From the dealer's perspective...

1) I couldn't get a hardtop Wrangler if I drove out to the plant and stole one...apparently Chrysler didn't anticipate demand for the new 3 piece hardtop, and orders are backlogged for months by the looks of it. Meanwhile, dealers have all but sold out of 4 door Wranglers.

2) Has anyone even SEEN a commercial for the new Sebring? I've had one person stop by for one, and I've had them for over a month. He looked at the hood, made fun of the lines in it, and walked over to the Honda dealer next door!!!!!!!!!!!

3) The Caliber that debuted 7 months ago? According to the company, the plant STILL has issues, and cars I've had on order for 5 months are still not on the ground. Unfortunately, this also affects the Compass many of you find so ugly...we can't keep those in stock, either.

4) The Nitro seems to be getting a lot of interest despite being butt ugly IMO, however we can't get any of those either. See a trend starting here????

Sorry for such a rant...but a lot of us are starting to get really pissed off. I remember guion telling me awhile back that I'd be better off being a DCX dealer than a Pontiac dealer because of all the new product...but if I can't get any of it?? WTF???

Does Chrysler really wonder why market share has gone back to declining?

 

1) I like the new jeeps a lot, no surprise the 4 doors are a hit or that people want the new 3 piece hard top. That hard top is the best of both worlds.

2) I've seen a bunch of new Sebring adds on TV in Albany.

4) I love the looks of that new Nitro. It looks mean especially with big off road tire or 20" wheels. Defiantly not a boring cookie cutter import SUV

 

You're not the only one. I'm still waiting for my first 900 Silverado, long after every other dealer has had one for some time. You can imagine the nice things I had to say to my rep.

HHRs were a pain in the **** when they launched too.

Solstice? As Pete Gerosa would say, with a cigar in hand, "fa-get-about-it".

I can't wait until the mad crazy lineup of customers who will want a Camaro right on the spot. We'll be seeing plenty of "dealers are charging over MSRP" threads here in the not so distant future. You can count on that. You can also count on me not being one of those dealers.

 

Jason, I have to tell you.... I don't even understand what the hell's going on with Chrysler lately!

Chrysler has spent the past year plus using hot selling Hemi and SRT models to force dealers to buy more slow and impossible to sell models. Now some of that new product I was hinting at is coming out, and.... WTF..... they can't even get them to the dealers!

A 5 year old can walk around the block, and notice that 4 door SUVs, crossovers, and trucks are far outstripping 2 door versions. So why is there a shortage of 4 door Wranglers??

The Jeep Compass (although I think very little of them) is a way to buy into the Jeep heritage... if not capabilities... at a rock bottom price. Of course, there's going to be a strong demand.

The Caliber has had some of the best & memorable commercials I've ever seen. It's the perfect "Swiss Army Knife" of automobiledom. It has refrigerated strorage and a flipdown boombox. To top it off, it's a economical crossover that isn't likely to have owners who put "Powerpuff Girl" stickers in the window. More than that, they're also selling them in Europe & Australia. But there's still a 5 to 6 month wait?!

Nitro's been out a couple of months at least, but the local Dodge dealer can't get one yet. I'd even be intrested in one. Seems the general public is as well. He's had quite a few inquiries.

I still haven't seen a Sebring. But in all fairness, I haven't went asking or checking on one either.


To me it seems Chrysler has perhaps more product coming out than any other maker, certainly outstripping the far bigger Ford Motor Company. And it's going to be a steady stream of new showroom candy. Knowing that, that's why I made the quip about switching from Pontiac to Chrysler.

But I'm begining to think Chrysler might have bitten off far more than they can chew. Bringing out new vehicles is more than just giving money to product developers who create a new car. I wonder if Chrysler has thought through on how to get those things to market, and make the most out of the momemtum they should be riding.

Brampton is scheduled to continue running at full tilt even as Challenger is added to the line and as they change over to the new 300, Charger, and Magnum. I'm starting to worry about a train wreck there.

Top it off with the new Viper, Ram, Firepower, Hornet, a new FWD coupe & sedan (actual Neon replacements) that's all due over the next couple of years along with the newly out Sebring, Avenger, Compass, Nitro, & Aspen (and I know I've missed a few vehicles) you really have to wonder how far streached the people responsible for getting these things to market are going to be if they are already having problems now.

 

For some...unknown...spectacular reason...I get the feeling Toyota will come up with a solution to this problem. The only problem is that it may help Toyota to such an extent that it would hurt others like GM.

 

When you can't deliver on product that is in demand, what good is it? That product will suddenly stop being hot.

I know if I walked into a Chrysler dealer and was told it'd be a 6-month wait for a Caliber or new Wrangler....unless I'm a real die-hard or need one that abso-freaking-lutely bad, I'm taking my business somewhere else.

 

Doesn't seem that cheap compared to its platform mates or competitors with similar capabilities (it starts at almost $22k). Plus Autoweek gave it an absolutely horrible review, stating "This one, at least, was simply a dismal car." (http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl.../61120022/1006)

I will certainly echo your comments about model proliferation. WTF is Jeep thinking going from 3 models to 7, with many of them built off the same platform and fighting for the same target market? Can DCX afford to properly market all these cars? Can they afford to design replacements in a timely fashion? Seems like they're doing what GM was in the late 80s/early 90s. I'll bet that the next Chrysler reorganization will feature a spokesperson stating that they're cutting back on models to do a better job with fewer vehicles.

As for the Sebring, I know it's received a lot of bad press for its styling, but I actually think it's a pretty good looking car except for one glaring blemish: those strakes on the hood really scream "we're trying too hard". With a normal hood this would be one of the better looking cars in its class.

 

I've been seeing both Compasses and Nitros around, so some dealers must be getting them in. The Compass is really awful looking compared the Nitro, IMO.

Dodge is running some cheesy sale-a-bration commercials, and I have to say that nearly their entire lineup has depressingly identical "Ram pickup" front-ends. Brand identity is one thing, but taking it so far that everything you makes looks the same seems like a lousy way to differentiate your product.

 

I've seen one or two Nitros on the streets. Also, saw my first Sebring on the streets just the other day.

What is do you mean by problems, or is that all they tell you? I take it that this is different then not production enough to meet demand, like the Sky and such.

 

Compasses START at 16 grand, but you'll likely never see one...one like that doesn't even have AC. I just sold a nice 4x4 with a 5 speed, power package, standard 17" alloys, foglights, and cruise for $19,500...not bad IMO. The problem is when you step it up a bit and get the better stereo, leather, chrome wheels etc...a Limited can top $25k...the car isn't worth that. But yeah, they're selling real well, and dealers are getting them...just painfully slow. Because I do more with Jeep than Dodge, I can get more Compasses than Calibers, which is fine with me because the Caliber is way harder for me to get.

I've had one Nitro. Drives nice. I hate the way it looks. The only reason I got it is because Chrysler was so kind as to send it to me...it isn't even one I ordered. The 3 I've ordered have rotted since August!!!!!!!!!! And not ONE is even scheduled to be built yet!!!

I think guion hit the nail on the head with something...Chrysler probably did use SRT-8s to pawn off unloved "bank" units (bank cars are cars Chrysler produces that have no homes in order to keep the UAW cranking ), as that's what they're doing currently. I can get a 2 door and 4 door Wrangler, 2 Nitros and an extra Compass from Chryler tomorrow...

But I have to take 9 other cars I don't want or need...fu(k that, gentlemen...

 

so when you going back to Pontiac? now that you have some insight as to the direction of Pontiac, even though it's not yet "set in stone".

 

I work for the dealer I work for because of the dealer itself, not the actual product. I would love nothing more than to be the GSM of a Chevy or B/P/GMC store...without a doubt. I like Chrysler's products, but don't LOVE them. I've gained a ton of respect for the 300, the Grand Cherokee, and the pickups...especially the diesels, which we sell a ton of...

Yet, other than a GC or 300, I can't see myself in ANY of their products. Yet, I could walk into a Pontiac dealer and walk out with a G6 GTP coupe...a GP GXP...or a Solstice. I could go to Chevy and walk out with an MC SS, or a Cobalt SS...dare I dream a Corvette? Of course, you can add Camaro to this list in 2 years, which will indeed be the one I DO pick There's 7 cars right there I could EASILY see parking in my driveway...yet the only 300s and GC's I like cost more than any of aforementioned GM offerings, save the Corvette.

I work for this particular dealer because of the situation. Her husband passed away unexpectedly at age 51 a year ago. I met her through a close friend...she liked what she saw, knew how much I loved the industry and my part-time job at the Pontiac store (I was a Credit Analyst for a commercial bank full-time at the time), and offered me what's in my opinion an unbelievable opportunity at age 26...the GSM spot at a DCX dealer that sells typically 40 new and 25 used a month...this year has been deadly with new car sales, so we've been about 25% less than that for most of my 8 month career there...

It appears she'll probably keep the dealership another 10 years, then sell it off. Knowing the way Chrysler is CURRENTLY trying to downsize its dealer body, I have less a chance of buying it than I do walking on the moon At that point, rest assured I'll be back at a GM dealer for sure...for now, I'm riding this train as long as I can because its a rare opportunity where you can work for someone you actually LIKE working for

 

Jason E, there ya go, with that quick summary in a nut shell.....

good luck to you. If I really go ahead with the Aspen or the Grand Cherokee early next year, maybe you can sell me one. I'm pretty sure I can get a new one (or slightly used one) into Florida fine, unlike California, where I was for about 6years.

 

The thing with the Bramalea plant is that it produces a little over 300,000 vehicles a year. If they expect all those models to sell less than that, they should be fine, but if the demand soars, they'll be hard-pressed to meet orders.

Does anyone know in what quantities is the 300/Magnum/Charger selling so far?