Quarter Sales Numbers

Released today:

Vehicle sales up:

Toyota +11% with 200,482 units sold ("...best sales ever in US")
Nissan +14% (Included Infinity up 59%)
BMW +3%

Sales Flat to lower:

GM Flat (-0.5%) with 472,527 units sold
Ford -15% with 311,084 units sold

US companies are still sliding...even with GM's insanely generous incentives
& offers when compared to those offered by the Toyotas and Nissans of the
world and with overall auto sales going up, they lost even more market share
<sigh>...again!! Is there no one else worried about this lengthy trend?

 

And look what GM is pinning its hopes on -- Malibu. As dull as styling can
get, and a pushrod V6. Origami-styled Cadillacs. Supercharged Impalas and
Monte Carlos that won't hide their ugly outsides or insides. Buick clone of
the corporate SUV. Suzukis that are rebadged Daewoos.

 

The Nissan percentages are misleading, because their sales have been
DISMAL over the last few years. Their upward trend means that they're
going to survive, not that they're burning up the market. I think its
the first time in history that being bought by Renault has done
something GOOD for a car company (which only shows how bad they were
before).

Yeah, I'm worried by the trend. But I don't buy foreign junk anyway.

 

| The Nissan percentages are misleading, because their sales have been
| DISMAL over the last few years. Their upward trend means that they're
| going to survive, not that they're burning up the market. I think its
| the first time in history that being bought by Renault has done
| something GOOD for a car company (which only shows how bad they were
| before).
|
| Yeah, I'm worried by the trend. But I don't buy foreign junk anyway.
|
|

Hopefully we still have a domestic option in 10 years, or we won't have a
choice. :-(

 

I'll bet Toyota would just LOVE to have those GM numbers, or even
Fords. Toyota would love to be 'flat' at 472,527 CARS compared
to their 200,482. In case you haven't noticed the figures were
CAR sales not total vehicle sales. Americans
buy more light truck, which includes SUV's, than cars. Ford
sells more F150's in month then Toyota sell total trucks
and truck based SUV's in a year. Toyota sell the number one car
but Ford, Chevy and Dodge trucks far outsell ANYTHING Toyota or
any Japanese company sells.


mike hunt

 

The trend stinks, some sort of autopact needs to be put in place....you ever
see the price of our vehicles in Japan. I here they are not cheap

 

Didn't you add to the lower GM numbers, when you dumped your 2003 Malibu
LS after 7 months of ownership? Just kidding.

I know how you feel...I'm regretting getting my GM car in February.

Brad

 

I bought an Olds Intrigue in June of 02, dumped it this past March and
bought a Maxima.

Maybe I'll come back to GM.. but probably not, now that I've discovered what
a "real" car is supposed to be like.

 

When are people going to stop equating "American car" with "GM?"

And "real car?" Maxima? Puh-LEEZE.

 

| I'll bet Toyota would just LOVE to have those GM numbers, or even
| Fords. Toyota would love to be 'flat' at 472,527 CARS compared
| to their 200,482. In case you haven't noticed the figures were
| CAR sales not total vehicle sales. Americans
| buy more light truck, which includes SUV's, than cars. Ford
| sells more F150's in month then Toyota sell total trucks
| and truck based SUV's in a year. Toyota sell the number one car
| but Ford, Chevy and Dodge trucks far outsell ANYTHING Toyota or
| any Japanese company sells.
|
|
| mike hunt

If the continuing trend isn't reversed, the numbers WILL be reversed within
the decade...a very sad mathematical fact. BTW, Toyota gained market share
on the trucks sales as well.

 

| Didn't you add to the lower GM numbers, when you dumped your 2003 Malibu
| LS after 7 months of ownership? Just kidding.

Not yet. According to the CarMax web site, as of Tuesday this week, it was
still sitting on the Laurel, Maryland lot waiting to be purchased. It's
the dark green Malibu LS with sunroof ($14,599). They have quite a few 2003
GM's for sale actually, which is a little surprising. It was very well
cared for, Mobil-1 oil changes, etc. Been to some interesting
places...Montecello, Montpelier, Gettysburg, Philadelphia, Eastern Shore of
Maryland. All of the quality problems, water / body seal leaks, etc.
(except the noisy front struts are still a issue) have been fixed.

Eccept for a couple of Fords I owned in the 1970's, in 30+ years of car
buying, I've never kept any car since for less than 7 years (average 11
years) and, except for a 16-year-old Dodge Dakota 4x4 I donated to the high
school auto shop class, have never gotten rid of a car for
quality/engineering or for problem reasons even then...usually selling them
to friends since they all were still running great. I guess the 8 months
for this one kills my average, huh!?! But, I'm not bitter, there is a cost
to education! In this case, about $7K....nearly a year of in-state
tuition at UMD (daughter just graduated last year, so I'm free from the
cost, I thought!).

| I know how you feel...I'm regretting getting my GM car in February.
|

You gave GM two chances...more than they will get from me for a while. I
think the engine replacement in your 2000 model would have sealed it for me
though. I admire you trying to stick with them...I wish it had worked out
better for you. One would think that at least some of the Malibu's are
okay...there sure are a lot of them out on the roads!

 

I also get GM vehicles at cost, so for us it made financial sense to get
another GM product.

That plan expires at the end of this year, so when the lease is up on
this car, we'll be taking a serious look around at all manufacturers.

Brad

 

Shocking isn't it? Long gone are the cheap econobox days of the 80's.

 

Q: how many of those are fleet sales?

GM and Ford, last I checked, had a virtual stranglehold on the
rental industry, so it's a bit unfair to compare them to
companies that do most of their business to individuals.

 

| I also get GM vehicles at cost, so for us it made financial sense to get
| another GM product.

I probably would have given them another go in that case then too. Dollars
talk!

| That plan expires at the end of this year, so when the lease is up on
| this car, we'll be taking a serious look around at all manufacturers.
|
| Brad

I had a friend that would rent a model vehicle he was interested in for a
few days to "try it on for size" to "see how it fit". It was a little
costly, but his argument was that the dealer test drives just don't provide
enough time with the car to know how it will fit in with personal
preferences, comfort of the seats, etc. etc. I think I now agree with him!!
Not sure how to avoid getting generally bad product though, other than lurk
in newsgroups like these...although it will be filled mostly with people
with problems and issues.

I wonder how the GM 24-hour test drive program worked out...do you know if
they still doing that?

 

If you remove Fleet sales then Toyota is the number 1 seller.

 

| On Thu, 04 Sep 2003 15:47:26 GMT, Joseph Oberlander
|
| > James C. Reeves wrote:
| >> | >> | I'll bet Toyota would just LOVE to have those GM numbers, or even
| >> | Fords. Toyota would love to be 'flat' at 472,527 CARS compared
| >> | to their 200,482. In case you haven't noticed the figures were
| >
| > Q: how many of those are fleet sales?
| >
| > GM and Ford, last I checked, had a virtual stranglehold on the
| > rental industry, so it's a bit unfair to compare them to
| > companies that do most of their business to individuals.
| >
| >
|
| If you remove Fleet sales then Toyota is the number 1 seller.
|

Did you research that? I haven't yet. If true (and it may be) GM and Ford
better hope they don't loose the rental market like they're loosing (or lost
if true) the general market then!!

 

But the fleet cars get sold to "somebody" after the fleets are done with
them. I have one myself. So individuals are buying these cars, just 6
months later.

Dan

 

And you came to that conclusion after drinking or taking what? Do
you really think any manufacture cares WHO buys their product?
Toyota Honda etc. sell to fleets and rental companies as well,
they are just not as proficient at doing so. LOL



mike hunt

 

Dave Draper wrote:

I don't believe that. Got anything to substantiate it?