US Car Sales Down Steeply

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It seems there is a percieved lack of quality in all american cars. Total sales should be way up in USA cars with all the rebates and the discounts companies have available.
 
Numbers like this are a bit deceiving. NYT is comparing sales for May06 to May05 only. Were domestic brand sales down in May06 because of consumer perception or was May05 sales really high due to some kind of promotion? The article doesn't say so it leaves the reasoning up to the reader.

Also, buried in the story was Nissan's sales down 11% over the same time period. If American consumers feel domestic brands are poor quality, it appears they're skeptical of some Asian brands too.

Finally, Ford sales were down only 1.9%. Their cars sales were up due to their new product. I'm sure Ford's numbers would have been in the black if Expedition sales were better, but they're competing with an all new GM SUV so lower sales should not be a suprise.
 
Why is it GM and Ford make sensational vehicles in Australia and GM for one exports them to 38 countries including U.S and Canada but they produce absolute cr@p in North America? I know the answer but can our N.A friends work it out?
 
Sprintman, we've always wondered why the rest of the world gets the cars they get, and we get "US models" from Ford and GM. Interesting that both companies are making money elsewhere in the world too. There's a lesson in there somewhere but no one seems to be listening.
 
Unions have nothing to do with it. NA automakers build mostly boring cars that do not appeal to everyone while doing it with lesser quality materials and engineering. Again, unions are good for the auto industry. Do we need mechanical sweatshops?
 
How many cars have been sold in the last 3 years should be the question? Lets face it a lot people have already bought their "new" car over the last few years. How many are really in the market for a new car or truck no matter what price or incentives the manufactures put on the window sticker?
 
quote:

Originally posted by speedtc:
Unions have nothing to do with it. NA automakers build mostly boring cars that do not appeal to everyone while doing it with lesser quality materials and engineering. Again, unions are good for the auto industry. Do we need mechanical sweatshops?

The people at Honda and the other asian makers would dissagree about the good of unions. Of course we don't need sweatshops in this country. But we don't need retirees that work for 20 years and draw wages and full benefits from the company for another 35 years either. Not to mention paying Job Bank people to not work at all. Those kinds of labor practices are just not sustainable long term and we're seeing that right now.

I don't dissagree about the cars though. If the people in Detroit built more of what people wanted, they'd sell more cars.
 
It's sad, but I hate to say it, but they brought this upon themselves. You can only fool part of the population some of the time, but can you do it all the time?
 
quote:

Originally posted by ALS:
How many cars have been sold in the last 3 years should be the question? Lets face it a lot people have already bought their "new" car over the last few years. How many are really in the market for a new car or truck no matter what price or incentives the manufactures put on the window sticker?

Looing at it through a three year window makes sense. Last years deep discounts and rebates by US manufacturers just moved a good hunk of what would have been this years sales into last year.

There aren't enough people in this country who will buy boring cars out of a misguided sense of patriotism to keep GM etc afloat forever. They need to get more appealing products out. The quality is adequate, now they need to produce the cars that people want.
 
quote:

Originally posted by XS650:

quote:

Originally posted by ALS:
How many cars have been sold in the last 3 years should be the question? Lets face it a lot people have already bought their "new" car over the last few years. How many are really in the market for a new car or truck no matter what price or incentives the manufactures put on the window sticker?

Looing at it through a three year window makes sense. Last years deep discounts and rebates by US manufacturers just moved a good hunk of what would have been this years sales into last year.

There aren't enough people in this country who will buy boring cars out of a misguided sense of patriotism to keep GM etc afloat forever. They need to get more appealing products out. The quality is adequate, now they need to produce the cars that people want.


This was predicted a year ago when the employee pricing incentives were running. I remember the whiny guy on Autoline Detroit asking the GM folks about it and all they could do was gush about their upcoming new SUV's and how they'd save the day.

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.
 
per speedtc:

quote:

Unions have nothing to do with it.

Sensitive are we? I was merely asking a question.

Are Australian auto factories unionized?

Here's my OPINION since you asked:

Unions absolutely SUCK. There are laws to prevent "sweatshops". Are there laws to prevent the terrible inefficiencies and down right waste and fraud unions have caused? Sometimes. Unions had their place, but that was long ago and statutes are long in place to prevent the headline grabbing abuse claimed by union members near strike time. Now members should be ashamed of the problems they have caused to our country.

The only thing that sucks WORSE THAN UNIONS is management. Absolutely corrupt, spineless behavior has "lead" us here.....

THROW THEM ALL OUT!!!!
 
I belong to a union. Local 1 boilermakers. We are extremely efficient in our workplace. What unions are you referring to? You have seen hoffa to many times. As to the workings of a union you are a fool it seems.
 
"The only thing that sucks WORSE THAN UNIONS is management"

So we're really talking about management, and hence the company, as opposed to a union that typically has people in a number of different companies ? Management was responsible for unions forming in the first place, they're the ones who negotiate with unions now, they're the ones who plan, develop, and qualify new products, etc., in short they're responsible for the quality of the products and the health of the company.
 
Automotive unions and Automotive Management

Guaranteed Employment

It was one big greed pig feed at the trough. Now the piper is being paid.

Yes most of the cars are terrible - caused by what? The whole company, lead by management.

Not a fool - My dad was in a union, I've worked with unions for almost 30 years. Unions are a problem. Not the only problem....more of a symptom......
 
Cars, Trucks and SUVs are severely overpriced in the US also.

They are the worst possible way you can spend money. They do not classify as an investment, so I will not even call them "A bad investment".


Yes, they provide a service, but the absolute absurd depreciation on them kinda makes you sick. Atleast it does to me.


As to sales....

How many more $40k SUVs and 4-door trucks can the general public buy?
 
quote:

Originally posted by speedtc:
Unions have nothing to do with it. NA automakers build mostly boring cars that do not appeal to everyone while doing it with lesser quality materials and engineering. Again, unions are good for the auto industry. Do we need mechanical sweatshops?

Sorry speedtc, your response coudn't be farther from the truth.
Before you write an angry response, I suggest you educate yourself a little on the state of the US unionized auto industry and the role of the Unions in this mess.
BTW the management is fully responsible for caving to the unions.
 
quote:

Originally posted by sprintman:
Why is it GM and Ford make sensational vehicles in Australia and GM for one exports them to 38 countries including U.S and Canada but they produce absolute cr@p in North America? I know the answer but can our N.A friends work it out?

Uh, I'll bite - could it be that GM and Ford U.S.'s overpaid product planners believe that North American buyers are total morons and that imports are merely a passing fad?
 
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