Ricers Taking Over
08-02-2007 | 04:32 AM
#1
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From: New Jersey
Ricers Taking Over
For the first time in history, the market share of the Detroit "big three" has dipped below 50%.
In the month of July, their market share was only 48.1%. GM sales dropped 22.3%, Ford declined 19.1%, and Chrysler fell 8.4%.
What happened? Detroit is producing a much better product than in years' past, but is still being beaten on its own home turf! [:@]
In the month of July, their market share was only 48.1%. GM sales dropped 22.3%, Ford declined 19.1%, and Chrysler fell 8.4%.
What happened? Detroit is producing a much better product than in years' past, but is still being beaten on its own home turf! [:@]
08-02-2007 | 08:23 AM
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RE: Ricers Taking Over
because union workers demanding 40 dollars an hour to do next to nothing drives the price of the car through the roof...not to mention the import cars are more efficient and often better quality...
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08-02-2007 | 09:40 AM
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RE: Ricers Taking Over
I think it has more to do with globalization than union wages, management errors, or otherwise. When you start off with a couple providers of a product & you introduce more competitors the originals can only lose share. I think at this point the big three simply need to recognize the market will be fractured amongst many players and they each need to develop their respective niche.
08-02-2007 | 10:16 AM
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RE: Ricers Taking Over
ORIGINAL: Nero
Better quality? Depends on the car. I agree about the union workers bit. Unions have reached their usefullness years ago and need to be done away with.
Better quality? Depends on the car. I agree about the union workers bit. Unions have reached their usefullness years ago and need to be done away with.
good point about the car...
i feel that companies like nissan, honda, and toyota have done a good job of making efficient cars and trucks that look decent.
toyota doesnt make anything that i would buy, but the camry has proven to be a favorite of middle class americans who dont really care about how fast or sporty their car is, so long as it runs forever with little care, and gets good mileage. while i care about how my vehicles look, and how fast they will go, the truth is that most of the people driving do not. hence toyotas success. having worked as a mechanic, the toyotas were typically the cars with high mileage, and were poory taken care of...but they ran forever. they are trying to get into the racing world, but they are doing poorly in nascar, and their trucks are ugly.
honda has done the same thing that toyota has, but honda has made some effort to make some sporty models, like the civic Si and S2000. many civic and accord owners might as have have bought a camry, as they do only enough to keep the car running forever, and like toyota, they are typically cheaper than the domestic counterparts. i would drive quite a few different honda vehicles, especially the civic...
nissan has seemed to shift their focus to luxury and performance, and that appeals to me. next to dodge, the only truck that i would consider buying (although i dont see me buying another truck any time soon) would be the titan. overseas, nissan is a force in the racing world, and only because of an inter-company pissing match between nissan motors and prince motor company, they do not have the same appeal of performance here with models like the skyline and silvia, although we are not gettig watered down versions.
other than thoe three, i wouldnt ever consider having an import...hyundai and kia are complete junk, and i wouldnt drive one if it was free.
but it comes down to the bottom line for most normal americans, who dont are about how nice or fast their car is, and they dont care where it was built, or where the money goes... and example...the 07 camry LE versus the 07 charger sxt.
both 3.5L engines..the charger makes 250hp/250tq, and the camry makes 268/248...with similar options, including a 6 speed auto trans in the camry, the charger is already a couple thousand dollars more, before youve even chosen a single option..and for most people in the US, money talks. i would rather have the charger, even at the slightly higher cost, but most people only see the basics, and exclude where it is made, and where the money goes.
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08-02-2007 | 11:01 AM
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RE: Ricers Taking Over
Um, the Camry is built in the US. The way I look at it Toyota brings more american jobs. Not only at the factory, but other shops,as they like to have their vendors close to the Factory. Are company built a facility in Kentucky for this. Saying buy American, so the money can go to the American company, is crap to me nowadays. The only people that benifit that is the Upper management, as they try and do what they can to cut costs buy sending everything "oversees" to save a buck so they can get a bigger increase in wage and bonus.
08-02-2007 | 11:30 AM
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RE: Ricers Taking Over
i know that the camry is built in the US...but ultimately, im looking at this from a market share point of view, in which case, the largest portion of the dollar spent on a new toyota compared to a new dodge, goes to an overseas company..but you are right, that the line between "foreign" and "domestic" is constantly blurred..
hell, i drive a dodge and a plymouth that are technically japanese made, but the laser was built in normal, ill, and the stratus, i believe was also made in the U..even though it is basically an eclipse...however, the chargers, 300s, magnum, and many of the trucks are built in mexico and canada...
the camaro, which is viewed as an icon of american muscle, saw the vast majority of its units built in another country...
hell, i drive a dodge and a plymouth that are technically japanese made, but the laser was built in normal, ill, and the stratus, i believe was also made in the U..even though it is basically an eclipse...however, the chargers, 300s, magnum, and many of the trucks are built in mexico and canada...
the camaro, which is viewed as an icon of american muscle, saw the vast majority of its units built in another country...
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08-02-2007 | 04:27 PM
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RE: Ricers Taking Over
ORIGINAL: awsure
I think it has more to do with globalization than union wages, management errors, or otherwise. When you start off with a couple providers of a product & you introduce more competitors the originals can only lose share. I think at this point the big three simply need to recognize the market will be fractured amongst many players and they each need to develop their respective niche.
I think it has more to do with globalization than union wages, management errors, or otherwise. When you start off with a couple providers of a product & you introduce more competitors the originals can only lose share. I think at this point the big three simply need to recognize the market will be fractured amongst many players and they each need to develop their respective niche.
Other countries do not have unions like we do and the cost of labor is lower and can compete better because of it. That is a doubly whamy agains the U.S. automakers
and other industries in general.
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For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
08-02-2007 | 06:15 PM
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From:
RE: Ricers Taking Over
ORIGINAL: 1 Bad Mirada
good point about the car...
i feel that companies like nissan, honda, and toyota have done a good job of making efficient cars and trucks that look decent.
toyota doesnt make anything that i would buy, but the camry has proven to be a favorite of middle class americans who dont really care about how fast or sporty their car is, so long as it runs forever with little care, and gets good mileage. while i care about how my vehicles look, and how fast they will go, the truth is that most of the people driving do not. hence toyotas success. having worked as a mechanic, the toyotas were typically the cars with high mileage, and were poory taken care of...but they ran forever. they are trying to get into the racing world, but they are doing poorly in nascar, and their trucks are ugly.
honda has done the same thing that toyota has, but honda has made some effort to make some sporty models, like the civic Si and S2000. many civic and accord owners might as have have bought a camry, as they do only enough to keep the car running forever, and like toyota, they are typically cheaper than the domestic counterparts. i would drive quite a few different honda vehicles, especially the civic...
nissan has seemed to shift their focus to luxury and performance, and that appeals to me. next to dodge, the only truck that i would consider buying (although i dont see me buying another truck any time soon) would be the titan. overseas, nissan is a force in the racing world, and only because of an inter-company pissing match between nissan motors and prince motor company, they do not have the same appeal of performance here with models like the skyline and silvia, although we are not gettig watered down versions.
other than thoe three, i wouldnt ever consider having an import...hyundai and kia are complete junk, and i wouldnt drive one if it was free.
but it comes down to the bottom line for most normal americans, who dont are about how nice or fast their car is, and they dont care where it was built, or where the money goes... and example...the 07 camry LE versus the 07 charger sxt.
both 3.5L engines..the charger makes 250hp/250tq, and the camry makes 268/248...with similar options, including a 6 speed auto trans in the camry, the charger is already a couple thousand dollars more, before youve even chosen a single option..and for most people in the US, money talks. i would rather have the charger, even at the slightly higher cost, but most people only see the basics, and exclude where it is made, and where the money goes.
good point about the car...
i feel that companies like nissan, honda, and toyota have done a good job of making efficient cars and trucks that look decent.
toyota doesnt make anything that i would buy, but the camry has proven to be a favorite of middle class americans who dont really care about how fast or sporty their car is, so long as it runs forever with little care, and gets good mileage. while i care about how my vehicles look, and how fast they will go, the truth is that most of the people driving do not. hence toyotas success. having worked as a mechanic, the toyotas were typically the cars with high mileage, and were poory taken care of...but they ran forever. they are trying to get into the racing world, but they are doing poorly in nascar, and their trucks are ugly.
honda has done the same thing that toyota has, but honda has made some effort to make some sporty models, like the civic Si and S2000. many civic and accord owners might as have have bought a camry, as they do only enough to keep the car running forever, and like toyota, they are typically cheaper than the domestic counterparts. i would drive quite a few different honda vehicles, especially the civic...
nissan has seemed to shift their focus to luxury and performance, and that appeals to me. next to dodge, the only truck that i would consider buying (although i dont see me buying another truck any time soon) would be the titan. overseas, nissan is a force in the racing world, and only because of an inter-company pissing match between nissan motors and prince motor company, they do not have the same appeal of performance here with models like the skyline and silvia, although we are not gettig watered down versions.
other than thoe three, i wouldnt ever consider having an import...hyundai and kia are complete junk, and i wouldnt drive one if it was free.
but it comes down to the bottom line for most normal americans, who dont are about how nice or fast their car is, and they dont care where it was built, or where the money goes... and example...the 07 camry LE versus the 07 charger sxt.
both 3.5L engines..the charger makes 250hp/250tq, and the camry makes 268/248...with similar options, including a 6 speed auto trans in the camry, the charger is already a couple thousand dollars more, before youve even chosen a single option..and for most people in the US, money talks. i would rather have the charger, even at the slightly higher cost, but most people only see the basics, and exclude where it is made, and where the money goes.
Toyota is trying to transform themselves into a performance brand since they see that there is also a trend for performance. The Mazda 3 is an illogical car that it is a compact car that gets lower fuel mileage than many mid-sized models while not having very much engine output; however, it is very popular anyways do to the good looks and wise marketing strategy. The performance image is what has made that model successful. Now Toyota is trying to make their dull Camry interesting by adding a more powerful V6 engine to attempt to rival the performance orientated Nissan Altima. The Tundra now sets the performance benchmark for trucks with having the fastest accelerating model (since the Ram SRT-10 is now discontinued). The problem that I think Toyota is now starting to have since their sales are now down is they have possibly bit off more than they can chew. They have had quality issues for years on certain models and now that is starting to haunt them, plus they have tried to expand in markets that are not doing very well right now.
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"To Debate and Moderate" since 2006
College Graduate:
B.S. in Marketing
A.A. in nothing
The first 426 Dual Quad member.
The first to 2000 posts