(Discussion..)
I am seeing a lot more commercials for DCX cars, warantees, etc...
Hearing how they are "Set" on winning over or back, car enthuseists...
And it looks like they are "Serious"...
Looking at the HP, the RWD's, the warantees, New Sporty product, SRT designation that means performance...

I would go down the list, but we all have seen the numbers...they seem serious to me.(Like 200hp + 4 cyl's..)

Now they're offering,
2 years worth of Gas..!
5 years/ 60,000 mile warantee
2 year/ 24,000 mile scheduled maintenance

And they're profitable?? hmmmm...
They seem to be overwhelming consumers with what they want.

 

To build on your "Hearing how they are "Set" on winning over or back, car enthuseists..."

I've been tapped a few times within the past few months from both Chrysler & Ford....Too bad my heart lies with General Motors.

 

LoL...yea right. Never miss a chance to boast though do you? No wonder you and Buickman are buddies. Two enormus egos.

 

You have to give it to Chrysler. They have proved that by giving the customer what they want, and by now building a quality product combined with effective manufacturing process you can be profitable. I just hope GM completes turning that corner soon.

 

In the past Chrysler had a good following of dedicated customers. Not just enthusiasts, but customers. If they can show they have good safety standards, good reliability, etc., then they may regain this.

 

So, they lower the rebates and offer free gas and maintenance instead? What's the big deal in that? If I can have a $4000 rebate, or a $1000 rebate plus gas for 2 years (just making up numbers for an example), I have to do the math to see which is better.

It isn't like they are throwing in free gas and maint. out of the goodness of their hearts. If I keep $4000 cash up front, that is a lot of money I can put toward gas, maint, or anything else I choose (vs. being forced to spend it on gas and maint.).

I think that 5 year/60k mile warranty is NOT an extension of the bumper to bumper warranty. It is a "mechanical" warranty, covering specific hard parts of the car, IIRC. Not sure about the warranty thing though.

Definitely an appealing offer the way the commercials paint it though. Reassuring for the customer, even if it doesn't amount to much in terms of cash savings.

 

That is a little uncalled for. I think that Josh does a great job with his website as does Brandon. I am sure that Brandon has also been approached by other camps for enthusiest sites of their own as well. I think someone is a little cranky this mornin'.

 

Here is hte big difference...

By offering a big rebate you are more or less admiting the car is struggling to be sold at sticker for what it is, so you are compromising for an inferior car due to rebate.

By offering a car for near sticker, and give a longer warranty and free gas, in the consumers mind, and mine... the company is standing behind the product, and not trying to force it down your throat.

As you can see, both in the end cost the same, but perception is king, and personally, I wouldnt touch a car that is being forced to compromise due to price.

 

Brandon? You mean the guy who runs GMI.com? Brandon and Buickman are not the same person. I didn't say Josh didn't run the site well, just always goes out of his way to brag about anything/everything. Or in this case, just lie.

Yea I have to agree. The average consumer would see more value in the free gas, warranty and service plan. Average consumer may think those things would add up to more than one big rebate.

 

I think by offering the Maintenance etc, they are saying, Hey, we're not going to abandon you after the sale, we'll take care of you..."
I think it's an effective switch, in perception, as someone mentioned in another thread...to the average consumer, that's what counts.

 

Yes, I agree that it does make for an appealing marketing ploy to the average consumer. I'm just saying that, in terms of dollars and cents, for the educated consumer it isn't much of a benefit (if at all).

Sort of a "feel good" marketing pitch.

 

Whats the exact details of the gas for 2 years deal? I read one place they wre just going to give you a debit card, which you can techinically use
anywhere, for anything.


I think it is a good perception-marketing thing. One can argue cars are still being sold at the sticker price and the free gas and maintanence is seperate.. So the cars value itself isn't hurt as bad, vs say lowering the price on the cars itself. If thats going to be the case or not, I dunno.

 

what theyd probably do is take the epa average rating, average mileage/year, and projected gas price averages and figure out a dollar amount.

 

they take the average milage drivin per year and the fuel milage of the car and say that is how much gas you get. I remember seeing a commercial and it tells you exactly how they base the free gas offer in the really fine almost unreadable print at the bottom of the screen in all that other crap at the end of it

 

Have you looked at the SVO/SVT catalogs from Ford over the past 15 years??

They have offered a ton of parts to go faster from either their own or endorsed aftermarket products. Gm's performance parts catalog has been a joke and Chrysler's has been non-existant until recently.Have you seen the thousands of parts already available for the new Mustang and it's still in it's original model year?
I am a GM family child for years but don't knock the others for offering hotrod parts on the side when GM is just getting started.(ex/ cobalt ss /saturn rl performance packages). They are behind.

JOHN