ago. Nice mid-size car that is too much money for what it is. It was nice, but nothing special. The back seat is too small for those 6’0 or taller.
OK, here’s an opportunity for Chevy to kick ass in this market segment: Keep the Malibu and Impala, and make the Caprice available for civvies.
If Chrysler can sell 3400 300’s – a five-year-old design – then there’s definitely a market for “traditional” big cars out there. Plus, Ford is phasing out the Panther, so why not?
They could carve themselves out a nice little niche here.
Plus, here’s another interesting detail: Taurus aside (and discounting the Impala, which we all know is a fleet queen), the two best sellers here (300 and Maxima) have a strong performance orientation. Well, shit, drop a ‘Vette engine into the Caprice and there you go.
Do it, Chevy!!!
MasterOfTheJawan:
I think Impala’s are bought by lazy-boy owning obese American’s. Impalas have plushy seats and a relative smooth ride and a lot of interior room.
I’d rather the Avalon, that thing is nice. Boring, but very nice.
Ronnie: Yeah, I know the 300 is RWD… but the Chrysler numbers aren’t really significant anyway, so I’m gonna leave it up.
Edward Niedermeyer :
October 8th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Ronnie: Yeah, I know the 300 is RWD… but the Chrysler numbers aren’t really significant anyway, so I’m gonna leave it up.
Lots of them are sold as AWD…
Toyota may be cannibalizing Avalon sales to Lexus.
As far as I can tell, the essential purpose of the Avalon is to destroy Buick. It doesn’t have to sell well, it just needs to destabilize the weaker competition. As that demographic ages and dies out, the car can be phased out entirely.
Toyota’s bread and butter are the Camry and Corolla, with the Prius moving from surprise niche to mainstream. Toyota doesn’t particularly need to care much about the Avalon, just so long as it takes a bit of ground in its target demographic.
Toyota’s remaining challenges are to dethrone the domestics from the large pickup market and to keep Hyundai from taking their own share. In terms of destroying GM, the Avalon doesn’t need to be a winner, it just needs to sell enough units that it makes the space unprofitable for the rivals. I’d say that it’s doing that job.
I’ve done two cross country trips(drives) in the past year and have been amazed by the number of late model Impalas I’ve seen on the road. Probably the #1 sighting. When you get away from the coasts and the larger cities along the way it seems there are a whole lot of people who still love their Chevy Impalas.
To those who say most of the Impala sales are fleet…..I beg to differ.
Eddie, you forgot the Charger and the Accord, full sizers both.
Good analysis, pch101.
And thanks, Ed. Just the other day I was wondering whether the full-size FWD market was completely dead. Then came this story. Takeaway: It’s not, but it’s dying a lot faster than minivans are. The ones that aren’t happy with mid-sizers must be going to CUVs. But really, now that C4C is over, who is buying at all?
Pch101 :
October 8th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Toyota may be cannibalizing Avalon sales to Lexus.
As far as I can tell, the essential purpose of the Avalon is to destroy Buick. It doesn’t have to sell well, it just needs to destabilize the weaker competition. As that demographic ages and dies out, the car can be phased out entirely.
Nissan’s been running lease specials on the Maxima, which may account for its high sales figures.
Wonder whether the MSM will pillory Toyota over unintended acceleration like they did Audi?
Honda – Mid-size: Civic Full-size: Accord
segfault :
October 8th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Honda – Mid-size: Civic Full-size: Accord
Funny how the lines between compact and midsize are being blurred these days, isn’t it?
@segfault: per EPA
Civic Sedan: sub-compact
Accord Sedan with sunroof: mid-size
Accord Sedan without sunroof: large car
TrueDelta has a great comparo of Avalon/Camry. Other than an inch or two here and there, a few more “standard” features, and about an extra foot of overhang on the same sized wheelbase, the only difference seems to be about $4K
http://www.truedelta.com/comparisons201/Avalon-vs-Camry-price-comparison.php?session_code=&aff=
Mercury
Grand Marquis 2,146
Sable 92
Total 2,238
Milan 1,574
Still hard to believe Ford is walking away from the Panther – they have been starving it to death for a decade, yet it still hangs on.
Ed, the 300 is RWD not FWD, and since it’s the same as the Charger, if you’re gonna include it, why not the Charger? But then again why not Avenger? The G6? The Aura? The Milan? And where is the Honda Accord? I know they don’t build a full size…, but wait, didn’t the EPA rule that the Accord is a full size?
So anybody care to tabulate the cars above, so we can get a real sales snapshot? (I would but I’m still at work).
Many still assume the Imp is bigger inside because it is bigger outside.
Not so.
The rear leg room is compact class and the headroom is sub par for a midsize. It is on the wide side for a mid-sizer and the trunk is pretty big.
Half go to fleet as noted above. I personally think a lot probably go to employee price sales.
This car survives on teh buck-per-inch mentality rather than any real merit, IMO.
To be fair on Hyundia the Genesis should be included, when it hit the showrooms the Azera sales crashed.
Bunter
It makes me sad to see the Vic/Marquis ignored. Why the hell couldn’t Ford have redesigned that platform and brought it into the 21st century… you can’t tell me they haven’t been making money selling them all these years. All they are now is stripped down copies of what they used to be back in the early and mid 90’s. There’s probably nothing else in the Ford inventory that’s ever been de-contented like the those two cars were. And then they wonder why no one buys them. Live axle. Anemic engine. Spartan interior. And to add insult to injury, it’s one of the most trouble free and reliable vehicles Ford ever rolled off the line. Having a daily driver Vic in very nice condition with 200K on the odometer that got there with nothing more than scheduled maintenance doesn’t even warrant a comment.
What a waste.
John Fritz, I’ll tell you what I told another commenter on a different thread: us big car lovers are bound to suffer ad infinitium.
Yeah. You’re right.
Yes, EN, where IS my Honda Accord, the BEST car in the world? Why is it not on your list?? Just curious, but it makes no sense to me as to why it’s not there.
56 belaire:
How many of those POS Impalas that you saw were rental? Probably about half. I don’t think anyone can tell out on the road which cars are fleet or personal. And when did the GM10 become dependable? I think Mikey said something like that.
I know its hard for “we hate GM crowd” to accept, but it seems a lot of folks are buying Impala’s and Malibu’s. Yes, and the rental people bought quite a few of them. 50% somebody mentioned
Can you give me a source for that stat?
Oh thats right, the allmighty imports don’t sell to the rentals do they. I’ve walked away from rental counters,cause they didn’t have any union made vehicles available.
@ BlueBrat I’m a five foot ten 170 lb non smoker. I walk or hike 3 miles a day. I don’t own a lazy-boy. But I am a proud owner of an Impala.
Class warfare is alive and well and living at TTAC. Its getting worse by the day. I’m a long time TTAC’er If this is going to turn into a site for the “auto elite” count me out.
@ Kevin Kluttz The Honda Accord the best car in the world? Oh yeah and the Impala is a POS?
Let me tell you something my POS Impala will still be going strong,long after your over rated overpriced Honda gets fed to the shredder.
If you’re in the market for a full-size might you not be looking at the CUVs as well? Perhaps that partially explains it. Highlander etc…
Other than that, maybe people (rightly) think higher fuel prices are on the way back in the lifetime of their car. They’ll buy nothing more than the size they need.
@mikey:
The Impala is alright, but I really think GM could have easily done more with it. I kind of think that GM wishes Impala intenders would just grab a Malibu and be happy about it so they could axe the older car.
____
IMO, styling-wise, I have strong preference to the 8th gen Impala. The current model, without the LTZ or SS wheels, it is the blandest looking W-body ever. The interior is equally dull, I wish they could have thrown in some two-tone color schemes or retro gauges to spice it up a bit.
The 3500 was a waste of metal when GM had the long-proven, much more liked (by the GM faithful anyway) 3800 available.
And, where’s the LY7 love been for the W-body? The only way to get it was the highest level of the LaCrosse/Allure, and even then it wasn’t offered for very long.
Sloppy journalism. If the Chrysler 300 can be included as a “FWD” car, where is the Hyundai Genesis and Ford Crown Victoria?
Here’s another possibility – maybe Malibu lost more sales because of people swearing off buying GM after the bailout than Impala did. We were favorably impressed by the Hertz G6 GT we had for two weeks last summer and were thinking about looking at the Malibu, but ended up never even looking at one other than online.
It looks to me like the Detroit automakers’ products are preferred by people buying large cars, and the Japanese & Korean companies are picked by people wanting mid-sized cars. This could be because the big cars are typically bought by retirees who are more likely to consider the patriotism factor whereas the midsize ones are bought by younger generation folks who mainly care about reliability and the imports have a better reputation in this area.
It could also be simple economics — imports are typically more expensive than domestics, larger cars are more expensive than smaller ones, and a large import is simply too expensive for most.
LARGEST INTERIORS you are gonna find is the Chrysler 300, Toyota Camry and Avalon and Nissan Maxima. The Taurus is horrible inside. Small footwell, small everything.
BubbaMobiles such as Impalas are lusted after in Bubbaland.
What or where is Bubbaland?
No set geo-political area… it’s an area where enough of the local yokels become excited when they see a “General Lee” Charger clone, with the “01,” rebel flag and orange color to nod their head in approval and admire the taste of the car’s driver.
There are little Bubbalands all across the USA but the largest areas are in the southeast and south-central USA.
One aspect of Bubbaland is that it is not unusual for the Bubbas to spend more on a vehicle than housing.
Not that hard to do when the rural acreage has been in the family for 3 or more generations and the repairs have kept the 1976 single-wide trailer more-or-less weatherproof with used trailers not that expensive if replacement is an absolute necessity.
For the urban Bubbas shantys are cheap in the working-poor sections of town and property taxes tend to be minimal. It is also not rare for a family to have inhabited a shanty for three or more generations.
Don’t want to sound too critical but I do tend to laugh at the Bubbas, though.
I realize I am closer to the Bubbas socio-economically, most likely, than I am the typical poster upon this board.
And, be grateful for those Bubbas in their Impalas and old beat-up pick-ups. When the effluence hits the rotary breeze machine those Bubbas are some of the finest fighting troops the world has ever seen.
Sadly, the USA is not allowed to actually defend itself anymore as evidenced by the millions of “entrants” the Bubbas have to compete with for jobs, etc.
If the Bubbas ever tire of the elites spitting upon them the USA might as well surrender or resort immediately to nukes if a WW 2-type situation ever breaks out.
Lots of Malibus alongside the Impalas.
Your commentator has dwelt within the barrios of California to a shanty in the Ozarks and many points in-between. Haven’t “seen it all” but what I have seen… along with a large portion of the USA from a long-haul semi-truck’s windows…. along with ample readings… led to a firm conviction the USA is in the thralls of class warfare.
I note a growing number of pundits agreeing with this Disgruntled Old Coot.
Perhaps you youngest folks present may witness the class war grow hot, maybe not. But, at some point in the future expect huge changes in society.
Alter the inevitable future soon or experience the slide into a 2nd-world life-style, an oligarchy at the top and immensely powerful bureaucracies used to control the masses in the middle.
Obbop in Bubbaland told you that and my prognostications at the general level the past three decades have been scaringly accurate.
Hey K Kluttz,
How many freakin’ rental car agencies are there in the middle of Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming?
Personally, I’m with Mikey, I think there are alot of people in middle America who still believe in driving an American car and are loyal to an American brand. Patriotic if you will…… Whereas on the coasts and around big cities there are more people who are trendy and drive cars that massage their ego.
It goes without saying that middle Americans are more “down to earth” than their right and left coast brethren.
It should be noted the RWD based LX Charger outsold the FWD based Taurus and Flex combined.
Furthermore, the Charger, Challenger and 300 LX’s combined outsold the same platform based much newer Taurus, Flex, Lincoln MKS and MKT combined…and Chrysler had a 42% drop in sales compared to Ford’s 5% drop for September 2009…by about 4K units.
The Charger also outsold all the other full sized cars on the list except the Impala.
mikey-The +50% fleet numbers for the Imp have been consistent the last few years in Fleet Centrals statistics. Have not seen this years numbers.
I think their 2008 numbers for Chevrolet cars overall(not trucks) was 36%,IIRC.
For comparison, Dodge was close to 50%, Toyota 12% and Honda <2%.
When you consider the size (still) of the dealer networks and GMs better coverage of rural areas with the fleet sales I think it is fair to say that their cars are not that popular with the public.
I do not have the figures, but it looks likely that TOMoCo is number one in retail over GM.
Best regards,
Bunter
@ Bunter I think it might be fair to say,that 2009 is not 2008. About 13 months ago the auto world got turned upside down.
TOMoCo is having lots of its own problems. Quality issues,recalls, cash burn, and making ugly cars. Hey, how about the timing on that Tundra eh?
Right, now Toyota is looking over thier shoulder at Hyundai and Kia. Not to mention law suits,and copyright infringments.
I think that GM is coming to grips,with the fact that being number one isn’t all what its cracked up to be.
Regards
Mikey
“One aspect of Bubbaland is that it is not unusual for the Bubbas to spend more on a vehicle than housing.”
So what you’re saying is they are related to the brothers who put $5000 30″ dubs and a $3000 sound system in a $2000 car, and live three generations in the same housing project, right?
Wow – just – wow.
I must be the luckiest guy on earth. I bought an Impala for my wife 4 years ago and we couldn’t be happier with it. We looked at lots of different models, I researched them online, I checked them in CR. New 2005 Impalas on the lot were MSRP’d at $32,000+ – I laughed my ass off and walked away. Bought a used 2004 instead for $16,500 – the depreciation on these cars is huge. It doesn’t burn oil, gets amazing gas milage (28-30mpg), starts every time winter/summer, has never needed any repairs, in short, it’s a reliable car. Yes, it’s a rolling living room. It doesn’t carve corners like an F1 car – that’s what my other car is for. Not everyone wants that! My wife is not a car enthusiast. It sures beats the hell out of the brand-new POS Sentra we had, which would strand her at the side of the road refusing to start (damaged wiring channel), had a leaking gas filler neck (rust!) after 3 months, crappy brakes, constant Check Engine light issues…the list was endless. Half the cars on the road around here are Impalas – we can’t all be stupid.
I know its hard for “we hate GM crowd” to accept, but it seems a lot of folks are buying Impala’s and Malibu’s.
That’s the point — there really aren’t that many people.
Since 2008 wasn’t a typical year, with the Great Recession and such, let’s look at 2007 US sales:
Accord – 372,789
Camry – 436,617
Impala – 265,840
Typically, Toyota will fleet about 10-12% of its Camrys, while Honda will put almost nothing into fleets. About half of Impalas go into fleet.
If we apply those percentages to the above numbers, you can see that Toyota will send perhaps 50,000 Camrys to fleet, while over 130,000 Impalas will end up in fleets. Notice that about 2.5 times as many Impalas end up in fleet as compared to the Camry, even though not nearly as many were sold.
That leaves you with perhaps 380,000 Camrys going to retail vs. about 130,000 Impalas. The Camry and Accord are competing with each other for the top slot, while GM can retail about 1/3rd as many Impalas.
The numbers aren’t even close, but companies need cars like the Accord and Camry to generate the returns that come from their economies of scale.
There isn’t a single passenger car in the GMNA lineup that comes close to achieving that. This helps to illustrate one basic reason why GM loses money — it doesn’t have good cash generators in its lineup. GM can’t make money if one of its only high volume cars can’t produce high retail sales numbers. The low fleet prices probably barely pay the rent.
The only great cash generators that GM has had have been trucks. But the consumer truck market is obviously sensitive to oil prices and trendiness, which makes it very dangerous for any company that relies exclusively on trucks for its profits.
It was a serious mistake to bet everything on gas guzzlers. That was the business equivalent of putting all of your money on one number in roulette. Instead of addressing that reality, GM would rather blame everybody but management for a mistake as obvious as that.
I’m waiting for the same b.s. from the same predictable idiots to come out with the “well, see, midsize outsells full size so you can’t make a business case for full size and everyone should drive little cars” song and dance that we get from the armchair CEOs everyday.
Good data, Pch101. But there are other players trying to squeeze in between the Accord and the Camry, most important are the Nissan Altima, and of course the Malibu. Many Malibus and Altimas end up in fleets as well. The Passat has too low volume to be a big player, but the Jetta is more important in the smaller size category.
bomberpete :
October 8th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
The Impala’s fleet sales aren’t just to the rental companies. Cops, sales and service personal, government — you see them everywhere.
Ronnie Schrieber’s right. The next Impala should be RWD. When Chrysler goes TU, bye-bye 300/Charger. There’s no retail for Crown Vic/Marquis anymore, and Ford is supposed to shut that down next year (??) with no replacement. Good strategy. GM could fill a void in the marketplace.
Wait, did I just say that? I forgot that it was GM I was talking about. Never mind.
This is why GM is going to sell the Australian made Chevy Caprice as a cop car. I just don’t understand why they aren’t making a cilivian version as well.
I just don’t understand why they aren’t making a civilian version as well.
It wouldn’t be profitable. The exchange rate alone makes the whole exercise prohibitive.
This is probably being done to help Holden pad the books. Holden geared up to build the G8, and now they’re stuck with the results. I’m guessing that without this Caprice, there would be fallout for the Commodore.
mikey :
October 8th, 2009 at 6:39 pm
Let me tell you something my POS Impala will still be going strong,long after your over rated overpriced Honda gets fed to the shredder.
—-
I thought that you already retired from GM. They hired you back?
““One aspect of Bubbaland is that it is not unusual for the Bubbas to spend more on a vehicle than housing.”
So what you’re saying is they are related to the brothers who put $5000 30″ dubs and a $3000 sound system in a $2000 car, and live three generations in the same housing project, right?
Wow – just – wow.”
Not a lot of comparison, actually.
Bubbas live in a bought-for and paid shanty and often there is no trash or broken windows but there may be a BBQ and larger kid’s toys outside year-round.
Also a lack of using intimidation tactics against others to gain “street creds.”
Generally, expensive modifications to vehicles are rare. It’s more important to have a BIG screen TV for NasCar and football and to have a satellite receiver.
Then compare crime statistics of the two different socio-economic groups and the differences are apparent.
I would not have opted for this locale to resettle if it was a dangerous place to be.
This is the world of the “good old boy” that populates the military when the real trouble arises.
Not criminal or crime-free but compared to other areas I have dwelt well, I have yet to hear even one burst of full-auto weapons fire and nary a fire-bombing over turf.
In comparison to other demographic groups I have encountered the Bubbas are rather peaceful, on the whole, with minor exceptions as encountered with every grouping.
Let’s try this again…
Ford, the “American Manufacturer” that took no “bailout money”(right), sold less full sized vehicles based on the FWD platform than Chrysler did, in the middle of BK no less, based on the RWD LX platform.
Go Taurus.