Al & Z28Wilson IMHO have it right. Chevy's doing very very well. It's just they aren't making the cars WE want.

Pretty much everything in Chevy's lineup is selling well. That's because of that ugly truth we tend to forget: 90% of car buyers aren't out to buy cheap fast reardrive roadburners.

The bulk of all buyers are after a practical vehicle that serves their purpose, that has the most stuff loaded on at the cheapest price possible. If that's nothing else, that's Chevrolet.

Impala is GM's best selling car. Till last summer, the Cavalier was GM's best selling car. Chevy trucks outsell Dodge. Next to Mustang, Monte Carlo is either the best selling coupe, or in the top 3. Malibu may not be attractive, but it is loaded with features at a relatively low price. Corvette can be viewed as the world's cheapest supercar.

Chevy's very much in the game right now. It's just that they are playing in someone else's park.

 

Well....Yeah! I've got some news for you, the LX cars are going to change the automotive landscape in NA. There is an incredible "buzz" around these cars and they are selling like crazy. Sure the Impala is doing well...but the LX cars (current and future), will change peoples' expectations for this segment. And I'm not just talking enthusiasts either.



We'll see. It will certainly be slower than SRT-4, and I've heard Cobalt SS Supercharged will go for substantiantially north of $23K.



I think that a properly executed Camaro will be a HUGE image enhancing device for Chevrolet. I can't believe that you don't think so!

 

Other than the Vette and trucks, there are no cars that Chevrolet makes that people 12-25 want/desire. Cobalt SS is a big step in the right direction, it doesn't need to beat the SRT-4 as long as it comes close and is cheaper/same price.

 

Actualy, I think Chevy is making cars that young kids want. The Aveo, the Colorado, the Cobalt, and as they get higher in the band, the Malibu Maxx, and Equinox. Look at these cars, and they arent as boring or dull as the last ones. The Aveo's list of options will attract young kids looking for a gas sipping cool little go kart. It has an MP3 player along with XM etc etc... and for around 10k?
The Colorado, that thing is shooting right at young males. Just look at the commercials! I think they should push the sport model more, because all I see is the Z71. At NYIAS, there were a lot of kids hanging around the Colorado Xtreem concept.
The Cobalt will be a fantastic foot stomp into the compact market. The ecotec engine is building up an awesome rep with sport compact buyers. They acutaly did an Ion on that Tuner Transformation, and he was talking about the popularity of the ecotec 2.2.
The Maxx, I know I love that car. I took a test drive, and I was amazed at the scoot in that car, and the room. Seriously, you would have to be near 7ft to start to feel cramped. Its a perfect little car, and it undercuts the Camry. I think its a great car for people looking for a SUV room, but wants a car.
And the Equinox, out of the 10 or so I have seen, 80% of them were in there mid 20's, and they were male. That SUV is the best looking mid sized SUV out there IMO. The Escape is downright fugly when you put it next to the Nox.

and the best part, all of them felt great quality wise(outside of the Cobalt that I didnt sit in) and they didnt look like rubbermaid crap on the inside.

Chevy has eased up on its rebates, and cars are still selling. They are getting better review in car rags so this might be the start of change in the publics opinion. Chevy is making the cars, people just need to realize that Toyotas and Hondas arent that amazing. I think we tend to look back to the "old" way of how GM did things. I see it all the time.

and GM did post a larger profit then what analysts were predicting, and there sales are on the up. Cant say that much for Ford.

 

This is funny. In reality, how far away is Chevy from being everything the enthusiasts want it to be (within reason)?

2 CARS.

Me thinks a new Camaro combined with a RWD sedan would cure just about all that ails guys like you Z284Ever. Sheesh, Chevy is a lot closer than you think...I saw a Middle East Chevy Lumina zipping around Chicago last summer...wonder why that was? When those two products become reality, along with perhaps even a new El Camino courtesy of Holden, Chevy is right where we'd like it to be!

Irrelevant? I like to think Chevrolet is a few years away from being THE standard in many segments!

 

I would like to think that the Camaro would the the icing on the cake. After Chevy takes up massive chunks of the large, midsized, and small car market, has a few sweet halo cars, the Corvette is owning many supercars, then on top of all this greatness.... They give us the Camaro. Think of it like a Christmas when you were a kid, where the presents keep getting better and better, and just when you think all your presents were over, you dad tells you to come into the garage and gives you a POWER WHEELS!! YEAAAAAAAAH!

 

That would sure be a great start and would make threads like THIS irrelevant.


Until then though...................

 

You can't say much for Ford anytime...
That's why I AM HERE!

Quote "Ford posted nearly $2 billion in earnings in the first quarter, more than twice what analysts and Ford itself anticipated. "
From thisUSA Today article.

Or you could have read thisReutter's Newswire story about the same thing.

Or...
You could have actually read THIS thread in THIS forum, in which GuionM pointed you straight to it.

OMG... these rose-colored glasses are so hard to pry off sometimes.

 

Z284ever, I agree with Wilson and some of the other guys... it's definitely not terminal, it just stinks at the moment. There are some cool units coming down the pipe, and some cool ones already here. I am impressed with several offerings myself... namely SSR and the Colorado.

The only thing I want to point out is that the folks that keep saying "They are coming, just wait."...
You guys have got to understand that all of GM's competition is not standing still while GM is developing new models. They are developing too.
And speaking from experience, it's often a lot easier to refine and smooth out the bumps on a model that's already in production, than to execute a flawless and troublefree launch from scratch.

Good example of that... the Mustang and Camaro.
The 05 Mustang will be 2 years into it's new life, and looking for a reskin and freshening when the Maro comes out new. Sure the Maro will have the new "appeal" that Mustang is having this summer, but the liklihood of Mustang having any recalls or troubles in 2007 are much reduced due to 2 years of production.

All I'm saying here is that the market won't "wait" for Chevy to put out new models, the market is moving too. It makes catching up harder to do than running with the pack.

 

Cars that 12-25's want & desire?

Well, 12-16s can't own cars because for the most part, the aren't allowed to drive.

17 year olds don't can't own car because they aren't even legal adults.

18-20 year olds don't buy new cars. Something to the tune of 90% plus or so buy used cars.

21-25 year olds are the ones who are just starting off, and unless they are landing into high paying jobs right out of school, they are buying low priced economy cars, with a few spilling over to Mustangs. However, once again, this is an age group that buy used cars.

Mitsubishi had a finance program that was made to attract more young kids to their brand by addressing the thing that keeps young kids from buying new cars: Credit history.

Today, Mitsubishi USA is a financial basket case, and the top reason: all that effort to finance "kids".

Young males want a Skyline GT-R just like in they wanted Mitsubishi 3000 GTs, Toyota Superas, and RX7s 10 years ago. The Skyline is way over $50,000 and all the other cars died because no one was buying them (way too expensive).

At 18, you're going to school or just starting off in the world, so you most certainly aren't wasting money. By 21, you're finished with school, or have moved up enough in your trade where you can get a cheap new car if you want or a really good used car. By 25, you have established good credit, your insurence premiums drop, and you are pretty settled in your job and have a little extra money.

Point is that catering cars to kids is a great way to quickly hang an out of business sign on your window. Most people get their 1st new car at 25 or older (to those who got one earlier, consider yourself the small & lucky minority), so it only makes sense to cater to that age group.

You can't argue or debate with success, and Chevrolet is still one of the top automakers. Toyota (hardly a maker of kids cars) is also making a fortune producing run of the mill, boring cars that appeal to budget & value hunters and older people.

 

17yearolds can't own a car? I bought mine at 16

 

You're in Canada, that's different.


Most states here won't even issue you a learner's permit till you're 15 (15 1/2 in California). There are exceptions (ie: Farming areas or areas where school is reachable only by automobile) but it's few & far between.

Also, here in the US, contracts aren't binding till the person's 18 years old, including any sales contracts.

That's the US for you. I believe we are the only country on earth that allows 18-21 year olds to buy a house and to risk getting blown apart in wars or seeing others getting blown apart, but don't allow them to have a beer when they get home.

 

I'm not sure I agree with this premise. My wife currently owns an Impala, and as much as we're both Chevy people she can't stomach the Malibu (style, is there any?). Since our next car will be a station wagon to drive around kids that are coming, the Maxx just doesn't stack up to the Dodge Magnum. So even though 200 front whp is enough for her, the Magnum will be the replacement. For styling/safety reasons, not because its rwd. I think the new Chrysler/Dodge rwd vehicles will appeal to people for reasons besides rwd or in spite of rwd.

 

i am 24......

 

yeah, profits were good, but what about sales?..

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/040503/auto_sales_43.html

or this one
http://www.detnews.com/2004/autosins...utos-80200.htm

ford's numbers are dropping every month.